sarblohsingh2004

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory...+again&id=72977 Anti-Sikh riots: Justice delayed yet again -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swati Maheshwari Friday, May 13, 2005 (New Delhi): Despite assurances by both the Law Minister and the Home minister, the Parliament session once again ended without the Congress government tabling the report of the Nanawati commission on the anti Sikh riots of 1984. NDTV revisited those areas of the national capital, which witnessed the massacre, the worst ever in the history of independent India where nearly 3000 Sikhs lost their lives. Those who survived the massacre but lost their families see this delay by the Congress as just another mockery of the justice they have been waiting for in the last twenty years. Surjit Singh's world came crashing down on a Wednesday afternoon in November 1984. He was just 13 when he lost his entire family in the anti-Sikh riots following Indira Gandhi's assassination. From Wednesday to Saturday when the army was called in, he only saw murder and mayhem, arson and destruction in the small east Delhi colony. "I survived because my mother made me cut my hair. I roamed around and saw everything. The police disarmed us and then let the mob in," said Surjit. Milap Singh who lost all his four sons says the tragedy has been compounded by the fact that no one has been punished for the massacre. He says he has little hope of seeing justice for his sons' deaths in his lifetime. "If not here, I will wait for justice in God's house," said Singh. Ministers let off The Congress may have apologized to the Sikhs for the massacre but the fact remains that hardly anyone has been held accountable. In the past 20 years two commissions and eight committees were set up to investigate the massacre. Cases were recommended against Congress leaders HKL Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler, who were accused of instigating and organizing the riots. This however, was never done. Former MP HKL Bhagat and Sajjan Kumar were let off by courts for the lack of credible evidence even in cases based on the testimony of victims. The Kapoor and Mittal committees recommended cases against 72 police officers for their connivance in and gross negligence during the riots. This too was not done. Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler were given Congress tickets in the Lok Sabha elections despite the fact that the Nanawati Commission had issued notices to them. Reason for delay? H S Phulka has been fighting the legal battle for many of the survivors and he says he does not understand the delay in tabling the report. "Nanavati commission report was submitted in February and has still not been tabled. Till today not made public. The other report of Godhra was made public the same evening. What is the justification for not making it public?" said H S Phulka, lawyer. The story of the 84 riots is a story of travesty of justice at every level. And by not tabling the report for no credible reason, the message the Congress seems to be sending out is that a 21 year long wait for justice is perhaps for them not long enough. http://www.ensaaf.org http://www.witness84.com http://www.carnage84.com http://www.punjabjustice.org http://www.shrg.org

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! Indo-Canadian community moves to end gang wars:- Vancouver | May 13, 2005 4:43:22 PM IST Vancouver, May 13 : Concerned at the rising incidents of gang wars involving Indo-Canadian youth, the Canadian government will set up a task force to help control the violence that has claimed about 100 lives. Cabinet ministers Ujjal Dosanjh and Raymond Chan said a community task force will be created and asked to develop a gang violence prevention programme among the community in British Columbia province. The committee will consist of 10 Indo-Canadian volunteers who will work with a facilitator to develop the programme that will deal with the causes of youth violence, reports South Asian Observer. The committee will be put together by the end of May. Chan said he expected an action plan by the end of November. The gangland style shootings have claimed nearly 100 lives and there is growing public demand to stop the violence among South Asian youths. "There have been many good suggestions from the community itself but they have not been a totally concerted effort," Chan told a meeting of the Indo-Canadian community here last week. "I hope this initiative made today will pull those things together, these people together and these efforts together," he said. Health Minister Dosanjh also expressed concern at the continuing violence in British Columbia. He praised the Indo-Canadian community for its achievements and commended it for coming together to address the issue of violence. A retired school psychologist Balwant Sanghera took the initiative to organise the meeting. He suggested a 24-hour helpline for the youths. The best way to solve the problem, he said, would be to target youths aged 10 to 15 years through school programmes. "We'd like to have some well-qualified youth programme workers who along with different Sikh temples and community organisations can work with the youth," he said. Successful lobbying efforts by some Indo-Canadian leaders led to the creation of the British Columbia Integrated Gang Task Force last year. It is a provincial agency with a mandate to focus on gang wars. (IANS)

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=297824 FILM-PROTEST Protest against 'Jo Bole So Nihal' at cinema hall in Ludhiana LUDHIANA, MAY 13 (PTI) Suspected Akali Dal activists today raised slogans and pelted stones at a cinema hall here screening the Sunny Deol-starrer 'Jo Bole So Nihal', which was released today. The activists reached the Shingar Cinema Hall, where the movie was being screened, and raised slogans, pelted stones at the theatre and tore the posters of the movie. The film was cleared by the Akal Takht, the supreme body of the Sikhs, after deletion of some "objectionable scenes" and the title song, its producer I P S Chadha had claimed yesterday. "Akal Takht (the temporal body of the Sikhs) formed a committee to assess the film ... And cleared it after removal of some objectionable scenes and the title song", he had said. The Akal Takht committee went to Mumbai to view the film and asked the producers to specify in their posters that it was "not a religious film", Chadha said. It had raised an objection to a scene where the hero was shown smoking a cigarette despite being a Sikh, but the Chadha had clarified that it also depicted his mother slapping him, he added. He said the Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had also given its final nod after the Punjab and Haryana High Court's directive for a review of the title of the film.

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! is the track lyrics: "Chaklo hun Hathiaar Khalsa, Ho Javo hun thiar Khalsa, HUN KADNE JHANDEY APAAN KHALSA RAJ DE!!" if it is....then i know there is a dharmik geet tape by kuldip manak called something like "Jhandey Khalsa Raj De" hope that helps Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh !

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200505111656.htm National Govt urged to place Nanavati report before Parliament New Delhi, May 11. (PTI): The All India Riot Victim Relief Committee today urged Home Minister Shivraj Patil to place the Nanavati Commission report before Parliament without further delay to show its sincerity to the Sikh cause. "Government says a detailed action note has been finalised and it would be soon sent to concerned agencies like Delhi police for follow up action. Once action is taken, the Home Ministry will prepare an action taken report which will be placed before the Parliament during monsoon session," the committee said in a memorandum to Patil. It urged the Home Minister to place the report before the Parliament without any delay saying the "dilly-dallying attitude" of the government was creating doubt among the Sikhs about its credibility. "Justice continues to elude the victims of Nov'84 Anti-Sikh riots," President of the Committee K S Bhogal said in the memorandum. "Why is the government playing the pick and choose game - when it suits it, the reports are published like the Sabarmati Express report and when it is at loss, the reports are withheld, like Nanavati Commission report to buy time," Bhogal said. http://www.ensaaf.org http://www.witness84.com http://www.carnage84.com http://www.punjabjustice.org http://www.shrg.org

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.hindu.com/2005/05/08/stories/2005050813761400.htm Sikh student honoured Award for fighting post-September 11 prejudice "We were forced into a situation where we could mask our identity or become more proud of it" RICHMOND: As he watched smoke billow from the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Amandeep Singh Sidhu's anger over the attack on his country slowly changed to trepidation over the misguided backlash he knew he and other Sikhs would face from other irate Americans. His fear proved well founded that afternoon when a motorist, apparently provoked by the sight of Sidhu's turban, tried to run him off the road. Sidhu resolved that rather than hide his faith and heritage, he would fight post-9/11 prejudice against Sikhs and other minorities — an endeavour that helped him win the Virginia State Bar's Oliver W Hill Law Student Pro Bono Award. Sidhu, 27, will receive the award on Thursday at the University of Richmond Law School, where he received his degree on Saturday. ``Amandeep is the strongest law student leader I have encountered in over 20 years as a legal educator,'' said law school Dean Rodney A. Smolla, who nominated Sidhu for the award. Sidhu, the son of physicians originally from Punjab, was born in Norfolk and grew up near Richmond. He recalls a relatively typical American childhood of soccer and Little League and portraying Abraham Lincoln in the elementary school play, but even then he found himself explaining to classmates why his family was different. In high school, he adopted the Sikh practice of wearing a turban to cover his uncut hair. At the College of William and Mary, he was the third Sikh to join the campus chapter of Phi KappaTau fraternity. . ``Sikhism teaches that all human beings are equal and can realise the divine within them through devotion to God, truthful living and service to humanity,'' says a pamphlet from the New York-based Sikh Coalition, of which Sidhu is a founding member. Overwhelming feeling After graduating with a degree in economics and government, Sidhu was working as a business analyst for a defence contractor when terrorists crashed hijacked airplanes into New York's World Trade Center, a Pennsylvania field and the Pentagon, about three kms from his office. Sidhu could see the smoke from his office window. ``It was an overwhelming feeling, the emotions we all had as Americans because we were being attacked,'' he said. That was followed by a realisation that Sikhs and other minorities could be an easy target for people. The reports started rolling in by e-mail and the television news. As he drove home later, many motorists honked and glared at Sidhu. When one tried to run him off the road, Sidhu slowed down and the enraged man sped away. ``It was a stark reminder — I was not going to be immune to the prejudice,'' Sidhu said. In the few days after September 11, he learnt that many Sikhs had endured similar ordeals. ``We were forced into a situation where we could mask our identity or become more proud of it,'' Sidhu said. He chose the latter, stepping up his efforts individually and through the Sikh Coalition to educate people about his faith and to battle prejudice. He worked on such issues as racial profiling, employment discrimination, post-9/11 security practices and discussions with filmmakers and video game manufacturers about racist portrayals of Sikhs.Sidhu said he is humbled to be chosen for an award named for Hill, the Richmond civil rights pioneer. ``The idea that we are not to just be lawyers but to be citizens — not just make a living, but serve our community — Oliver Hill exemplified that,'' Sidhu said. — AP

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! Sikh youth in Denmark fights to keep his religious identity Sanjay Ganjoo & Rajeev Bhaskar (PTI) Chandigarh, April 30, 2005 A young Sikh in Denmark, who was once paid by authorities there to give lessons on Sikh culture and history to school students in the country, today finds himself fighting the court battles for refusing to part with his Kirpan, a religious symbol sacrosanct for all baptised Sikhs. "We have decided to go in for appeal in a higher court after a Court in Copenhagen recently fined my son 3,000 kroners (about Rs 24,000) for carrying a Kirpan," says Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba, father of Ripudaman Singh who is currently pursuing his PhD in Human Genetics from University of Aarhus in Denmark. Ripudaman had on May 24 last year visited the US Embassy in Copenhagen where the local police arrested him for carrying a Kirpan with a length more than the permissible limit (2.5 inch). The security staff confronted Ripudaman saying he should have confessed that he was in possession of a "knife". Danish Law prohibits carrying a knife or dagger in public places unless it is part of occupational conduct. Lamba says the police was called in despite the fact that Ripudaman had handed over his Kirpan and mobile phone to the embassy guards before entering the building. "My son then had the choice of either paying the penalty for the violation of the relevant lasw or going to court and he preferred the latter," says Lamba, Editor of Sant Sipahi magazine and based in Jalandhar. "The Judge of the City Court in Copenhagen recognised that 'Kirpan,' being a religious symbol, was required to be carried by a baptised Sikh but said there was no provision for this under the Danish law," he said. Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, considered to be "mini parliament" of Sikhs, says they will take up the issue at diplomatic level and approach the National Human Rights Commission and the National Minorities Commission on this. "This is a serious issue and no Sikh can or should be forced to compromise with his identity. We will be meeting the Danish Ambassador in Delhi and ask India's Ambassador to Denmark to take up the matter with the concerned authorities there," SGPC spokesman Dalmegh Singh said. Minorities Commission Chairman and Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh has taken up the matter with Ambassador of Denmark in Delhi while Akal Takht Jathedar Gyani Joginder Singh Vedanti has written a letter to SGPC urging it to take up the matter with concerned authorities. Lamba says his concern is how the small Sikh community in Denmark will deal with this issue. Lamba says he himself had successfully fought a case 23 years ago in Patna High Court for carrying a Kirpan on Indian flights. "Subsequently, the Director General Civil Aviation had instructed all airport authorities in the country to allow Sikhs to carry Kirpans," he recalls.

Here's another one, taken from: http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.ppa?f=1&i=33156&t=33156

Sant Jee and Baba Daya Singh Jee

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh !

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh !

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.ppa?newsid=126654 Sikh bodies flay Sunny Deol’s new movie Express News Service Ludhiana, April 27: Various Sikh organisations held a meeting today under the patronage of Khalsa Panchayat against the Sunny Deol starrer, Bole So Nihal. The members decided that on May 6, a protest will be held outside the cinema hall where the film is to be shown. These members warned the producer and people who prepare CDs that if they showed the movie or sold CDs without deleting the objectionable scenes, they would face dire consequences. Meanwhile, the Sikh Students’ Union too has decided to launch an agitation against the movie.

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! just couple of points/thoughts on this I respect Amrit Pal Singh for his views and agree that these 'snatan sikhs' or shall we say idiots that follow that <banned word filter activated> nidar are destroying the real image of a True Nihang Singh. I think this is part of their tactics. The thing is as far as I know, Budha Dal haven't got a voice outside India (doubt they go on internet aswell) , so these idiots have hijacked this voice, claiming that they are part of the Budha Dal etc.... where is the proof..... how long have they been saying that <banned word filter activated> is jathedar of budha dal uk.... that is a load of *******and they know it.....who gave it to him ??? They say that they are nihangs.... they start attacking and changing the fundamental beliefs of Sikhi. What happens is that we start thinking that it is nihangs are bad etc.... but in reality it is these snatan fools who are doing the same parchaar as other anti-Sikh elements that say Sikhs are Hindus. If an Amritdhari Sikh with Rehit starting following their beliefs then what difference would they be between him and a hindu ....... not much thats for sure. These nangs are ALL FAKE ............. If you want Learn about True Sikhs / True Singhs / True Nihang Singhs check out this : http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.ppa?showtopic=10823 Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh !

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.boss-uk.org/multimedia/#audio

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! Dhan Guru ! Dhan Guru De Pyare ! Part 1 http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.ppa?f=1&i=33156&t=33156 Part 2 http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.ppa?f=1&i=33487&t=33487 Conclusion http://www.tapoban.org/phorum/read.ppa?f=1&i=33817&t=33817

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! Download the PDF of the book (8.79 MB) - right click and chose "Save Target As.." to save to your hard drive http://www.gurmatveechar.com/literature/da..._mahanpurkh.pdf

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050421/main2.htm Reopen some cases: Nanavati Murali Krishnan New Delhi, April 20 Retired Supreme Court judge G.T. Nanavati, who probed the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, has asked the government to reopen cases against a “few politicians” saying investigation against them was not “properly carried out”. “Some of the cases were not probed properly and it needs re-examination,” Nanavati, who presented his 185-page report on the killings in February, told IANS in an interview. Speaking out for the first time since submitting his report, the man who is also heading the commission investigating the Gujarat riots of 2002, however, refused to name the cases that he thought required a fresh probe. “I have submitted my report to the government. It is up to the government to act,” the 70-year-old justice said. In its five-year tenure, the Nanavati Commission examined many Congress party leaders, including Union Minister Jagdish Tytler, former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, former Central Minister Vasant Sathe and Sajjan Kumar, MP. Former minister H.K.L. Bhagat was also linked to the riots that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards here on October 31, 1984. Nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the violence. Bhagat did not appear before the Commission, citing poor health. Significantly, three earlier panels set up by the government — Jain-Banerjee Committee, Poti-Rosha Committee and Jain-Aggarwal Committee — had recommended that cases be registered against Sajjan Kumar. On the question of whether the riots were organised, Nanavati said: “It was planned to the extent that Sikh houses were identified and targeted. The rioters knew their houses.” He dismissed suggestions that the riots were “pre-planned”. Sources in the Commission, however, pointed out that the evidence presented did “indicate a pattern in which the riots took place” and a “pattern in which the attacks” took place against the Sikhs. Nanavati, who is also probing the post-Godhra Gujarat riots along with retired justice K.G. Shah, further pointed out that there was dereliction of duty on the part of Delhi Police. “Yes, there was dereliction of duty but some police officers have either been suspended or punished.” Nanavati submitted his report to Home Minister Shivraj Patil in February this year. While Volume I of his report details the discussions of events in the aftermath of Gandhi’s killing, Volume II covers the evidence presented before the Commission. The government has promised to table the Nanavati report along with an Action Taken Report (ATR) in the current budget session of parliament. The Commission, set up in May 2002 by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, was asked to go into the causes and course of the riots targeting Sikhs and find out if the riots could have been averted and whether they took place on account of any lapses or dereliction of duty. Nanavati was also required to inquire into the adequacy of administrative measures taken to deal with the violence. — IANS http://www.punjabjustice.org http://www.witness84.com http://www.carnage84.com http://www.ensaaf.org http://www.shrg.org

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetai...78780&cat=India SGPC rejects Golden Temple's heritage site dossier Amritsar | April 21, 2005 6:21:25 PM IST The executive committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has rejected a dossier prepared for seeking heritage site status for Sri Harmander Sahib. A decision to this effect was taken at a marathon meeting of executive members held here on Thursday which was also attended by Kiranjot Kaur , executive member and coordinator of the project. The SGPC would also hold investigations into the Rs.40 lakh paid for preparing the dossier and fix responsibilities on persons behind the project. The SGPC would now be shooting off missives to central and state governments to convey UNESCO for official withdraw the dossier submitted with them. Talking to mediapersons here, SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur said that the SGPC had gracefully rectified the mistake committed by it earlier without making it ego or prestige issue. Jagir Kaur said that the members had thoroughly examined the dossier thoroughly and felt that seeking a heritage site status for Sri Harmandar Sahib was a challenge to its spiritual power as well as to Sikh sentiments. The members also observed that there would be outside inteventon once the heritage site status was accorded to Sri Harmandar Sahib that would hurt Sikh sentiments. While reacting over the decision taken by the executive body, Bibi KiranJot Kaur said that "It is a hasty decision" she retorted while adding that she had submitted the descending note stating that the discussion on the dossier should have been held at a wider platform and suitable amendments be made as the five member committee had submitted three reports. Levelling serious charges on the five member committee which was constituted to contemplate over the objections raised on dossier and make relevant suggestins, Kiranjot said that the committee had deviated from its investigations and had instead found wrong mistakes. (ANI)

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4461905.stm Last Updated: Tuesday, 19 April, 2005, 16:38 GMT 17:38 UK Sikh schoolboys lose French case The boys were expelled last November A French court has upheld a school's decision to expel three Sikh boys for wearing turbans to school. The tribunal said the boys' continued wearing of an under-turban made them "immediately recognisable as Sikhs". Under a law passed amid protests in March 2004, French students are barred from wearing conspicuous religious symbols at school. The boys' lawyers said they would appeal and if necessary take their case to the European Court of Human Rights. The boys, aged 15 to 18, were expelled from the Louise-Michel school in Bobigny, north-east of Paris, last November. No compromise The three were separated from the rest of the class at the beginning of the autumn term and taught separately. They appealed against the segregation but in October a French administrative court referred the matter back to the school for further mediation. Shortly afterwards the boys were expelled as they failed to reach a compromise allowing them to wear the Sikh keski, or under-turban. The school's decision was confirmed in December by the education authority in charge. The boys were the first Sikhs to be punished by the new secularity law. Controversial One of the boys' lawyers, Felix De Belloy, had argued that as they had no intention of trying to win converts to their faith, the boys posed no threat to the law. The French secularity law, primarily aimed at stemming the growing numbers of Muslim girls wearing headscarves in school, also prohibits the wearing of Christian crucifixes and Jewish skullcaps. The law also outlawed the Sikh turban, although French authorities have admitted they did not consider the Sikh community when the law was being drawn up. Sikh males are required by religion to allow their hair to grow, and most wear a turban - a symbol of Sikh identity, which helps to keep the growth under control. In most French schools Sikhs have reached a compromise that has allowed them to wear the keski, a smaller version of the turban, to control their hair.

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_ful...ontent_id=88471 Guilty escaped in anti-Sikh riots: Nanavati HARISH DUGH Posted online: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 1449 hours IST Updated: Wednesday, April 20, 2005 at 1453 hours IST NEW DELHI, APRIL 20: The NDA-sponsored May, 2002 Nanavati Commission report, submitted to Home Minister Shivraj Patil in February 2005 recommended that certain politicians escaped justice due to bad investigations, according to IANS. Retired Supreme Court judge G. T. Nanavati, who probed the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, in an interview asked the government to reopen cases against a "few politicians" saying investigation against them was not "properly carried out". However, he refused to provide any names, saying , "I have submitted my report to the government. It is up to the government to act," the 70-year-old justice said. The latest of investigative commissions followed on the heels of the earlier Jain-Banerjee Committee, Poti-Rosha Committee and Jain-Aggarwal Committee. While Justice Nanavati trashed any suggestion of the anti-Sikh riots being pre-planned, sources in the Commission, indicated there was “a pattern in which the riots took place" and a "pattern in which the attacks" took place against the Sikhs. On the question of whether the riots were organised, Nanavati said: "It was planned to the extent that Sikh houses were identified and targeted. The rioters knew their houses." Some 3,000 Sikhs were killed in the aftermath of the assassination of the-then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards. Two of whom were subsequently executed. Many then-Congress party leaders, including union minister Jagdish Tytler, former Central Minister Vasant Sathe and Sajjan Kumar, MP, former minister HKL Bhagat were examined by the Commission. Nanavati, however, only went to the extent of pointing out that there was dereliction of duty on the part of Delhi Police for the killings that happened in the Capital in the days following the assassination. The Manmohan Singh-led UPA government has promised to table the report in the current Budget session of Parliament. The agenda of the Commission was to chart the cause and course of the riots and find out if they could have been prevented, and if any governmental agency failed to carry out its duty. http://www.punjabjustice.org http://www.witness84.com http://www.carnage84.com http://www.ensaaf.org http://www.shrg.org

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! Just read this on another forum, it is a very good point: A CALL TO SIKH YOUTH In recent years Southall and Handsworth, amongst other areas, have become places where ‘Sikh’ youth have gathered to celebrate Vaisakhi. At some point over the years it became ‘acceptable’ to partake in very anti-sikh activities on such an auspicious occasion. Drinking and smoking whilst waving a Nishan Sahib have become commonplace. Such activities, are totally against the fundamental principles of Sikhi. This is an appeal to all Sikhs whether they be amritdhari, turbaned or non turbaned, to consider the implications of what they are doing. Many non-Sikhs now attend Southall because Vaisakhi has become a type of street carnival. Our sacred Khanda is worn by many non-Sikhs whilst they openly smoke, drink, ridicule and harass our sisters. They adorn their cars with our Khanda and taunt young girls, however, they go unnoticed because our brothers are doing the same! The non-Sikhs attending the ‘celebrations’ are aware that their actions are detrimental to Sikhism, so why do we as Sikhs not realise the magnitude of our actions? We should be stopping non-Sikhs from making a mockery of Vaisakhi rather than doing the same ourselves. Our religion is so rich - let us not forget that and give it the respect that it deserves for today, Vaisakhi and always. In short, this is a plea to all Sikh brothers and sisters to refrain from drinking, smoking and dancing in the streets at Vaisakhi. For at least one day a year lets stand together and actually stand up against non-Sikhs who infiltrate us on such days and make a mockery of our history and religion. PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL SIKHS

Get your practice in !!! :e: :<Edited>:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Art...National/Canada Quebec ban on Sikh kirpans in schools debated in top court Judges reserve ruling on challenge By STEPHEN THORNE Wednesday, April 13, 2005 Page A5 Canadian Press OTTAWA -- Lawyers wrestled over whether a Sikh's ceremonial dagger is a weapon as the Supreme Court of Canada reserved judgment yesterday in the case of a student prohibited from wearing one at his Montreal school. Lawyers challenging a Quebec Court of Appeal decision banning the kirpan from schools said the metal dagger, which is bound, sheathed and strapped to Sikhs, cannot be considered a weapon and has never been used as one. Those defending the Quebec decision said it cannot be considered anything else and warned that overturning the ruling could open the floodgates to weapons in school. There is no practical distinction between a kirpan and any other edged weapon, argued François Aquin, lawyer for Montreal's Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board, which barred Gurbaj Singh from wearing the kirpan in 2001. Ceremonial or not, it can be removed from its sheath and used to harm others, Mr. Aquin said. Whether it has been used that way is beside the point. "There has never been a school assault in Quebec using a kitchen knife," he said. "That doesn't mean we will allow students to carry kitchen knives in school." Judges on the nine-member panel peppered lawyers with questions during the presentations as Mr. Singh, 16, watched intently along with members of his family and the Sikh community. It's the first time the issue has been brought before the country's highest court. Most jurisdictions have permitted the kirpan in schools. Quebec has not. While there has been no documented case in North America of school violence involving a kirpan, the Quebec court ruled 13 months ago that a ban is a reasonable limit to the Charter's guarantee of freedom of religion. The decision of the judges in Canada's top court, who permitted Sikh members of the gallery to wear their kirpans in the expansive, wood-panelled chamber, is expected to lay the matter to rest. Arguing on the youth's behalf, lawyer Julius Grey said there is "overwhelming empirical evidence that the kirpan is not a dangerous weapon." Mr. Grey told the court that other jurisdictions such as Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia have operated for years without a ban and without incident. In those jurisdictions, limits have been placed on size, visibility and security to ensure access to the daggers is difficult, he noted. Intervenors in the case said the risks posed by the kirpan, which Sikhs are required to wear as a symbolic defence against evil, are no greater than geometry compasses or baseball bats. Lawyer Palbinder Shergill of the World Sikh Organization said the kirpan is only considered a kirpan if it has three components -- a metal blade, a sheath and a fabric holster worn close to the body. "Take one out, and it is no longer a kirpan," she said. "A Sikh must have all three in place. This object is not an intrinsically dangerous weapon. It is always in its sheath and its holster." Mr. Singh now attends private school where he is allowed to wear the kirpan, which was given to him when he was 12. He said the experience has taught him a lot about his religion and about Canada. "This is very exciting," the aspiring pilot said. "I am here for my rights and I hope that the judiciary will support my rights."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wo...world-headlines Canada Court Hears Sikh Dagger Case Email this story Printer friendly format By BETH DUFF-BROWN Associated Press Writer April 12, 2005, 9:08 PM EDT OTTAWA -- Canada's supreme court heard testimony Tuesday on a Sikh teenager who argued that fidelity to his religion would be broken if the government forces him to remove a ceremonial dagger concealed beneath his clothes at school. The case is being watched closely by some 300,000 Sikhs across Canada, some of whom have vowed to pull their children from public schools if the court rules against the boy. The Indian religion calls on its baptized males to wear the sheathed dagger as a symbol of power and truth, an object meant to cut through evil and deceit. Sikhs complain that they have faced increased discrimination since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States -- in particular bans against wearing turbans in the workplace. The case began shortly after the terrorist attacks, when Gurbaj Singh Multani -- then 12 -- was playing at his public elementary school in Montreal. His "kirpan," the small dagger that Orthodox Sikhs never remove, even in their sleep, accidentally dropped from his clothes. One of the mothers noticed the dagger and complained to the principal, who then told Gurbaj that he had to leave the kirpan at home. The family refused and pulled him from school while the matter went to the school board, which eventually banned Gurbaj from wearing the dagger. That position was upheld by an appeals court, which ruled that the security of other students should take precedence. His parents then sent Gurbaj to a private school, where he is allowed to wear the kirpan, but decided to continue to fight the matter. "There are 300,000 Sikhs living in Canada and they can't all afford to go to private schools," the 15-year-old boy told The Associated Press. The nine justices said they would rule later this year. His lawyer, Julius Grey, argued before the court that kirpans were no more dangerous than pens, geometry compasses, art supplies and sports equipment. ___ On the Net: Canadian Sikh Web site devoted to case: www.sikhs.ca/kirpan

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh ! http://sify.com/news/international/fullstory.ppa?id=13716506 French court ruling on 3 Sikh teens soon Wednesday, 13 April , 2005, 02:03 Melun (France): A French court will rule next week whether to overturn the expulsion of three Sikh teenage boys, who refused to remove their turbans despite a law banning religious insignia in state schools. Presiding judge Guy Roth said the administrative court in Melun southeast of Paris would deliver its verdict on April 19. The government commissioner, a legal expert whose recommendations are often followed by the court, asked that the request by the three boys to return to class be denied, as they plan to continue wearing their head coverings. Felix De Belloy, an attorney for the three boys, countered that as they had no intention of trying to win converts to their faith, the boys posed no threat to the law calling for the strict separation between church and state. The so-called "secularity" law, which came into effect at the start of the academic year in September, forbids the wearing of "conspicuous" religious insignia in state schools, like Muslim headscarves and Sikh turbans. The three boys expelled all wore keskis, or under-turbans -- a more discreet version of the turban often worn for sleeping. Education authorities initially agreed to allow Sikh boys to wear the thin cloth but later reneged. The teens, aged 15 to 18, were expelled on November 5, a decision confirmed a month later by the education authority responsible for their high school in Bobigny, northeast of Paris. They are currently taking correspondence classes.