Singh, Mahan

Source: http://www.firstpost.com/living/book-excerpt-from-1984-the-anti-sikh-violence-and-after-close-encounter-2337004.html Book excerpt from '1984 The Anti-Sikh Violence and After': Close encounter Jul 11, 2015 08:30 IST By Sanjay Suri Editor's note: It has been three decades since the country encountered the horror of the anti-Sikh riots in the winter of 1984. The chilling account of events is still fresh in the memories of those who witnessed the violence that followed Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s assassination by her bodyguards on 31 October 1984. Sanjay Suri, the then crime reporter with The Indian Express, was a first-hand observer to all that transpired – the massacre, the police choosing to look away, the political party in power decreeing deaths, and more. His book, 1984 The Anti-Sikh Violence and After, is a riveting account of facts that went unnoticed and recollections that are both gripping and disturbing. The following is an excerpt from the book, 1984: The Anti-Sikh Violence and After: It was the afternoon of the second day after the assassination, 2 November, and killings had been taking place on the night of 31 October, all day on 1 November, that night, and again on 2 November. We were getting to hear of more killings from people here and there—we still had no word from the police on just what was happening and where. We asked, of course, because through the wireless the police were closest to getting the full picture of the violence. But the police were switched off from any communication with media—they were switched off policing itself. The police knew of most of the attacks on Sikhs through their wireless network but by way of action they produced almost nothing; by way of communication absolutely nothing. The worst massacre at Trilokpuri came to light because Mohan Singh escaped to come to our office at The Indian Express to tell us about it. The next day we began to hear about mass killings in Sultanpuri, another of those resettlement colonies that had been launched during the years of the Emergency (1975–77) by Indira Gandhi’s son, Sanjay. I could again find no photographer to accompany me to Sultanpuri. But our chief editor, B.G. Verghese, made an exceptional provision: he made an office car available. That was a relief, but it came with a catch: the office could not find a driver willing to go out into the city. The office never would give us cars without a driver, but that one day it did. I was given a noisy old Ambassador that I would have to drive myself.A full team of us set out. I was joined by fellow reporter Ashwini Sarin, another reporter I knew as Joshi from the Hindi newspaper Jansatta of the Express group, and Sevanti Ninan, then special writer at the Express. Ashwini Sarin sat on the front seat with me, Sevanti and Joshi were at the back, a seating arrangement that was to have consequences. My little reporter’s pad and pen were in my shirt pocket—unfortunately prominent as it later was to turn out. It was a fairly quick drive across to Sultanpuri, we noted along the way how little traffic there still was. The fear that had gripped the city was not letting go so soon; almost everyone stayed home. But empty streets still looked better than roads with looters running wild—along that route the looters seemed to have retreated. A few people were about, but among them no Sikh was to be seen. Once we got to Sultanpuri, discovering where the killings had taken place turned out to be simple enough. A couple of people on the roadside told us of the streets we should head to. Another pointed to a particular street that he said had seen the worst. I drove in that direction. A chill gripped me as I turned off the road in the direction of that street. I saw a little park on the side of the road I was turning away from that looked extraordinarily tidy. It looked like it had just been swept clean. The sight struck me as unnatural. It wasn’t a grassy park, just sort of fenced ground with perhaps a cement bench or two in it. A broom had left fresh lines over the soil. It didn’t look like it had been swept so strenuously by some enthusiastic municipal sweepers going about their daily job. The city had shut down, why would some exceptionally dedicated municipal man go about doing a routine job so carefully? I didn’t reason this out at that moment, it wasn’t such logic that brought unease; it was just an awful feeling. The freshly swept ground looked scary, the lines on the soil from the broom ominous. There was nobody in the park. I turned into a narrow street as directed by the resident who had pointed to the scene of the killings. The street was for practical purposes one-way because it wasn’t wide enough for more. It didn’t look like a street used much to a car coming along at all. Who among those families crowding those poor little two-room tenements could think of owning a car those days? There was no movement on the street at all, it looked ghostly but for a bunch of men mostly in white kurtas and pajamas standing in the middle of it further down. The men, perhaps about a dozen of them, maybe up to twenty or so, stood still watching our approaching car. I had to stop the car as I approached them, they were in the way. They knew we were journalists, the car had ‘Press’ written on the windscreen. I lowered the window and asked if the Sikh residents there were all right. All was well, they said, all was peaceful. They spoke in emphatic unison, many of them rushed to say there had been no trouble at all. Again, like the sight of that park across the road, it wasn’t anything definite I could point to, but the collective reassurance sounded more disturbing than reassuring. This group looked different from just people you might find on a street in Delhi. They certainly were different from the people we had spoken to along the way who had given us directions and pointed to killings down this street. This was a well-knit group, they spoke as one, standing amidst the silence all around us. They told us firmly we should leave. In a moment, I thought I saw why. Down the street behind them a door had opened a crack, a hand was calling out to us. I thought it might be a Sikh, though I could not see this immediately. I told the men we would drive up, find a place to reverse and then head back. They stepped aside. I drove on towards that door down that street where the hand had appeared. I stopped outside. Hiding behind that door that had been opened a crack, stood a frail Sikh man, almost quaking on his feet. He had cut his hair and his beard, quite obviously only recently. He begged for help. He said hundreds of Sikhs had been killed on that street and around the night before. If we couldn’t find someone to rescue them, he said ‘those people’ would finish the rest of them that night. By ‘those people’ he meant the men on the street we had encountered on our way. He had gestured towards them, he knew they were there, he knew who they were. The years since those days have erased all sorts of details from memory. They haven’t erased that look in his eyes. The eyes looked like he was some prey being hunted. It had been ‘those people’ down the street who had been telling us all was well, that we should turn around and leave. The significance of some of what happened that day sank in only later. It became clear that the man behind the door was speaking of that single, definite group we had encountered—he was not speaking of angry people generally, nor of neighbours. It was that bunch that he described as the killers. That could no doubt mean the men standing on that street at that moment, and others like them who may have joined them. I said we would find help and stepped back into the car. I could see that bunch of men still standing in the middle of the street, they had turned around to stare at us now the opposite way. I drove a little further, found a place to turn the car around on a side street, and headed back the way we had come. The men were waiting for us. They didn’t look like they were about to move. They blocked the way, and I had to stop the car. The minute I did, they rushed us from both sides. One pulled open the door to my side, threw a punch my way, and made a grab for my shirt pocket which had my reporter pad. He snatched the pad away, tearing my shirt. The men crowded around the car, they shouted that we were liars, that we were making trouble. Ashwini Sarin by my side was trying to calm them down, but failed. Bizarrely, in the middle of all this, I saw the Jansatta reporter on the back seat pushing desperately against the back of the front seat, as if to push the car out of that spot. Fear does strange things. Even at that moment I could summon a fleeting sense of physics over the Jansatta reporter’s efforts. All this happened in a flash. Sevanti Ninan was to the left on the rear street. One man pulled open her door, and made a grab as if to pull her from the car. She struggled to close the door, away from the man’s grabbing hand. He snatched away the reporter pad she had with her. At that moment I decided to make a break for it. The car engine was running. I pushed up the gear lever and hit the accelerator. A man ahead tried to block us, I wasn’t going to stop for him. He pulled away just in time, I think the right-side fender brushed past him. I remember thinking I could not stop, even if I had to run him over. Some of the men ran after us as we drove off, the rest stood shouting abuse on that still street. Soon we were out of that side street and into the safety of the bigger road by that park. Did these men later attack the man who had spoken to us? Sickeningly, I never came to know for sure one way or another. But I know that if they had, nobody was around to stop them. The Sikh in that home told us that killings had been going on down those streets night and day. But not a policeman was to be seen there. The first SOS we could send out was only on return to the office, where I called all the senior officers I could. I appealed desperately for the army to be deployed immediately in Sultanpuri, and in any case before nightfall. I did so with a sense of inadequacy; who could be sure anyone would listen? But there was nothing else to do. We could think of doing no more in the face of a massacre that had taken place, and in the face of another massacre that seemed imminent. I was told by a police officer that the army had been deployed in Sultanpuri later that evening. I doubt my calls had anything to do with that though. The army was being deployed in several areas that evening, and the police would have known centrally through wireless about the killings in that area—the death toll on just those streets we had visited was later confirmed, even in police reports, to have run into hundreds. Word of army deployment in Sultanpuri had given me some uneasy hope but not absolute reassurance. The following day I was told that the army had imposed some sort of curfew and had begun patrolling the area. An officer told me no more killings took place there that night. But I could not be sure; I could not say even whether this officer would know for sure. Who were those men in white kurta-pajamas down that street? From what appeared then, and from what emerged later, three things stand out: one, they were among the killers; two, they got away with the killings; and three, they were Congress party men. On what evidence do I say this? I couldn’t produce photocopies of some Congress party membership cards that they may have been carrying—and of course they wouldn’t be carrying any such. I couldn’t match their photographs with some register at a Congress office had such a record existed that I could access; I couldn’t pick them out in an identification parade. I never came to know their names, their addresses. What I did come to know was what everyone I spoke to told me on a follow-up visit—that it was members of the Congress party who had killed on those streets; that it was members of the Congress party who had set upon our car. Word of that car incident too seems to have spread in the area. Neighbours remained unseen, but it seems enough were seeing. No one I spoke to had any doubt who these men were. The Sikhs in the refugee camps who had fled Sultanpuri told me this, as did just about every non-Sikh I spoke to in that area who was prepared to say anything at all. Excerpted with permission from 1984: The Anti-Sikh Violence and After, Sanjay Suri, HarperCollins India .

"Don't Call Me Sant or Baba" ★ Bhai Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L7qVOG6V8s

Full play list of the videos in the post above (#27) 'Speech on the book ' Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs after Genocide 1984' at Punjabi University, Patiala' https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLJqOc49d77l5nl2-bOP6zsRHy6qLRxdiK&v=DqdoaSUN2ZM

Speech on the book ' Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs after Genocide 1984' at Punjabi University, Patiala Video Introductory Remarks by Dr. Sewak Singh (of Eternal University, Barhu Sahib) Dr. Sewak Singh Briefly introduces book Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs after Genocide 1984 Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs - S. Ajmer Singh at Punjabi University [Part 1] Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs - S. Ajmer Singh at Punjabi University [Part 2] Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs - S. Ajmer Singh at Punjabi University [Part 3] Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs - S. Ajmer Singh at Punjabi University [Part 4] Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs - S. Ajmer Singh at Punjabi University [Part 5] Ideological Encirclement of Sikhs - S. Ajmer Singh at Punjabi University [Part 6] . .

. Source: http://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/super-sikh-comics-release-first-issue-with-secret-agent-singh/article_02adf19a-1914-11e5-b1df-dbcc874bfe75.html . Super Sikh Comics Release First Issue With Secret Agent Singh . After a successful Kickstarter campaign that raised 450% of its targeted funding, Super Sikh comic book creators Supreet Singh Manchanda, an Indian American executive; and Eileen Kaur Alden have released the first comic in their series, titled “Issue One: Takeoff and Landing,” a press release reported. The series features Deep Singh, a turban-wearing superhero who works a tech job by day and fights villains by night (see earlier India-West story here: http://bit.ly/1BsbH4G). The first issue takes Singh from Punjab, India and launches him “into a fast-paced, zany adventure in the U.S. for the first time” on a dream vacation to see Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home. Singh, however, quickly realizes that no matter where he is, there are baddies on the prowl. “Each issue is a cliffhanger… You’ll see humor, new characters introduced and a lot more from the notorious Taliban villain Al Amok and his gang over the next three issues,” said Alden in the press release. Manchanda, an Indian American Silicon Valley executive, and Alden, a Bay Area comic book and screenplay writer, first came together to create Super Sikh to combat the identity stereotypes surrounding turbans and Sikhism that are pervasive in Western society today. They joined forces with Amit Tayal, a Comic-Con India award-winning artist, who brings a blend of action and humor to the colorful pages. They share a hope that Secret Agent Singh will become a role model for Sikh kids everywhere, especially those who deal with bullying, said a press release. “Sikh kids see comic book heroes like Iron Man, Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy and even Eggsy from ‘Kingsman’ and watch these characters deal with complex modern problems and ethics. So we think our comics are a great way to show how a modern Sikh superhero with traditional Sikh values can be just as relatable, and the story can be just as exciting and entertaining,” said Manchanda. Alden added, “I think the Western reader… will be able to get beyond the fact that Deep looks different and see that he stands for equality, defends the innocent, and has strong family bonds. They will recognize that his core Sikh values are really universal values!” Super Sikh’s “Issue One: Takeoff and Landing” is now available for purchase at www.supersikhcomics.com and will be on shelves at comic book stores soon. . . . . .

. Is Sri Harmandar Sahib still on UNESCO’s tentative list for nominating as World Heritages site ? If it is please sign the petitition @ https://www.change.org/p/prime-minister-of-india-remove-the-golden-temple-from-the-unesco-tentative-list?recruiter=59093784&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=des-lg-petition_update-no_msg .

. Shield of Faith - Har Ki Oat ((‘Shield of Divine’ would be more appropriate translation of ‘Har Ki Oat’ In Punjabi ‘Har’ means ‘Divine’ and the word ‘Oat’ means ‘the protection and support’)) (introduction) (Full Movie) . . . .

. Source: http://sikhchic.com/current_events/sikhism_the_just_war_theory Sikhism & The Just War Theory Dr GURNAM SINGH (Dr Gurnam Singh is Principal Lecturer in Social Work, Coventry University, and Visiting Professor of Social Work, University of Chester. ) The text of an address delivered at The National Memorial Service held in St Martins-in-the-Fields, London, UK, on Monday, June 8, 2015, to commemorate the contributions of the Sikh Regiment at the Battle of Gallipoli and through the course of the Great War of 1914-18. Human history can be understood in many ways, but one way is to see it as products of a dialectics of war and peace. However much we might be committed to peaceful co-existence, the evidence so far is that this remains a utopian dream rather than practical reality. For some, war is utterly unacceptable and any use of violence simply makes things worse. M K Gandhi, famously noted, ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth will make the whole world blind’. Though one cannot deny the moral appeal of such proclamations on the sanctity of human life, in reality, moral choices in conflict situations are much more difficult to resolve. This is especially so for leaders of nations that claim to uphold the rule of law and higher principles, be they derived from non-secular (human rights discourse) or secular (divine sanction) sources, or both. We can see many examples in human history, but perhaps the most significant one was the Second World War and the need to confront the Nazis. But more recently, we have many controversies about when war might be a justified option. Should the U.S. and other nations have intervened when Saddam Hussein seized Kuwait in 1990? Was NATO right to bomb the Serbians who were carrying out ethnic cleansing against Muslims in Kosovo? When Hutus started slaughtering Tutsis in Rwanda, why did NATO or the UN not intervene? The list is endless, but the key question is, when, if ever, is non-violence less moral than violence? And it is this somewhat paradoxical problem that that just-war theory purports to answer. Just-war theory has a troubling history; one of its originators, the fourth century cleric Saint Augustine, for instance, was keen on holy wars waged by Christians against infidels. He argued that killing sinners and non-believers is righteous because it stops them from sinning. We see similar justifications being proffered today by ISIS in their quest to re-establish an Islamic Caliphate. Just war theorists have also argued that war should be waged ruthlessly to end it as quickly as possible. It could be argued that the decision by Truman to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or Churchill’s decision to bomb civilian populations in Germany, come under such a rationale. If we turn to Sikhism and its position on just war, the first point to make is that as an ideology, though peace is always the preferred option, there is a recognition, as a last resort, that violence cannot be discounted. This central principle is captured in a couplet by Guru Gobind Singh, in his letter to the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb: “When all efforts to restore peace prove futile and no words avail, Lawful is the flash of steel, it is right to draw the sword.” [Zafarnama] Along with accepting the principle of ‘last resort’, Sikh teachings also affirm the principles of ‘Just Cause’, ‘Right Intention’ and ‘Proportionality.’ Indeed, the martyrdoms of the Fifth Master, Guru Arjan, and the Ninth Master, Guru Tegh Bahadar, and the subsequent decisions by Sikhs to adopt armed struggle against tyranny further confirms the primacy given to these principles. The principle of proportionality is captured in a poem by Guru Nanak, which is enshrined in the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Sahib is scathing of the war tactics of the invading Mogul emperor Babar who had adopted something of a scorched earth policy as he invaded Khorasan, the ancient name for the region we now know as Afghanistan. ‘If one powerful man strikes out against another man, then no one feels any grief in their mind. But if a powerful tiger attacks a flock of sheep and kills them, then its master must answer for it.” [GGS:360] There is a concept of dharam yuddh within Sikhism, which literally means ‘defense of righteousness.’ Under these rubrics, one would identify such things as protection of non-combatants, women, children and rights of prisoners. Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa or the ‘brotherhood of the pure’ to establish the concept of the ‘saint/soldier’ or the ethical warrior. S/he is required to operate under a very strict code of conduct (Maryada) that disallows them to violate the human rights of the enemy. In other words, a Sikh must always act with the intention of self-defense and proportionality. Moreover, in accepting the essence of equality of all human beings, one has a very strong basis for the rejection of using war for imperial gain, but rather to challenge those that may seek to do so. Hence, whilst fighting the Moguls the Sikh Gurus never sought to establish their own kingdoms, but to oppose oppression. Indeed, these sentiments are captured in a poem attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, which seeks God’s blessing to die for the sake of righteous deeds. “Grant me such a boon, O Almighty, I may never deter from righteous deeds. And when fight I must, I fight for sure to win.” [Dasam Granth] In terms of Ethics in the Battlefield, there are very clear injunctions, which are captured and verified by the Muslim Qazi Nur Muhammad of Gunjaba who accompanied Ahmad Shah Durrani on his seventh expedition against the Sikhs in the winter of 1764. He has given full detail of Sikh ethics adopted during the battle between Sikhs and Shah Durrani. He says: “Do not call the Sikhs ‘dogs’ because they are lions and are courageous like lions in the field of battle. In no case would they slay a coward nor would they put an obstacle in the way of a fugitive. They do not plunder the wealth or ornaments of a woman, be she a well-to-do lady or a humble servant. There is no adultery among them nor are these people given to thieving nor are there house-breakers among them.” As we gather here today in the serene splendour of St Martins-in-the-Fields to pay homage to the 14th King George's Own Ferozepore Sikhs we are once again reminded of the breathtaking amalgam of extreme courage underpinned by an unwavering commitment to noble virtues. As General Sir Ian Hamilton who led the battle of Krithia in Gallipoli notes: “The history of the Sikhs affords many instances of their value as soldiers, but it may he safely asserted that nothing finer than the grim valour and steady discipline displayed by them on the 4th of June has ever been done by soldiers of the Khalsa. Their devotion to duty and their splendid loyalty to their orders and to their leaders make a record their nation should look back upon with pride for many generations." To conclude, for some people the idea of just-war is an oxymoron. How can ‘war’ ever be justified? For Sikhs, war is an unfortunate necessity where one is left with no alternative, where any possibility of dialogue and peaceful resolution has become impossible. Under such circumstances, Sikhs are required to engage in proportionate armed struggle, and it is with this moral imperative in mind that we saw the hundreds of thousands of Sikh soldiers fight for the Allies in Europe during the two wars. Today we have gathered to pay homage to their sacrifice of their futures so that we could have ours. . .

Source: http://sikhchic.com/current_events/breathtaking_inspiring_ww1_national_memorial_service Above: Detail from painting by Lawson Wood (1878-1957), of Manta Singh rescuing Captain Henderson (WW1). Courtesy: Avtar Singh Bahra Collection. Breathtaking & Inspiring: WW1 National Memorial Service PRIYA KAUR ATWAL {The author (Priya Kaur Atwal) is a PhD student researching Anglo-Sikh history at the University of Oxford. } “You are no longer an invisible face amongst the alphabetically dead, another body draped out to dry on the blood-stained barbed wire. Now at last we can honour the selfless courage of our beloved Sikh soldier.” These stirring words were read out by Mankamal Singh, a volunteer for the ‘1914 Sikhs’ Project, during the special National Memorial Service held to commemorate the sacrifices of Sikh soldiers during the First World War, on Monday, June 8, 2015. Mankamal’s words were derived from a moving letter written by fellow volunteers working for the 1914 Sikhs initiative: a project established by The Anglo-Sikh Heritage Trail to highlight Sikh history in connection with the now century-old global conflict. Addressing the Unknown Soldier (whose statue stands at Paddington Station) as an imagined long-lost son of an ordinary Punjabi family, the letter was a beautifully creative tribute, which brought home to the assembled guests the conflicting emotions of pride and grief that naturally arise on remembering both the bravery and loss of those young soldiers sucked into one of the most brutal wars in recent history. Indeed, it is difficult, even painful, to reflect upon the circumstances in which Sikh soldiers were recruited to fight in the First World War - a conflict precipitated and fought solely to pursue the interests of rival European colonial powers. Of the millions who enlisted, willingly or unwillingly, a disproportionately high number of Sikhs featured in the ranks. Like the Unknown Soldier, 130,000 such Sikhs were tragically never able to return home to their families. The memorial service held in honour of these Sikh soldiers was a dignified, yet touching affair. It took place at the St. Martins-in-the-Field’s Church in central London. Despite being a rather solemn occasion, the varieties of turbans, chunniyan and British regimental uniforms, with added adornments of commemorative medals and ceremonial weapons, brought together a pleasant array of colours inside the hall. In fact, the entire event was positively marked by the friendliness and warmth displayed by the guests towards each other, despite their hailing from a variety of backgrounds: Sikhs and non-Sikhs, and veterans and representatives of the armed forces, mixed with those who simply came out of a desire to learn more about an overlooked aspect of their history, as well as to pay their respects to past generations. From a personal perspective, two features of the memorial struck a deep emotional chord. The first was the musical aspect of the service, particularly the manner in which Sikh young women from the Acapella Jatha took turns in singing with the youth choir from St. Martin-in-the-Fields. It was a special opportunity to be able to see such talented young people from two different faiths coming together to sing about themes of peace and sacrifice. Their performances were breathtaking and inspiring. On the other hand, the readings of war poetry and memoirs by Sikh and British descendants of WW1 soldiers and officers were incredibly humbling to listen to. One section of the poem ‘Birdsong‘, by Sebastian Faulks (1918), was especially poignant when read out by Major General Peter Currie: ‘,,, I do not know what I have done to live in this existence. I do not know what any of us did to tilt the world into this unnatural orbit. We came here only for a few months. No child or future generation will ever know what this was like. They will never understand ...’ Faulks’ words were certainly correct. Even as a History student, I will never fully understand what the soldiers went through, when one hundred years ago, they became caught up in a style of warfare more devastating than had hitherto been known to mankind. This is its own way is a marker of the good fortune in which many members of my generation now live, safely removed from the threat of such horrors. What we cannot afford to forget though is the nature and origins of this conflict, as well as the devastating impact it had on countless lives. Yet even amongst the atrocities committed in the blood-soaked crucible of an imperial war, lies a glimmer of hope, in the way that certain British and Sikh soldiers were able to forge close friendships through the sense of humanity and compassion they displayed on the battlefield: no better evidence of which exists in the tale of Manta Singh’s rescue of his friend, Captain Henderson. Such relationships, based on a spirit of equality and simple goodwill continue to be nurtured by their descendants to this day. Members of these families stood together at the end of Monday’s service and made a touching plea for the stories of their fathers and grandfathers to be ever remembered; not only to remove the risk of the sufferings of war being again inflicted on mankind, but also, so that people of different walks of life could live side by side with dignity and respect in modern Britain. Their message could not have been more timely. . .

I apologize for the typing error in the heading of the thread. I tried to change it but could not do that once it was posted. . .

Source: http://sikhchic.com/history/gallipoli_19152015_national_memorial_service_london_united_kingdom Gallipoli 1915-2015: National Memorial Service - London, United Kingdom (ST. MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS in a famous Church in London) NATIONAL MEMORIAL SERVICE- 1914 SIKHS - ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS A SOLEMN COMMEMORATION OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE SIKH REGIMENT AT THE BATTLE OF GALLIPOLI & THROUGHOUT THE GREAT WAR Monday, June 8, 2015 - 3 pm The Commemoration Service of the Sikh contribution at the Battle of Gallipoli and throughout the Great War was held at St Martins-in-the-Field, Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom, on Monday, 8 June, 2015. A large and appreciative congregation attended the Service conducted by Revered Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martins, and by Mandeep Kaur, Sikh Chaplain to the British Armed Forces. Members of the House of Lords, politicians, members of the Diplomatic Corps, serving Military Officers from High Commissions and UK command appointments, and many distinguished guests from Punjab, India and UK filled the Church. Readings were carried out by: * Major General Peter Davies CB, Patron, 1914 Sikhs Campaign and President of the Jullundur Brigade Association * Field Marshal Lord Guthrie GCB, LVO,OBE,DL, former Chief of the Defence Staff * James Rattray, grandson of Thomas Rattray who commanded the Rattray's Sikhs in 1916/17 and was killed in action in February 1917 and son of PH Rattray, the last Commanding Officer of the Rattray's Sikhs in 1947 * Andrew Smyth, the grandson of Brigadier Sir John Smyth VC, MC of 15th Ludhiana Sikhs who won his VC at the Battle of Festubert at the head of a party of ten Sikhs * The Viscount Slim OBE, DL President of the Burma Star Association * Pushpindar Singh, Vice President of the Jullundur Brigade Association and son of Major General Mohinder Singh, Founder of the Jullundur Brigade Association * David Bellamy (representing the family of Lieutenant General Sir Reginald Savory KCIE, CB, DSO, MC who took part in the Gallipoli Campaign and was Colonel of Ist Battalion Sikh Light Infantry) * Lieutenant General Andrew Graham CB, CBE former Director of the UK Defence Academy * Oliver Chamberlain, grandson of Sir Joseph Chamberlain KG, Secretary of State for India 1915-17 * Lord Indarjit Singh of Wimbledon CBE, Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations (UK) * Ian Henderson CBE, the grandson of Lieutenant George Henderson of the 15th Ludhiana Sikh Regiment and who was wounded at the First Battle of Neuve Chapelle in October 1914 * Major General Peter Currie CB CBE, a former Lieutenant Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea * Mr David Lelliot OBE, Deputy British High Commissioner, India * Suki Kaur Bassi, a volunteer for the 1914 Sikhs Campaign * Dr Gurnam Singh PhD, Principal Lecturer in Social Work, Coventry University * Mankamal Singh, a volunteer for the 1914 Sikhs Campaign and an executive member of the Sikh Council UK. The final words were spoken by the Honorary Director of the 1914 Sikhs Campaign, the conceiver and organiser of the Service, Harbinder Singh. Before concluding, he called to the front Harbans Singh Thandi, the son of Udai Singh of 14th KGO Sikhs who had saved the life of Lieutenant Savory at the battle of Krithia during the Gallipoli campaign. A depiction of this gallant action was included in the Order of Service. This was the first time that he had met the Savory descendants. Together with the Patron and the Honorary Director, and supported by his daughter, he led the congregation out of the Church and through the Guard of Honour formed by the 1914 Sikhs platoon. Music was performed by: Gursevak Jatha who are all students of the Gurmat Sangeet Academy; Acapella Jatha -- three sisters who have been singing together for nearly 25 years; and Oliver Nelson, a renowned British violinist. A formal guard was provided by members of the 1914 Sikhs Platoon. The Last Post was played by Drummer Liliequist of the Scots Guards. ****************************************** A JOINT ACT OF COMMEMORATION Rev. Dr Sam Wells, Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields St. Martin-in-the-Fields is sometimes described as the church with the ever-open door. It is a description which reflects not only its status as an iconic landmark in London but also its tradition of serving the multinational community to which the capital plays host. By virtue of its position amongst the prominent churches of London, St Martin’s has also been at the confluence of history and acts of worship. Our archives testify to the long tradition of the church as a venue to significant historic events. The memorial service for HH Prince Victor Albert Duleep Singh of Lahore, the eldest son of the last Maharajah of the Punjab, took place here in June 1918. However it was in June 1915 that well-wishers of the Sikh regiment assembled here in solemn commemoration of its heroism at the Battle of Gallipoli: heroism that had been mentioned in the Houses of Parliament. It is therefore fitting that almost a hundred years later to the day we are assembled here to once again honour that bravery, in a joint act of commemoration. The Sikh and Christian faiths share a recognition of the virtues of Mercy, Truth, Righteousness and Peace. In this sense they both reach beyond their faithful to a vision of a better world. It is for the vision of that world, and in commemoration of those who have died seeking it, that we are gathered today. June 10, 2015 . .

Source of pictures: https://www.sikh24.com/2015/06/08/massive-gathering-of-sikhs-in-uk-pays-tributes-to-1984-and-recent-shaheeds/#.VXYGy_BeP1s Massive Gathering of Sikhs in UK Pays Tributes to 1984 and Recent Shaheeds (on June 07, 2015) . . Source of image: https://www.facebook.com/SikhFederationUK/photos/a.567125946708962.1073741865.440939405994284/838068472948040/?type=1&theater *************** Source of image:http://khalsaforce.in/london-thousands-of-sikhs-call-for-action-on-anniversary-of-sikh-genocide . https://www.facebook.com/SikhFederationUK/photos/a.440989475989277.1073741829.440939405994284/838874546200766/?type=1 . . .

Source: https://www.sikh24.com/2015/06/06/pictorial-31th-anniversary-of-june-84-sikh-ghallughara-army-attack-on-golden-temple/#.VXYCJPBeP1s PICTORIAL: 31th Anniversary of June ’84 Sikh Ghallughara (Army attack on Golden Temple) Sikhs Raising Pro-Khalistan Slogans Although not in line with Gurbani, a Sikh youth showing affection with Shaheed Sant Jarnail Singh BHindranwale by having a tattoo on his neck. A Sikh Teenager Paying tribute to Bhai Jasjit Singh Jammu who was recently murdered by Indian Security Forces in Jammu. Sikh Youth Shouting Slogans of ‘Khalistan-Zindabaad’ displaying a banner of demolished building of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Sikhs participating in tribute function for Sikh martyrs where they found space. Sky view of Sikh gathering Activists of Sikh nationalist party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) raising the demand of right to self – determination Huge number of Sikh Sangat Another view of the gathering Sikhs outside the Akal Takht Sahib Gathering Gathering Gathering Gathering Gathering . . .

( Must see this picture) look at the number of Police pulling /arresting Dapinder Singh from Derby in U.K , after he came out of the Golden Temple Complex. at the URL below ( can not copy the image) http://sikhsiyasat.net/2015/06/07/clash-on-6-june-derby-uk-sikh-youth-arrested-by-amritsar-police/

Read what happened in the Parikarma at Sri Harmandar Sahib on June 6, 2015 after the ceremony at the Akal Takht finished !!! Read what happened in the Parikarma at Sri Harmandar Sahib on June 6, 2015 after the ceremony at the Akal Takht finished . SGPC task force and the Punjab police in civilian clothes picked up some youth wearing ‘dummala type turbans’. The police in civilian clothes came out of a room on the Parikarma and took these young people inside. Some pilgrims described that loud cries were heard from inside the room as if these young people were being tortured inside. Then they were brought out of the complex where about hundred of the police in uniform were waiting for them. One of the arrested man is from Derby, U.K Picture Source: http://rozanapehredar.com/news/jdoon-zzbaatii-sihkh-juaanii-dee-bbrrkee-zzbaat-ddaangaan ************* The Singh in the picture above, is from Derby, U.K. ******************* Source: http://www.rozanapehredar.in/content/08-june-2015?p=04

Three injured Sikh protesters received injuries from bullets when police shot at the protesters and were taken to hospital ,did not receive any attention from the hospital doctors for 50 hours in the Government Hospital. They were then moved ( I believe by their relatives) to a private hospital Source: http://www.rozanapehredar.in/content/08-june-2015?p=03 In the video in post #38, one can see one of them lying on the ground with a stomach wound caused by a bullet. They did not receive any treatment in the civil hospital(Government Hospital) for 50 hours.So they were moved to a private hospital. They stated that the police were firing from AK.47 . .

RAW: Indian Police Kill Sikh Protester in Jammu, Kashmir 06-04-2015. (You can see two or three more protester lying hit by the real bullets) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq2XWDPd7iA In this video, one would also see the front line police with sticks are almost all Sikhs. Behind them the ones with real bullets are in berets and hard helmets. I have seen this pattren in videos of other protests in India that ended in violence. Also you see an other pattern repeated here. Some Sikh police in plain clothes pretending to be the protesters among the protesters participating in action against police, but after the event, joining back with the police colleagues back in line (they could also be the Sikh men from the ruling party, as was in Ludhiana Kand).

Antim Sanskaar (Last rights) of Bhai Jashjeet Singh Jammu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niMxOp1Mm0g Bhai Jasjeet Singh Jammu's last journey . .

According to an article published in The Sikh Siyasat News, the name of the cop booked for shooting Bhai Jashjeet Singh is ‘Manjit Saini’. From the name it appears that he may be from Sikh family. If it is, it would be the usual practice of Police in India , where ever it can be done, to have a Sikh killed by a Sikh cop. Please, read the last paragraph of the article @ http://sikhsiyasat.net/2015/06/06/thousands-attend-antim-sanskar-of-shaheed-jashjeet-singh-family-demands-cbi-inquiry/ . . .

I have read from a few comments at a few websites that removing the poster from the flex board inviting Sikhs to come to a local gurdwara to observe the genocide day, was instigated by Nirmal Singh (a Dogra, Hindu) leader of BJP) and Uttam Dass SSP ( Senior Superintendent of Police) . The poster had pictures of Shahids, and among those pictures was on of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale. The poster was removed by Police Sub Inspector Arun Sharma. The above mentioned Nirmal Singh is also the Deputy Chief Minister Of Jammu and Kashmir State. The following piece of news also gives the same version of the story.

. . Delhi demonstration was done by the Delhi faction.of Akali Dal Badal. It was planned a few days ago and was then intended to be against Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi in connection with the role of Congress Party in getting Jagdish Tytler a clean chit from his role in Delhi massacre of Sikhs in November 1984. But as the Jammu situation developed they made it a joint protest (against what happened in Jammu as well as against Sonia Gandhi). Will Akali Dal (Badal) do such a thing in Punjab? . .

. Listen to Bibi Pritam Kaur from 16.18 - 16.52- 18.14 28.16 in the video I had read it in an other article in an other newspaper, But I can not find it now. In that article it was mentioned those celebrating (which Bibi Pritam Kaur was referring to here, from 16.18 - 16.52- 18.14) were Hindus who came in /brought in there to congratulate the Army Also Bibi Pritam Kaur metioned that three Singhs whom the army brought to identify who she (Bibi) was, when the men did not identify her the soldiers shot the men dead in front of the Bibi. . .

. Protest seems to have spread to other areas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGLHjoBZtoY&index=3&list=UURWFSbif-RFENbBrSiez1DA

Video of the protest . http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2so7x7_massive-protest-in-jammu_news#from=embediframe http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2so7x7_massive-protest-in-jammu_news#from=embediframe An other video . http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2so8c9_violence-in-jammu-after-sikh-protesters-hurl-stones-at-cops_news .

.The artical appeared in Punjabi Vernacular newspaper :The Rozana Pehredar of June 05, 2015 on page 4. There many more articals on attack on Harmandar Sahib and politics behand it.on its issues/ editions from June 01 to June 05. I think there will also be in the further editions. Source: http://www.rozanapehredar.in/content/05-june-2015?p=04 . . .