Pyara

Oh well. Benefit of the doubt! Put it down to "technical" difficulties due to technology. In the meantime the Sikh viewer can watch tonite's episode of which channel is more panthic than the other and which channel manages to persuade us to D-day or not!

This is so embarrassingly childish you have to laugh. I picked up on this petty rivalry yesterday whilst watching this. "Pendu-pauna" at it's best (or worst)!

Update Babaji is still in Delhi due to being taken ill and is not due in the UK till tomorrow morning. Babaji will not be able to attend the diwan this evening at Gurdwara Karamsar Ilford. Sangat in East London are still strongly asked to attend the diwan tonight at Karamsar Gurdwara as it is the barsi of Baba Isher Singh Ji Rarasahib Wale.

Please please please can we stop talking in riddles and be up-front. If you want Sangat financial support than you need to stop using the legacy of Gagandip Singh as a veil, become transparent, fully explain what is going on now, who has stolen what, who now owns Sikh TV, who will be running Sikh TV and what the future plans for Sikh TV are?

Sikh Channel have organised another Sikh conference this Saturday, however this time it's "exclusive" to Jathebhandis even though it will be telecast. I sincerely hope it's an effective gathering and not a "sweeping under the carpet" excercise. Those attending and representing the UK Sikh community need realise that any non-commitments will be transparent to the Panth. The issue of beadbi is international and not just confined to Punjab, many will not realise what Satkaar Campaign are having to do behind the scenes with convos with Prabhandak Committees, Families, Wedding Organisers, Granthis who are still willing to carry out the beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji's Saroop and Gurdwara Properties. Just for this coming weekend 2 Anand Karajs were planned in inappropriate venues and 1 party was planned in a Gurdwara Hall, which with the kirpa of Guru Ji have been resolved. In the last 8 years (since 2004) no established Jathebhandi has done much to combat the beadbi of Guru Ji's Saroop being taken to Hotels, Banqueting Halls and the beadbi of Party Halls in Gurdwara properties. It has been the common Sikh from the street who has stood at UK morchay outside Hilton Hotel, Baylis House, Lakeside Hotel, Clay Oven to name a few as well as morchay at Gurdwaras such as Northampton, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Sunderland, Grays and Dudley. The leaders who continually give us lip service and use excuses about the "long term" and "parchaar" need to realise that this is all they have beein saying for the last 8 years.

Just found this. http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/46890-gudwara-and-party-hall-in-same-building/ There was a development plan for a party hall in the Gurdwara back in 2009. What was the outcome to this?

Any improvements expected? Or do we have to go through a weeks of kabadi repeats!

I think you might be right about the Party Hall! I remember this issue being raised before somewhere in Sikhsangat.com before. Perhaps the orginal poster can confirm this??

It's either the" Name and Shame" approach or" Emotional blackmail" approach, but at the moment nearly everyone seems to be chasing the same Sikh £1. Between having direct debits going to 3 TV channels, 2 radio stations, Gurdwaras threatening to close down, Gurdwara Building extensions, visiting Kirtinya, visiting Parcharaks, Sikh Projects etc some Committees also want us to become exclusive paying members. Perhaps it's time for us to realise that there might not be enough maya to go around! And some Gurdwaras/Sikh projects may eventually have to close down.

No big loss! Unless there's a radical change in programming, I personally don't see the need to get excited about Sikh TV. Sikh TV's quality of programming is much weaker compared to the other 2.

The funniest thing was that committee members of Gurdwara Singh Sabha Seven Kings started sending out the text about "100 Black youth planning a specific attack on Seven Kings Gurdwara - Info from Scotland Yard" themselves as they started receiving them. They started panicking believing the texts which only added to the chaos when they started sending them out to others.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-14493399 Sangat TV's guerrilla journalism wins fans amid riots By Caroline Gall BBC News, Birmingham Armed with just a camera and microphone Sangat TV reporter Upinder Randhawa has become a well-known face during coverage of the riots and disorder in Birmingham this week. Darting around the city, broadcasting as events unfold, he has created a following among viewers and social media users alike. His direct, and at times, emotional reports on the state of the city seemingly in the grip of looters and rioters seem to have struck a chord with his audience. Most notably, footage that appears to show his team giving police a lift to chase after a man suspected of being involved in the three deaths in Winson Green on Wednesday has been shown by the BBC, Sky and other outlets. "I don't care if I lose my life because at the end of the day it's about humanity," he said to viewers, in another broadcast, appearing to be visibly upset. "It's very emotional and ridiculous what I'm seeing." It's about respecting others and we want that interfaith dialogue to carry on - that's not been on TV before and brought to the fore." The tiny station based in Edgbaston in Birmingham is suddenly on everybody's radar for its distinctive and live style - guerrilla journalism in action. So where now for the charity station that was founded by a group of Sikhs and is run by a team of about six people backed up by volunteers? The tragic deaths of three young men knocked down and killed in the Winson Green area during the disorder in the city has seen tensions rise amongst the community. But out of a negative situation, the community united - something the station feels it played a part in and now wants to continue to spread positive messages of support, long after the rioting ends. One of the managers at the station, Nirmal Singh, said encouraging "interfaith dialogue" was vital. "What's been clear that has come out of this is, from the negativity, communities have been brought together and stood arm-in-arm and we want that to continue," he said. "We believe in values, morals and ethics and we think that has a solid impact. "It's about respecting others and we want that interfaith dialogue to carry on - that's not been on TV before and brought to the fore. "It's for all, non-believers and outside the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim faiths. "We want to ensure the positive message gets out to the communities." The station first broadcast on 1 September last year. It is a religious channel showing news and community-based programmes which rely on donations for funding. The plan was always to move into news within two to five years but Mr Singh said they have arrived at that point faster than they expected. "It's looks like we can get there much faster than we thought and we've not even reached our first birthday ," he added. 'Diffuse issues' Mr Randhawa is just one of the volunteers who is passionate about he does. A Facebook page has now been started in his honour - "Upinder Randhawa from Sangat TV is a Legend". Our idea is one family, brotherhood and humanity, we want to keep that going" "What he is doing is unpaid and you can get very emotional and we have spoken to him about that," Mr Singh added. "We're very grateful to him and have received very positive feedback from the community." A candlit vigil was held on Dudley Road on Thursday, almost 24-hours after Haroon Jahan, Shahzad Ali, and Abdul Musavir died as they protected property in Winson Green. At the gathering, Sikhs and Muslims came together to pay their respects and debate their response and reaction hours after Haroon's father had urged people to show restraint. There were calls for peace and no reprisals before the crowds dispersed into the night. "Today, we feel fairly relaxed," Mr Singh added. "We feel we've helped diffuse a number of issues, we're talking to the community and scheduling meetings to keep that going. "Our idea is one family, brotherhood and humanity, we want to keep that going."

Now that things have calmed down, I think the issue of the over-hyped texts that were being sent around needs to be seriously addressed. The worst was the hoax text about the "fire bombing of Lozells Gurdwara in Birmingham" which resulted in cars leaving London and Singhs leaving other West Midlands Gurdwaras or areas which needed security to rush down to Lozells. Whoever sourced that specific text was plain irresponsible and could have potentially ignited something a lot worse. It was not a Panthic thing to do and if the text can be traced back then the originator should be spoken to. The other text was about the "100 Black youth planning a specific attack on Seven Kings Gurdwara" in Ilford which allegedly came from "Scotland Yard". This resulted in an inappropriate portion of Singhs being deployed to the other Gurdwaras as Singhs ended up convincing themselves Seven Kings Gurdwara was going to be attacked that night because of the texts being forwarded. Others included planned petrol bombings of Gurdwaras by EDL and other specific Street Gangs. Whilst there's no denying Sikhs should always remain vigil, forwarding unsubstantiated texts only caused more chaos and uncertainty. We need to be sure we know what we are sending out in text messages beofre we distribute. It only takes a matter of minutes for a text message to compound out, especially during tense times.

Sikhs have become a big part of the story! See the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14436499

Quote from news report: "Why ain't the police protecting the Muslim Mosques while they are praying after Ramadan? The police haven't done anything for us, it's the Sikh community have come and stood there to protect the Muslim Mosques so that people do not get hurt while they are praying," http://itn.co.uk/home/26325/Anger+towards+police+in+Birmingham Anger towards police in Birmingham Thu Aug 11 2011 5:17 Residents in the Winson Green area of Birmingham have said that police failed to protect the community during the riots in the city, after three men were killed while attempting to protect the area from looters. The men, named as Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, were killed after being hit by a car as they protected shops during the early hours of Wednesday morning. Hundreds of people attended a community group meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by members of the West Midlands Police who answered questions about their tactics. Speaking after the meeting, one resident said the force still had questions to answer. "Why ain't the police protecting the Muslim Mosques while they are praying after Ramadan? The police haven't done anything for us, it's the Sikh community have come and stood there to protect the Muslim Mosques so that people do not get hurt while they are praying," he said. Politicians and police have come under fire for not deploying enough officers on the streets after riots, which began in London on Saturday, and spread beyond the capital this week. Police have launched a murder investigation into the three deaths in Birmingham, with a 32-year-old man having been arrested on suspicion of murder.

http://www.london24.com/news/london_riots_timeline_of_redbridge_looting_and_violence_1_990822 London riots: Timeline of Redbridge looting and violence Thursday, August 11, 2011 9:18 AM Across the borough, opportunistic looters and vandals damaged property and stole hoards of goods earlier this week. There has been relative calm in the last two nights, as police ramped up their presence on the streets. Below is a timeline of every key moment of the disturbances, as police battled to gain control: Monday: 2am – Looters strike at T-Mobile and Virgin Media in High Road, Ilford and JD Sports in Newbury Park. Windows smashed and widespread damage caused. 11am – Senior police write to councillors and community leaders asking for information of "tension indicators" in the borough. All police stations except Ilford are closed to the public. 3pm – An enhanced police presence in High Road, Ilford. Shops begin to close early on police advice. 4.30pm – Gangs of youths start to gather in Ilford Lane and around High Road, Ilford. 6pm – Skirmishes between police and a handful of youths take place outside Lynton House, High Road, Ilford. Bottles and rocks thrown at officers who charge at youths. 6.30pm – Officers in riot gear form lines outside of Ilford Police Station, High Road. 7pm – Gangs begin looting jewellers and a convenience store in Ilford Lane, Ilford. 7.35pm – A 25-year-old man suffers injury in an unconnected hit-and-run collision on Ilford Hill, Ilford. 10pm – Five looters hit the Co-operative store in High Street, Barkingside, with rocks and a crowbar. Raiders escape with gold and silver jewellery from Richard Miles Jewellers in George Lane, South Woodford. 10.50pm – Raiders steal £1,000 in cash after smashing into a Tesco Express store in Manford Way, Hainault. Overnight – Fire crews are called to at least four car fires across Redbridge. Looters strike again at Vodafone and Orange in High Road Ilford, where windows are smashed and displays ripped out. Tuesday: 3am – The Woodford Carpet Shop, High Road, Woodford Green, is set alight by suspected arsonists. The store is gutted by the blaze. 2pm – Officials start to advise businesses in the borough to close early and secure their buildings as a precaution against further unrest. 6pm – Currys Digital in High Road, Ilford, puts up steel shutters. 7pm – 100 members of the Sikh community gather to protect the Gurdwara Karamsar, Ilford, and the Singh Sabha London, in Seven Kings. The night passes without trouble. Wednesday: 9am – Ten people are known to have been arrested in the borough and three charged in connection with the disturbances. 7pm – People gather outside Redbridge Town Hall, High Road, Ilford to show their solidarity against the looting and vandalism.

Sangat TV has got global media focus. Well done to the team. We're all proud of you! http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/aug/10/birmingham-riots-sangat-tv http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14485056

http://www.london24....rnight_1_990068 Sikhs guard Seven Kings and Ilford Gurdwaras overnight Edwina Ellington, Reporter Wednesday, August 10, 2011 Hundreds of Sikhs stood outside Ilford and Seven Kings temples this week in defiance of the ongoing civil unrest. The group formed a solid presence in Ilford and Seven Kings High Road where they patrolled into the early hours of the morning, determined to protect the Gurdwara Karamsar and the Singh Sabha London East from opportunistic violence. The orders had not come from any Sikh council, but elders within the community had decided it was necessary to keep a vigil outside the temple on what marked the second and third nights of civil unrest in London and some suburbs.
Members of the Sikh community in Redbridge are planning to stand guard at temples again tonight. Spokesman for the British Sikh Council, and Chairman of the Singh Sabha in Seven Kings, Upkar Singh Rai, said the community was doing all it could to help police. "We have had a meeting with the police and asked how can we help, without aggravating the situation. We told them we will look after our temples and protect ourselves," he added. "Police stopped and waved, and some even came in to have tea during the course of the night," said Mr Singh Rai. "I've had two hours sleep last night as we finished at 4.30am and I'm exhausted, but we are keeping ourselves going and planning a strategy for tonight," he added. Chairwoman of the Sikh Women's Alliance, and Seven Kings ward councillor Balvinder Saund, said the solidarity was a testament to the community minded faith. "I think there is a vigilante streak in many Sikh people, they have been used to looking after themselves for centuries. "It's that support in them that comes out when there's any danger," she added.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3744364/Sikh-TV-presenter-is-riot-hero.html Sikh TV presenter is riot hero

Singhs might want to offer the Hindus some security support over the protection of their mandir. Just a thought! Yesterday Muslim elders in Ilford were came up to Singhs saying how they were impressed that the Sikhs organised themselves to defend the Gurdwaras and community whilst they hadn't even thought about it.

Sikhs protect local Gurdwaras and surrounding areas East London, UK 10 August 2011 Over 400 Sikhs deployed their sewa around the 7 local Gurdwaras in the East London/Ilford area last night. There were reported to be a small number of isolated disturbances in the Ilford/East London area compared to the previous night , it is strongly believed the visible presence if Sikhs on the streets deterred the local gangs from congregating in Ilford. Two mob group had started to congregate earlier in the day in the town centres of Ilford and Barkingside, however they were dispersed by the Police presence and did not re-group as the night went on. A Muslim elder attending a local Mosque for prayers commented on how the "large Sikh presence gave him the confidence that the streets were safe for the night". The residents and shopkeepers of Ilford, Barking and East Ham experienced property damage, lootings and muggings on the Monday night when gangs of up to 200 youths rampaged through town centres in Barking and Ilford as well as Ilford Lane, High Road, Green Street and High Street North. Missiles were also thrown at Gurdwara Singh Sabha Barking earlier on in the day which prompted large numbers of Sikhs to gather around all the Gurdwaras in the area. A large presence of Sikhs will be carrying on the sewa in the local Gurdwaras tonight. A number of articles in today’s mainstream media regarding Sikhs defending their towns: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/london-riots-armed-sikhs-protect-gurdwara/articleshow/9552057.cms http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024358/UK-riots-Sikhs-defend-homes-temples-rioters.html?ito=feeds-newsxml http://www.metro.co.uk/news/871905-southall-sikhs-defend-their-temple-from-london-riots http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8692446/London-riots-Neighbours-mount-anti-gang-patrols-amid-fears-of-far-Right-agitation.html http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16046910 http://twocircles.net/2011aug10/sikhs_patrol_protect_gurdwara.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d49bdf50-c2d8-11e0-8cc7-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1UcHYYzAb

ALERT TO EAST LONDON SIKHS Due to the concerning level of disorder thats started in Ilford and Barkingside town centres, the first meeting of sewadars for local Gurdwara Security is now today at 5pm, then at 7pm and finally at 8pm. Please meet at the GYM in Gurdwara Singh Sabha Seven KIngs, High Road for these short gatherings, where groups of Singhs will be delpoyed to surrounding Gurdwaras. Note: Shops in the surrounding areas to the Gurdwaras have been advised by Police to close which may make the only public access buildings in the area the Gurdwaras. It is important that there is a strong presence in the local Gurdwaras to resist any attacks from the mobs. Also Ilford and Seven Kings Stations have been closed.

ALERT TO EAST LONDON SIKHS Due to the concerning level of disorder thats started in Ilford and Barkingside town centres, the first meeting of sewadars for local Gurdwara Security is now today at 5pm, then at 7pm and finally at 8pm. Please meet at the GYM in Gurdwara Singh Sabha Seven KIngs, High Road for these short gatherings, where groups of Singhs will be delpoyed to surrounding Gurdwaras. Note: Shops in the surrounding areas to the Gurdwaras have been advised by Police to close which may make the only public access buildings in the area the Gurdwaras. It is important that there is a strong presence in the local Gurdwaras to resist any attacks from the mobs. Also Ilford and Seven Kings Stations have been closed.

The gangs who caused the raula in Ilford yesterday used a survileance tactic, where they would send a car or scooter in front and then communicate to the larger group who would then rush in an intimidating number. Also they were creating diversions by carrying out smaller acts of criminality to divert the Police's attention before rushing a big loot. They had the Police up and down Ilford by using this tactic.

East London/Ilford Update Further to the above. Last night there appeared to be a continous survielance by black, mixed race and white youths on scooters and cars until 4.30am around areas of Barking Gurdwara , Seven Kings Gurdwara and Karamsar Gurdwara. The number plates were passed on to the Police. Last night's security sewa went well and tonight's is expected to be well organised too. The Police have been notified at the top level of the security measures Sikhs in the local area will be taking. There will be a meeting tonight at 8pm in the Gym in Seven Kings Gurdwara to arrange the protection that may be required around the local Gurdwaras tonight. All help appreciated.