Jeevan

Dear Fellow Sikhs, Will you be kind enough to print the following literature and then pass on to the older generation. http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/original/translations/Punjabi.pdf I am very concerned how a significant proportion of Sikhs do not eat enough fruit and veg on a day to day basis to maintain good health. Admin - can you please ensure this gets a sticky, I appreciate the topic would be better suited under Seva/Support/Help but maximum publicity is required in getting the message of healthy eating out to the Sikhs especially the older generation. WJKK, WJKF.

WJKKWJKF, As many of you will be aware Governments and organizations around the world have think tanks that run scenarios predicting conflicts. One of these predictions is the disintegration of Pakistan as a unified nation by civil war within the next couple of decades. Pakistan is only surviving with the help of aid from foreign governments and the propping up of General Musharraf’s Military government by the United States. Now the interesting theory to come out of this hypothesis’s is that West Punjab in Pakistan opts to be part of India again and Lahore once again becomes the capital of a unified Punjab. The Punjabis of Pakistan do not get on with other Pakistanis and vice versa. Many of you will debunk this theory but there is already an icrease in transport links between the two countries, increasing trade, a Sikh within the Pakistan Army promoted to an officer and others will follow, the cricket is back on with after many years. Powerful politicians, businessmen, religious leaders are working behind the scenes to make this a reality. There are vast fortunes to make by increasing trade, buy vast swathes of land, they have vested interests to consolidate power for dynastic rule, gain access to historical religious sites, etc. I am interested on what other Sikhs make of this theory. Please remember in two centuries of Sikh history, the Sikhs in 1857 put down the Indian Mutiny in aid of the British, in 1919 the Sikhs got on board for Independence against the British after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, then in 1939 the Sikhs fought for the British in World War II for Independence. In 1947 Punjab is torn between two nations, in the 1960s, Punjab is geographically made smaller as part of the Punjab Suba deal. In 1984 the Harmandir Sahib is attacked, India Gandhi PM of India is assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards; thousands of Sikhs are murdered in revenge by mobs. Twenty years later a Sikh takes office as the PM of India and another Sikh takes charge of the Indian Armed Forces. This is just a very brief highlights of the the changing fortunes of the Sikh Nation. Jeevan

Britain's PM The Right Honourable Tony Blair failed to attend the VE Celebrations held in May of this year in Russia. Sixty world leaders including PM Manmohan Singh attended this event. Yet we shall as Sikhs make an effort to remember the sacrifices of those who fought and died for freedom. "When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today" Jeevan

Asian docs face daily discrimination in UK [ Monday, October 31, 2005 03:42:40 pmIANS ] LONDON: Doctors from the Indian subcontinent working in Britain's National Health Service faced discrimination on a daily basis, according to the Commission of Racial Equality (CRE). There were so many complaints from Asian and Afro-Caribbean doctors that the CRE believed they, not the poor, were the biggest group to face disrespect, out of Britain's ethnic minorities. Trevor Phillips, CRE chairman, told The Independent Monday: "If I were to consider what group of people are most likely to feel they have suffered disrespect, slights and racial disadvantage, the traditional view would be that it would be poor, black people who don't get jobs. It isn't." He said "It is doctors, senior minority doctors who are just below the level of consultant, from whom we get shoals of complaints." Phillips said the commission was investigating 'hundreds of complaints of racism in the higher echelons of the NHS.' Many of the cases concerned black and Asian doctors who were excluded from the "club" of consultants. He said the investigations could lead to a full commission inquiry into the treatment of ethnic minorities working in Britain's leading hospitals. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/article...880,curpg-1.cms

What annoys me with the racist scum is they always pick on the weakest members of the community. A nurse has value in a country, what have these thugs got to offer? Indian faces racist brunt in UK [ Thursday, October 27, 2005 12:53:37 pmIANS ] LONDON: Mathew Joseph, the husband of a nurse from the state of Kerala, was brutally attacked by a group of racist youths in Pallion in north England. Joseph, who works at the local McDonald's, was getting tools from his car outside his home when the gang approached him last Friday, shouting racist taunts, delayed reports reaching here said. The group threw beer at him before knocking him to the ground, and kicked him in the face, breaking his nose as he lay helpless outside the gates of his house. The police were called but the teenage gang of seven or eight scattered. His wife Sani, a nurse in the Sunderland Royal Hospital, said the whole family was living in fear. The back gate of their house was set on fire three months ago. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1276811.cms

Indira Gandhi Tue 25 Oct, 11:20 pm - 12:40 am 80mins For nearly two decades Indira Gandhi led the world's largest democracy. She was adored by the masses - 20 years after her assassination, she was voted Woman of the Millennium. And yet she was also corrupted by power, and finally killed by those she trusted most - her own bodyguards. In this documentary profile, her story unfolds like a Greek tragedy: an epic saga of betrayal and dynasty, family feuds and untimely deaths. Drawing on personal letters and previously unseen archive, the film unravels the mystery of this revered, yet flawed stateswoman. [AD,S] Subtitles Stereo Widescreen http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctwo/listings/progr...0_4224_41654_80

I believe this is where the term "12 O'clock" originates. The Sikhs were so busy with the above when they finally got to rest and settle down for dinner after a hard days battle, it was usually around midnight they finally got to eat. I apologise if I am wrong with this information.

WJKK WJKF Once the demons of alcohol, domestic violence, casteism, gutter language, aspiring to be the next bhangra/hip hop star, etc is exorcised from ALL Sikh homes not only will the Kaurs be sticking with the Singhs but the Singhs will be highly sought after by other girls from other religions/races. It is becoming quite a macho thing now in the Sikh male youth to adopt the hip hop culture. Sikh girls are aspiring and achieving in education and they want a soul mate who shares their interests in maybe travelling. Staying at home making roti for a layabout of a husband with demanding in-laws is no longer an option Kaurs want to be saddled with. With the Moslem male they approach our sisters (and yes they are our sisters) in a sober state which is an advantage over our own sadly drunken youth. With the Moslems being sober they are able to engage in a coherent conversation rather than a drunken slur. Don’t you think the Moslems have done their research on what some Sikh girls are after and shock horror it is not always to do with sex but a sense of one’s worth? Sikh families still treat girls as lesser equals, preach about tolerance and then slate the Sikhs who happen to belong to another so called lesser caste. The reason our girls are going astray as our Gurus message has been lost. By Sikhs stating “let's not waste our energy on worrying about slags”, Sikhs have green-lighted the Moslems to take our sisters from us, don’t you think Moslems read these Forums? At what point does a Sikh girl goes from being a Sikh to a slag and what processes are involved in getting to this stage? The males in Sikhs need to ditch their macho image and behave more like a Saint\Soldier. Yes not all our youth are drunken layabouts but the good ones need to preach to the other side without shoving the supremacy of moral righteous drown their throats. There is already a Sikh gender balance in the Punjab, our sisters are becoming a rare commodity do we really want to keep losing our sisters to the Moslems? We lost many sisters at the time of Partition (1947), the battle is still going on in a more subtle form by the Moslems, and do you want to be on the losing side? Long Live The Khalsa! Jeevan

A Brief BiographyChamkila was born "Dunni Ram" on July 21st 1961 in Dugri, Ludhiana. Chamkila was from a poor family and lived in great poverty. He had one brother and two sisters whom were older than him. His mother, Kartar Kaur, passed away when Chamkila was a young child, and his older sisters and father used to take care of him. Chamkila had always wanted to become an electrician but due to family difficulties he had to leave his education and work in Ludhiana in a cloth mill. Chamkila had one of his first songs sang by "Narinder Biba and Surinder Sharma" by the age of 10. The majority of Chamkila's earlier songs had lyrics to do with electricity such as shock and connection etc, due to the fact he wanted to become an electrician.Chamkila was a talented musician from a young age and used to play the dholki and vaja for pocket money whilst still at school. He later played the dholki for singers such as Surinder Shinda, K.deep, Jagmohan Kaur and M.Siddque.By the age of 15 he had a number of songs sung by famous Punjabi folk singers, such as Surinder Shinda, Narinder Biba, Kulie Ram, Bibi Tara and Sohan Lal etc. The name Chamkila comes from the name Rangila, who used to be a folk singer that Chamkila admired greatly. Chamkila comes from the word "Chamak" (shine) as he wanted to shine forever in the world of music. Chamkila began to play the dholki and vaja for Surinder Shinda regularly. It was here that Chamkila began to make his stage career as he would perform on Shinda's stage during intervals.Chamkila soon went solo leaving Shinda. When Chamkila left, he took Surinder Sonia, and much of Shinda's band and stage comedian. Chamkila and Surinder Sonia released their first record in 1979. Punjabi Folk fans grew fond of Chamkila's style quickly as he had a very charismatic personality. In addition to singing his own songs he continued to write and sell his songs to other artists. Chamkila left Sonia in 1980 and began singing with Miss Dat Khol MitraLallu Kare KawallianDhoka Nahin KamaidaLeyja Kitte DoorGabroo Holan DePehle Lalkare Naal Main Dar GaiHik Uteh Soja VeRab Tanu Munda DeveJija Lak MinleSas Godeh Thale Lai LayiKal Bhanven Jind Kad LayeenSharbat Vaangu Ghut BharlaKee Jor Garibaan DaVadhaiyaan Jetha Usha, which was only a stage arrangement. By late 1980 he heard of a famous female singer called Amarjyot who sang with Kuldip Manak.. She soon became his permanent singing partner.At the time of joining with Amarjyot, Chamkila was married. This partnership with Amarjyot lead to a break up of his marriage in December of 1982. Their first LP record together was "Lack Mera Kach Varga" which included a song written by Pali Dethawalia entitled "Chack Lo Drivero". People began to become offended by the fact Chamkila was of the "Chamaar" caste and Amarjyot a "Tharkani". Due to this Chamkila began to use Singh in his name and became Amar Singh. Chamkila rarely used his first name after that. It also became a rarity for him to mention the name of his pind when writing songs. By 1984 Chamkila and Amarjyot were in high demand and were producing hit LP after LP with new songs all written by Chamkila. The songs that Chamkila sang were mainly about relationships which some people found offensive. Chamkila began to get hate mail and threats to his life.In the early 80's, Chamkila such countries as, USA, Canada, Dubai and Bahrain. Accompanying Chamkila on stage would be comedians (Tukuan or Mano) who would do impressions of Mehal Mittal. His shows lasted about 2-3 hours and every show began with a few religious songs. Chamkila continued to get more and more hate mail but Chamkila always said "this is my music this is what I sing if you don't like it, then don't buy my records and don't call me to your functions". In HMV's recording history, 3 of Chamkila's LP records are still the highest selling records that were ever produced by a Punjabi singer. After receiving more letters from angry fans saying Chamkila you have many songs containing vulgar and offensive lyrics. Do something good. Chamkila produced 3 LP records of dharmik geet (religious songs). His religious songs became number 1 hits. Chamkila however, only wrote a few religious songs himself. Most of them he bought from other writers. All profits that came from the religious songs went direct to the charities and local gurudwara's. This was done as Chamkila said it was God who gave him the gift of music and what better way to say thank you to God. By late 1985 Chamkila stopped singing his more offensive songs. The public was still unhappy and wanted Chamkila to stop singing altogether. Chamkila started to write and sing songs which were of a very serious nature. Chamkila was killed in a show in "Mesumpur" as he stepped out of his car. Amarjyot was pregnant at the time and was shot in the chest and Chamkila was killed with 4 bullets in the chest alongside Gill Surjit and the dholki player Raja. The other members such as Tukham escaped. The blame was put on terrorists. A Curfew order took place when Chamkila was killed and riots between gangs broke out. Chamkila died on the 8th March 1988. The reasoning behind his death is not fully known. Many people have speculated that Chamkila was killed because of jealousy of other singers. It is said that the others singers grouped together and got him killed. But then again their were many other popular singers, Why Chamkila?

K_5ingh, Turkey is poor compared to other EU members, even though it espouses Secularism the vast majority of Turks are Moslems, geographically it is not even located in Europe. What has Turkey got to offer compared to say Russia?

As an poor Islamic country that is not even located in Europe, should Turkey (population 70 million) be allowed to join the European Union?

http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/sep/01haryana3.htm 'Gohana is Haryana's shame today' Onkar Singh in Gohana | September 01, 2005 19:00 IST The bylanes at Samta Chowk in Gohana, where over 50 houses belonging to Dalits were looted and torched on Wednesday, wore a deserted look a day later. The damage was done by a 1,000-strong mob wielding lathis, sambals and carrying petrol tins. Barring a handful of policemen sitting on makeshift chabootras (platforms), hardly a soul was in sight. Although the houses were burnt on Wednesday and the fires been put out since, pungent smoke continues to spiral from the embers. Littered all over are broken water-coolers, washing machines, televisions, refrigerators, and other household goods that once adorned the houses that were burned down. * 50 Dalit homes burnt in Haryana * Bhajan Lal forced to leave gutted Dalit colony Usha, daughter of Dharampal, could not believe her eyes when she saw her father's house in flames on the national television channels. "I have come from Fatehabad. All the three houses belonging to our family members have been looted and set afire. I have not been able to meet any of my relatives so far," she wept. Babu Lal, 60, was lucky that his gate of his was strong enough to withstand the ferocious attack of the hoodlums. "I and my wife were hiding in a room on the top. They came and tried to break the gate but they did not succeed. That is why you can see us alive. We would not have lived to tell the story otherwise," he said. According to him the violence began around noon. Looting and arson continued till 4 p.m. "Looto, maaro, kisi ko na chhodo (loot, kill, don't let anyone go)," the frenzied mob bellowed even as it poured petrol on the houses and set them on fire. Some of the arsonists dragged gas cylinders out of the houses and lighted them, causing huge explosions, an eyewitness told rediff.com. "The police came after they (the mob) had left the place," he said. Vinod Kumar, who works with New India Insurance Company, was still in a state of shock as he stood amidst the ruins of his house. "I have lost everything I had. We had always felt secure here, but it would be impossible to feel safe ever again," he said, as he took journalists around the remains of his smouldering home. "This roof can come down any time," he said. Fortunately, he said, he had sent his wife and two children away to a relative's place a day before the attacks. Pawan, a youngster, alleged that the administration knew the Jats would resort to violence, but precious little was done to take preventive measures. "On Wednesday, at around 11 a.m., shopkeepers shut their shops anticipating violence. Over 1,000 Jats, including women, from 12 villages marched down Gohana roads to the Dalit localities, in protest over the killing of one their community members the week before. They demanded that the police arrest the culprits, thought to be troublemakers from the Dalit locality. But when the police failed to do so, the Jats lost their cool and retaliated. Today Gohana has become Haryana's shame," he said. The state administration had pressed block development officers to take stock of the losses and recommend compensation to be given to every household. "We know how corrupt these officials are. Who is going to give us compensation for the gold and jewellery lost in the violence? Some of them were preparing to get their daughters married off," said a safai karmachari (a municipal worker), who did not wish to be named.

From SikhSangat.org England Gourmet sacked workers mass meeting held at Sikh Gurdwara By UK Politics Press Release Aug 22, 2005, 23:14 Southall Sikh Temple, Havelock Road, Southall Sacked former employees of airline catering company Gate Gourmet listen during a union meeting at the Southall Sikh Temple in west London, A powerful political and community message will be sent to British Airways, the government and the catering company Gate Gourmet this afternoon by the Transport and General Workers Union. Tony Woodley, the union’s General Secretary, will tell a mass meeting of sacked workers from Gate Gourmet, the controversial catering supplier to BA which sacked over 670 mainly Asian low paid workers, a significant number of whom are women, that the union is determined to keep fighting for justice and to use all avenues open to get the workers’ reinstated. In a telling message for the government he said that whilst local MPs had been very supportive of their constituents the simple fact was that Gate Gourmet had taken advantage of lax labour laws in the UK to act as they have done. “The Gate Gourmet workers’ case now goes beyond just an industrial dispute,” he said. “They are the focus for the trade union movement and the fight for decency and justice in the workplace.” “We do not forget that many of our people were sacked with three minutes notice over a public address system and with twenty minutes notice by a megaphone,” said Mr. Woodley. “These are decent, hard-working, honourable people who have been treating appallingly. We believe British Airways should do the decent thing and resist the pressure to let Gate Gourmet benefit from their actions but equally BA should be clear the public support for this group of workers is massive and may well affect their business.” Britain's Transport & General Workers Union General Secretary Tony Woodley ® and Trades Union Congress General Secretary Brendan Barber wear scarves to cover their heads as they attend a meeting for sacked former employees of airline catering company Gate Gourmet at Southall Sikh Temple in west London Speaking earlier on the BBC he said BA’s routes to India, for example, would be at risk but said the best solution would be for Gate Gourmet to reinstate the sacked workers. The mass meeting will take place in the Sikh Temple in Havelock Road Southall by permission of the elders at 2.00pm today. Tony Woodley will speak as will TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber. Reporters, camera crews and photographers will be welcome to attend. Powered by SikhSangat.com

The Mad Mullahs from Pakistan would launch a military offensive to take it over!

Sorry I still need the information, so I need to keep the thread going until I get the names of at least several organisations that can help us in this. Sorry for the inconvenience. Jeevan

WHAT?

The Cricket test was a phrase coined by Norman Tebbit in referring to supposedly questionable loyalties of immigrants to the United Kingdom in 1990. During the 1980s and 1990s there was a perception in parts of the UK that some immigrants to the UK did not have a primary loyalty to the UK, but continued to identify with their countries of origin. The most famous expression of this was made by Conservative politician Norman Tebbit in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. He said: "A large proportion of Britain's Asian population fail to pass the cricket test. Which side do they cheer for? It's an interesting test. Are you still harking back to where you came from or where you are?" The comments attracted widespread criticism for Tebbit, including allegations of racism, although they also struck a chord with some. A cartoon showed a Scotsman, in full kilted regalia, in gaol bemoaning "I failed the Tebbit cricket test!" Mr. Tebbit did a grave disservice to the Indian soldiers particularly the Sikhs who fought against the Nazi and Japanese alongside the British during World War II. Oh yeah don’t forget the Sikhs who fought in the 1st World War on the battlefields of France. The attempted would be bombers of London on the 21st July came from nations that don't have a national cricket team i.e. Somalia. As Sikhs we are loyal to our religion and to any nation that respects us. Hence we have no argument with Britain but because of 1984 we are at loggerheads with the state of India. I wonder what Norman Tebbit makes of all the white Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans on British passports in this country still supporting their nations when it comes to cricket and rugby?

I read some where that Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar are of the Christian faith and not Hindus as such, can someone confirm this or not please?

WJKK WJKF Putting aside who’s to blame for attacking the Harmindar Sahib and the killing of the innocents during Operation Bluestar and the victims of the Delhi riots in the fall of 84, what organisations/individuals are there to help the victims/survivors of the atrocities mentioned above. I am not interested in organisations and individuals who did nothing, please don’t waste my time in posting this up, I want to contribute to alleviate in the suffering of the victims of 1984 particularly the Delhi riots. Please fellow Sikh Sangat members tell me the names of organisations, individuals who have been helping the victims/survivors in terms of money, clothing, education, business support. I was at school in 1984, now having reach adulthood I have no excuse what so ever on why I cannot help my fellow brethren. Our memorial to the victims of 1984 should be in the re-building and re-shaping of the devastated communities in terms of financial support, housing, education, business support, etc. We are Sikhs of the West enjoying peace and prosperity let us reach out to our communities now and share some of our wealth. Jeevan

Kurtas, OK maybe my argument was not very well set out so I need to clarify the point I am making. Do you remember when Rover went in to receivership earlier this year with a loss of 6000 jobs, this was front page news. PM Blair rushed back from the Pope’s funeral to get to Longbridge. The Chancellor and the Trade Secretary paid visits to assess/help in any way they could. Now how much money do you think BA earns for the UK economy? Don’t you think the 800 sacked Gate Gourmet workers deserve a little attention from our esteemed politicians or is because they are mainly low paid, unskilled women, of a visibly ethnic background (probably for some with English not being their first language), tell me who should stick up for the workers who are predominantly from our own community? I make no apology for sticking up for our Sikh Brethren a little more than other communities. I hope I have not caused you any offence and you will understand why I am hacked off with this situation.. Jeevan

Dear Sikh Sangat Forum Members, You will have undoubtedly seen and heard the images in the press, TV, radio of Gate Gourmet with the striking workers at Heathrow, what is amazing is the proportion of female Sikh workers. I sincerely hope Gate Gourmet did not sack these workers thinking they were a ‘soft touch’ being female and of an ethnic minority. I urge ALL members of the Sikh Forum to e-mail the Commission for Racial Equality to investigate if this with case or not. The link is below:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4147780.stm In the service of the Khalsa. Jeevan

Dear Sureal69, Please can use ther term Ravidass Gurdwaras when referring to the 'leather workers' caste. The word Chamar is offensive, it is a demeaning Hindu caste term. It is not your fault you use this term but a little re-education is a wonderful thing. Jeevan

Its almost a shame Bakri has been barred from the UK, he was showing the world what some Moslems really thought of the rest of the World. BBC NEWS Cleric Bakri barred from Britain Radical Islamic preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed has been excluded from the UK. The Home Office said Home Secretary Charles Clarke used existing powers to exclude Mr Mohammed as his presence was "not conducive to the public good". The cleric is being held by the Lebanese authorities in Beirut, it is believed at the request of Syria. He was seized after a TV interview in which he said he would not return to Britain as a persona non grata, only as a visitor. The preacher left the UK six days ago on what he described as a holiday to see his mother in Beirut. Family 'unaffected' The self-styled "sheikh" ran the radical al-Muhajiroun group from Tottenham, north London, until it was disbanded last year. He is famous for praising the 9/11 hijackers as the "magnificent 19". He has been a great asset for the Muslim community here Anjem Choudray, Omar Bakri Mohammed's spokesman A Home Office spokesman said the decision to bar Mr Mohammed would not affect his family. He has seven children who were born in Britain. They would continue to receive their State benefits, he said, although those paid to the cleric would cease. Since the 1980s Mr Mohammed had had indefinite leave to remain in the UK after gaining political asylum. He is thought to have dual Syrian and Lebanese nationality. Regarding his arrest in Beirut, a Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said there was an official request from the Syrian authorities "to surrender him to the security forces in Syria." "They say he is a Syrian and has been convicted in Syria for many crimes, and that they need him for those crimes." With his often very offensive remarks he has contributed towards the demonisation of British Muslims Inayat Bunglawala, Muslim Council of Britain The spokesman said he believed the activities for which Syria wished to see Mr Mohammed extradited were not terrorism-related but to do with "past events in Syria in the 1980s". The cleric's spokesman, Anjem Choudray, described the UK move as "completely outrageous" and a "failure" of the principle of free speech. "He has been a great asset for the Muslim community here. "It is going to be a great loss for the British public and the Muslim community, I believe, and I think that this is indicative of the oppressive nature of the Blair regime." But Inayat Bunglawala, from the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "Omar Bakri is unlikely to be missed by the vast majority of British Muslims. "He is someone who for 20 years was given shelter by this country and he has spent almost all that time vilifying this country and its values. "With his often very offensive remarks he has contributed towards the demonisation of British Muslims." Deportation arrests His arrest on Thursday came as 10 foreign nationals, who the Home Office says pose a threat to national security, were detained in the UK, pending deportation. One of them, radical cleric Abu Qatada is expected to be deported to Jordan next week, according to the Jordanian interior minister. It follows a UK deal with Jordan that deportees would not be persecuted. In his absence, Abu Qatada has been sentenced by a court in Jordan to life in prison over a series of explosions. Omar Bakri Mohammed has caused recent controversy by saying he would not report a potential bomber to the police and is currently being investigated by UK authorities. During the TV interview in Lebanon, Mr Mohammed said that he had Lebanese nationality because his father had Lebanese citizenship. He said that he had been living in England since 1986 and added that he had been subjected to harassment in Britain. He also reportedly said that he could never support the killing of innocent people, which he condemned. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/4144792.stm Published: 2005/08/12 11:36:29 GMT © BBC MMV

Are you serious about Pakistan a bankrupt nation lead by mad Mullahs? I am not happy with the situation in India but there is a a working form of democracy, a judicial system of some sorts, India is on the on the verge of a economic powerhouse, a rich history of literature, arts, science, leaders like our Sikh Guru. Even with the Sikh riots of 84 the truth is slowly emerging. Do you think Pakistan would even had a look in to the riots had it happened in their backyard? You will find the plight of the Sikhs is more to do with poor leadership from the likes of the SPGC, Akali Dal, caste ridden Gurdwaras which has even been exported to the West. If Master Tara Singh coming up to Independence had welcomed Dr. Ambedkar in to the fold of Sikhism, Sikhism then would have had potentially 60 million new converts overnight. Who would have dared to take on the might of Sikhism with that many individuals. Read your history.

Gate Gourmet employs a substantial amount of Sikhs with Heathrow being next door to Southall. In the early part of the 21st Century in the developed world, how dare companies carry on treating workers without a care in the world. BBC NEWS Wildcat strike grounds BA flights Thousands of people are stranded at Heathrow where all British Airways (BA) flights have been grounded by an escalating industrial row. All Thursday's flights have been cancelled and BA is putting passengers up at hotels. BA baggage handlers, loaders and bus drivers have walked out in sympathy with workers at Gate Gourmet. The firm, which provides BA's in-flight meals, sacked 800 staff over an unofficial strike on Wednesday. BA disruption helpline 0800 727 800 A BA spokesman said about 17,000 passengers had been affected by the cancellations. Action by Gate Gourmet staff was already affecting BA on Wednesday, as the airline cancelled four flights because of a lack of food. By Thursday, passengers were being given food bags and vouchers to get food before boarding flights, but queues meant some check-in desks had to be closed. Later some BA staff, represented by the same union as the Gate Gourmet workers, staged an unofficial walk-out. People are fed up, although there's been no fights yet Stranded passenger Jane Taylor BA says there is little it can do as the walk-out is related to a dispute outside its control. But it has had to ground all Thursday's flights and divert 14 inward-bound flights. The airline is putting on coaches to ferry passengers between airports. A BA spokesman said: "We are trying to get people home and trying to find hotels for those who need one. We will give refunds if that is what they want or passengers can rebook for a later date." He said the incident is a "huge disappointment" and the company is doing all it can to resolve the situation. Among stranded passengers was Jane Taylor, 36, from Esher, in Surrey, who was stuck on a plane two hours after it landed from Frankfurt. "People are fed up, although there's been no fights yet. Everyone is quite calm," she told BBC News. BBC correspondent Russel Hayes said the Transport and General Workers' Union (TGWU) recognised the walk-out by BA staff was illegal "wildcat" action and was trying to persuade members to go back to work. The union held talks with Gate Gourmet on Thursday and said it was hoping for a "definitive statement" from the firm by 2100 BST. Gate Gourmet has said it will not re-instate staff and said it had told the union it was facing a financial crisis. It said the actions of the staff had jeopardised the livelihoods of the entire 2,000-strong workforce. Gate Gourmet's Andy Cook told BBC News: "We are in the situation at the moment where we need to make changes. "We really do want to do that with the cooperation of the union and the staff, but we have to manage the business otherwise it will cease to exist." But the TGWU said managers had provoked the dispute and the union was taking legal advice. It is not the first wildcat strike to force BA to ground its flights from Heathrow at the height of the holiday season. An unofficial walkout over a new electronic clocking-on system in July 2003 was later blamed by BA for much of a £245m slip in its profits. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/engl...don/4142408.stm Published: 2005/08/11 18:32:53 GMT © BBC MMV