Premi5

Just looked at gov website on voting for this bill, which MPs voted 'aye'/'noe' https://votes.parliament.uk/Votes/Commons/Division/1175?byMember=False#notrecorded None of the Conservative MP's voted against, even all the colored ones. Rishi Sunak and Alok Sharma did not put a vote

https://scroll.in/magazine/1012298/when-a-small-sikh-community-thrived-in-an-iranian-border-town When a small Sikh community thrived in an Iranian border town Zahedan, which is close to the Pakistani province of Baluchistan, was once a major entry point for Sikhs looking for opportunities in Iran. Ajay Kamalakaran Yesterday · 11:30 am In the early 1930s, when Reza Shah Pahlavi went on a tour of Iran’s easternmost outposts, bordering India, he saw a group of turbaned men with long flowing beards dressed in white robes. As the story goes, he asked some locals about the turbaned men and was told that they were Zahids, or holy men from Hind. The small town, then called Dozdaab, was renamed Zahedan – the city of holy men. Dozdaab, or Zahedan, is in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan (the official spelling in Iran). There is some confusion about the original name of the town. “Dozd” means thief in Farsi, while “aab” means water, which makes some people believe the name meant “water thief”. Others have said the place was at one time notorious for thieves from the part of Balochistan that was under British control. According to this telling, the name is a Baloch word that means outpouring of water. While some scholars in South Asia and Iran say the Sikh community started coming to the small town in the early 1900s, historical records of the Sikh community in Iran date back to the early 1920s. During the First World War, German and Ottoman agents had penetrated deep into Persia and had their eye on the Indian frontier. Alarmed with the possibility of an invasion of India, the British rulers began constructing a strategic railway link connecting Quetta with Iran. It was at this time that enterprising Sikhs began moving to Dozdaab. “The railway connecting Quetta to Zahedan has been one of the reasons for the development of the settlement of Dozdaab (Zahedan),” Iranian academic Farideh Okati wrote in a 2015 paper for The Iranian Journal of Language Issues. “The Indians, particularly Sikh workers, building the railway were somehow involved in the establishing and developing of this city by building their houses there and starting new businesses.” The First Wave When word of opportunities in what was still called Persia spread to Punjab in the early 1920s, a group of enterprising families from villages near Rawalpindi decided to try their luck in the country. These families would later be joined by relatives who fled the violence that preceded and accompanied the Partition of India in 1947. Other Sikhs who chose to settle in Zahedan were part of the British Indian Army. When some British forces left Mandatory Iraq for India via Persia, a few years after the end of the First World War, some Sikh soldiers were given trucks as reparations. These decommissioned soldiers then became truckers, transporting fresh produce to Zahedan from Punjab. “Both my grandfathers, maternal and paternal, were truck drivers bringing vegetables from Punjab into Zahedan,” said Runjeet Singh, who was born in Zahedan and is now a retired professional living in the UK. His parents were born in the Iranian border city and were married in the gurudwara. They left for Tehran when Runjeet Singh was a one-year-old. “Drivers and traders, who carried or merchandised goods, spices and other products, such as pistachio between Iran and India in the early years of the 20th century, gradually decided to reside in Iran and carry out their jobs in this country,” Okati wrote. Zahedan’s gurudwara, one of the city’s most unique landmarks, was built in 1921. It was the first Sikh temple in West Asia. Over time, the city became an entry point for Sikhs to Persia, with a significant number of immigrants moving to Tehran. The community in Zahedan mainly comprised of traders, but some members set up moneylending businesses. Over time, the Sikhs monopolised the auto parts business. In the 1930s, an area in the centre of what was still a small town was known as the Sikh Bazaar. A 2001 report in The Tribune mentions an entrepreneur named Sahib Singh, who set up the Hind-Iran Bank. The bank had extensive operations in Iran and India, but was liquidated in the late 1950s. Given the fondness that the Pahlavis had for the community, the Sikhs were granted Iran citizenship without much hassle. Community members still speak of the last Shah with a great degree of admiration and respect. Before Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was overthrown in February 1979, the Sikh community in Iran numbered 5,000. In Zahedan, the community also managed to develop a good relationship with both the Sistanis and the Baloch. At its peak, the community numbered 500 in the Iranian border town. Islamic Revolution The Islamic Revolution, which began in 1978, deeply affected the Sikh community. In December 1979, renowned journalist and author Pranay Gupte was in Zahedan when pitched battles broke out between the Sistanis and the Baloch. In a report filed for The New York Times on December 24, 1979, Gupte wrote, “The Sikhs were needed by the Baluchis and the Seistanis, and by anyone the Tehran government sent here, because the immigrants from India operate all the automobile spare parts store and other big consumer supplies businesses in town. The Sikhs were also moneylenders and, until the liquor ban ordered by Ayatollah Khomeni, they ran all six wine shops in Zahedan.” When the violence reached its peak, the community closed its businesses and used the gurudwara as a sanctuary. The community was given assurances by both sides that it would not be harmed. In his despatch, Gupte wrote that the Sikh community welcomed everyone in the gurudwara, offering visitors “spice-flavoured hot milk and pistachios”. Kirpal Singh, a community leader, told the journalist that the Sikhs stayed away from the local politics of Zahedan. “We number only about 220, and so what choice do we have but to be on good terms with everybody,” Phula Singh, principal of the gurudwara’s school told the journalist. “Our social life is restricted to our own community. We deal with the Baluchis and Sistanis during business hours. But after that we come to our homes and only deal with other Sikhs. It has been like that for more than 50 years.” Once the fighting came to an end, some Sikhs left Zahedan for Tehran and migrated out of the country. “Some of the Sikhs left this city and also the country just after the revolution because they were afraid of losing their jobs, or that the new situations and conditions of the country might affect their ways of living,” Farideh Okati wrote in her 2015 paper. More than 20 families stayed behind in Zahedan, but they were subject to new laws and regulations that were imposed by the Islamic regime. Some young Sikhs were conscripted into the army and made to fight in the Iran-Iraq war. Since the Sikhs in Iran are Iranian citizens, their sons are still obligated to serve in the armed forces for a period ranging from 18 months to two years. However, Sikhism is not recognised by the government as a minority religion. Iran only recognises Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians as official religious minorities. Article 13 of the Iranian Constitution recognises members of these three religious groups as “People of the Book”, and allows them to “exercise religious freedom”. As per the 2016 census, 40,551 Iranians observed other religions, while 124,572 others did not declare their religion. The Sikh community falls under the category of 165,123 citizens who are not included in the “religious officialdom” of the country. A member of the community in Zahedan who spoke to this writer on the condition of anonymity said Sikhs did not face any kind of discrimination in the country, but added that they discouraged their children from marrying non-Sikhs. Dwindling Community At the time of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 2001 visit to Iran, Zahedan was home to abut 20 Sikh families. Local estimates in 2021 put it down to 10 families. The city’s gurudwara is still functional and is also used by Indian diplomats and their family members in Zahedan. The consulate, which is located near the gurudwara, provides consular services to four Iranian provinces. Young adults from the now-miniscule community in Zahedan often look for business opportunities in Dubai or the West, while students seek admission in universities in western countries. There is also a small community of Zahedan Sikhs in the UK. Research conducted by Iranian scholars suggests that the community is likely to disappear within a couple of generations. A major indication of this is the tiny number of Sikh children in the city. The gurudwara’s school has very few students in its three classrooms, and local reports indicate it is not maintained well. “At the present time, as almost all the younger people have moved to India or other countries either to accomplish their studies or for any other reasons, and have not come back to Zahedan as residents, there have not been any new marriages, and so no more children in the Sikh society to need this school anymore,” Okati wrote. Efforts are being made by the Sikh diaspora and the Indian government to ensure that the Zahedan gurudwara is looked after. However, with Iran continuing to face Western sanctions and political instability in the wider neighbourhood, Zahedan is a far cry from the days when Punjabis believed it was a place where “money poured from the sky”. It’s only a matter of time before the Sikh community vanishes from the city that got its present name because of them. Ajay Kamalakaran is a writer and independent journalist, based in Mumbai. He is a Kalpalata Fellow for History & Heritage Writings for 2021. Support our journalism by contributing to Scroll Ground Reporting Fund. We welcome your comments at letters@scroll.in. https://www.facebook.com/HeritageofPunjabSindh/posts/gurdwara-sahib-in-zahedan-iran-sikhs-came-to-zahedan-sistan-and-baluchestan-prov/2206110236175684/ GURDWARA SAHIB IN ZAHEDAN, IRAN Sikhs came to Zahedan (Sistan and Baluchestan Province) in Iran in the early 1900s as businessmen, later to work in Railways and as Soldiers. There are 15-20 Sikh families in Zahedan and about 100 in capital Tehran. Military service is compulsory for all adult men (for 18 -24 months) hence more than half of all Sikhs have been in the Iranian Army! Photo courtesy: farsnews.com website

https://www.sikhnet.com/news/theodorus-singh-becoming-sikh Theodorus Singh Teekgur (formerly known as Theodorus Snellen) is a native Dutchman, born and raised in the south of the Netherlands. Theodorus was born in 1954 and lived through the exciting 60's, the 'cultural-feministic-hippie' revolution in the Netherlands. In 1977 he got a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, served a year in the Dutch army (drafted) and in 1980 he got a bachelor degree in Physics. In 1985 he received his masters in Experimental Nuclear Physics from the Technical University of Eindhoven and started working in the research department of the national Telecom provider (PTT-KPN-TNO). A job Theodorus held until 2009 when he went into early retirement. From 1971 till 2010 Theodorus was scout master of the local boy- and girl-scout troop. He fulfilled all kinds of functions in the local, regional and national scouts organization and joined the world Jamboree Australia (1985) and Netherlands (1995) as scouts master. People were not comfortable seeing now in a Sikh turban so he decided to leave scouts in 2010. Theodorus was born and raised as a Roman Catholic but like many people in the Netherlands he was not very active in practising his religion. In the 90's he lost all interest and stopped visiting church all together. In spring 2009 Theodorus learned about Sikhism through the internet. As he didn't know anything about it and being the researcher his is, he started exploring (through the internet) Sikh faith . By summer 2009 Theodorus 'declared' himself Sikh, which came as a big surprise to himself too as he is not really inclined to spirituality. Although he thought to become a 'Cyber- Sikh' he did meet the local Sikh community in the Netherlands and got involved with 'Sikhs in Holland'. This is an organisation that works with and for the whole Dutch Sikh community. At first Theodorus did translations (from English to Dutch) of Sikh stories. Later he gave lectures (in Dutch) on Sikhism for Dutch Gurdware visitors and in children visiting from the secondary schools. He also got involved in the Belgium problems with Turbans in schools and helped out there for a couple of years. Theodorus translated the Rehat Maryada, The Sikh Code of Conduct into Dutch (is to be published this year). At the moment he is translating the Nitnem Gurbani texts into Dutch and help out in the Dutch Sikh community with regard to acceptance of 5 K's. Theodorus still do lectures on Sikhism in schools and Gurdware and in settings where interested Dutch people gather. He is also working on setting up a 'national representative organisation' for the Sikhs in the Netherlands to be able to communicate on a national level with Government and semi-governmental organisation. The TV report was made in early 2014 by a Dutch provincial TV station, Omroep Brabant. It is part of a series which features remarkable inhabitants of Brabant province. In the video you'll see that Theodorus is trying to live up to the standards for being initiated (taking Amrit). He was blessed with Amrit in 2014 since then he has changed his name from Theodorus Snellen to Theodorus Singh Teekgur.

Read it now. Think even goray expect more of their sons to look after them in older age and continue the family line, they know that women likely to get married and be more distant/less likely to look after them (although I have seen many women white and non white in the UK who do more for their parents than the son does)

Somewhat related, good news, the UK is still favourable to Sikhs sometimes. Cannot be coincidence that one of the High Court judges is, but I am confused why he would have been allowed to be involved Pushpinder Saini https://www.geo.tv/latest/386878-uk-high-court-turns-down-indias-appeal-to-extradite-sikh-secession-activist Friday Dec 10 2021 Murtaza Ali Shah UK High Court turns down India's appeal to extradite Sikh secession activist Indian govt filed a plea seeking permission to challenge district court's order refusing Kuldeep Singh's extradition. UK High Court rules that the district judge's order is comprehensive and clearly reasoned and cannot be faulted. India accuses Singh of conspiring with others to commit terror activities in Punjab in 2015-16. The High Court in England on Thursday rejected the Indian government's petition seeking permission to challenge a district court's order turning down the extradition of Khalistan movement activist Kuldeep Singh on humanitarian grounds, giving a huge blow to India's efforts to suppress pro-Khalistan activities in the United Kingdom. Singh — most wanted in India as an alleged senior member of the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) — who is also known as Keepa Sidhu, has been charged by the Indian authorities with allegations of conspiring with others to commit terror activities in Punjab in 2015-16. The Indian government has also accused Singh of plotting to assassinate the then chief minister and deputy chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal, recruiting young Sikhs from Indian Punjab in the KZF through bribery, and arranging meetings of Khalistan activists in Gurdwaras. On Thursday, the UK High Court judged, Nicola Davies and Pushpinder Saini, maintained the decision issued by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court and ruled that the district judge's order is comprehensive and clearly reasoned and cannot be faulted. Read more: Sikh secessionist group meets UN officials over Modi govt’s attempts to criminalise Khalistan Referendum “There are no grounds upon which it would be appropriate for this court to interfere with the discretion exercised by the district judge,” the high court concluded while rejecting the Indian government's appeal. In January 2021, District Judge Gareth Branston at Westminster Magistrates’ Court ruled that as the offenses carry maximum sentences and “no possibility of a review of such a life sentence with a view to its commutation, remission, termination or conditional release”, extraditing Singh would go against Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights. Justice Branston had penned the verdict that Singh was not treated badly in India and that there was undisputed evidence of a "conspiracy to commit criminal offenses" in India against him, but questioned the proportionality of a life term without parole. judgment, if such a sentence were imposed upon Mr Singh in the context of this case, then such a sentence would plainly be grossly disproportionate to the offending alleged. “Whilst clearly very serious allegations, Mr Singh is alleged to have been involved in the funding and recruitment of terrorist activity. As is observed, there is no evidence that anyone was actually killed as a result of his alleged activities. He is accused of acts preparatory to terrorist offences," the judge stated. Besides the human rights issue relating to a life sentence without parole, the court also found that there is “insufficient evidence to make a case requiring an answer by Kuldeep Singh”. The high court decision is being deemed a serious setback for India's efforts to not only curb the pro-Khalistan activities in the UK but also to criminalise the Khalistan Referendum leaders including Sikhs For Justice General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Khalistan Referendum coordinators for UK-EU and Canada, Paramjeet Singh Pamma and Hardeep Singh Nijjar. A few years ago, the Indian government got Pamma arrested in Portugal only to fail in securing his extradition to India. Pamma continues to actively work and campaign for the Khalistan Referendum in the UK and EU. India claims that it will get the SFJ — a lawfully registered entity — and its Khalistan Referendum activities banned by the UK, Canada and US. It is understood that India is trying its best to criminalise the SFJ leaders and activists recognized by the western countries on account of their non-violent secessionist activities such as holding an unofficial ballot for carving a sovereign country Khalistan out of the Indian territory which is seen as a legitimate political expression.

Maybe there's more than one person writing Jassu's posts, since they come across so variable

Thanks for taking the time to post. Have you looked at various threads on this site to give an idea of what many Sikhs think ?

Scanning through this, it's a 'nothing' article to me, looks like they had nothing more interesting or informative to say, maybe 'clickbait'

@MisterrSingh @Ranjeet01 @jkvlondon @dallysingh101 @kcmidlands @Kau89r8 and other UK wale and any others, what do you think ? https://inews.co.uk/opinion/priti-patels-new-powers-to-remove-citizenship-would-turn-ethnic-minority-brits-into-second-class-citizens-1339611 Priti Patel’s new powers in the Borders Bill will create a second-tier category of British citizenship Clause 9 of the Nationalities and Borders bill would allow the Home Secretary to strip a naturalised Brit of their citizenship without any notice at all Patel is gambling that people won’t care about this (Photo by JESSICA TAYLOR / UK PARLIAMENT / AFP) By Ian Dunt i columnist December 7, 2021 4:59 pm(Updated December 8, 2021 9:57 am) Consider the following example, because it’s about to come true. Someone has been a British citizen for decades. They go on holiday. When they try to return, they’re told that the Home Secretary has stripped them of their citizenship. They are not told why. They are not told the charges against them. They have no functioning right of appeal. They have been made stateless, by ministerial fiat. This would be the consequence of a new provision added to Priti Patel’s Nationality and Borders bill, which goes through the Commons over the next couple of days. Making someone stateless has long been seen as one of the most egregious actions a government can take. In the words of Hannah Arendt, the great scholar of totalitarianism, it deprives people of “the right to have rights”. It makes you an unperson: without protection, without home, without legal status. Slowly but surely, the Government has given itself the power to impose this condition on British citizens. In certain limited conditions it can do it to people who were born here. But the worst of its powers apply to so-called “naturalised Brits” – people who secured their citizenship through immigration. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve been citizens. It could be half a century. They have now been established as a second-class citizen by the Home Office. The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 allowed the government to strip someone of their British citizenship as long as they had another nationality. The Immigration Act 2014, pushed by then-home secretary Theresa May, went one step further. It allowed her to strip a naturalised Brit of their citizenship even if it made them stateless, as long as they could apply for another nationality. Then the Home Office started doing something even more extreme. Under the 2014 Act, it had to ‘serve notice’ to the person that they were taking the action against them. This meant that they sent a letter to the person’s last known address. But very quietly, using a regulation which did not have to be debated in Parliament, it gave itself the power to serve notice by putting a copy of it on the person’s file if their whereabouts were unknown. This was tantamount to not giving notice at all. They wouldn’t even know it had happened. It was, of course, completely insane. It went against any notion of basic reason to say that you had served someone notice when there was no way for them to know it had happened. The High Court agreed. In a case this summer, it ruled that the on-file technique failed to give notice. Patel waited until the Nationalities Bill was in committee stage and then she went to war with the court ruling. This is becoming a habit of hers. It’s precisely the same technique which she used in the Policing Bill last month to snuff out peaceful protest. Clause 9 of the bill would allow the Home Secretary to strip a naturalised Brit of their citizenship without any notice at all. The conditions to do this, if you can call them that, are that it would not be “reasonably practicable”, or in the interests of “national security”, or diplomatic relations, or for the “public interest”. These categories – and especially “public interest” – are so broad as to be meaningless. The clause then takes an extraordinary Orwellian step. It retrospectively authorises the actions the Home Office took before the High Court ruling. “A failure to comply with the duty,” it says, “does not affect, and is to be treated as never having affected, the validity of the order.” Take a moment to realise what that means. The court ruled that the Government did not follow the law. So now it is trying to pass a new law making the unlawful actions retrospectively legal. The overall effect of this clause is simple. It is designed to prevent people from securing their right to appeal. This is supposedly guaranteed in the law and nothing in the new clause nullifies that. Instead, it makes it impossible by virtue of practical reality. The people being stripped of their citizenship will very often only find out when they are trying to return to Britain. They are outside the country. And once you’re outside the country, it becomes infinitely more difficult to secure your appeal rights. Sometimes the appeals process takes so long as to be useless. It might time-out before someone is even aware the action was taken. In nearly every case it makes it very difficult to secure evidence or instruct lawyers. Patel is gambling that people won’t care about this. After all, most of the people targeted are involved in fighting somewhere in the world. Many of them will be genuinely despicable people. The Government will insist that these powers are just to stop terrorists and jihadists. But in reality, they apply much more broadly than that. If you were born overseas, or one of your parents was, or an aunt, or a friend – it affects you. Anyone who arrived in Britain as an immigrant and then became a citizen comes under these provisions. They can have their status removed from them at a whim, without notification and with no realistic right of appeal. The racial implications are severe. Most people securing British citizenship are from outside the EU. The most common applications are from Pakistanis, Indians and Nigerians. Non-white Brits are much more likely to face these provisions than white Brits. The Government has created a second-tier category of British citizenship, which applies predominantly to ethnic minorities. And it has chiseled away at its legal protections so that it can take away that citizenship at any time, without notification, on vague conditions, and with almost no legal redress. First 24 mins of Harjap's show covers it well

It's a good forum site, I have been on there before but not for many years

.. Read more at:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/88215637.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Norwalk, Connecticut...

@Jassu Overall, nothing wrong ? Ok, so some Indian Punjabi videos are 'worse', but does this mean you will still allow Sikh girls to be throwing themselves towards a Pakistani who won't put fellow Pakistani girls in the video ? What is 'racist' about that? Bad behaviour should be called out wherever/whenever and I would do same if it was Indian Punjabi (tbh I don't 'watch' these music videos generally). Have you seen all the various threads on grooming on this site ? I don't agree with some of how @dallysingh101and @GurjantGnostic make their points especially some of their posts directed at you in the Corey Pujols thread, but I've learnt a lot esp from @dallysingh101who has educated me and prob many others on being more streetwise re Pak grooming gangs etc. @S1ngh, you said Do you think it was right to say that ?! @MisterrSingh I know the article I posted maybe wasn't directly related to the points you made, but my reply was not meant as a personal attack. I respect you fully, and think you're probably the 'best' if not one of, in 'real life' out of the members on this forum. But I fail to see how Pakistanis are 'better'/more conservative, when they have for example 'mujra' as part of their culture commonly in their movies. Scroll through these videos maybe ? The only thing I can think you are referring to is lack of drunk embarrassing behaviour in their culture.

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/pakistan/pakistan-4-women-stripped-tortured-and-filmed-by-faisalabad-shopkeepers-over-suspicion-of-theft-1.84256600 Pakistan: 4 women stripped, tortured and filmed by Faisalabad shopkeepers over suspicion of theft Police arrest 5 persons after video of torture goes viral on social media Published: December 08, 2021 16:28Zubair Qureshi, Correspondent The men who have been arrested on charges of torturing, stripping and filming four women in Punjab.Image Credit: Supplied Islamabad: Punjab Police have arrested five men on charges of torturing, stripping and filming four women in Punjab’s industrial city Faisalabad city’s Bawa Chak Market. The arrests were made on Tuesday after the video footage of the incident went viral a day earlier on Monday.... According to the FIR, the complainant, a garbage-picker, went to Bawa Chak Market with three other women to collect garbage on Monday at around 10:30am. She told police that they were thirsty and went inside a shop to drink water. They asked a man, Saddam the owner at Usman Electric Store for a bottle of water. However, Saddam began shouting at them, accusing them of entering his shop with the intention to steal, the FIR said, adding that other suspects also reached the shop upon hearing him shouting. They began beating the women, stripped them and dragged them through the market. “They continued to beat us for around an hour and made our videos in naked condition,” the FIR quoted the complainant as saying. Later, members of the victims’ family rushed to the market and gathered at the spot pleading with the suspects to let the women go, according to the FIR. “The suspects committed gross injustice by stripping us, dragging us through the market and torturing us and strict action should be taken against them,” the complainant said in the FIR.

https://www.desiblitz.com/content/builder-jailed-after-worker-crushed-at-building-site December 5, 2021 By DHIREN MANGA Builder jailed after Worker Crushed at Building Site A builder from Southampton has been jailed after one of his workers was crushed to death at a building site. Paramjit Singh, aged 48, of Southampton, was jailed for three years and three months after one of his workers was crushed to death at a building site. Winchester Crown Court heard that the incident happened on July 16, 2019, in Chilworth, Hampshire. Shauna Ritchie, prosecuting, said that Singh had been hired to demolish a garage on Ling Dale and clear the rubble. At the time, Singh owned SAB builder and employed staff to work as “odd job men”. The day before the incident, Singh had demolished all but one side of the garage. He returned the next day to complete the job. Singh arrived at around 9 am, using a digger to remove the wall. However, the wall collapsed on top of 64-year-old Kulwant Singh Athwal, who was standing on the other side. It is understood that Singh did not know where his team were when he began working with the digger. Ms Ritchie said: “The precise mechanism of the collapse of that wall is not known. “What is known is that falling masonry struck Kulwant Singh Athwal and caused him the catastrophic crush injuries that caused his death.” The court heard that the section of the wall that had fallen weighed 167kg. Ms Ritchie said Singh did not fence off the area, put up warning signs or carry out a survey of the building prior to the demolition. Following a trial, Singh was found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence. He also previously pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act. HSE inspector James Lucas said: “All demolition work, however large or small, has the potential of serious risk if it is not properly planned and controlled. “Paramjit Singh failed to prepare a written plan for the demolition of the building or any site-specific risk assessments. “In this case, simple control measures and safe working practices, such as excluding people on site from danger zones with physical barriers, could have saved a life.

https://news.sky.com/story/abdul-elahi-dangerous-predator-blackmailed-2-000-victims-and-sold-box-sets-of-abuse-to-paedophiles-12490042 Abdul Elahi: 'Dangerous predator' blackmailed 2,000 victims and sold 'box sets' of abuse to paedophiles Financially desperate women, including mothers at risk of losing their homes or feeding their children, were among those targeted by 26-year-old Abdul Elahi, who posed as a wealthy stockbroker online. Tom Gillespie News reporter @TomGillespie1 Wednesday 8 December 2021 16:35, UK A serial online blackmailer targeted almost 2,000 victims to amass images of degrading sexual acts before selling "box sets" of abuse to other paedophiles, a court heard. Abdul Elahi, described as "an exceptionally dangerous predator" in court, blackmailed some women and young girls into abusing a baby or sibling as he offered to pay off their debts with Bitcoin. Around 550 females in Britain are believed to have been targeted by the 26-year-old, with almost 2,000 identified altogether in the UK and US. Among those targeted on so-called "sugar daddy" websites were financially desperate victims, including mothers at risk of losing their homes or struggling to feed their children. Predator committed crimes while subject to sexual risk order The so-called "box sets" of abusive images and videos compiled by Elahi were distributed in vast quantities, the court heard, after girls and young adults were blackmailed into providing humiliating and degrading sexual material. Elahi, formerly of Sparkhill, Birmingham, has admitted 158 charges committed against 72 complainants and is believed to have tried to exploit victims in 34 different countries. Prosecutor Adrian Langdale QC said the offending spanned a three-year period from 2017 to 2019, with many of the offences committed while Elahi was on bail and subject to a sexual risk order. Elahi also "acted as a mentor" to abusers, the court heard, with "copy-cat" offenders targeting some of his victims. Blackmailer targeted victims as a way of making money As his sentencing got under way at Birmingham Crown Court, Elahi was described as being "in a league of his own" in terms of the sheer scale of his offending. Elahi could be "juggling" many tens of potential victims at any one time, Mr Langdale told the court, while using a fake persona to pose as a wealthy stockbroker offering financial assistance. "The whole persona, the whole arrangement, was a sham from the very beginning," said Mr Langdale. "He simply, it would appear, saw his victims as a way of making money. "Victims were targeted day after day, with no let-up from Mr Elahi." Elahi treated blackmailing as a 'full-time career' The prosecutor said Elahi had switched online conversations to WhatsApp to cover his tracks, with 67,000 indecent images of children recovered from numerous devices and cloud storage. "There is evidence that he carefully structured and logged all of his material," he said. "He sold that material on with a clear financial motive, irrespective of the damage that he was causing by spreading this material." During the offending, the court heard, Elahi was living in his family home and his only legitimate income was from working for a short period in a branch of McDonald's. He saw his crimes as a "full-time career and occupation". Elahi admitted a host of charges at previous hearings after an investigation by the National Crime Agency, and is expected to be sentenced later this week.

Mourners demand justice for Sri Lankan man lynched in Pakistan Hundreds in Sri Lanka attend the funeral of Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, who was killed by a mob in Sialkot, Pakistan. By Rathindra Kuruwita Published On 8 Dec 20218 Dec 2021 Ganemulla, Sri Lanka – Mourners who gathered for the funeral of Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, a Sri Lankan man lynched by a mob in Pakistan for alleged blasphemy, have urged the authorities in both South Asian nations to ensure justice for the victim. Diyawadana’s body was taken to Polhena cemetery in Ganemulla, 25km (11 miles) from the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on Wednesday, after Buddhist rites had been conducted. On Friday, the 48-year-old was attacked by a mob and burned to death in Sialkot, Pakistan, where he worked as a factory manager. Workers at the factory had reportedly accused him of desecrating posters featuring the name of the Prophet Muhammad. He is survived by his wife, Nilushi, and two sons, aged 14 and nine. Many leading politicians arrived at Diyawadana’s home in Ganemulla, along with Buddhist and Catholic leaders, to pay their respects. Some 400-500 people joined the funeral procession from Diyawadana’s home to the cemetery. “I am just too shocked to say what I want from anyone now. My world has collapsed,” his wife Nilushi told Al Jazeera. “A lot of politicians came and offered help and said they were sorry for my loss.” Manjula, a close relative who goes by one name, said the family expects the Pakistani authorities to punish those responsible. “There may be diplomatic considerations but since we are friends [with Pakistan] more can be done,” he said when asked if he was satisfied with the response of the Sri Lankan government. ‘Punish the guility’ Allegations of blasphemy have often triggered several mob attacks in Pakistan, where blasphemy carries a possible death penalty. Pakistani authorities say they have arrested dozens in connection with the killing and the country’s Prime Minister Imran Khan has promised that those found guilty will be severely punished. But Kavinda Jayawardhana, a member of parliament for Diyawadana’s home district, accused powerful officials in Pakistan of attempting to sweep the killing under the carpet and criticised Defence Minister Pervez Khattak for saying in response to the lynching that “murders take place” when young people get emotional. “We saw the defence minister of Pakistan trying to shrug it off as the result of ‘boys being boys’. The defence minister must apologise and punish these terrorists. We are opposed to any attempts to whitewash them,” Jayawardhana said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s former Human Rights Commissioner Prathiba Mahanamahewa said a failure to deliver justice over the incident could lead to deteriorating relations with Pakistan, including at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session. Claims that lynching was carried out by supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, a group whose ban was lifted recently, was not a vote of confidence in Pakistan’s threat assessment capacity, he added. “Pakistan has been a friend to Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in the past. The best way for Pakistan is to punish those who are guilty and apologise at the UNHRC,” Mahanamahewa said. “Pakistan is a country that has been trying to rebuild its brand internationally, and this is a major blow for their brand-building activities.” After talking to Diyawadana’s family members on Wednesday, the Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament Mahindra Yapa Abeywardena urged Sri Lankans not to target anyone because of the killing. “We must preserve our humanity. That is what Priyantha would have wanted,” he told the media. Manjula said that, despite the murder of his close relative, he feels no animosity towards Muslims. “I know the family feels this way too. We have never thought of being angry with Muslims here or in Pakistan. These guys [the killers] are extremists and for the benefit of regular people these groups must be crushed,” said Manjula.

@GurjantGnostic @Jacfsing2 @californiasardar1 -thoughts from the US? https://www.thehour.com/news/article/New-Norwalk-Sikh-religious-center-faces-opposition-16684412.php Norwalk Sikh religious center proposal faces opposition Abigail Brone Dec. 8, 2021Updated: Dec. 8, 2021 2:48 p.m. Comments 8 NORWALK — A new Sikh religious center has been proposed for West Norwalk, and while many have expressed excitement over the thought of a proper place to worship, some residents are concerned the plan doesn’t fit in with the neighborhood. The application for a 18,000-square-foot gurudwara, a Sikh place of worship, at 283 Richards Ave. was proposed by the Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji Foundation in August. A review on the plans was presented to the commission in October. With nearly 100 letters and emails sent to the city regarding the proposal, the project was set for public hearing at Wednesday’s Zoning Commission meeting. About 60 correspondences were submitted in opposition to the project and about 35 were in favor of the gurudwara, according to city records obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media. Many of the letters in support of the gurudwara were from Sikh community members. The letters range from recommendations of ways to improve the proposal and change the writer’s opposition, to disgust at the design of the building. “The building is ugly and does not blend in with the neighborhood,” Fillow Street resident John Loprinzo wrote. “Progress is not always about continuous development, but rather a quality of life for what already exists. I have faith that Planning & Zoning will not allow this insane development. Let’s not disappoint the Norwalk residents.” People also wrote in from various municipalities and states to voice support and concern over the proposal, with Sikh congregation members from Fairfield and Stamford, among other Fairfield County towns, to ask for the project’s approval. One Norwalk native wrote from their home in Texas to express disapproval of the proposal near their childhood home, saying other religious centers in the neighborhood fit in better than the proposed gurudwara. “Based on what I have seen of the proposed plans for the proposed Gurdwara Religious Center, the building would not blend into the neighborhood,” Leslie Breen wrote. “This building would stand out like a glaring sun on a clear summer day.” Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji is headquartered on West Avenue and has been in the Norwalk community for more than 20 years, according to the application. The West Avenue location is used for community activities and religious services, but the “congregation seeks to provide a place for its members that will enable them to gather for services, fellowship, instruction in the faith and ethics, share customs and traditions and other activities,” according to the application. While the plot is in a residential zoning area, religious centers are allowed in the area by special permit, said attorney Liz Suchy, who represents the foundation. “This is not an opportunity for the Sikh congregation, which has been a member of the Norwalk congregation and part of its fabric for nearly 30 years, to enlarge the congregation,” Suchy said. “It is an opportunity for my client to offer a reverent and proper venue for free exercise and practice of their religion.” The gurudwara would offer weekly Sunday morning services from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a vegetarian communal lunch, Suchy said. The Sikh congregation is comprised of about 185 adult members, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, less than half of the members attend weekly Sunday services, she said. However, the center plans to be open seven days a week in the same manner of other religious centers, allowing congregants to visit for private prayer. “The 240-seat capacity in worship centers is appropriate for the number of members the community has,” Suchy said. “Pre-COVID, my client had between 150 and 170 members attending services. Post-COVID, this past Sunday service there was may be 60 in attendance plus children, so that’s generally where the numbers were falling in terms of attendance on Sundays.” For religious centers in residential areas, one parking space must be provided for every five seats within the center. The seating capacity for the proposed Sikh center is 240, requiring a minimum of 48 parking spaces. The proposal has 53. On the largest Sikh holiday, which is April 14, the foundation struck a deal with Fox Run Elementary School to use the school’s parking lot for overflow traffic, Suchy said. The planned structure is 39 feet tall and within the 50-foot maximum height for religious centers in residential areas, Suchy said. The foundation purchased the 1-acre plot in November 2020 for $275,000, according to city land records. The proposed building would be three stories, including a finished basement. The first floor is an open space designed to be used as a religious education hall, with removable panels to create separate classrooms, principal engineer on the project Marcos Reinheimer said. The first floor would also include two bedrooms, one for the live-in guru and another for traveling presenters and guests, Reinheimer said. One the second floor, the worship center will be located along with some office and storage space. The third floor will be primarily a kitchen space for the weekly meals to be prepared and served, Reinheimer said. https://www.nancyonnorwalk.com/norwalk-sikhs-seek-new-home-on-richards-avenue/ Norwalk Sikhs seek new home on Richards Avenue ByNancy Guenther Chapman 5 : 13 AM ESTOCTOBER 15 2021 24 COMMENTS 24 comments David MuccigrossoOctober 15, 2021 at 8:43 am Wonderful to see so much ignorance on display. Even with a larger-than-average population of Sikhs in Norwalk and the SW CT/metro area, I can’t understand how anyone can seriously expect this congregation to more than double in size. And given that they’re already willing to spend millions on this gurudwara, even if they DID double in size, that would give them plenty of revenue to relocate to a larger temple, or even pay to mitigate any traffic/parking issues that arose. Growth is a non-issue here. And I’d bet that most of these complainers wouldn’t bat an eye at a similar-sized Christian church with explicit growth goals setting its sights on the same lot. Steve MannOctober 15, 2021 at 8:52 am Good luck folks. Norwalkers need to stand together as one voice. NIMBY apathy to others concerns will get you nowhere. What’s bad for East Norwalk will eventually leach out to Cranbury and then West Norwalk. If you stand alone the administration, the developers and their attorneys will eat you alive. Norwalk is in the sights of developers and it’s not all bad, but there is plenty of appropriate area to accommodate growth while preserving canopied quiet residential neighborhoods. Speak out against the non-residents who call your concerns “mistruths” by conjuring up their own. As reported by Nancy here on 10/4, Steve Kleppin said it himself during the East Norwalk village hearing. EN, and Rowayton (watch out!) are not their own communities. They are “part of a broader Norwalk”. Fight for your neighbors and they may fight for you. John O'NeillOctober 15, 2021 at 9:19 am Elizabeth Suchy — It should be pointed out when Liz finishes her days changing the Norwalk Landscape she heads back to her 2 acre charming home in Wilton, CT. Yes, that Wilton, CT which has the most stringent and conservative zoning laws in the area, maybe the state.(In my opinion)..Does anyone else see the hypocrisy in all this?? The first thought that comes to mind is open your heart, but just not in my backyard. Note to City Workers on this: Think before hitting SEND on your email accounts. Your lack of professionalism in Mosque fiasco cost taxpayers millions. Not sure if anyone was actually held accountable on that one. Freaking Disgrace Norwalk LostOctober 15, 2021 at 11:42 am Has anything been learned since the mosque fiasco? The mayor had given assurances (at that time) that zoning ordinances and land use limitations would be restructured and shored up to protect residential areas . . . why is this even being considered? It clearly doesn’t fit in a residential zone and the petitioners of this application should have known better. Let me guess what’s next, a shakedown lawsuit should this be denied. Shameful this is happening again. David OslerOctober 15, 2021 at 12:26 pm I am not of their religion but I am all for this project I do have concerns adequate parking working with the other religious institutions on the road to try to stagger their schedules to avoid traffic as well as to the same with the college as far as them building a new place of worship in that area I see it more like the God’s hill area of New Canaan then an issue for the neighborhood I honestly proposal is hugely beneficial to the region and the community and the proper location due to the other religious institutions being in the area my concerns are traffic parking event timing and the flash of the building I think more subdued architecture is warranted but as far as the project of putting their Temple there I’m totally down for it Jim TruOctober 15, 2021 at 2:36 pm Here we go again… They already know what is going to happen…. Threaten to sue for religious discrimination, then the city will settle out a large sum of money so they can go buy a larger piece of property more suitable and then have the funds to build. Working the system to its maximum potential while taxpayers get reamed once again. Steve MannOctober 15, 2021 at 6:32 pm Proper punctuation allows others to understand ones thoughts. The practice exists for a reason. West NorwalkerOctober 15, 2021 at 7:22 pm 1. What Elizabeth Suchy fails to acknowledge is that the proposed Gurdwara has 56 parking spaces for 200 regular congregants. They drive (by their own admission) 2.5 people per car. Do the math. This is not enough parking even if it does meet the “zoning code”. BUT the zoning code ALSO says parking lots are based on max capacity of the structure. They can fit plus 300 people alone in the worship hall. (This is a conservative estimate.)They are woefully short of parking. This is not about religion. It’s about the residents and quality of life of people who live at west Norwalk. Elizabeth Suchy should properly read the zoning regs. 2. Fox run school is not available on weekdays or while other events are in session. Where are these people supposed to park when they have festivals? Most of their holidays are on weekdays. A patch article from 2011 has their own members saying their events attract up to 500 people. The city and Steve Kleppin must answer where these people will park. 3. Zoning for west Norwalk is AAA residential. It specially says that it’s intended for “low density”. The city has acknowledged in a memo on 10/6 that the proposed structure is consistent with residential D zoning. This proposed structure is not similar in density to temple shalom, the congregation church , or St. Matthew’s. They have much larger lots. 4. Finally, the Sikh Gurdwara approached neighbors on both sides of the lot asking purchase their properties. Why ask to purchase 100+ year homes unless you think you’re current lot will be too small for your needs? A narrative of this is available on the West Norwalk Associations meeting minutes. The city of Norwalk and planning and zoning has once again failed to protect residents. This isn’t about religion. This is about poor land management, shoddy zoning laws, and bad citing planning. On day 1, the Sikh Gurdwara will not have enough parking. Town hall has failed the residents and working families in West Norwalk. Patrick CooperOctober 15, 2021 at 8:11 pm Liz Suchy – of course. This comment is not about the issue above – but – the root cause. Campaign promise 2013 – Harry Rilling: “I will clean up planning and zoning” In 2014, as mayor – he concluded the messy negotiations over the controversial proposed Al Madany Mosque with a settlement that Norwalk taxpayers funded. What is worth reviewing – and what is relevant to this article – is the begging – request – pleading by the constituents – and the promise of the candidate turned mayor – that he would fix this. https://www.wshu.org/post/norwalk-settles-mosque-dispute-more-2m-payout#stream/0 To quote Kimberly Grimm – “And what I would aks you, Mr. (Harry Rilling) Mayor, going forward, for you to do something about it and for you to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He didn’t. Ask him – why? What changed his mind? Norwalk, you need some help. You need checks and balances on the council – you need representation that will implement the wishes of the residents. Please – please – vote this November 2nd. DAVENDRA[Dave] ANANDOctober 16, 2021 at 7:26 am I understand the Concerns of Norwalk Residents and Neighbors. Humbly – I suggest that the extreme stats being referenced are not valid. Last Line of Sikh Daily Prayer: “TEYRAY BHAANAY SARBAT DAA BHALLAA” – BY YOUR MERCY WAHE GURU[God/Lord/Providence/Almighty/Bhagwaan/Allah/Yahweh/Jehovah, —], LET EVERY HUMAN STAY WELL & BE PROSPEROUS ! !!!!!! Daily say – TEYRAY BHAANAY SARBAT DAA BHALLAA – and you will expel all your worries away !!!!!! I have been in the USA for over 54 years and lived in all 4 corners of this Great Country and tasted its VALUES first hand. In North Carolina – a Church gave free land at back of the Church to local Sikhs to build their Gurdwara. In San Jose, the Town/Mayor gave over 15 Acres for $1 for local Sikhs to build their Gurdwara. Those and other similar Charity projects are flourishing and have added Goodness and Values to their neighborhoods that Americans Cherish ! ================================= I am a Writer – below my FINAL Column: INDIA NewEngland Issue Date: August 2014, Posted On: 8/19/2014 Opinion: Why America and Americans are Exceptional? By Dave Anand In September of 2013, President Barack Obama claimed while addressing the United Nations that America and Americans are exceptional because of certain, special traits. Russian President Vladimir Putin and other World leaders laughed and questioned the validity of that claim. The best way to settle such an issue is to lay the facts and let them speak by themselves. On July 4, 1876, America’s 100th birthday – Lawyer, Preeminent Agnostic, and The Great Orator Robert Ingersoll, articulated thus: • One hundred years ago, our fathers retired the Gods from politics; The Declaration of Independence is the grandest, the bravest, and the profoundest political document that was ever signed by the representatives of a people. It is the embodiment of physical and moral courage and of political wisdom. • For the first time in the history of the world, the representatives of a nation, the representatives of a real, living, breathing, hoping people, declared that all men are created equal. With one blow, with one stroke of the pen, they struck down all the cruel, heartless barriers that aristocracy, that priest-craft, that king-craft had raised between man and man. They struck down with one immortal blow that infamous spirit of caste that makes a God almost a beast, and a beast almost a god. With one word, with one blow, they wiped away and utterly destroyed all that had been done by centuries of war – centuries of hypocrisy – centuries of injustice. • Our fathers founded the first secular government that was ever founded in this world. Recollect that. The first secular government; the first government that said every church has exactly the same rights, and no more; every religion has the same rights, and no more. In other words, our fathers were the first men who had the sense, who had the genius, to know that no church should be allowed to have a sword; that it should be allowed only to exert its moral influence. • The rights of all are equal: justice, poised and balanced in eternal calm, will shake from the golden scales in which are weighed the acts of men, the very dust of prejudice and caste: No race, no color, no previous condition, can change the rights of men. That political wisdom of the founders as captured in America’s Constitution has proven itself million and million times over and come true by creating a “True civilization in which every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself.” Earlier, the British, Roman, and the Greek empires were self-centered and did not afford the same rights to every other citizen of the republic as we Americans do. This self-centeredness with a closed system in fact resulted in the demise of those powers; one reason experts believe America’s Open-System policies will prolong its Superpower status. So, why is America Exceptional? Like other great powers, America too created its own remarkable history. Unlike other powers whose main aim was subjugation and exploitation of weaker peoples and their riches – America’s founding was to do more with freedom. Liberty, as in the Statue of Liberty, is America’s foremost mantra. Custodians of Freedom and champions of Democracy ever since they established theirs back in 1776 – Americans liberated themselves by defeating the British forces in the 1700s and in due course of time they freed the Slaves in 1863, under the president-ship of Abraham Lincoln. They freed Europe from German (Hitler) Forces in 1945 and since then have assumed the mantle of World-Peace. The emancipation of the blacks by the steadfast Abraham Lincoln puts him in a unique freedom fighter category. Freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi used his own kind (Indians) to fight the other kind (British) to win freedom for his own kind (Indians). Who would not die for freeing their brethren and countrymen from extreme atrocities showered by a foreign power? On the other hand – Lincoln used mostly all whites’ forces or the so-called Yankees of the North to defeat the Southern whites (aka Confederacy) in the brutal American Civil War to free the black slaves. It is estimated close to 617,000 white Americans died in the ruthless civil war to end slavery. This is the single most reason based upon which I would rank Abraham Lincoln over Gandhi as the number one freedom fighter of all times, leaving aside the direct messengers of God like Jesus, Mohammad, Buddha, Guru Nanak, and so on. In the same spirit and now for almost a century – The United States has been successful in establishing World-Peace by shedding its own blood abundantly and giving away their fortune. With the exception of minor hot spots in the Middle-East (Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Israel-Palestinian battles, ISIS, etc.) or Iran/North Korea Nuclear standoff, Ukraine, etc. – there is nothing that compares or rises to the dire times of World War-II. The peace lid has been shut tight so far. Exceptionalism of America and Americans is rooted in several principles and policies, and not just limited to the following: – Foremost, Americans are Freedom lovers and will die for it as no other. – Americans fight for Justice, Law and Equality for all – They are the most charitable as a People and Country (Ranked #1 by Charity Aid Foundation)* – Are most inclusive with an Open-System to embrace everyone legally possible. – Have most Freedom to pursue any Religion; Freedom to pursue Happiness – Have most Freedom for Businesses and Markets (Laissez-faire) – the List is rather long to mention them all here ——– No wonder people call America, The God’s Country! With God’s blessings and wisdom of principles and policies America’s founders adopted – all of that gave rise to Economic/Military/Political/Diplomatic/Technology/Financial dominance and success of unimaginable proportions to make it the one and only Superpower now for over fifty years. The euphoria of success did inject some insolence into the country; we earned the epithet of “Ugly American” in the mid-1900. I would venture to say that that ugliness renders Americans even more notable and special. What is remarkable is after all that huge success – the ugly Americans kept their System open for everyone and did not shut the doors like the Britishers/Romans/Greeks did when success hit them in the head. For some time now, the media has been abuzz with predictions of America fading away and China replacing it as the next Superpower. That is just the buzz; the fact is other countries, including the Dragon, are simply catching up because of our munificence in sharing the hard-earned riches and creative technologies/inventions with everyone. This same exceptionalism will not allow the hardworking and creative Americans to subjugate themselves to any power or the new Superpower; they will die before that happens! America and Americans, by example of an extremely successful political and economic experiment, have proven beyond doubt that they are truly exceptional. Is there any other way to define this term [Exceptional]? Dave Anand (danand55@gmail.com), a technologist, has written and published two books: “People Super Highway, the Mystique & Quest of Soul” and “The Verses.” *2011 World Giving Index: US Ranked Most Charitable Country on Earth: The United States climbed from fifth place to the rank of most generous country in the world, according to the Charity Aid Foundation. The United Kingdom is the eighth most charitable nation in the world while the world’s fastest growing major economies – China and India – rank among the least altruistic. India stood at 134th position and China at 147th with Chinese people among the least likely on the planet to volunteer; only 4% said they would. The U.S. has increased its charity by 3 percentage points in this year, up to $212 billion. ========================================= John O'NeillOctober 16, 2021 at 7:52 am As a West Norwalker I’d like to know why Tom Livingston and Lisa Shanahan failed to alert area residents to this proposal. If NON didn’t run this story we never would’ve known..I thought they were supposed to be representing us? Maybe they’re proponents of the project? I’d like to get quotes from them for this story…In theory District E zoning issues should come before planting trees for these council members. CT-PatriotOctober 17, 2021 at 5:32 am Why place it in AAA residential zoning area? Looks like this was a set-up as before and we as taxpayers are about to get soaked again. I’m all for freedom of religion and they should have the ability to build a structure as big as they choose on land that can accommodate the structure in the proper zoning area. However, Richards Avenue does have other houses of worship and this seemed logical for their establishment seeing the others on the same street. Unless the council work together with zoning to possibly change just that exact location for other than AAA residential, I believe things will once again get heated and everyone in Norwalk will loose. I hope this can be solved without things get out of hand. Nora KingOctober 17, 2021 at 9:43 am Harry Rilling promised to change zoning eight years ago so this would never happen again. He looked me directly in the eye as well when I was on zoning and made me that promise. Why was the zoning not changed? PeterOctober 17, 2021 at 2:13 pm We need to get Rilling out now. Do it Norwalk. Tysen CanevariOctober 17, 2021 at 5:15 pm @Nora you have to talk to the chief of staff to get things done. Harry just accepts donations. SteveOctober 17, 2021 at 5:46 pm Republican legislators made special provisions to give religious organizations special treatment under the law. This makes it very difficult for municipalities to limit them. Many who are complaining here are of the same Ilk. They have reaped what they have sown Missy ConradOctober 17, 2021 at 6:22 pm Hello, Everyone! Have you ever been at the Sikh Temple in the former Union Bank on West Avenue, where it is still located? When we had an active Clergy Association of all denominations here in Norwalk, many of us were invited to the Temple. I was the Quaker representative. We Quakers were (not)known locally by our official name on our checks written for donations: “Wilton Monthly Meeting,” which is meaningless to most people; finally we changed to “Wilton Quaker Meeting,” which is still misleading, since Quakers come from all over & name our Meeting Houses geographically. A Quaker Meeting House is not in the village, but at a cross road, as is explained by guides at Sturbridge Village. My husband Jeff & I grew up in Pelham, NY, down the RR Line. After living many places, we took the advice of an older fellow employee at Doubleday Publishing & came up to Norwalk in October, 1971. With help from our aunt & uncle, we bought a little house with a barn. We read The Norwalk Hour & learned about opportunities. Tish Gibbs needed a place to store newspapers that had been picked up by volunteers on Saturday but had to wait until Monday to be brought to the scrap dealer, which used to be next to the Norwalk Transfer Station. And, I, who earlier in Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, had campaigned for Jeff while five months pregnant & ended up filling his position in President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Program & working with the Central Park Conservancy to re-do the 46th Street Park depicted in West Side Story, attended Norwalk’s Parks & Recreation Commission, since disbanded. With our little daughter Grace at home, I volunteered to babysit the children of the Board of the League of Women Voters once a month. Once I had seven boys & one girl who, though young, all had Spring Fever! Afterwards, I was given a gift membership to the League of Women Voters of Norwalk. That is where I met my best friend, Louise Golub, with whom I worked on environmental & social issues, such as housing & city planning & financing. Also, as a follower of Jesus & mentored by the Rev Dr Martin Luther & Coretta Scott King, thus a Pacifist, I advocate cutting our military spending, as does the US Conference of Mayors, & reallocating the $ to human needs. The City of Norwalk can lower the property taxes of people who own near a building such as this Temple. I am in favor of this plan. Michael Allan TorreOctober 18, 2021 at 9:41 am Traditional American life and values are undergoing change and upheaval from internal and external forces without resistance to the changes or support for traditional American values. Joanna CooperOctober 18, 2021 at 2:33 pm The message residents should take away here is that this administration doesn’t provide protection to home owners. They are proposing a monstrous structure in a triple A zoned neighborhood. If they can do it there they can do it anywhere. We are being sold out to developers by our mayor and the one party common council. Clearly they don’t learn from their mistakes and they ignore the rights and pleas of residents. Time to clean house Election Day. SteveOctober 19, 2021 at 9:47 pm Not sure where Michael Allan Torre is going here but it has the sound of xenophobia . Our strength comes from our diversity, tolerance and pull up by the bootstraps mentality, that includes different forms of spirituality. Concerned NeighborNovember 12, 2021 at 8:06 pm The initial permit application filed on 8/9 clearly states in its first three paragraphs, that this structure will be serving their congregants from the entirety of Fairfield County CT, as well as Westchester County, NY. Exactly how many of those current congregants are actually tax paying residents or even business owners in the city of Norwalk? All the existing religious facilities in the area being used as a precedent by the applicant in this case have one glaring difference from this proposed facility. They each serve congregations primarily composed of local Norwalk residents. That point seems to be one that no one is willing to broach in this process, but is perhaps one of the most important to be considered. Why are we considering allowing a magnet religious center that serves multiple counties across two states, to be built in a residentially zoned neighborhood, on a comically small parcel of land for the massive size of the structure, that cannot possibly work in the long term for everyone involved? I fully understand that from the applicants perspective they were able to purchase the land for a mere fraction of its comparative cost if it were located in an appropriate commercial zone. But what is, or will be in the future, their actual contribution to our local community? What is their actual skin in the proverbial game after this facility is built? Plain and simple, this is a multi-state regional facility, to be built in a residential neighborhood that does not have the infrastructure to adequately support it in the long term no matter what kind of spin is applied to it now during the permitting process. The foundation excavation alone for this structure will consume around 1/3 of the 1 acre parcel including the minimal safe over-dig and stock-piling areas required by the process. Plus the massive drainage galleries and septic system excavations to follow that will consume virtually all undisturbed ground remaining within the allowed property setbacks afterwards. There will be a steady stream of heavy equipment, triaxles hauling in/out, and intermittent concrete trucks lined up on Richards avenue completely blocking a lane of the road several days a week for at least the first 6 months of the project. As they will have almost no room whatsoever to effectively manage the daily site-work logistics involved while also providing minimal parking for the dozens of men actually performing the work each day onsite. That means about 10 vehicles to/from the school or from Fillow making that left turn will be forced to sit and wait past the stop sign on Richards until flagged through. Or traffic will be detoured down Fillow and through Geneva to get around the construction area and back to Richards. They love making hypothetical Traffic Impact surveys about presumed circumstances when the project is actually completed in several years. The truth is that this build will shut down half of Richards Avenue intermittently on almost a daily basis for months. Leaving a constant daily trail of mud and site debris trailing away from the jobsite each and every day no matter how many gravel “track pads”, their engineers indicate be installed on the plans to appease the Building Department in pre-con submittals. That much is not hypothetical and is a certainty. After at least 18 months of that when the new facility is substantially completed to the point it can be occupied as the remaining work continues outside, that constant influx of construction traffic will be immediately augmented by and then replaced by out of town congregants entering and leaving the building to and from I95 and the Merrit. That is exactly what we are signing up for here folks. As a homeowner living in the immediate area, I feel it necessary to question why this enormous Regional Magnet Facility is likely going to be built in our residentially zoned neighborhood, and what its ties are to the actual Norwalk community and its tax rolls per congregant that this facility truly has, before accepting the ongoing daily inconveniences and certain negative impact on my personal property value that it will surely incur in perpetuity thereafter. The fact they got a really great deal on a small derelict property outside an expensive commercial zone to greatly expand their current facilities which serve the greater metro NY area, isn’t making me feel better about it here in West Norwalk down the street. CT-PatriotNovember 13, 2021 at 10:13 am Seems a deep dive into the entire aspect of zoning, property, construction, traffic, etc. @Concerned points out more in depth details that seem lacking in both news articles but also from government on full disclosure. From all things considered, before things get out of hand as it did prior, it may be more prudent to find a much larger parcel of land in an area that can better service their build-out/construction, but their congregation as well at the same price or maybe less. Unless there is a more suitable but larger parcel in an area that can handle all the above, I believe once again this will end up in court then all residents will again be paying off legal fees and settlement. The more you think about this, the more you have to believe this was put in motion to fail from the beginning and to get a windfall of cash in the end by Norwalk taxpayers. Kelly A.November 28, 2021 at 11:05 am The quietness of our neighborhood is threatened more by leaf blowers than this institution. Concerned NeighborNovember 29, 2021 at 8:28 pm @CT Patriot raises a great point in stating that this will very likely not end reasonably for anyone involved. Once this permit has been issued, it cannot be simply rescinded when the first dozen formal complaints are filed immediately after the project begins and its impacts become a daily reality for the local community. Rendering that aforementioned point to be moot, the applicant has already made a presumably quite substantial capital investment in the property and its design/application processes to date. They will surely not back down at this point and effectively agree to just waste those significant investments made in earnest without fairly seeking compensation for their losses should the project not be permitted to move forwards into the actual construction phase. The big picture that was wisely alluded to above is that the city of Norwalk has already allowed the process to proceed this far for the applicant, and their financial investments are now very real and have been made in earnest on their part… So basically, this matter can now ultimately only end in a future lawsuit one way or another and we will all be paying for it, again. The permit is rejected, the city invariably gets sued for several million dollars and has to settle it. The Permit is granted, and local residents begin suing for damages and it goes nowhere fruitful. It cannot be put back in the proverbial box now.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/386642-sikh-secessionist-group-reports-modi-govts-attempts-to-criminalise-khalistan-referendum Sikh secessionist group meets UN officials over Modi govt’s attempts to criminalise Khalistan Referendum Thursday Dec 09 2021 Sikhs for Justice leaders speak at a meeting with UN officials. Photo: Courtesy our correspondent Sikhs for Justice calls on UN officials and submits dossier explaining India's tactics and attempts to suppress Sikh separatist movement. Briefs UN officials on Sikhs’ right to self-determination under international law, and India's use of violence, sedition laws against Sikh activists. Says Modi’s "Hindu supremacist government" is enforcing Indian nationalism on Sikhs of India to distort their culture and history. GENEVA: Secessionist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) have submitted a report, 'India’s Criminalization of Khalistan Referendum', to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in a special meeting to inform the international body about India’s attempts to criminalise the entire Khalistan movement, particularly the ongoing Khalistan Referendum. A two-member delegation, comprising SFJ’s General Counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and Council of Khalistan President Dr Bakhshish Singh Sandhu, briefed the UN officials on the Sikhs’ right to self-determination under international law, and the Modi government’s use of violence and sedition laws against Khalistan Referendum activists, in India and abroad. The Sikh representatives informed the UN officials that Modi’s "Hindu supremacist government" is enforcing Indian nationalism on the Sikhs of India to distort their culture and history. They said that the Modi regime is also using various social media platforms to push hyper Indian nationalism and suppress the Khalistan Referendum campaign by blocking the contents and posts advocating for the liberation of Indian Punjab from India through the means of a ballot. The delegation told the officials that Indian security officials have been visiting and meeting the government officials in the UK, Canada, USA and Europe to impress upon the governments to label SFJ as a terrorist entity in a bid to block its Khalistan Referendum activism.

What other sports are popular in Punjab other than hockey and kabaddi ? Do you think parents do not encourage their children much into sports in Punjab ?

@S1ngh Is this really true? Why ? And which are the few cases you are aware of ?

@dallysingh101I'm surprised that there are many Pakistani builders. I've not heard of them before. I live in the suburbs of SE London rather than in/near desi communities, but am aware and have seen many Eastern European and Punjabi builders around here, but never Pakistanis . Are these UK born Pakistanis ? Are you currently labouring ? Why don't you start your own business and ensure more of the 'freshies' don't have to work for others?