Sewa of Whitewash of Shri Anandpur Sahib begins on 9th May 2015

To commemorate 350^th years of setting up of the holy city of Shri Anandpur Sahib, the work for its white washing would begin on May 9. The president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara management committee (DSGMC) Manjit Singh GK who held a meeting with the religious organisations, representatives of prominent Sikh organisations, Sant Samaj, and prominent Sikh personalities to perform the sewa today announced the decision of beginning of sewa on May 9.

GK reiterated that the DSGMC would once again lead the Sikh organisations in performing the sewa which it did in year 1999 to commemorate tercentenary of the Khalsa panth. Speaking on the occasion, GK said that it is a matter of pride for the Sikh sangat of Delhi to perform sewa on the land of birth of Khalsa and DSGMC and the Sikhs of Delhi would perform the sewa whole heartedly.  

Sant Samaj and the panthic organisations assured all support to the DSGMC to carry out sewa at Shri Anandpur Sahib.

General Secretary of DSGMC Manjinder Singh Sirsa on the occasion announced of taking out a Nagar kirtan from Gurdwara Shri Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi to Shri Anandpur Sahib on June 14. Sirsa said that after stopover during night at Shri Fatehgarh Sahib the Nagar Kirtan would reach Shri Anandpur Sahib on June 15.

Former Jathedar of Shri Akal Takht Jasbir Singh Rode, Baba Lakha Singh represented Baba Sewa Singh of Khadoor Sahib, Baba Satnam Singh representing Kar Sewa Baba Bachan Singh, Sant harvidner Singh of Goniana mandi, and Bhai  Gurmeet Singh form Namdhari Samparday were also resent in the meeting who assured to take active part in the sewa. Sant Amritpal Singh of Gurdwara Tikana Sahib in Delhi, and Baba Bhuriwalae has also assured support to this endeavour. Former president of DSGMC Avtar Singh Hit, and members Kulmohan Singh, Kulwant Singh Bath and Paramjeet Singh Rana were also present. 

With Thanks : Media DSGMC

Sikhs should explain meaning of turban to Americans, says US lawmaker

Sikhs need to explain to Americans the significance of the turban, the most visible sign of their identity, an influential US lawmaker has said, amid reports that a majority of children wearing turbans are bullied in schools.

Congresswoman Judy Chu, founder and vice-chair of the Congressional American Sikh Caucus, said despite the fact that Sikhs have been woven into the fabric of American culture for more than a century, there is a need to educate Americans about it, PTI reported.

Chu was speaking at the Capitol Hill this week after receiving a report on Sikhs in America from the National Sikh Campaign (NSC). The report has been prepared by Geoff Garin, head of the Hart Research Associates. The most significant finding here is that most Americans do not know much about the Sikh community, Chu said.

Chu said that though it is disappointing, it can also be a positive because it can be a way to educate people about Sikhs. It's an opportunity to tell your neighbours about why Sikhs wear turbans and have long beards and that these are articles of a loving and peaceful faith.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sikhs-america-turban-congress-lawmaker-judy-chu/1/43

Nepal Relief Team Bringing Medical Assistance to Those Most Vulnerable, Much More Needed...

Kathmandu, Nepal – The people of Nepal are still suffering after an earthquake of 7.8 magnitudes shook the country to its core, killing more than 5,500 people, and leaving thousands without water, shelter and medical aid, especially those living in remote areas who are famished and sick because of the lack of aid.

UNITED SIKHS Nepal Relief Team consisting of Dr. Harmeet Singh, physician in charge of Emergency and Urgent Care at the Moolchand hospital in New Delhi, Dr. Amarjeet Singh, working in Radiology Department at GB Pant Hospital in Srinagar and Dr.Rishab Koirala, from a local teaching hospital of Nepal are on the ground. The team is completed with the presence of another 10 volunteers and medical technicians.

Overview of medical assistance provided by the team within a week -

• First medical camp was set up in Bhimatra in Sindhupal Chowk area almost 120 km from Kathmandu. The team had to walk 10 km on foot to reach this village. Around 80 patients were provided medical aid there.
• Multiple medical camps have been held around the Raviholi area with the team visiting 6 villages and nearly 200 patients have been provided with medical assistance.

Type of injuries our doctors and medical team have been attending to -

• trauma (lacerated wounds, abrasions, infected wounds, fractures)
• shortness of breath
• musculoskeletal pain
• diarrhoea
• acute gastroenteritis
• heath concerns for pregnant women
• fever
• upper respiratory tract infections
• joint pains
• allergies
• oral ulcers
• anxiety disorders

Dr. Harneet Singh said: “I want to contribute to humanity. I love helping people, and since I am a doctor, I know the value of life”. Dr. Amarjeet Singh shares “I’m not just a doctor, but a sevadar. I want to help medically and give the best in terms of medical relief.”

We would like to thank all our supporters who have donated towards the mission from the beginning. Your support has reached hundreds in need of medical assistance already and we are committed to providing medical aid to many more. Our doctors are willing to walk long distances to ensure medical aid reaches all. We hope you will walk with us and continue to donate. If you have not had a chance to donate yet, please click below.

WHAT’S NEEDED? People have lost basic life necessities of food, shelter and clothing.

1. The ground team has assessed need for 600 tents and floor covering. Each tent can house 30-40 people. Total cost is Rs 18,50,000/ USD 29,000/ GBP 19,200.
2. The below list of basic medicines and many more are needed so aid can be provided. Plan is to ship medicine worth Rs 32,00,000/ USD 50,000/ GBP 32,800
3. Cost for 3 tonnes of food is Rs 21,35,000/ USD 33,500/ GBP 22,500
4. Distribution and field transportation cost- Rs 10,00,000/ USD 15,700/ GBP 10,500
5. Volunteer field cost- Rs 3,00,000/ USD 4700/ GBP 3100

ANTACIDS -TAB Pantocid 200 -Rantac 200 -Domperidone 200	MATERIAL -Needle (2,0.3, 0.4,0) 100 -Gloves 200 -Masks 200 -Needle Holders 10 -Scissors 10	PAINKILLER/ ANALGESICS -TAB Dickifenac 200 -Paracetamol 300 -Flexon 300 Combiflame 200
SURGICAL -Gauzes 500 -Bandages 500 -Betadine Liquids 5litre 20 bottles -INJ TT 500 -ORS Sachets 500	ANTIBIOTICS -TAB Amoxycillin 200 -Ciprofloxacin 100 -Ceflxime 100 -SYP Ciprofloxacin 200 -SYP Amoxicillin 200 -SYP Ceflixime 200	OINTMENTS - Diclofenac 100 - Betadine 100 - Neosporin 50

The team has set up a medical relief supplies base camp at the DDA, Community Hall, Gujjar Diary, Gautam Nagar, New Delhi - 49, near the Green Park Metro station. All medical supplies will be transported to Nepal with our volunteers.

Our cargo costs are minimal as our base camp is set up in New Delhi, in close proximity to the disaster area.

Special Thank You

• The Prerna Social Development & Welfare Society who have kindly allowed us to use their complex as our medical base camp.
• Spice Jet for 3 tonnes of charge free cargo and excess baggage fee waiver.
• Datawind for the tablets for field work and communication by the medical team.

Issued By:
Gurvinder Singh
UNITED SIKHS Aid Director
contact@unitedsikhs.org

Baisakhi Mela at Sint-Truiden,Belgium

 





Link: http://www.europesamachar.com/?p=69908#more-69908

Punjab Govt & SGPC to organise tour of Guru Gobind Singh’s relics

In an event to be jointly organised by the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), relics of Guru Gobind Singh would be taken around the state in a special religious procession from May 6 to May 20.

The procession will start from Patiala on May 6 and culminate at Takht Keshgarh Sahib Anandpur Sahib on May 20. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar held a meeting with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday to finalise the programme.

The CM has formed a two-member apex committee comprising education minister Daljit Singh Cheema and   special principal secretary to the CM KJS Cheema for oversee the arrangements for the procession.

The holy relics of Guru Gobind Singh include three swords, a set of hair and comb, a turban, a chola (robe), a whip, a bunch of five arrows, a siri sahib, a wooden spear, a steel spear, a sword and another sword with “Sat Sri Akal Guru Teg Bahadur the 1713 Samvat (1656)” inscribed on its blade. The relics would be placed in a specially designed 33 feet long transport vehicle by the SGPC.

Link :http://www.hindustantimes.com/chandigarh/govt-sgpc-to-organise-tour-of-guru-gobind-singh-s-relics/article1-1341952.aspx

Langar Camp/Relief Fund by DSGMC at Nepal

With Thanks : Media DSGMC

Teenager jumps off Punjab bus to escape molestation, dies

New Delhi, April 30 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal on Thursday expressed grief over the death of a teenager who was allegedly eve teased and then jumped off a bus that is owned by him and his family.

"I am aggrieved over this incident. It is unfortunate that bus belongs to us. Whatever happened is not good and it is like Himalayan blunder. It is the biggest sin," Singh told reporters.

A 13-year-old girl reportedly died and her mother was seriously injured when they had to jump out of a moving private bus to avoid molestation by some youth along with the bus conductor near Punjab's Moga town.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening.

The bus belonged to Orbit company, owned by the ruling Badal family, which came under fire from rivals parties with Aam Aadmi Party MP Bhagwant Mann demanding that they come clean on the issue.

with thanks : Yahoo news : LINK : for detailed news.

Why Sikhs don't want the Golden Temple to be declared a World Heritage Site

In June, the 39th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will meet in Bonn, Germany, to determine new additions to the list of World Heritage Sites. India already has 32 such sites, and 47 more from the country that were added to the “Tentative List” over the past two decades will be considered by the committee this year.

Of those 47, arguably the most iconic, and certainly the most visited, is Amritsar’s Sri Harmandir Sahib, the holiest site in Sikhism that is known to most non-Sikhs as the Golden Temple. The nomination and selection of World Heritage Sites is generally the subject of little controversy. But the prospect of the Golden Temple’s selection has caused great alarm among sections of the Sikh community. A change.org petition, submitted by a Sikh student in Belgium and calling on UNESCO to delete Harmandir Sahib from the tentative list, has got more than 12,000 signatures.

with thanks : scroll.in : LINK : for detailed news report

When Vaisakhi Is More Than a Holiday

Have you ever wished someone a happy Vaisakhi ?

Most people have no idea that the Pentagon is holding a major celebration to celebrate Vaisakhi. Or that Vaisakhi is the birthday of the world's fifth largest religion. Why? Because the Sikh community as a whole, is often ignored in this country. The time has come to know more about our Sikh neighbors.

Let's start with the FBI's most recent Hate Crimes Statistics (released 12/2014) because the findings are telling. Race is still the leading cause of hate crimes in the U.S., followed by sexual-orientation and religion. Among major religious groups, Jewish people are most likely to be attacked (60.3 percent) followed by Muslims (13.7 percent) and people from "other religions" (11.2 percent). Unfortunately, those statistics do not separately track anti-Sikh hate crimes, only including them within "other religions." Fortunately, this practice has now come to an end. Following years of advocacy, the FBI is finally implementing a system to track anti-Sikh bias, along with bias against many other self-identified religious groups. It's about time. Because the Sikh community is being attacked.

Last summer in New York City, Joseph Caleca yelled "Osama!" at Sandeep Singh before running him over and dragging Singh for 30 feet. Only days later, a group of teens, male and female, attacked another Sikh man walking to dinner with his mother. These are not isolated incidents. The Sikh community is repeatedly targeted by verbal and physical violence. Sometimes the perpetrators escape apprehension. But in the case of Sandeep Singh, community activism led to Caleca's arrest and an indictment for attempted murder and hate crime charges.

with thanks : huffingtonpost : LINK : for detailed news report

Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan procession brings colour and noise to the streets of Slough

THE holiest day in the Sikh calendar was celebrated on Sunday when the Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan procession procession brought colour and beauty to Slough.

The procession set off from the Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha temple in Sheehy Way at 11am accompanied by an explosion of fireworks.

The thousands of dedicated Sikhs who took part were celebrating Vaisakhi, the initiation of the first five members of the Khalsa in 1699 by the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

The Khalsa is seen as the eternal living embodiment of the Sikh Guru. Every initiated Sikh is a member of the Khalsa – wearing the Five K’s; the Kesh (turban), Kirpan (small sword), Kanga (wooden comb), Kashera (undergarment) and Kara (iron bracelet).

with thanks : sloughobserver : LINK : for detailed report.

Sikh charity call for donations to Nepal earthquake appeal

A Sikh based charity is asking people to donate essential goods for those who have been affected by the earthquake in Nepal.

More than five thousand people have been killed and many more injured in the earthquake on Saturday. Many families are awaiting news of loved ones who are still missing.

with thanks : ITV : LINK : for detailed news.