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  1. This may seem silly but I have been recieving conflicting information. Does article 25 of indias constitution that states sikhs buddhists and other minorities are sects of Hinduism still in action or exist?
  2. i have a question when the moghuls and prior foreign invaders etc attacked india and took control, before the time of the sikhs, were and what happened to the so called warriors, brahmins etc, why did they not fight or did they just roll over and die like cowards.
  3. [wh.gov] || Stop Obama From Hosting Modi At White House || 100,000 Signatures Needed By August 20. In 2002, Indian PM Modi organized massacre of Muslims in Gujarat. "Mobs of Hindus rampage, rape, loot and kill in a spasm of violence that rages for more than two months. Mothers are skewered, children set afire and fathers hacked to pieces. About 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, are killed. Some 20,000 Muslim homes and businesses and 360 places of worship are destroyed, and roughly 150,000 people are displaced". (New York Times Report of April 16, 2014) In June 1984, BJP instigated military attack on the Golden Temple resulting in the massacre of thousands of Sikh pilgrims. In 2008, BJP orchestrated violence against Christians in Orissa. Instead of hosting Modi at White House, President Obama should condemn Modi and ban BJP for perpetrating violence against Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. While Obama administration and PM office is preparing to forge a new era of Indo-US economic ties, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has initiated a social media campaign in support of its petition to cancel Modi's invitation to the White House. US President Obama has invited PM Modi for a meeting at the White House on September 30. A Facebook advertisement "Sign Petition Stop Obama from hosting Modi {Netanyahu of India}. Don't fund another Israel" sponsored by SFJ has gone viral getting scores of hits every hour. On July 21, SFJ initiated an online petition to the Obama Administration urging to cancel the invitation to PM Modi for his role in 2002 massacre of Muslims in Gujarat. “In June 1984, the BJP instigated the military attack on the Golden Temple, resulting in the massacre of thousands of Sikh pilgrims. In 2008, the BJP orchestrated violence against Christians in Orissa,” the petition alleges. The Facebook ad by rights group targeting Muslims, Sikhs and human rights organizations in the United States urges them to "Sign Petition, Stop Obama". “The fact that world's largest democracy has elected a Prime Minister whose party is known for committing crimes against religious minorities should be a matter of grave concern for the western world”, stated attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun legal advisor to SFJ, “United States which has acknowledged the role of Modi in massacre of Muslims should not host him at the White House”, added Pannun. Terming Modi as Netanyahu of India, attorney Pannun further stated that online petition will be an eye opener for Obama Administration which is ignoring the track record of Modi and his party BJP with regard to treatment of minorities for vested US economic interests. "Instead of hosting Modi at White House, President Obama should condemn Modi and ban BJP for perpetrating violence against Muslims, Sikhs and Christirans" says the White House Petition. So far the online petition urging Obama administration to cancel Modi's invitation has received more than 1200 signatures. The petition requires 100,000 signatures by August 20 to qualify for a response by the White House. Newspapers Coverage: [www.firstpost.com] [www.deccanchronicle.com] [zeenews.india.com] [indianexpress.com] [www.ndtv.com] [www.in.com] [bharatpress.com] [daily.bhaskar.com] [news.oneindia.in] [www.hindustantimes.com] [www.thecitizen.in] [www.greaterjammu.com] [kashmirreader.com] [www.punjabnewstime.com] [www.nation.com.pk]) [www.abplive.in] [www.eni.network24.co] [www.outlookindia.com] [www.indiatvnews.com] Empire State Building 350 Fifth Avenue 59th Floor New York, NY 10118 T: 201.601.2707 F: 201.601.2610 E: support@sikhsforjustice.org
  4. By no means is this post intended to hurt the patriotism of these respective nations, but I just cannot help myself and criticize their education system. In India, under 'the great reformer', BJP, a new educational booklet has been published. The Tejomay Bharat aims to teach: STEM CELL RESEARCH In case you didn’t know this, Stem Cell Research, for example, dates back to the Mahabharat and the Vedic times. The text book explains, by citing the text of the mythological epic-poem which Hindus consider gospel: “… Kunti had a bright son like the sun itself. When Gandhari, who had not been able to conceive for two years, learnt of this, she underwent an abortion. From her womb a huge mass of flesh came out. (Rishi - sage) Dwaipayan Vyas was called. He observed this hard mass of flesh and then he preserved it in a cold tank with specific medicines. He then divided the mass of flesh into 100 parts and kept them separately in 100 tanks full of ghee for two years. After two years, 100 Kauravas were born of it ... This was found in India thousands of years ago.” [Page 92-93, Tejomay Bharat] TELEVISION Of course … it was invented by - er - Hindus - during the Mahabharat times. “Indian rishis using their yog vidya would attain divya drishti. There is no doubt that the invention of television goes back to this… In Mahabharata, Sanjaya sitting inside a palace in Hastinapur and using his divya shakti would give a live telecast of the battle of Mahabharata… to the blind Dhritarashtra”. [Page 64] THE AUTOMOBILE “What we know today as the motorcar existed during the Vedic period. It was called anashva rath. Usually a rath (chariot) is pulled by horses but an anashva rath means the one that runs without horses or yantra-rath, what is today a motorcar. The Rig Veda refers to this…” [Page 60] The 125-page book, Tejomay Bharat, that these passages are excerpted from was recently mandated as supplementary reading by the Gujarat government for all government primary and secondary schools. Published by the Gujarat State School Textbook Board(GSSTB), the book seeks to teach children “facts” about history, science, geography, religion and other “basics”. Tejomay Bharat (literally, Shining India) is to be distributed along with eight books written by Dina Nath Batra, a member of the national executive of Vidya Bharati (Indian Education), the educational wing of the RSS, which is the ideological base of the current government and ruling party. Batra’s books, translated into Gujarati and published by the GSSTB, have also been mandated as supplementary reading by the state government. Each of these books carries a customised message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi (then chief minister), while Batra’s books praise him and the GSSTB. Tejomay Bharat carries a message from Modi praising the GSSTB for republishing the book. The book has chapters such as Adhyatmik Bharat (spiritual India), Akhand Bharat (undivided India), Vigyanmay Bharat (scientific India), and Samarth Bharat (competent India). The book’s content advisor is Harshad Shah, vice-chancellor ofChildrens’ University in Gandhinagar who was Gujarat chairman of Vidya Bharti till 2006. The review committee includes Ruta Parmar and Rekha Chudasama, both associated with Vidya Bharati. Vice-chancellor Shah explains: “Tejomay Bharat gives an insight to students about our rich culture, heritage, spiritualism and patriotism. The language has been kept simple, which is apt for students. These are to be given free of cost to all schools, while 5,000 copies priced at Rs 73 ($1.40) have been prepared for those other than students.” Asked how schools would reconcile the “facts” of Tejomay Bharat with the NCERT syllabus, the Deputy Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Ahmedabad region, P Dev Kumar, said, “Being a government servant, I am here to follow and implement government policies. Though we have not been told of any change in the NCERT curriculum for this academic session, if there is any for the next year, we have to wait and watch.” Tejomay Bharat also objects to the country being called India. “We should not demean ourselves by calling our beloved Bharatbhoomi by the shudra (low-caste) name ‘India’. What right had the British to change the name of this country?… We should not fall for this conspiracy and forget the soul of our country [Page 53].” There’s more. ON BIRTHDAYS “Birthdays should be celebrated by shunning the western culture of blowing candles. Instead, we should follow a purely Indian culture by wearing swadeshi clothes, doing a havan and praying to ishtadev (preferred deity), reciting mantras such as Gayatri mantra, distributing new clothes to the needy, feeding cows, distributing prasad and winding up the day by playing songs produced by Vidya Bharati.” [Page 59] LANGUAGE POLICY “The current language policy allows for the domination of English language which results in Sanskrit being sidelined. By not learning Sanskrit, students will be deprived of the vast knowledge that our epics have on our culture.” “The mother tongue should be the first language with 20 per cent aside for Sanskrit, Hindi should be the second language … and Sanskrit or any other foreign language should be the third language.” [shikshan nu Bhartiyakaran (Indianisation of Education), Chapter on “National Unity and Education“] NATIONAL HOLIDAYS These should include August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, which should be celebrated as “Akhand Bharat Smriti Divas”. Because “Undivided India is the truth, divided India is a lie. Division of India is unnatural and it can be united again… MAP OF INDIA Drawing a map of India? Make sure you include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. These are part of undivided India or “Akhand Bharat”. [Page 49] * * * * * If the name Dina Nath Batra, the author of these brilliant text books, rings a bell, there’s a reason why. Batra’s civil suit earlier this year had led to the pulping of American scholar Wendy Doniger’s book on Hinduism. Batra asked India’s Supreme Court to ban the book. Penguin, the publisher, caved in and withdrew the book, promising to destroy all of the copies left in stock. (Courtesy of the Times of India). Then we have the Pasthuns in Pakistan attempting to reintegrate themselves in the Afghani psyche and claiming they have been the perpetual victors in any conflict which they have engaged in. http://historyofpashtuns.blogspot.com/2014/07/afghan-sikh-wars.html?m=1 (the bright spark beyond this posted this on a thread in this forum). Myths and facts with the facts hidden. http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/75089-battle-of-saragarhi-myths-and-facts/ Indian battles with Pakistan: Who won Kargill? In Pakistan you will most likely be told Pakistan. It may surprise you that under Maharajah Ranjit Singh 68-72 Bungas (Twarikh-E-Amritsar) ringed Darbar Sahib teaching an unbiased curriculum in philosophy, Gurmat, Vedanta, Islamic philosophy etc. Islamic schools in Batala and Sialkot, under the patronage of Ranjit Singh, ran famed courses which were attended by students from Arabia, Persia etc. Ironically that, and the colonial period, is probably the last time in sub-continental history that education remained free of religious bigotry, and political radicalism.
  5. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh Panaji, Goa (July 25, 2014): There is no stopping Goa ministers who have been sparking controversies with their statements for the past few days. Now, Goa Deputy Chief Minister Francis D’Souza has backed minister Deepak Dhavalikar’s views on ‘Hindu nation’. “India is a Hindu nation, it’s Hindustan, all Indians in Hindustan are Hindu. I am a Christain Hindu, so there is no question of making it a Hindu nation,” D’Souza said. Triggering a controversy, Goa minister Deepak Dhavalikar had on yesterday said, “I am confident that under the leadership of Modiji, India will develop into a Hindu nation. Prime Minister will work in this regard is what I feel,” he said. He made the statement on the floor of the Assembly on Thursday. He was speaking during a motion congratulating the Prime Minister on Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) victory in the Lok Sabha elections. Reacting to the shocking statement, Congress demanded a clarification from the Prime Minister and the Goa Chief Minister on the issue. “This shows the hidden agenda of the BJP. CM must clarify if he agrees with Dhavalikar’s comments. The PM who always tweets on every issue should react to the statement as well,” Goa Congress spokesperson Durgadas Kamat said. Dipak Dhavalikar is member of Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party, an ally of BJP, and ministers in the Manohar Parrikar government. This rhetoric shows that Sikhs are neither recognized, wanted or part of India. The brahmin hindutva taliban snake is rising from the shadows.
  6. Sangat Jee Please watch and share the latest video of RajoanaTV below; a fiery exploration into how Parkash Badal and his Akali Dal have built a Kingdom upon the blood and tears of thousands of Panjabi's. Watch to see how and why an immoral, criminal, anti-Sikh rabble managed to rule Panjab as a 'Panthic Government' for a 5th term spanning over 40 years. Akalis, once revered as the troops of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, defenders of faith and nation in times are now a brigade of treacherous, drunken, crooked deviants who violate the basic tenets of Sikhi on a daily basis. Despite this, Badal reigns supreme and will he be elected again?!
  7. Upcoming Smagams in NCR http://kathakeertan.org/index.php
  8. India leads global arms imports along with China and Pakistan, as US and Russia maintain dominance in exports. India remains the worlds largest arms buyer by a huge margin, even as regional rivalries spur the flow of arms to other countries in Asia, according to a report released Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). India increased its arms imports by 111 percent in the past five years compared with 200408, and it now accounts for 14 percent of the worlds arms imports. The mainly Russian-supplied flow of arms to India dwarfs the imports of its regional rivals China and Pakistan, the second- and third-largest buyers. There is money, there is threat perception, and there is a willingness of exporters to supply weapons, said Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with SIPRI Arms Transfers Program and a co-author of the report. The United States and Russia dominate arms exports over half the market, combined but their business has diversified and shifted focus from Europe toward emerging world powers such as India, Brazil and China. Even as European imports declined by a full quarter over the past five years, the volume of global arms sales climbed 14 percent in 2009 through 2013 compared with the previous five-year period, SIPRI found. Because arms sales fluctuate year to year, SIPRI uses a five-year average to provide a more stable measure of trends. By a substantial margin, Asia witnessed the greatest growth in arms imports. The region buys 47 percent of the globes major weapons. Among the bigger importers is South Korea, which ranked eighth in that period, reflecting both the countrys burgeoning economic prowess and rising tensions with North Korea. The South has devoted its considerable defense spending to being able to detect and destroy North Korean missiles, SIPRI said. But the global arms-importing trifecta consists of three Asian countries that eye each other with constant suspicion: India, Pakistan and China. Though India went on the biggest buying spree in the world, Pakistan has boosted its weapons imports by 119 percent and now ranks third in the world behind China, which has gained a foothold in high-tech arms exports as well. Relations between India and Pakistan have been hostile since they split in 1947, a history punctuated by several wars and an ongoing border dispute in the Kashmir region, but Chinas recent efforts to expand its regional military presence are viewed as especially threatening. Chinas naval modernization is starting to infringe on the Indian Ocean, which India considers its backyard, Wezeman said. Thats why you see both countries expanding naval forces slowly and carefully toward Southeast Asia. Indias arms-buying is also explained by the countrys failure to satisfy its appetite for weaponry through domestic production. A growing India still depending on foreign companies for a substantial part of our defense needs is not a happy situation, the countrys Defense Minister A.K. Antony admitted at a defense expo in New Delhi last month. Of the worlds top 10 weapons buyers, India has the second-lowest domestic production, trailing only Saudi Arabia. Most analysts place the blame on poor infrastructure, limited real estate and civil sector corruption. But the threat of imminent war is not the only factor that motivates the hoarding of high-tech arms. India, it sees itself as a regional power, if not a world power, Wezeman said. When you have those ambitions, that requires some military powers or muscle that you can show off. Otherwise, its not really power. So prestige does play a role in weapons acquisition. Global stature also appears to motivate Brazils climbing weapons imports, despite the relative placidity of South America. With one of the world's fastest-growing economies, Brazil has sought to build on its role as the most powerful nation on the continent. As it charts that course, it has increased weapons imports by 65 percent in 2009 through 2013 versus 2004 through 2008. That includes an order for 36 combat aircraft from Sweden for $4.8 billion and four submarines from France for $9.7 billion. Brazil has announced plans to replace its aircraft carrier, the only one in South America. You ask yourself, what is that good for? It fits a prestige role much better than anything else, Wezeman said. Other regions where arms buying has picked up include the Persian Gulf (called the Arabian Gulf by some Arab nations), home to the fourth- and fifth-largest importers in the world, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Conflict-ridden African states like Sudan and Uganda also witnessed huge increases in 2009 through 2013 compared with the previous period. Europe, the only region to observe a sharp decline arms imports, has faced limited threats to its stability as well as a long-running eurozone economic crisis, which has contracted spending in most countries. But that all may change considering how Russia is using missile policy toward Ukraine, Wezeman said. It has already lead to discussions in Poland and Sweden about whether those countries actually have enough missiles to deal with a more assertive Russia. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/3/17/india-still-worldslargestarmsbuyerasasianrivalriesheatup.html
  9. On 1 March outside the Ludhiana Courthouse, a seminar took place that was arranged by the Peoples Movement Against UAPA. Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur took on the role of stage secretary and among those in attendance were; Jatinder Singh, a scholar from Punjab University, Kamal Faloqui, Advocate Rajvinder Singh Bains and Professor P Koyia. India introduced its first black law in 1967 known as the UAPA Act which allowed the State to curtail the following rights of citizens who it deemed were not acting in the national interest • freedom of speech and expression • right to assemble peaceably and without arms • right to form associations or unions. The Congress Party introduced the Act at a time when the State of India was in turmoil. Indira Gandhi’s grip on power was under threat. India had only just emerged from two wars with China and Pakistan, the economy was in crisis, the political system was in crisis and the Congress Party itself was in crisis. There were new strands of opposition emerging and gaining in strength. The Congress Party could not see how to avoid their inevitable failure at the next elections, so they created an atmosphere whereby, anyone who raised a voice was labelled as an enemy of the State and then could be booked under the UAPA Act. Later in 1985, the TADA Act was introduced and was used to suppress anyone who raised a voice against the Indian State’s actions specifically in Punjab. The Act gave wide powers to law enforcement agencies for dealing with so called terrorists and 'socially disruptive' activities in the following ways; • An accused person could be detained up to 1 year • Confessions made to police officers were admissible as evidence in the court of law, with the burden of proof being on the accused to prove his/her innocence. • Secret Courts were set up exclusively, to hear the cases and deliver judgments pertaining to the persons accused under this Act. • A person could be detained under this act on the mere suspicion (no evidence was required) that an individual may perform an act not in the national interest. TADA effectively gave the Police, powers to accuse anyone without evidence, to be an enemy of the state. Any government who puts its citizens first, would not grant such powers, even to a police force with an exemplary human rights record. In India, where the police are known for their corruption and inability, the outcome of TADA was predictable and brutal, yet the politicians enthusiastically endorsed it. In the decade that the Act was in force, the Punjab Police imprisoned, tortured and used blackmail to illicit money from victims and their families. The fact that their actions could not be questioned under this Act, further emboldened them to rape and murder large numbers of Sikhs in the Punjab. The Act was scrapped in 1995 but many Sikhs charged under the Act still remain in prison today. Next, India introduced the POTA Act in 2002 and after strong opposition it was removed in 2004. The same provisions as the TADA Act applied, except for the fact a person could not be convicted on mere suspicion of activities not in the national interest. Also in 2004, the UAPA Act which still remains on the statute book, was given more bite and as recently as 2008 and 2012, further amendments were made to contain many of the provisions of the POTA Act. Each time these Acts are introduced the Government gives assurances that there are in-built safeguards against abuse, but given India’s abysmal human rights record, their primary use is to target anyone who raises a legitimate voice against the activities of the Police or the endemic corruption in Indian society. Rajvinder Singh Bains, who is a well known Senior Advocate and member of the SOPW legal team in India, stated that the UAPA Act has been used in Punjab since 2009. Currently in Punjab, there are 50 cases registered under UAPA, 80 Sikhs imprisoned under this Act and 50 prisoners are on parole, who have been charged under UAPA. He cited the cases of Daljit Singh Bittu and Kuldip Singh Barapind as examples of how the Act has been misused and how Barapind, who is a democratically elected SGPC member, has been imprisoned for the past year and a half. Everyone was urged to understand and raise awareness of the UAPA Act, which is being used to surpress and subdue the common man who raises a voice for his/her rights – be it a farmer, a labourer or a community activist. We all need to unite in opposition to these Acts and make the wider community aware of their misuse – come join the People’s Movement Against UAPA at the National Conference taking place on Wednesday 5 March 2014 at theTalkatora Stadium in New Delhi. Sikh Organisation For Prisoners Welfare (SOPW)
  10. Last week the National Investigations Agency (NIA) team arrived again at one of our senior team member Bhai Parminder Singhs home. They asked that he accompany them and their Panjab police officers to the homes of each of the prisoners supported by SOPW so the families could be ‘questioned’. Parminder Singh flatly refused to travel anywhere with the Government officials and as a result he was threatened with arrest by the NIA officials. Parminder Singh became a key member of the SOPW India team after he was released from jail in 2010. He had been held on remand accused of arms possession and attempted murder at Nabha Jail 2007. When his case finally reached court he was acquitted of the charge of attempted murder but found guilty of arms possession. He always strenuously denied all the charges registered against him and explained the arms which he was charged with possessing were in fact ‘planted’ at his house by Panjab police officers prior to his arrest. SOPW supported Parminder Singh while he was in Jail and while his mother was very ill and alone at home. During his time in prison he saw for himself the remarkable seva undertaken by SOPW and the huge difference it made to the lives of the prisoners. It was then that he promised his fellow Sikh political prisoners, some of who were serving lengthy sentences that upon his release he too would join the SOPW team and continue to take the message of the plight of Gursikh prisoners languishing in jails to the rest of the world. Similar to Bhai Balbir Singh Bains who founded SOPW, Parminder Singh was also severely tortured and then thrown into prison without any legal support. When SOPW were made aware of his case we immediately began the process of support and lawyers were instructed to take the case to court. It has been over three years since Parminder Singh was freed but due to the levels of torture inflicted upon him he has never returned to his former level of fitness. Since his release he has been blighted by periods of ill health and despite our pleas to him that he should take time to rest and seek medical advice for his condition he spends all day fulfilling his panthic duties. If he is not meeting with prisoners or their families he is organising the SOPW teams for forthcoming projects or meeting with lawyers or other Panthic figures. Frequent visits to Prisons far from home means he often returns home late at night and is out to work again at the crack of dawn. Often we find he has spent the night sleeping in local Gurdware or even on bus stand bench’s waiting for the next bus to arrive the next morning on which to travel home. The little time he then has at home is spent caring for his ill mother or writing up reports for us to share with the Sangat. His own health and well being is always bottom of his list of priorities. Given Parminder Singh’s own experiences of the Indian authorities, the National Investigation Agency’s request that he accompany them to what he believes is a cross examinations of prisoner families, he felt was an insult. He explained that under no circumstances would he ever wish to be seen riding around in police vehicles, sipping cups of tea and appearing to be on friendly terms with them. He went on to say any police force or agency employed by the corrupt Indian Government could never have the best interests of poor or suffering citizens at heart. He believed the officers would happily sink to any moral depths to please their superiors and therefore links with such people he felt amounted to nothing less than treachery. He told the officers that if they felt it was compulsory that he accompanied them then they would need to handcuff and forcibly take him but refused to be seen willingly associating with them. Enraged at Parminder Singh’s stand, the professional guise that the new NIA department hide behind suddenly fell apart and out came the all too familiar Indian Police behaviour for which they are notoriously known. The officers threatened Parminder Singh with arrest and 10 days remand which we know means ten days torture in an interrogation centre, hidden away from the public and more importantly the media’s attention. Parminder Singh has become well versed with the antics of the NIA, it was only last year that they thoroughly investigated the work of SOPW and the team fully co-operated, providing all evidence of financial transactions and documents relating to the registry of the charity etc. However months later having left no stone unturned in their investigation the NIA found not a shred of evidence to support the ludicrous accusations by the Indian Government that SOPW fund ‘terrorists’ and the investigation was scaled and the NIA returned to Delhi empty handed. However in recent weeks the NIA appear to have invented new grounds to escalate their investigation again and are back in Panjab sniffing for anything that could lead to the work of SOPW to be halted and the Sikh prisoners and their families to be left destitute. Time and time again and through various channels we have invited the NIA officials to come forward and facilitate a meeting with senior members and trustees of SOPW so this matter can be resolved once and for all. SOPW take threats and attempts of intimidation towards any of our team members extremely seriously. This matter has now been passed to our legal team who will investigate this new phase of harassment by the NIA towards our team, our prisoners and the families we support. Sikh Organisation For Prisoners Welfare (SOPW)
  11. email the following letter to your local MP, the PM, email wgad@ohchr.org and newyork@ohchr.org urging them to take action. Honorable Sirs & Madams: I am writing to file a complaint and urgent appeal to secure the release of Sikh Prisoners of Conscience who are being deprived of their liberty by being imprisoned in India for years beyond the sentenced term of prison in egregious violation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international law. Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa, a Sikh rights Activist is on continuous hunger strike since November 14 demanding the release of Sikh prisoners of conscience who are being illegally detained and deprived of their liberty by the Government of India. On November 14, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa went on the hunger strike to secure the release of Gurmeet Singh; Lakhwinder Singh; Shamsher Singh; Lal Singh; Wariam Singh; and Gurdeep Singh Khaira. These prisoners of conscience are being detained beyond their sentenced terms and the Indian authorities have not released them even after the completion of their prison term. Each of these individuals is in continuous detention for a period ranging from 18 to 23 years, a period which is way in excess of the 14 years sentence imposed on them. A review of the each of these cases reveals that they fall under "Category I" cases as identified by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. According to the Working Group's mandate, "Category I" cases are those where: "t is clearly impossible to invoke any legal basis justifying the deprivation of liberty (as when a person is kept in detention after the completion of his sentence or despite an amnesty law applicable to him)" As per the mandate of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions as established by resolution 1991/42 of the former Commission on Human Rights, an immediate action is warranted in this case by the Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions. The actions of Indian government related to continuous arbitrary detention of Sikh Prisoners of Conscience violate every norm of democracy, Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International laws. If the ongoing practice of illegal and arbitrary detention of Sikhs goes unchecked, it will result in another era of unrest, torture, illegal detentions, enforced disappearances and extra judicial killings of Sikhs, a religious minority, as it happened to them during 1984-98 which has been extensively documented by United Nations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. I, therefore, urge you to: * SECURE the release of Sikh Prisoners of Conscience Gurmeet Singh; Lakhwinder Singh; Shamsher Singh; Lal Singh; Wariam Singh; and Gurdeep Singh Khaira and save the life of Sikh activist Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa who is on continuous Hunger Strike since November 14 Submitted by: Your Name
  12. NEW DELHI: According to a survey conducted by Indian government, among various religious groups, Muslims have the lowest living standard with the average per capita expenditure of just Rs 32.66 in a day. The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that the survey had shown that at the other end of the spectrum, Sikh community enjoys a much better lifestyle as the average per capita spending among them is Rs 55.30 per day, while the same for Hindus is Rs 37.50. For Christians it is Rs 51.43. "At all-India level, the average monthly per capita expenditure (MPCE) of a Sikh household was Rs 1,659 while that for a Muslim household was Rs 980 in 2009-10," said an NSSO study titled 'Employment and Unemployment Situation Among Major Religious Groups in India'. The average household MPCE is a proxy for income and reflects that living standards of a family. According to the study, the average MPCE for Hindus and Christians were Rs1,125 and Rs1,543, respectively. The survey said that average monthly per capita consumption at all-India level was Rs 901 in villages and Rs1,773 in cities. Overall, the average MPCE was Rs 1,128. Muslims were at the bottom in rural areas, with an average MPCE of Rs 833, followed by Hindus at Rs 888, Christians at Rs1,296 and Sikhs 1,498. In urban areas, Muslims' average MPCE was also the lowest at Rs 1,272 followed by Hindus at Rs 1,797, Christians Rs 2,053 and Sikhs at Rs 2,180. http://www.geo.tv/article-114570-Muslims-have-lowest-while-Sikhs-enjoy-highest-living-standard-in-India
  13. Sadh Sangat Ji I'm going to India today in a few hours!!! I'm so excited that I can't sleep!! Sorry, but this had to be posted.
  14. Whats your views? although i doint like bjp or modi I think its essential to have someone like him in india to reverse the islamification of the land. Last thing we want in a few decades time is another islamic take over of India which will deny every non-muslims to live with freedom and dignity.
  15. With futuristic warfare in mind, India is working to develop robotic soldiers as part of efforts to boost unmanned fighting capabilities, joining a select group of countries in this endeavour. Under the project being undertaken by DRDO, robots would be developed with very high level of intelligence to enable them to differentiate between a threat and a friend. These can then be deployed in difficult warfare zones, like the Line of Control (LoC), a step that would help avert the loss of human lives. "We are going to work for robotic soldiers. We are going to look for very high level of intelligence in it than what we are talking today... It is a new programme and a number of labs are already working in a big way on robotics," DRDO chief Avinash Chander said in an interview. The newly-appointed DRDO chief listed the project for development of robotic soldiers as one of his "priority thrust areas" saying that "unmanned warfare in land and air is the future of warfare. Initially the robotic soldier may be assisting the man." He said in the initial phase of the project, the robotic soldier would be required to be told by the human soldier to identify an enemy or a combatant but "slowly in due course of time, the robotic soldier would be at the front end and the human soldier would be assisting him." Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/india-drdo-developing-robotic-soldiers-to-replace-humans-in-warfare/1/279226.html
  16. Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh, Dear Sadh Sangat Ji, Thanks for helping me with my last gupt post....( Help! My Life, Naam Kamai And Gur Sikhi Prachar ) With the Grace of Guru Sahib ji , i have decided to do SEVA and help SIKHS living in Remote Areas of Rajasthan (Pakistan Border Area) India and SIKHS living along with Ghaghar River.... !!! PLEASE POST YOUR SUGGETION, COMMENTS about this Project !!! We will need Support and Fundraising help from Sikh Sangat. The Ghaghar River flows through Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar District towards Pakistan. This river is named Ghaghar River because it was use to flow like A women wearing Skirt doing Whirly dance. Water spins very fast due to whirly effect and it starts cutting the soil/ shores and many kilometres long land will suddenly get sunk into river water. Story of this Area : It is said that one day Dasven Patshah Dhan Dhan Sti Guru Gobind Singh ji was going through this area with his Sikhs. Guru ji and sikhs started to cross the Ghaghar river in Bedis and 40 Sikhs of Guru ji stuck in the Ghumangheri (swirling water), sunk, and died. This happened between two places known as Malla Tibba and Jhanda Tibba. Guru ji then gave Shrap to the Ghaghar river that - O River You will Dry one day, my Sikhs will come here, they will Rip your chest and they will do khethi ( farming) on your chest. River asked in reply Sachhe patshah when i will flow again. Guru ji said you will flow very occasionally. Since after that many Sikhs settled in this area and started doing farming Inside and along the river. I was born and grown in this area. I have seen countless number of farms ( even many villages) are actually inside the river flow area ( or between both shores of the river) When heavy rain comes in Punjab , they put excessive water into Ghaghar river ( it happens 2-3 times in every 5-7 years) and it supplies minerals and water for farming properties in the river. This area is Mini Punjab of Rajasthan. Coz it gives a big amount of crops (Wheat, Cotton, Mustard, Pulses, etc.), fruits like orange, sugar cans and other things to Whole Rajasthan. Sadly - There is NO GOVERNMENT SUPPORT to this area, no facilities, not very good hospitals, not good education, bad roads, even not enough volume of water is supplied trough Farming Canals due to Politics of Rajasthan government. This area is self developed by local people. When farmers put their seeds in their fields, government cuts down the water supply form many days to months. About Sikhs living in the Area and common issues: Most Sikhs are farmer. There is no Gur Sikhi Prachar in the Area, Most Sikhs have forgotten their real Values and going on the path of Patit Puna. Don’t ask about Young Generation. There is Theka (bottle shop) in every small village. But this area is far away from big intoxications / drugs. Killing of Unborn Daughters in Sikh Families is very common in this area. Rude culture / DAWRY system - Grooms Family asking for Meat, Chickens, Branded Wines, Car/Motorbikes, Cash and arrangements of Female Dancers is very common. Needs: There is a big need of Gur Sikhi Prachar and to develop personal links with Sikhs in the area. There is a big demand for a good Hospital. Closet good hospital with emergency facilities PMB (prince bijaysingh memorial) hospital, Bikaner. Which is 163kms away from Gharsana, 186kms from Anupgarh. Distance calcution Source: http://www.distances...sana/164793/r3/ Sikh Awareness. Our project (currently on rough paper) : Stage #1 1. Starting a Good Hospital: Mothers & chalderns - priority Emergency facilities - priority Aged and Youth - secondary 2. Guru Ghar and Gurmat Prachar center: Organizing Gurmat Samagams and Amrit sanchars Build a team and organize personal link with Sikhs in area( hear problems and seek solutions) Preparing teams tyar bartyar Young Gur Sikhs for prachar Preparing Gur Sikhs to help in project Sikh Awareness – against Pakhandi Saaadhs/gurus, against intoxications, Sikh school & Taksaal ( inside Guru Ghar) for Gurmat Education, Santhya and kiratan learning for FREE Stage #2 3. Gurmat FM Radio Station: a. Setup a Gurmat FM Radio Station b. Broadcasting Gurbani, Kiratan , Katha and Katha done by Giani Thakur Singh ji ( DDT) and / or similar level katha to preach the message and values given by Guru ji c. distribute free FM radio receivers ( pre programed to receive only Gurmat Radio ) d. Sikh Awareness 4. Scheduled Monthly Samagams: Helping poor Sikh families and organizing Sikh marriage samagams Inviting various Raagi/keertani Jathas, Pracharks/kathavachaks , Dhadhi Jathas in every Samagam Amrit Sanchar & Naam Kamai, Gurmat Smagams Akhand Paaths of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Stage #3 5. Helping locals facing Water and Irrigation problems: Helping locals by Organizing Underground Water bore wells. For areas with Salty and Undrinkable water : Organizing Free Akhand Paaths and or Sri Sukhamni Sahibs, doing Ardaas and then arranging Underground Water bore wells . 6. Free Surgery Camps: Free Surgeries such as Eye, Dental, etc... Camps. Location: Location will be either Gharsana or Anupgarh or in between (Sri Ganganagar District, Rajasthan, India) Covered Area: (Sri Ganganagar District) Gharsana and rural Anupgarah and rural Ramsingh pur Sri Vijaynagar and villages around Suratgarh and villages around Raisingh nagar and rural Padampur and surrounding area Some areas of Chhatargarh (Bikaner District) Cost: Approximate: US $ 450,000 Sources of Donation: Sikh sangat of USA, CANADA, UK, AUSTRALIA Local Sikh sangat Online donations (for hospital) Crowd funding DDT Money collected trough personal links, Gurmat samagam Special: There is good prasang I cant remember which Paatsahi ( i think Patsahi 6) had a group of 1000 Sikhs. Whenever a Sikh wanted to build a house , Guru ji and sadh sangat will go to that Sikh's house and sadh sangat will give him 1 rupee and 1 brick , thus that Sikh will have 1000 Rupees and 1000 bricks to build his house. So please help ! Send your comments, suggetions about this project. Tell us how we can improve and fundraise. Links: Tehsilwise Map: http://www.mapsofind...ganganagar.html Road Map: http://www.mapsofind.../ganganagar.htm Sex Ratio Map (See Sri Gaganagar District) http://www.mapsofind...-sex-ratio.html
  17. Interesting scenario shaping up with china's peoples liberation army allegedly incurring into Indian land? I was thinking the India media is telling the truth maybe china did invade 19km into indian ladkh but then now im thinking its all geo-politics with america fingering Indian govt and in turn the indian media barking like it usually does to get the indian population to protest all to make a fuss about nothing in order to check china's lack of action on north korea (its ally). And thus the net result will be america will have closer ties with India. It's also interesting for us Sikhs who want to have a separate nation state as only with China invading and having a war with the Indian army will nations seeking self governance like khalistan can rise up to liberate themselves from the Indian Union. Whats your analysis?
  18. www.walkfree.org/share/indiachildslaverypetition Last year, politicians in India passed up on the chance to protect millions of children from the nightmare of modern slavery. The Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill would prohibit the employment of children up until 14 years of age and yet, the Indian Parliament failed to put it to a vote during its session last December. Every day that this bill is delayed, the children of India remain at risk of being bought and sold to work in unimaginable conditions of sex slavery, bonded labour and domestic servitude. Child rights groups in India and the rest of the world have called on the Indian Parliament to prioritise the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill but we need your help to build massive public pressure that leaders in India cannot ignore. Let's join to ask Indian politicians to pass the Child and Adolescent Labour Abolition Bill.
  19. Fateh . . . Interesting article in case unseen. 'We'd be better off if we'd been born in India' http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/economic-slump-leaves-households-in-%E2%80%98war-time%E2%80%99-era-171959991.html Fateh . . .
  20. Use of tobacco is injurious to health. Guru Sahib prohibited it in 1699. History of tobacco and its use in india/world, want to know more.
  21. This article seems to praise Gujurat and BJP while casting aspersions on Punjabis (code word for Sikh I think) and Pakistan (Muslim).. I have put in some select parts below... http://opinion.financialpost.com/2013/04/16/worker-visas-that-work/ Much of this is the result of a generally poor quality of educated immigrants whose skills do not fit our labour market needs. ........... Consider the origin of most immigrants. According to Canadian immigrations statistics, until 2004 Pakistan, with one tenth the population of India, supplied half as many immigrants to Canada. While many immigrants do come to Canada from India, there are strong indications that many arrive from less industrially and technologically advanced regions of India. A huge number of Indian immigrants to Canada arrive from the agricultural state of Punjab. The Canadian consulate in Punjab has experienced the highest rates of fraudulent applications, many times higher than in Delhi. Punjab is not a major center of industry and technological development in India. In contrast, most Indian immigrants to the U.S. arrive from Gujurat. This state is one of India’s most industrially powerful, with a government that has been rated internationally by the Fraser Institute as the most efficient and corruption-free in the country. Many other technology professionals originate in South India, where the technology capital of Bangalore is administered by the same BJP party which runs Gujurat.
  22. April 1st is #IndiaFools Day. http://t.co/SfqdPngjOg Please kindly share on FB, Twitter, Blogs, Email. #AprilFools #India #Punjab
  23. http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=12646&wfs=true 11:30 to 14:00, the Kesri Lehar Campaign, Early Day Motion 296, discussed in the House of Commons UK at 11:30am on 28/02/2013.
  24. Very interesting picture. It seems to have been taken after the Operation had been finished and any survivors arrested and transported away. It is one of the pictures released to the media at large in order to confirm Brar's statement, "we went in with barefeet." Yet previous photos on this thread contradict him. Not this thread I mean the rare Sikh pictures one.
  25. Guest

    What to do?

    What can I do in India?Im going this march 1. The places I already am going: Jawaddi Taksal Bhindran Kala and I'm gonna meet sant baba Mohan Singh Ji there. Raqbe Nihangs in Ludhiana Mehro Nihang Singhs In moga. Patiala Gurduwaras Baba Bakala Nihangs Harian Bela Nihangs Mehta Chownk Sisters Wedding Harimandar Sahib Sur Singh Nihangs Talwandi Sabo Damdama Sahib Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib Where else can I go?Which mahapurkhs can I meet? I'm staying in India for two months.
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