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SIKHS IN GULF COUNTRIES ASK AKAL TAKHT TO CLARIFY STAND ON HALAL MEAT Dubai, Sept 27, 2013- Gurinder Kaur Kandhari, vice-chairperson of Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Dubai has asked the Akal Takht, SGPC and DSGMC to clarify their stand on Sikhs having halal meat in the Gulf countries. Kandhari, accompanied by SP Singh, general manager of the gurdwara, said the Sikhs living in the Gulf countries had to consume halal meat as the jhatka meat was not permitted there. "According to the Sikh religion, we are allowed to have only jhatka meat. So we seek your guidance on how to go about it. Besides, if we continue to have halal meat, do we cease to be Sikhs," asked Kandhari and Singh. Manpreet Randhawa *HT Media Ltd. Source - http://www.yespunjab.com/sikh/issues/item/30833-sikhs-in-gulf-countries-ask-akal-takht-to-clarify-stand-on-halal-meat

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2 hours that can save your family http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BVPYTu6IMAAT98g.jpg

Judge to Sikh Man: Remove That Rag or Go to Jail Today, in a letter to the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT), the ACLU and United Sikhs called on state officials to investigate the harassment of a Sikh commercial truck driver pulled over early this year for a flat tire. After detaining Mr. Jageet Singh in January as he passed through Mississippi, the officers called him a "terrorist" and harassed and humiliated him because of his appearance and religious beliefs. As a devout Sikh, Mr. Singh wears a turban and carries a kirpan. A kirpan is a small, spiritual sword that is sheathed and sewn to the waistband. It is designed and worn as an article of faith, much as a cross is worn by devout Christians. Contending, wrongly, that his kirpan was illegal, the officers demanded that Mr. Singh remove it. When Mr. Singh explained that he was a Sikh and that the kirpan was a sacred religious article, the officers laughed at him and mocked his religious beliefs. One officer declared that all Sikhs are "depraved" and "terrorists." They continued to taunt him, and forced Mr. Singh to circle his truck with his hands on his turban while they searched the vehicle. Finally, not content with this humiliation, they arrested him, claiming that Mr. Singh had refused to obey an officer's lawful command. Mr. Singh's ordeal did not end with the MDOT. When he returned to Mississippi on March 26, 2013, for his court date at the Pike County Justice Court, he once again suffered humiliation, harassment, and discrimination because of his religious beliefs. Waiting for his attorney in the back of the courtroom, he was stunned when four Highway Patrol officers approached him and ordered him to leave the courtroom. The officers stated that Judge Aubrey Rimes had ordered them to eject Mr. Singh from the courtroom because he did not like Mr. Singh's turban. Moreover, they told Mr. Singh that Judge Rimes would punish him if he failed to remove his headdress. When Mr. Singh's attorney went to Judge Rimes's chambers to inquire about the matter, he readily confirmed that he had expelled Mr. Singh from the courtroom because of his turban. He further stated that Mr. Singh would not be allowed to re-enter the courtroom unless he removed "that rag" from his head and threatened to call Mr. Singh last on the docket if he continued to wear the religious headdress. As an observant Sikh, Mr. Singh wears a turban at all times as a reminder and public declaration of his connection to God. For him, the turban is an inseparable part of his Sikh religious identity: Like all Sikhs, Mr. Singh believes that a man cannot be considered a Sikh if he does not wear the turban and that unwrapping his turban and exposing his "naked" head in public is sacrilegious and shameful. Mr. Singh respectfully declined to remove his turban. As threatened, Judge Rimes forced Mr. Singh and his attorney to wait for several hours until every other litigant had been heard before allowing him into the courtroom. The Pike County Board of Supervisors recently recognized that Judge Rimes's harassment of Mr. Singh was unacceptable. In response to an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Board revised the County's harassment and non-discrimination policy to explain that religious discrimination includes "requiring an individual to remove a head covering or denying that individual access to a County office, building, program or activity because they are wearing a head covering, if that head covering is worn for religious reasons." But Judge Rimes should not have needed a DOJ investigation or county policy to know that his conduct was impertinent and inappropriate. Our justice system is founded on the principle that every person entering a courthouse is equal before the law and is entitled to respect. Judge Rimes's treatment of Mr. Singh in particular his use of the slur "rag" and his effort to intimidate and embarrass Mr. Singh because of his minority faith flouted his responsibility under the Mississippi Judicial Code of Conduct to uphold the dignity of the judiciary. The ACLU and United Sikhs also plan to file a complaint with the Mississippi Judicial Commission, asking officials to investigate Judge Rimes's conduct and impose appropriate sanctions. The letter sent today to MDOT officials demands that they provide public documents relating to Mr. Singh's detainment and arrest and urges them to implement an ongoing training program to educate officers about their responsibility to treat every person with dignity and to remain respectful of religious diversity. Source - https://www.aclu.org/blog/religion-belief-racial-justice/judge-sikh-man-remove-rag-or-go-jail

Voting for the winners of the 2013 SikhNet Youth Online Film Festival is now OPEN. http://www.sikhnet.com/news/film-festival-voting-starts-now

'Like' someone without any Kaam ?

Wealth of Naam - Vancouver Simran Camp - December 2013

Bhai Joga Singh (UK) slams Badal Dal's Manjit Singh GK for their parties anti Sikh policies

WSO Helps Resolve Kirpan Accommodation Issue at Brampton School Jagdeep Singh, Sikh Siyasat Network | 23 Sep 2013 09:00 AM GMT | Brampton, Canada Brampton (September 20, 2013): The World Sikh Organization of Canada has helped resolve a kirpan accommodation issue at Bramptons Copeland Public School where a Sikh student in grade three was told he would not be permitted to wear his kirpan during physical education classes. Eight-year-old Deep Singh Hansra, who along with his family became an amritdhari (initiated) Sikh this past summer, returned to school in September but was told that although he would be permitted to wear his kirpan to school, he would have to remove it for physical education classes. Concerns were expressed over possible safety issues that might arise as a result of the wearing of the kirpan during physical activities. The Hansra family contacted WSO for advice and assistance to resolve the matter. The WSO worked in collaboration with the Peel Board of Education as well as the schools administration to find an accommodation that would allow Deep to practice his faith but also ensure that safety concerns were appropriately addressed. In a meeting with school officials, it was resolved that Deep can wear his kirpan during physical education classes provided that the kirpan is securely held in the gatra (belt), swaddled in fabric and that it is secured close to the body so it cannot fly up or swing during physical activities. Lawyer Jaskaran Sandhu, a volunteer with WSOs legal team, accompanied the Hansra family to the meeting with the school and helped finalize the accommodation. WSOs legal counsel Balpreet Singh said, both sides worked in collaboration to reach an agreement which allows Deep to freely practice his faith while also addressing any safety concerns that were raised. The accommodation reached here can serve as a model for others in similar situations. Deep Singh and his family should be commended for their perseverance and determination to resolve this matter, not just for their own benefit, but for all Sikh students who may find themselves in a similar situation in the future. WSO offers free advice and advocacy for individuals requiring assistance at their schools, workplaces or elsewhere with respect to religious accommodation issues. The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status. Source - http://www.amritbanitv.com/News/WSO-Helps-Resolve-Kirpan-Accommodation-Issue-at-Brampton-School#sthash.a95tg3Oy.dpuf

DSGMC CHIEF RAISES KIRPAN ISSUE WITH SCOTTISH GOVT Edinburgh, Sep 24, 2013 The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has taken up the issue of the Sikhs residing in Scotland to allow them to carry kirpans in all jail premises as it is a symbol of faith for the community. DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK, who is currently touring the United Kingdom along with a nine-member delegation, brought the issue for deliberations during his meeting on Monday with the minister of state parliament (cabinet and secretary for justice), Kenny Mac A Skill of the Scottish government at his office. GK told Kenny that the Sikh community had brought to his notice that whenever any member of the community had to undergo a jail sentence, no matter how minor or major, the Sikh clergy was not allowed to meet them without removing their kirpan. "In one case a woman who had spent nearly 12 years in Edinburgh jail was not allowed to meet a Sikh priest just because he refused to take off his kirpan before going inside the jail premises. In such cases, sometimes the members undergoing a jail sentence do need the services of a Sikh priest to get solace out of the trauma they have been experiencing after the sentence," GK told the minister. Kenny assured the delegation that he would discuss the issue with the senior cabinet colleagues of the Scottish parliament, and once cleared it may even be taken up for discussion in Parliament. "I know this is a genuine issue and carrying a kirpan would in no way make a Sikh a criminal as it is a symbol of faith for the religion and the community. This awareness is already spreading around the natives of Scotland, especially among the authorities, and hence there should not be an issue to get a positive nod on the subject," Kenny assured the delegate. Kenny was also instrumental in prevailing upon the Scottish government to allow the Sikhs to carry kirpan in the courts of law in Scotland. "It has been a historical decision taken by the Scotland government on July 17 when it allowed Sikhs to carry kirpan in courts. The only condition is that they need to first inform the authorities so that once a Sikh goes to the court he or she should not have a problem with the local staff," said GS Shan and Jit Singh Mastana, who have been living in Glasgow for the last 40 years. Kenny all praise for Sikhs Minister of state parliament (cabinet & secretary for justice), Kenny Mac A Skill of the Scottish government was all praise for the Sikh community residing in Scotland. "They are not criminals. They are wonderful people who have worked hard not only to do good for themselves but also to contribute a great deal to improve the economy of the United Kingdom. They wear their symbol of faith only as a mark of respect to their religion," he added. Kenny said Scotland would want more Sikhs to come and settle down there. "I would even take up the issue with the UK government to allow more immigrants from India to England for the prosperity of this country," said Kenny. Manpreet Randhawa - *HT Media Ltd. Source - http://www.yespunjab.com/sikh/issues/item/30621-dsgmc-chief-raises-kirpan-issue-with-scottish-govt/30621-dsgmc-chief-raises-kirpan-issue-with-scottish-govt?start=1

Human migration has been going on since ages. The only difference between then & now is political (legal or illegal, controlled or uncontrolled). Why point fingers at them when your parents or grand parents too left India for better prospects.

Khalsa Camp Australia Highlights 2013 (Inc Testimonials)

Pilgrimage visas likely for UK Sikh asylees Rohan Dua, TNN | Sep 22, 2013, 04.22 AM IST LONDON: The Indian High Commission in the UK said a new pilgrimage visa may soon be facilitated for family members of around 15,000 Sikhs provided asylum in Britain -- who had entered the country during the period around 1984 riots -- to allow them to visit Sikh shrines in India. The decision was taken after Indian High Commission officials met the 11-member delegation of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) led by its president Manjit Singh GK in London on Friday. Those for whom pilgrimage visa is sought also includes the 232 Sikhs in the UK who figure in the black list prepared by the Indian government. The government had prepared two "black lists" - one had names of persons against whom there were adverse reports for being involved in anti-India campaigns, while the other carried names of those NRIs who had sought political asylum in different countries. "We understand that the proposal is much-needed for the large expat Sikh faithfuls. The modalities, however, can only be finalised once the DSGMC writes an official letter to us," Virander Paul, deputy high commissioner of India in UK told TOI. The Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) is already considering removing certain names from the "black list" prepared by the Centre during terrorism days in Punjab, banning entry of a number of NRIs, mostly Sikhs, to the country due to their alleged links with anti-national elements. In a meeting that lasted over one-and-half hour, GK also apprised the Indian authorities in UK on difficulties faced by a large section of the Sikh community, seeking a visit to India or facing renewal of their passports. "If the government is still not decided about asylees or other blacklisted people to return to India, their kids cannot be penalised. Even after several announcements, the UPA government has failed to address these Sikh devotees in the UK and European countries. If a government agrees to this proposal, the anger against the country in the Sikh community will be tempered down," said GK. In September 2012, the Punjab and Haryana high court had said that political asylees cannot enjoy benefits of both countries, in a verdict with huge ramifications for the Sikh community. The court had given the verdict after Indian passport authorities had refused to give travel documents to one Harwinder Kaur and her ward to visit Canada to join her husband in 2007. The high commission, however, remained non-commital on facilitating visas for the "blacklisted" Sikhs. (This correspondent is in the UK on the invitation of the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee) Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/community/Pilgrimage-visas-likely-for-UK-Sikh-asylees/articleshow/22874483.cms

Pingalwara Charitable Society http://pingalwara.co/ BHAI GHANAYYA JI CHARITABLE TRUST UNIQUE HOME http://www.uniquehomejalandhar.com/

There are many conspiracy theories on Jathedar Santokh Singh's death but the fact is ਹਰਿ ਬਿਨੁ ਕੋਈ ਮਾਰਿ ਜੀਵਾਲਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਮਨ ਹੋਇ ਨਿਚਿੰਦ ਨਿਸਲੁ ਹੋਇ ਰਹੀਐ ॥ Har Bin Koee Maar Jeevaal N Sakai Man Hoe Nichindh Nisal Hoe Reheeai || हरि बिनु कोई मारि जीवालि न सकै मन होइ निचिंद निसलु होइ रहीऐ ॥ Other than the Lord, no one can kill or rejuvenate. O mind, do not be anxious - remain fearless. 5 ਵਡਹੰਸ ਕੀ ਵਾਰ: (ਮ: ੪) ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ : ਅੰਗ ੫੯੪ ਪੰ. ੧੭ Raag Vadhans Guru Amar Das Page:594 Line: 17 Source - http://searchgurbani.com/scriptures/ggs_shabad/2266/line/5 ਮਾਰੈ ਰਾਖੈ ਏਕੋ ਆਪਿ ॥ Maarai Raakhai Eaeko Aap || मारै राखै एको आपि ॥ The One Lord Himself destroys and also preserves. 6 ਗਉੜੀ ਸੁਖਮਨੀ (ਮ: ੫) ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ : ਅੰਗ ੨੮੧ ਪੰ. ੪ Raag Gauri Sukhmanee Guru Arjan Dev Page:281 Line: 4 ਮਾਨੁਖ ਕੈ ਕਿਛੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਹਾਥਿ ॥ Maanukh Kai Kishh Naahee Haathh || मानुख कै किछु नाही हाथि ॥ Nothing at all is in the hands of mortal beings. 7 ਗਉੜੀ ਸੁਖਮਨੀ (ਮ: ੫) ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ : ਅੰਗ ੨੮੧ ਪੰ. ੪ Raag Gauri Sukhmanee Guru Arjan Dev Page:281 Line: 4 Source - http://searchgurbani.com/scriptures/ggs_shabad/989/line/6

BSDO bring their famous screening event to Ealing, London. http://www.britishsikhdocs.com/bsdo-ealing/

SIKH MODELS (FRESHERS/EXPERIENCED) Looking for five Saabat Soorat UK based Sikh Lads aged between 18-40 for a non-profit media project to the spread the word of Sikhism and Sikhs worldwide. If you are interested, please send us your full contact details as well as a couple of snap shots to the same email address ASAP. Preferably: Average height - 5'8" and over Weight between 60-75 kg. Well toned and fit Chest 40-42" Waist between 30-34" The selected models will get the travelling expenses of the day, their names will clearly be credited in the music video. Waheguru Ji Da Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Di Fateh! Source - http://www.gumtree.com/p/jobs/required-sikh-models-amatuer-professional/1032762761

In Sikh channel studio 2hours show dsgmc and sangat questions & answers

I met Sardar Sahibs brother on a flight from Dubai. He too was very decent & helpful. Kudos to their parents for raising such gentlemen. WAHEGURU charhdikala bakhshun.

KHALSA PRIMARY SCHOOL Part-time PPA cover Primary Teacher Post to cover maternity leave 30 September 2013 until July 2014 or the earlier return of the post-holder MPS according to experience We are looking for experienced teachers in the first instance, but NQTs are also welcome to apply. The post is for three days a week; Tuesday to Thursday, covering PPA in a range of KS1 and KS2 classes. There is also a possibility for additional days in week if the applicant wished. Our children are thirsty to learn, very courteous and full of enthusiasm to take up whatever opportunities we give them. Teachers can teach without distractions and with a smile, in our school. We are a VA school, rooted in the Sikh faith and values, and open to all. Our staff and children come from a wide range of beliefs, both religious and secular, but all are united in the universal values of love, honesty, hard-work and service. We would actively encourage non-Sikh applicants to apply as well as those with the Sikh faith: the school is founded with a very strong commitment to be a rich tapestry of experience. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. References will be sought prior to interview and successful applicants will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The closing date: Monday 23rd September 2013 Interview date: Thursday 26th September 2013 We encourage you to visit. Without exception, every visitor comments on the calmness, friendliness and warmth of the school atmosphere. Please contact Mrs Bobby Khaira at the school office on 01753 823501 or email: office@khalsa.slough.sch.uk http://www.khalsaprimaryschool.com/ppa-teacher.html

Vacancies for Oracle PL/SQL Developers http://www.akj.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8201#_thread Moderater - (Copy disabled web page)

Arizona sees surge of asylum seekers from India [Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic | 16 Sep 2013 09:03 AM GMT | PHOENIX, United States] Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of Indians over the past year have asked for asylum after paying as much as $35,000 to be smuggled halfway around the globe. PHOENIX -- On a recent Friday night in Phoenix, an unmarked white Department of Homeland Security bus pulls up to a curb near the Greyhound bus station. The door swings open and 15 young men and women from India step off. In the scorching summer heat, they climb into waiting cars and taxis, cramming as many passengers inside as possible before they are driven off into the night. A half-hour later, a second DHS bus pulls up to the same spot. Twenty Indians climb into cars and taxis, and like the first group, speed off. This scene is repeated almost nightly at the bus station near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The Indians are part of a mysterious surge in migrants from the South Asian country showing up at the Arizona border without legal visas and then requesting asylum to remain permanently in the U.S. out of fear they may be persecuted if returned to their homeland. They arrive after paying as much as $35,000 to be smuggled halfway around the globe, flying from India to Central America and then embarking on an arduous and often dangerous 3,000-mile journey through several countries, including Mexico, to reach Arizona. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of Indians over the past year have asked for asylum. Some have been caught crossing illegally by the Border Patrol. More often, they are simply turning themselves in at legal border crossings in Nogales, asking for asylum based on claims of political persecution. While the Indians say they are fleeing persecution, some skeptics say they are more likely fleeing poverty. The surge, part of a recent overall rise in asylum claims, comes as Congress debates border security and immigration-reform legislation and is raising humanitarian and national-security concerns. Some immigrant advocates worry the Indians risk being robbed and physically harmed by smuggling gangs during their multicountry journey to the U.S. They also may be vulnerable to exploitation by unscrupulous employers once they get here. "They are going to have a hard time paying off smuggling debts, and that could put them in a forced labor situation," said Elizabeth Chatham, a Phoenix lawyer who chairs the Arizona chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Some border-security advocates, meanwhile, are concerned that the same criminal smuggling gangs being used by Indians to get to the U.S. could also become pipelines for terrorists. "They will smuggle anyone who pays them," said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C., think tank. On a nightly basis, as many as two dozen Indians who have managed to establish so-called "credible fear" of persecution during hearings with U.S. immigration asylum officers are being set free at the bus station. Before their release, they are given notices to appear in immigration court at a future date, when a judge will decide whether to grant asylum. In addition to the many hundreds who have already been released, hundreds more remain in detention centers in Eloy and Florence waiting for credible-fear hearings. It is unclear, however, whether those asking for asylum are legitimately fleeing persecution and whether they intend to show up for their asylum hearings. In fiscal year 2012, nearly 10 percent of Indian asylum seekers failed to show up for their final asylum hearings in U.S. immigration courts nationwide, according to the Department of Justice. Some experts fear they are fleeing poverty in India, the world's largest democracy with 1.2 billion people, to seek better economic opportunities in the U.S. In that case, they would most likely skip out on their court hearings so they can remain in the U.S. and work here illegally. "I think it's mixed," said Chatham, who has been monitoring the surge in Indians asking for asylum. "Some have legitimate claims of persecution. But it seems like there may be many people who are not making a correct claim." 'Life was in danger' On three recent Friday evenings, an Arizona Republic reporter observed Homeland Security buses dropping off Indians at the Greyhound bus station in Phoenix. The buses are staffed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, who routinely bring recently released immigrants from many countries to the bus station so they can arrange travel to meet relatives in other parts of the country. Most are undocumented immigrants who are involved in deportation proceedings, are deemed low-flight risks and are not a danger to the community. They are allowed to go free under various forms of supervision until their hearings. About half the migrants getting off the buses each night are Spanish speakers from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and other Central and South American countries. The other half are Indians. When approached by a reporter, the Spanish-speaking migrants eagerly agree to be interviewed. Most say they are fleeing rampant violence in Central America, where the murder rate in several countries is among the highest in the world. The Indians, however, turn their backs and walk away. "No English. No English," they say over and over. On two nights, a Republic photographer who speaks the Indian languages Gujarati, Hindi and some Punjabi, also approached groups of Indians getting off DHS buses. But the Indians stay stone-faced, suggesting they have been coached by smugglers not to talk. Of the dozens of Indians approached, only one agrees to be interviewed, briefly, in English. He says his name is Mandib Singh and he's 23. Singh says he is a Sikh from the state of Punjab in northern India. Sikhs have long complained of discrimination in India, and for decades many Sikhs have tried to secede from the country to create their own independent state. Singh says he left India in April, flew to Managua, Nicaragua, and then traveled by bus through Central America and Mexico to the U.S. border. He spent two months in a detention center in Eloy and was released after he asked for asylum. He says he is headed to California. "My life was in danger in India," Singh says. He refuses to elaborate. He is standing with a group of 15 or so other Indians just released from detention. Soon after getting off the bus, the Indians are approached by several men with cellphones who had been standing next to cars and vans in the parking lot. The men, who appear to be of Indian descent, guide the Indian migrants to the cars and taxis in the parking lot and then make calls on their phones as the Indians are driven off. The men with the cellphones also refuse to be interviewed. Only one, who says his name is "Bob," agrees to answer a few questions. Bob, a middle-aged man in his 50s, says he works at a convenience store in Phoenix. He says he was born in India but has lived in the U.S. for the past 10 years. He says the majority of the Indians getting off the buses are Sikhs from Punjab. Some also are Hindus from the state of Gujarat. They pay between $27,000 and $35,000 to be smuggled to the U.S. The journey takes a month and a half, or longer. Bob says that since ICE began dropping off Indians at the bus station more than a year ago, he and other volunteers from the local Indian community have been coming regularly to provide assistance. The volunteers help find the migrants a place to sleep and give them something to eat until they can make arrangements to travel somewhere else. The volunteers take the Indians to locations around the Phoenix area, he says. But he won't say where. Later, a Republic reporter and photographer find several of the Indian migrants, all men, staying temporarily at a house of worship in Phoenix. They are resting on mats on the floorof a classroom but stand up quickly when the visitors arrive. The young men identify themselves as Sikhs from Punjab. They say they are in their late teens and early 20s. One says he is headed to meet relatives in New York. The interview, however, is cut short after one of the migrants calls someone who tells the reporter and photographer to leave immediately. Phone calls to the house of worship are directed to Sudeep Punia, a Glendale physician and community leader. He emphasizes that members of the house of worship are only providing humanitarian assistance to the migrants. "We have nothing to do with this process," Punia says. "We do not invite them. We are not responsible for them coming here. We are not responsible for their detention. We are not responsible for their release." The migrants are given food and shelter for a few hours until they can make travel arrangements to prevent them from being left alone at the bus station where they could be vulnerable to crime, he says. After they leave, the Indian migrants "go all over the United States," he says. Claims questioned Last month, Mohammad Arif traveled from California to Arizona to interview Indians at the detention center in Eloy. Arif, who speaks Punjabi, works for a law firm in Los Angeles that is providing legal assistance to Indian migrants in detention. Arif said 500 or more Indians, mostly Sikhs, remain in detention in Arizona. Some have been held for months. Arif interviewed about 30 Sikhs who told him they belong to a political group called Akali Dal Mann. The group wants to create a separate homeland for Sikhs and members are being "suppressed systematically" by the police and other political groups, he said. Arif said "99 percent" of the Sikhs asking for asylum are from that group. He said the Sikhs also told him militant members of an opposing political group threatened them, saying "they could be killed, kidnapped or kicked out of India." The Sikhs told him they come from poor rural areas, Arif said. Family members sell land and property to raise money to help pay their smuggling fees. "This is going on mafia-style," Arif said. "When you hear these stories, you want to cry." But some find the asylum claims being made by Indians questionable. Meenakshi Ganguly, the South Asia director for Human Rights Watch, believes Indians being smuggled to the U.S. are coming mainly for economic reasons and may be coached to ask for asylum. "There is no political reason for these numbers, so (I) assume it is a new route favored by smugglers," Ganguly said in an email. "Punjab and Gujarat are both extremely wealthy regions in India. There is no political strife or discrimination that they suffer" in India. Sikhs have suffered persecution in Hindu-majority India in the past, she said. Many sought political asylum in other countries in the 1980s and 1990s, when an estimated 30,000 Sikhs were killed in a decade of violence in India, Ganguly said. The violence stemmed from the 1984 assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards. The bodyguards were seeking revenge after Gandhi ordered the Indian army to attack the Golden Temple, the Sikhs' holiest shrine. The temple had been occupied by armed militant Sikhs seeking a separate state. After Gandhi's assassination, thousands of Sikhs were indiscriminately killed or burned alive in the streets. But those problems have ended for the most part, Ganguly said. "The secessionist campaign is not particularly active now, and we have not been hearing serious abuses against them to merit the refugee surge," Ganguly said. Nicole Thompson, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman, said she is unaware of any mass conflict in India that would be contributing to an increase in asylum seekers from India. But she pointed out that India is a complicated country with a "great degree of variance internally as far as the standard of living and income." Vaughan, at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors less immigration and more immigration enforcement, said the surge in Indians is part of a general increase in migrants from many countries filing potentially frivolous asylum claims to avoid deportation and to remain in the U.S. In January 2010, ICE implemented new guidelines essentially making it easier for migrants who establish credible fear to be released from detention as long as they are deemed neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. The guidelines were intended to prevent migrants who establish credible fear from spending long amounts of time in detention. The change may have sparked a rise in asylum claims. Since fiscal year 2011, credible-fear claims along the Southwest border have more than doubled. Asylum claims from Indians nationwide have soared, up from 80 in fiscal year 2009 to 1,935 as of June 30. Vaughan said word may have gotten out that it is not that hard for migrants to establish credible fear, the first step toward gaining asylum in the U.S., and that once migrants establish credible fear they are often released pending their asylum hearing. That allows migrants released on credible-fear referrals to "disappear into the woodwork ... never to be seen again," Vaughan said. "They are very obviously using the fact that they are not being detained and that there is not a very high standard of review to basically bide time in the U.S. and game our system." Department of Homeland Security officials say they are investigating the surge in Indian migrants at the Arizona border. "DHS has implemented a collaborative, coordinated response to Indian apprehensions along the Southwest border," U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Victor Brabble said in a written statement. That includes working with the governments of other countries to "analyze potential threats" and "identity and dismantle human smuggling networks," Brabble said. DHS officials refused repeated requests by The Arizona Republic to provide statistics for the number of Indians who have asked for asylum in Arizona, the number of Indians who have been held in detention and the number who have been released after establishing credible fear. DHS spokesman Peter Boogaard said in a written statement that in general credible-fear claims on the Southwest border vary depending on many factors, among them smuggling activity and "social, political and economic conditions both domestically and internationally." Migrants who meet the credible-fear threshold are placed into removal proceedings. An immigration judge makes the final decision whether to grant asylum, Boogaard said. But he also said credible-fear determinations are not easy to obtain. "They are dictated by long-standing statute, not an issuance of discretion," Boogaard said. Won't go to hearing On a recent August morning, a Republic photographer tracked down an Indian couple in Tucson. The couple had recently been smuggled to the U.S. The couple agreeto share some details about their journey before phoning a relative in the U.S. who tells them to stop talking. They both are wearing secondhand pants and button-down shirts donated to them by a charity in Tucson. They say they are Hindu farmers from Gujarat. He is 27. She is 29 and recently had a baby. Speaking in Gujarati, they ask that their names not be used. They say they were desperate to make it to the U.S. to earn money. The husband says his father in India is heavily in debt and a man came daily to their home and threatened to kill them over the money. The couple say they first tried to come to the U.S. legally. Their visitor visas, however, were denied. So in India they hired a smuggler. In mid-April they flew from Mumbai, the Indian financial capital, to Nicaragua. It took them three months to reach the U.S. They traveled by bus and taxi from Nicaragua through Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. In Nicaragua, smugglers stole their luggage, passports and clothing. In Arizona, the couple were caught by the Border Patrol attempting to cross the border illegally. The Border Patrol has caught more than 300 undocumented Indians in Arizona this year. The couple say they spent a month in detention in Eloy. They were released when the wife went into labor two months prematurely. She delivered at a hospital in Tucson, making the baby a U.S. citizen. At the detention center, the couple say, they were given a notice to appear in immigration court in August to review their asylum case. The date has come and gone, however, and the couple say they have no intention of showing up in the future. Instead, they say they plan to travel to another state in the U.S. After that, they plan to find work to earn money, for themselves and to pay off the debt in India. Originally published by The Arizona Republic Source - http://www.amritbanitv.com/News/Arizona-sees-surge-of-asylum-seekers-from-India#sthash.7ptcE9Ug.dpuf

NRI Oberois trust may soon get management of Nepal Gurdwaras [Vishal Joshi, Hindustan Times | 16 Sep 2013 11:00 AM IST | Karnal, India] Surinder Pal Singh Oberoi (middle) with the men he helped free After fighting a long legal battle on a foreign soil, Dubai-based Punjabi entrepreneur SP Singh Oberois charitable trust may get the management of three lesser-known gurdwaras in Nepal by the end of September. These shrines are associated with first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev and Oberoi plans scientific preservation of the shrines while maintain maryada (Sikh code of religious conduct). Better known as a person who had helped save lives of 17 Indian youth sentenced to death in Dubai, Oberoi told Hindustan Times on Monday that he had managed to access the original revenue documents that helped him to stake the gurdwaras claim on land. He is elated that the Nepalese apex court accepted the 500-year-old royal donation papers and the Nepal government has agreed in principle to allow the restoration work of the shrine to the trust, a registered body in Nepal, and other local people. The land of Guru Nanak Math is still in the name of Guru Nanak Dev. The supreme court of Nepal is expected to hand over the control of the land and shrines to Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust in the next few days, said Oberoi, who was in Karnal to launch a rehabilitation programme of street children by National Integrated Forum of Artists and Activists (NIFAA). Oberoi has plans to set up a Sikh museum and an orphanage at Thapathali. In 1516, the then Nepal emperor Raja Jai Jagat Malla of Malla dynasty had donated 1,600 acres of land for religious services to Guru Nanak Dev. As there was no one to take care of the Guru Nanak Math, the land was encroached upon by various people. Now only 34 acres of land is in possession of the math. With the help of local population and officials, our team got access to the original papers duly signed by the king Malla under his official seal. To make the offering a non-disputed, Malla had taken his son as a witness, he said. Guru Nanaks Nepal udasi Oberoi said that as per the history, Sikh's first master Guru Nanak Dev had visited Kathmandu in 1516 AD during his 3rd udasi (journey). The Guru had spent about one-and-half months there. During his stay he had spent first night on the banks of Bishnumati river. Sikh museum After spotting a rabab believed to be belonging to Bhai Mardana, a close disciple of Guru Nanak Dev, and an ancient 1,554-page manuscript of Guru Granth Sahib at Guru Nanak Math, SP Singh Oberoi has plans to construct a Sikh museum at Thapathali. He said that more such belongings of the Guru would be searched and put on display after scientific preservation. An orphanage is also planned where 100 children would be adopted and given free education by the trust. Source - http://www.amritbanitv.com/News/NRI-Oberois-trust-may-soon-get-management-of-Nepal-gurdwaras#sthash.GZqjVhfJ.dpuf

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