'Good' Politicians

[Premi5]

This one is for @shastarSinghJi

You live in India. 

On a Punjab level, who do you believe (if any !) are the best politicians for Sikh interests?

I am aware that Captain's family have been blessed with Guru's Kirpa for good they did hundreds of years ago, and he is in the Patiala ' Royal ' family but not well liked.

Badals are not well thought to be representing Sikhs well

Majithia family have some ancestor(s) who did good for Sikhi.

Who are the good MLA's who are doing work on social injustice and promoting Sikh rights?

 

Outside of Punjab, what do you think of Manjinder Singh Sirsa and Manjit Singh GK?

 

The Bihar Chief Minister seems to respect Sikhs and has made it good for Sikhs wanting Darshan of Patna Sahib

 

What do you think of other National Parties and Politicians towards Sikhs?

[Premi5]

 

https://theprint.in/opinion/from-paharganj-to-vivek-vihar-sikh-leaders-in-delhi-are-renaming-themselves-to-stand-out/720745/

From Paharganj to Vivek Vihar, Sikh leaders in Delhi are renaming themselves to stand out

Welcome the new brand of Sikh leaders in New Delhi who are in a tearing hurry to add the name of their neighbourhood to their real names.

VIVEK SHUKLA 24 August, 2021 11:38 am IST

 

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. | Nicolás Pérez/Wikimedia Commons | Representational image

Vivek Vihar and Greater Kailash are discussing strategy with their supporters for an upcoming Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee election. As perplexing as it sounds, Vivek Vihar and Greater Kailash are a part of the names of known Sikh leaders in Delhi.

When two known Sikh leaders of the capital meet, they do not address each other by their names. Instead, they use their appended names. It can range from Rohini to Paharganj, from Vivek Vihar to Greater Kailash (GK).

Welcome to the brand new world of Sikh leaders of the capital, who are in a tearing hurry to append the name of their area with their real names.

A Sikh’s quest to be different

Balbir Singh Vivek Vihar, who is on the boards of many governing bodies of Sikh colleges and schools, says that he appended Vivek Vihar to his name a couple of years ago to be different.

“There were close to ten Balbir Singhs in my area. They all have known me for ages. As I have been doing the politics of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), I thought I must do something to be different. After discussing the issue with my family and friends, I decided that I should add ‘Vivek Vihar’ to my name. I have been staying here for a long time and now people easily recognise me with my new name,” he tells me. Vivek Vihar was mentioned even in his children’s marriage cards. He is happy that he is now easily recognised in Delhi.

Kuldeep Singh Bhogal was perhaps the first Sikh leader in the capital to append his name with that of his area. His claim was not challenged by anybody, he says, recalling the story behind his new name even though it has been a long time since he added ‘Bhogal’.

“It was at the behest of Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal that I added Bhogal to my name. We gave him a rousing welcome at Bhogal in 1985 when he came to meet the victims of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 in Delhi. Santji had never imagined that he would get such a great reception. Before leaving Delhi, he asked me to add Bhogal to my name,” he says. “I am more popular as Bhogal than my original name in the political circles of the capital.” Bhogal is a senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal.

Meanwhile, Greater Kailash resident Manjit Singh has settled for Manjit Singh GK. He is an old hand of Sikh politics in Delhi. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who is a veteran of Delhi politics, is also happy to add ‘Sirsa’ to his name, it is the city in Haryana from where he hails.

A Sikh social activist and businessman, Avtar Singh is now Avtar Singh Jhilmil Colony. “My life has changed for good since I became Avtar Singh Jhilmil Colony,” he tells me. His close friend suggested that he add ‘Jhilmil Colony’ to his name to stand out from the crowd. “Now, my friends and other business partners call me Jhilmil veer ji rather than Avtar ji or Avtar paaji.” Avtar Singh has also shown the way for others. “Two, three friends followed me — they became Hardeep Singh Shahdara and Kirpal Singh Janakpuri.”

Old practice in New Delhi

It is an old practice among Jat Sikhs in Punjab to append the name of their village to their names. Who has not heard the names of Sikh leaders like Kairon, Barnala, Badal and Ajnala? But what about leaders like GK, Vivek Vihar, Rohini, Kalka and Govindpuri Sahib? It does not matter if their “pind” is left behind in Punjab — many well-known Sikhs of Delhi have solved their identity crisis by substituting their old village surname with that of their current residential area.

Punjabi poet Dr Harmit Singh has appended Paharganj with his name for the last couple of years. He says, “Sikhism and the followers of Guru Gobind Singhji do not believe in caste system at all. I feel that by discarding their traditional surnames and adding their locality names, the Sikh leaders are doing a kind of service to make our society free from the scourge of caste.”

Manjit Singh Calcutta is another prominent Sikh from the capital. A Delhiite since 1976, he is probably the only Sikh in India to be called “Calcutta”. He was also a member of the DSGMC.

Another person to change their name is Manjit Singh Govindpuri. With a smile on his face, Manjit Singh, who runs an air-conditioning business, says the people of his area now call him by his adopted surname — Govindpuri.

Rajinder Singh Techno TV is an innovative gentleman. Unlike Messrs Bhogal, Tagore Garden or Rohini, he has been using the name of his Techno TV manufacturing company. “Because I am well-known in West Delhi as the owner of Techno TV, I thought I should include this with my real name”, he says.

It goes without saying that those who are doing politics among Sikhs in the capital are appending names of their areas, want to be different from others. Almost all of them admit that with their brand new names, they are creating a niche for themselves.

Vivek Shukla is a veteran bilingual journalist with over three decades of experience. He loves to read and write on Delhi, South Asia, Indian diaspora and architecture. He is also the author of the book ‘Gandhi’s Delhi: April 12, 1915-January 30, 1948 and Beyond’. Views are personal.

(Edited by Srinjoy Dey)

[shastarSingh]

I am not that knowledgeable about politics.

I don't see any panthic sikh mla.

Bains brothers and bhagwant mann are emaandaar and solve the local problems of people.

Navjot sidhu is emaandaar but doesn't have a fixed stand and is bit opportunist.

I don't like both sirsa and gk.

Outside punjab, akhilesh yadav, son of mulayam yadav is very friendly with sikhs.

[shastarSingh]

There is no panthic political party.

But at present people in India and punjab are in great economic distress.

Even if Sikhs can't find a panthic political party, a political party which can uplift Sikhs economically will be good under present circumstances.

If a party can provide cheap or free electricity, build good public schools and hospitals, it will be good for punjab.

Kejriwal has practically done the above in delhi

[Premi5]

8 minutes ago, shastarSingh said:

 

I don't like both sirsa and gk.

Outside punjab, akhilesh yadav, son of mulayam yadav is very friendly with sikhs.

Sirsa 'seems' like a good person to my limited knowledge/opinion. Why not GK ?

UP has a lot of Muslims . What is the Sikh population like, and why is Akhliesh Yadav friendly with Sikhs ?

[shastarSingh]

I hv strong dislike for badals. Isn't sirsa in badal group?

My farm in up is in shahjahan district which is full of Punjabi sikh farmers and they tell me that akhilesh is really friendly and helpful to Sikhs.

They say bjp is worst.

They say even Congress is better than bjp.

[Premi5]

How do you think non-Sikhs in UP see Sikhs ?

Which district in Punjab is your family originally from ?

[shastarSingh]

1 hour ago, Premi5 said:

How do you think non-Sikhs in UP see Sikhs ?

Which district in Punjab is your family originally from ?

I live in Ludhiana. I hv been born and brought up in Ludhiana.

When I go to my farm in UP, both Hindus and Muslims have been very respectful and friendly with me.

Not all Hindus are shiv Sena RSS types.

[Premi5]

7 minutes ago, shastarSingh said:

I live in Ludhiana. I hv been born and brought up in Ludhiana.

When I go to my farm in UP, both Hindus and Muslims have been very respectful and friendly with me.

Not all Hindus are shiv Sena RSS types.

My family are from Ludhiana district. I haven't experienced any probs in India when in Delhi or Bihar.