The Indian Panorama

Tag: Sikh News

  • 3 Sikh soldiers file lawsuit against US Defense Department

    3 Sikh soldiers file lawsuit against US Defense Department

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Three Sikh soldiers filed, March 29, a lawsuit against the Department of Defense seeking to serve in the US armed forces without being forced to compromise with their articles of faith like turbans, unshorn hair and beards.

    In the lawsuit, Specialist Kanwar Singh, Specialist Harpal Singh and Private Arjan Singh Ghotra demand that the Army accommodate their religious articles of faith, including turbans, unshorn hair and beards, so that each can begin Basic Combat Training with their various units in May.

    The lawsuit was filed by the Sikh Coalition, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and McDermott Will & Emery, after the US Department of Defense ignored a written demand letter that was sent on March 23.

    “We had hoped that we would not have to file a second lawsuit on behalf of three more Sikh American soldiers, who simply want to practice their faith freely while serving their nation,” said the Sikh Coalition’s legal director, Harsimran Kaur.

    “However, the Defense Department has remained unresponsive to their requests for accommodation and the clock is ticking. Action must be taken,” she alleged.

    The new lawsuit follows the March 4 federal court ruling that the Army was prohibited from subjecting a decorated Sikh American soldier, Captain Simratpal Singh, to discriminatory testing.

    A final Army decision regarding CPT Singh’s landmark religious accommodation request is due by March 31. “We would like the opportunity, like every other American, to proudly serve,” said Kanwar Singh, who enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard.

    “I look forward to joining my battalion for training and making the diverse state of Massachusetts proud,” he said.

    SPC Harpal Singh, a California Telecommunications Engineering Specialist, was recruited by the US Army Reserve for his foreign language skills.

    PVT Arjan Singh Ghotra, who is 17, enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard and is slated to attend basic training before attending George Mason University this fall, the statement said.

    “It is unfortunate that in the face of overwhelming evidence that Sikhs should be permitted to serve, we are once again asking whether our nation’s largest employer will embrace religious freedom and diversity or continue to aggressively thwart progress. It is a sad day for all Americans when our military is on the wrong side of common sense, the law and our shared American values,” said Amandeep Sidhu, Partner at McDermott Will & Emery.

    Last year, 27 retired US Generals called on the Department of Defense to eliminate the ban on observant Sikhs. These generals joined 105 Members of Congress, 15 Senators and 21 national Interfaith and civil rights organizations, who had previously signed letters in support of American Sikhs’ right to serve.

  • US Court Favors Sikh Religious Rights in Armed Forces

    US Court Favors Sikh Religious Rights in Armed Forces

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Upholding the religious freedom rights of Sikhs in the US armed forces, an American court has ruled in favor of a decorated Sikh Army Captain who had demanded that the military accommodate his articles of faith and abandon its impromptu discriminatory testing. Captain Simratpal Singh, 28, in a lawsuit filed against the Department of Defense demanded the US military accommodate his articles of faith and dump the discriminatory testing.

    “Thousands of other soldiers are permitted to wear long hair and beards for medical or other reasons, without being subjected to such specialized and costly expert testing of their helmets and gas masks,” Judge Beryl A Howell swiftly ruled in Captain Singh’s favor last evening.

    The US Department of Defense, which had granted and then extended Captain Singh’s temporary religious accommodation until March 31 this year, remains scheduled to make a final decision on Singh’s permanent accommodation by that deadline.

    Captain Singh, who is a West Point graduate, Ranger, and Bronze Star Medal recipient, has successfully passed the safety tests required of his unit.

    “The US Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act make it crystal clear that Captain Singh’s right to practice his faith and serve in our military are not mutually exclusive,” said Amandeep Sidhu, Partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery that represented Captain Singh.

    “We are grateful that the court is on the right side of religious freedom with its ruling, which begs the question: does the world’s largest employer really want to be on the wrong side of history?” he said.

    The testing that the military planned to impose on Captain Singh is not required of any other soldiers, even the tens of thousands with medical or religious accommodations, and including previously accommodated Sikhs, he said.

    Given that Captain Singh has passed the standard safety tests, further testing would clearly be discriminatory, he claimed.

    “We have been advocating for the simple, straightforward, equal right to serve for years, and held onto the belief that the military would correct this injustice once they realized their mistake,” said the Sikh Coalition’s Legal Director, Harsimran Kaur.

    “The military’s treatment of Captain Singh, a decorated soldier, makes it clear that they deliberately want to squash diversity and religious freedom in their ranks; that is not something that any court, or American, should ever tolerate,” Ms Kaur said.

  • California Sikh Bus Driver Attack Case | Accused Pleads Not Guilty

    California Sikh Bus Driver Attack Case | Accused Pleads Not Guilty

    A man charged with hate crime in the US for brutally assaulting a Sikh bus driver and calling him a “terrorist” and “suicide bomber” has pleaded not guilty.

    KC Tard, 34, who could face up to six years in prison if convicted, entered the plea yesterday in California to a felony battery count with a hate crime allegation, local media reported.

    The Inglewood District Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles on Tuesday filed the hate crime charges against Tard for brutally assaulting bus driver Balwinder Jit Singh and calling him a “terrorist” and “suicide bomber” during the attack last November.

    Singh, who was in beard and traditional Sikh turban, had sustained serious injuries during the November 6 assault and was taken to a hospital with a disfigured face and infection in his eye that required weeks of recovery.

    Tard also accused Singh of hijacking the bus while he was viciously assaulting him.

    In January, advocacy group the Sikh Coalition’s legal team intervened and asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to investigate the case as a hate crime.

    “I was attacked because of my Sikh religious appearance and I’m grateful that authorities re-examined my case and finally brought hate crime charges against the assailant,” Singh had said, adding that “acknowledging hatred when it occurs is the necessary first step for combating the problem.”

    The rights group has said in recent months, as hateful political rhetoric has ramped up, it has witnessed a dramatic increase in hate crimes and backlash directed towards the Sikh community.

    “The Sikh turban stands for justice and equality. It should be celebrated, not feared and we will continue to educate law enforcement agencies and Americans alike on the necessary steps required to combat the problem of hate in our country,” said the coalition’s Senior Staff Attorney, Gurjot Kaur.

    Published: 03/04/2016 09:49:54 EST

  • US Gets its First Ashes Immersion Centre, Built By Gurudwara

    US Gets its First Ashes Immersion Centre, Built By Gurudwara

    CHICAGO:  A Gurudwara in the US state of Illinois has built what is said to be America’s first ashes immersion centre on the banks of Rock river, allowing the Sikh and Hindu community members to perform their rituals legally.

    Built on the banks of Rock river by Nanaksar Sikh Temple in Rockford city, the centre was made after getting permission from the local authorities, the chief of the temple Daljit Singh said.

    Mr Singh said earlier people were facing a lot of hurdles in immersing the ashes of their relatives after their death as the law in the country does not allow anyone to immerse the ashes in rivers, making it illegal.

    “Several people were arrested, fined and given warnings after being caught immersing ashes by the US police in the past. If someone wished to send the ashes back to India, they had to go through a lot of paper work and other security-related formalities which were like a nightmare,” Mr Singh told PTI over phone today.

    “With the establishment of this particular centre meant to facilitate those wanting to immerse the ashes of their dead relatives, the Sikh and Hindu community will be highly beneficial,” he said.

    Nanaksar Sikh Temple, having secured all relevant permissions from the local authorities, will also provide certificate to the people who come to the centre to perform the ritual.

    Nanaksar Sikh Temple in Rockford was built last year after converting a 30,000 square feet foreclosed building that earlier served as a Baptist church.

  • Sikhs In US Raise $400,000 To Campaign About Their Religion

    Sikhs In US Raise $400,000 To Campaign About Their Religion

    WASHINGTON:  Sikhs in the US state of California have raised a record USD 400,000 for a national media campaign to generate awareness among Americans about their religion in the backdrop of increasing hate crimes against the community.

    This is the first time, Sikhs have raised this amount of money to spread the awareness about their faith in America. Previous record is of USD 90,000 in NSC’s Los Angeles Gala last year.

    At a fund raising gala in San Francisco Bay Area, television advertisements created by AKPD, former President Obama’s campaign media team, were unveiled, a statement said.

    Last year, National Sikh Campaign had hired the services of AKPD and Hart Research Associates which is headed by Geoff Garin, Hillary Clinton’s former chief strategic advisor, to develop the messaging and framework of these advertisements.

    “This is a historic moment in the history of the Sikh community in America. Never before have we had the opportunity to tell our story to our fellow Americans around the country and that time has come now,” said Kaval Kaur, national charter member of NSC and host of the event.

    Among the attendees were prominent Sikh entrepreneurs, leading Silicon Valley IT professionals, Medical doctors, owners of trucking companies and officials of all gurdwaras in the area.

    “We, Sikhs, need to change the narrative and present the correct image of who we are, showcasing how we are totally integrated in the American society and not only as victims,” said Rajwant Singh, co-founder of National Sikh Campaign, who presented the overview of the campaign and appealed to the audience to donate for the cause.

    There have been a number of incidents of attacks and discrimination against the community in the US.

    A 68-year-old Sikh man was stabbed to death in California’s Fresno city on January 1 while in December another elderly Sikh man was brutally assaulted by two persons in Fresno.

  • Sikh Community Says Construction Unfairly Stopped at Temple: Report

    Sikh Community Says Construction Unfairly Stopped at Temple: Report

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): Members of a Long Island Sikh temple believe construction at their place of worship was unfairly stopped by the local government, Newsday reported.

    On Feb. 2, the Plainview Town Board stopped construction of the temple after residents complained of parking and congestion problems. Residents argue that the off-street parking plan for the temple does not meet requirements.

    About two dozen members of the congregation attended a Plainview board meeting Tuesday to either voice their concerns or show support for those who spoke, according to the report.

    “We got blindsided,” Gurmeet Sodhi, 41, a television producer from Northport told Newsday.

    “Everything was approved, everything was moving along; why did we stop this?” she told the paper.

    John Venditto, Plainview Town Supervisor, told Newsday they are looking for a compromise with the Sikh community.

    “There’s a sense in the community that maybe this project is too big,” Venditto said. “There’s concerns about traffic and concerns about parking.”

  • Indian American Sikh Actor Waris Ahluwalia Barred From Mexico Flight Sees ‘Small Victory’

    Indian American Sikh Actor Waris Ahluwalia Barred From Mexico Flight Sees ‘Small Victory’

    MEXICO CITY:  An Indian-American actor and designer who was turned away from an airline flight after refusing to remove his Sikh turban during a security check said he’s “thrilled” that Aeromexico is vowing to overhaul its screening protocols.

    In an interview on Tuesday night at a Mexico City hotel where he ended up extending his stay by two nights, Waris Ahluwalia also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support on social media that he believes helped pressure airline executives to change and apologize.

    Ahluwalia showed an excerpt from an email that he said came from Aeromexico. The text said the airline had “issued a directive to its staff regarding the religious significance of the Sikh turban” and planned to ask that the US Transportation Security Administration and the Mexican government implement sensitivity training on religious headwear for airport agents.

    “That’s all I wanted, and here it is in a few lines – it’s right there in black and white,” he said. “I’m getting goosebumps right now that if this makes a difference for anyone traveling into the country or leaving the country, then it was all worth it.”

    He said the agreement had been worked out by lawyers for Aeromexico and the Sikh Coalition in New York and the deal had not yet been made public.

    Aeromexico said earlier in the day that because of the incident it intended to revise security protocols to respect cultural and religious values of its customers.

    The turban carries deep religious significance for Sikh men. Many members of the Sikh community have objected to the practice of frisking turbans, calling it unnecessary in a world with machines for body scanning and metal detection.

    Ahluwalia, who had traveled to Mexico for an art fair, left his hotel around 4:30 a.m. Monday planning to catch a morning flight to New York. When he checked in he noticed the boarding pass had an “SSSS” notation on it, which he said he has encountered “more than a dozen times” before at airports and apparently flags passengers for secondary screening.
    After passing through the security checkpoint, he said, he was pulled aside at the gate and checked with a wand, a pat-down, and swabs on his belt and bag.

    “Then they asked me matter-of-factly, ‘Can you take off your turban?’” Ahluwalia said. “At that point I said the thing that I always say when I’ve been asked that before. I said, ‘I will not be taking my turban off here.’”

    Ahluwalia said he was then told he would not be boarding any Aeromexico plane and should arrange to fly with another carrier.

    He turned to Instagram to let his followers know what had happened. Word spread rapidly on social media, and within about an hour airline executives tracked him down at the gate and offered him a boarding pass for the next flight to New York.

    He declined, deciding to speak up as an actor and prominent member of the Sikh community to demand change.

    “That was the moment I realized that if I didn’t say anything, if I didn’t do anything, if I didn’t step out of my comfort zone, that this could happen again to someone” else, Ahluwalia said. “And I couldn’t in good conscience get on that plane knowing that someone else would have to experience this.”

    He returned to the hotel.

    That night, Aeromexico issued a statement saying it was “committed to transporting all its passengers without regard to their religion, social status or gender … but the airline is obliged to comply with the federal rules determined by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for inspecting selected passengers travelling to the United States.”

    However, US guidelines put into effect in 2010 no longer require air passengers to remove turbans if doing so makes them uncomfortable.

    On Tuesday, the airline issued a more explicit apology to Ahluwalia “for the unfortunate experience he had with one of our security guards during the boarding process prior to his flight.”

    Ahluwalia said he isn’t angry with Aeromexico or the agents who turned him away.

    “The only way to combat that is with love, is with tolerance, is with understanding and is with education,” he said.

    He noted he was booked to return home Wednesday on the same Aeromexico flight he was blocked from.

    “The reality of the situation is that it could have happened anywhere – and it has happened everywhere,” Ahluwalia said. “It just so happened it went this far here.”

  • Barack Obama Cites Sikhs To Talk About Strength Of Faith

    Barack Obama Cites Sikhs To Talk About Strength Of Faith

    WASHINGTON:  US President Barack Obama today cited the humanitarian work done by the Sikh community as he spoke about the strength that comes from uniting all faiths against fear.

    “When the Earth cleaves in Haiti, Christians, Sikhs, and other faith groups sent volunteers to distribute aid, tend to the wounded, rebuild homes for the homeless,” Mr Obama said in his annual address to the national prayer breakfast in the presence of religious and global leaders in Washington.

    “Whether fighting global poverty or working to end the scourge of human trafficking, you are the leaders of what Pope Francis calls ‘this march of living hope’,” he said as he mentioned the work done by Sikhs during various natural disasters across the globe.

    “When Ebola ravaged West Africa, Jewish, Christian, Muslim groups responded to the outbreak to save lives. As the news fanned the flames of fear, churches and mosques responded with a powerful rebuke, welcoming survivors into their pews,” Mr Obama said.

    When nine worshippers were murdered in a Charleston church basement, it was people of all faiths who came together to wrap a shattered community in love and understanding, he said.

    “When Syrian refugees seek the sanctuary of our shores, it’s the faithful from synagogues, mosques, temples, and churches who welcome them, the first to offer blankets and food and open their homes,” he said.

    “Seeing God in others. We are driven to do this because we’re driven by the value that so many of our faiths teach us — I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper. As Christians, we do this compelled by the Gospel of Jesus – the command to love God, and love one another,” said the US President.

    “And so, yes, like every person, there are times where I’m fearful. But my faith and, more importantly, the faith that I’ve seen in so many of you, the God I see in you, that makes me inevitably hopeful about our future. I have seen so many who know that God has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us power, and love, and a sound mind,” he said.

    PTI: February 05, 2016 11:04 IST
  • FRENCH CLARIFY – NO BAN ON SIKH TURBANS IN PUBLIC SPACES

    FRENCH CLARIFY – NO BAN ON SIKH TURBANS IN PUBLIC SPACES

    NEW DELHI (TIP): French embassy in Delhi has said there was no ban on wearing turbans in public space while reacting to a charge by a Sikh organization that the community has been fighting for their rights in France.

    “Outside the premises of public schools, wearing the Sikh turban is very much allowed in public space, contrary to the allegations of certain radical organizations. Only the burkha is banned in public places, for obvious security reasons.”

    “Furthermore, neither Sikhs wearing turbans in the streets nor Sikh shrines were ever subject to any hostility in France,” embassy said in a statement in Delhi.

    It also noted that the embassy issued this clarification following recent allegations regarding the so-called restrictions imposed on the wearing of the Sikh turban in France.

    “France upholds the freedom of religion, as well as the right not to have one, and opposes discriminations on this ground. There is no ban on the wearing of turbans. French law in this matter is very precise: the restriction applies to the wearing of all visible religious signs, without any discrimination, and it applies only to public schools.

    “It leaves it to the heads of public schools to take the most appropriate measures, so that it is implemented in a sensitive manner,” the statement added.

    This measure has been explained to the Indian authorities and representatives of the Sikh community in France, with whom a regular dialogue has been established, the embassy said.

    The Sikhs of France understand and have assimilated the laws on Laicite (French principle of separation between the State and religious institutions) and practical solutions have been found to reconcile their religious practice with the principles of the French Republic, it added.

    Protesting against the absence of a Sikh regiment contingent at the Republic Day parade where French President Francois Hollande was the chief guest, Shiromani Akali Dal yesterday said it was a setback to the struggle of Sikhs who have been fighting for their rights in France.

    Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.

  • A Sikh Woman is Actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s stepmom

    A Sikh Woman is Actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s stepmom

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): It may come as a surprise to many that Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s stepmother is an Amritdhari Sikh who sports the 5 ‘Ks’. In the backdrop of strident debates on intolerance, peppered with hate crimes against Asians in general and Sikhs in particular, this news is refreshing.

    With the actor poised for a probable Oscar for “Revenent”, his Indian fans found all the more reason to cheer when news of Peggy Ann Farrar, his stepmother being an Amritdhari Sikh broke.

    According to reports, Peggy embraced Sikhism many years back, but has started wearing a turban recently. Peggy is Leo’s father George DiCaprio’s second wife. She married him in 1995, after he divorced Leo’s biological mother Irmelin Indenbirken when Leonardo was one-year-old. Leonardo DiCaprio is a heart-throb who commands millions for his work, while his bohemian father George is lesser known. The latter has been a comic book artist, editor and distributor.

    Quite conspicuous in her Indian traditional dress and turban, Peggy is often seen at award functions and other Hollywood events with her family. But the wave of appreciation for her has come with a dash of criticism. A video uploaded on YouTube claims that she cannot be described as an Amritdhari Sikh due to her connection with the Yogi Harbhajan sect. It also says that she has been seen participating in rituals of other faiths. But that may be the least of her concerns, given the troubled life of her biological son Adam Ferrar, who is said to have inspired his sibling Leo to adopt a career in acting. Adam has been on the wrong side of the law for possession of drugs, domestic violence and even an attempt to murder his former girl friend.

    A biography on Leonardo by Douglas Wight mentions how Peggy made the best of her new husband’s unconventional living arrangement with his ex-wife. To make sure Leonardo had a father figure all his life, George DiCaprio lived next door to Irmelin and the boy who would grow up to be a star. Peggy managed to maintain a harmonious relationship without any evidence of rancor.

    All said and done, the Indian connection has worked well for both Peggy and Leonardo.

    (Source TOI)

  • $9 Million Lawsuit For Airline That Removed Sikh, Muslim Passengers

    $9 Million Lawsuit For Airline That Removed Sikh, Muslim Passengers

    NEW YORK:  A Sikh man along with his four friends were kicked out from an American Airlines flight allegedly because their appearance made the captain uneasy, claims a $9 million lawsuit against the airline.

    Shan Anand, a Sikh, along with three other friends, were ordered off the Toronto -New York flight from last month based upon their perceived race, colour and ethnicity, according to a CNN report.

    Mr Anand’s other friends – a Bangladeshi Muslim and an Arab Muslim – were identified only by their initials WH and MK.

    Mr Anand and his friend Faimul Alam switched seats with strangers after boarding, so they could sit next to WH and MK.

    Several minutes later, a white woman flight attendant asked WH to get off the plane, according to the lawsuit, which was filed yesterday in Brooklyn Federal Court.

    When they asked the flight crew why they were being removed, the flight attendant told them to exit “peacefully” and “demanded” they return to the gate and await further directions, the lawsuit said.

    “It basically made me feel like a criminal,” WH said, adding: “It was like I was put on a pedestal where everyone is pointing at you. I was frightened that they were frightened.”

    It was only after the plane took off that an airline agent told the men “they could not board because the crew members, and specifically the captain, felt uneasy and uncomfortable with their presence on the flight and as such, refused to fly unless they were removed from the flight,” the report said.

    The flight took off, leaving the four men behind. “They said it was protocol,” Mr Anand said.

  • White House Assures Sikhs Of Their Safety And Security

    White House Assures Sikhs Of Their Safety And Security

    The White House has assured American-Sikhs of their safety and security in view of the increasing threats and hate crimes against the community members in the recent past.

    In a rare gesture, Melissa Rogers, Special Assistant to President Barack Obama and head of the Office of Faith Based and Neighbourhood Partnerships office of the White House, visited a Gurdwara in Maryland to deliver the message of reassurance from the President.

    Asserting that the US Government’s stand with Sikhs in America, Ms Rogers also expressed empathy with the Sikh community over the recent incidents of violence against Sikhs and a reported case of vandalism at Los Angeles Gurdwara, a media release said.

    “I want to offer our deepest condolences for some recent violence and attacks against Sikhs and Sikh institutions. These reports are of tremendous concern to us as we they are to you. We feel a deep sense of loss for victims of these crimes,” Ms Rogers said in her address to the community at the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF) Gurdwara.

    “When these kinds of things happen there is kind of deep sense of violation and anxiety. We want you to know that we stand by with you during these challenging times,” she said.

    Ms Rogers said such incidents not only cause a great grief among the people who are being attacked and the communities mostly associated with it, but they also threaten all as America draws its strength from the diversity of its people.

    “We want you to know that we stand by you and we will continue to work until we stamp these incidents out. Like you we believe that attack on any faith is an attack is an attack on every faith,” Ms Rogers said.

    “It is essential that all faith communities here and all over the world stand against hate motivated violence. We will continue to stand with you and we will continue to work to ensure that security and your civil constitutional rights are protected,” she added.

    “Sikh community has shown tremendous resilience in face of challenges and I am confident that you will triumph and we will be there with you to triumph over the current challenges that we face together,” Ms Rogers said in her remarks.

    She was presented with a ‘siropa’ and a book on the Sikh scriptures.

  • Another Sikh Assaulted in California, Branded Terrorist

    Another Sikh Assaulted in California, Branded Terrorist

    A Sikh bus driver in Los Angeles was brutally assaulted and called a terrorist and a suicide bomber, the victim’s representatives said today over two months after the incident was reported to the police.

    The Sikh Coalition group, is representing the victim Balwinder Jit Singh, who worked as a bus driver for 17 years.

    While he was being beaten by a passenger on November 6, Mr Singh kept his foot on the brake of his bus to ensure the safety of the pedestrians and passengers.

    The assault left Mr Singh in the hospital with a black eye, swollen and bruised face and jaw, and infection in his eye.

    “Two months later, he continues to suffer from blurred vision and pain,” the Sikh Coalition said.

    Mr Singh, who is on the board of a recently-vandalised Gurdwara in Buena Park, has retained the Sikh Coalition to represent him in this ongoing criminal investigation.

    Although he immediately reported the incident to the police, he delayed going public because he didn’t know how to do so until he contacted the Sikh Coalition.

    “I know that sharing my story sheds further light on the bigotry and hatred faced by communities across the nation.

    These crimes cannot be tolerated,” he said in a statement issued through Sikh Coalition.

    According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff s Office, the individual responsible is currently in custody with the Los Angeles Police Department in a different criminal case.

    Police say the suspect potentially faces only misdemeanour assault charges for attacking Mr Singh.

    “These charges fail to capture the violent nature of the attack, and the anti-Sikh bias that precipitated it,” the statement said adding that the Sikh Coalition’s legal team is working with the local sheriff’s department and the FBI to push for a hate crime investigation and prosecution.

    “In the face of hateful rhetoric and the current climate of fear, we must ensure that all bias-based incidents are thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice,” said the Sikh Coalition’s senior staff attorney Gurjot Kaur.

    “We cannot fight hate if law enforcement agencies ignore or fail to recognise hate crimes,” she added.

  • Elderly Sikh Stabbed To Death In California

    Elderly Sikh Stabbed To Death In California

    SAN FRANSISCO: A 68-year-old Sikh man was stabbed to death in California’s Fresno city on January 1, prompting police to launch a hate crime probe into the city’s first homicide.

    Gurcharan Singh Gill, an employee at local liquor store was stabbed to death on January 1. This happened at Shields Express Mart at 1107 W. Shields Avenue, just east of West Avenue at 3.30 pm.

    While investigations are still going on, local community members feel Mr Gill was attacked due to his identity and skin colour, officer Casto said.

    When officer of Fresno Police Department arrived at the scene they found an elderly man lying in the shop. Emergency medical team tried to provide first-aid but it was determined that Mr. Gill had already died.

    The motive and cause of death are not known yet. The case is under investigation.

    According to Fresno Police, this was the first homicide of the year.

    Incidentally on December 28, another elderly Sikh man was brutally assaulted by two persons in Fresno. No arrests have been made in either cases.

    The police have appealed to the local people to report if they find any leads to the incident.

  • Police investigate Sikh Attacked In California as a Hate Crime

    Police investigate Sikh Attacked In California as a Hate Crime

    NEW YORK:  A 68-year-old Sikh man was attacked Saturday, December 26,  morning west of Highway 99 in what Fresno police are investigating as a hate crime – the latest such attack on a Sikh resident in the Fresno area.

    Around 6:30 a.m., Amrik Singh Bal, 68, was waiting alone for a ride to work in the cold, 30-degree fog on Shields Avenue between Brawley and Blythe avenues when he was assaulted by two persons in California.

    Two white males stopped their car in front of Bal and started yelling obscenities at him, said Fresno police Sgt. Greg Noll. Fearing for his safety, Bal attempted to cross the street. It was then that the suspects backed up their car, hitting Bal with their back bumper, Noll said.

    The two men then got out of the car and attacked Mr Bal, hitting him in the face and upper body. Mr Bal fell to the ground and hit his head.

    During the assault, one of the suspects yelled “Why are you here?”

    The suspects fled only after they heard another vehicle approaching.

    Mr Bal, who was taken to a local hospital, suffered abrasions to his nose and right hand and a broken collar bone.

    Noll said police have started a hate-related criminal investigation into the attack on Mr Bal adding that the Fresno police would coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security and FBI to solve this case.

    “Sikhs have been mistaken for terrorists and radicals and continue to suffer after 9/11,” member of the Sikh Council of Central California Ike Iqbal Grewal said.

    Rights group The Sikh Coalition said its thoughts and prayers go out to Mr Bal and his family.

    “We are quickly investigating and will share updates when we have them,” it said.

    Racism & Hate Crimes on a rise 

    The attack is the latest in a line of hate crimes against Sikhs in America.

    Earlier this month, a Gurudwara in California was vandalised with hateful graffiti, including the word ‘ISIS’, in the aftermath of the mass shootings in San Bernardino.

    In September, a Sikh American father was viciously assaulted in a suburb outside of Chicago after being called ‘Bin Laden’.

    In May 2013, 82-year-old Piara Singh was attacked outside the Nanaksar Sikh Temple in south Fresno by a man who later allegedly made inflammatory comments about Muslims.

    The alleged assailant, Gilbert Garcia Jr., later pleaded no contest to a hate crime and was sentenced to 13 years in state prison.

     

  • White House to Hold Meetings with Sikh and Muslim Community Leaders

    White House to Hold Meetings with Sikh and Muslim Community Leaders

    WASHINGTON:  In the wake of increase in hate-crimes directed against Sikhs and Muslims after a deadly shooting in California, senior White House officials will hold meetings the leaders of these communities to discuss ways to address their concerns and challenges.

    “The White House is routinely engaged in an active dialogue with faith leaders across the country. There are a number of engagements… The President does not plan to participate in any of the meetings that are planned,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters.

    “Cecilia Munoz will lead with representatives of the American-Sikh community to discuss how the administration is supporting that community and to discuss ways to work together to address concerns and challenges,” Mr Earnest said.

    Cecilia Munoz is director of White House Domestic Policy Council.

    The White House had arranged a conference call with a broad array of faith-based organisations across the country after a number of hate crimes were reported in the country following the massacre of 14 people at a disability center in Southern California on December 2 by a Pakistani-origin Muslim couple, who investigators believe, were at least partially inspired by the Islamic State terror organisation.

    In addition to this, there would be an in-person meeting convened with a smaller group of Muslim-American leaders, the press secretary said.

    The American-Sikh community, numbering nearly half-a-million, has seen a spur in hate-crimes against them following the terror attack.

    Last week, a Sikh temple in California was vandalised and a group of Sikh men were harassed by security staff and denied access to a stadium in San Diego city in California for an American football game because they were wearing turbans.

    Earlier in 2012, a white supremacist has opened fire at a Sikh temple in Milwaukee, killing six people.

  • White House Celebrates Guru Nanak’s Birth Anniversary

    White House Celebrates Guru Nanak’s Birth Anniversary

    WASHINGTON:  The White House celebrated the birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak with top aides of President Barack Obama assuring the community of his full support.

    “President Obama stands with, he stands behind you and he stands in solidarity with you. And we all have a responsibility to remind Americans what makes us great” President Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett told a gathering of the Sikh community from across the US.

    The programme opened with Jesse Moore, Associate Director of Public Engagement, welcoming the guests. This was followed by a Sikh hymn performed by Manpreet Singh and Raghubir Singh from New Jersey on classical instruments like taus, dilruba and jodi.

    When Jarrett greeted the gathering saying “Happy Gurpurab” a room full of Sikh men, women, and children cheered and clapped, according to a media release.

    Dr Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education, said, “The Sikh community is grateful for the powerful and supportive words of President Obama’s team today.”

    “This sends an assuring signal to the entire community that this nation stands behind it,” he said.

    Valerie Jarrett was given a Phulkari shawl, a typical Punjabi speciality, and a book on Sikh heritage and ethos as she was honoured by Sikh representatives from Sikh Coalition, Sikh Council on Religion and Education and United Sikhs.

    Vanita Gupta, principal deputy assistant attorney general, said: “We at the Justice department continue to use all of the tools available to combat any violence or hate against the Sikh community.”

    In his keynote address, Amritjit Singh of Ohio University discussed about “Guru Nanak: Equality and Social Justice”.

    “Guru Nanak’s message has special resonance for us today where fear and ignorance are giving rise to hatred, violence, and intolerance,” he said. “The Guru had a sharp eye for the patterns of hypocrisy, intolerance, and exploitation.”

    Nikki-Gurinder Kaur Singh of Colby College said the legacy of Guru Nanak empowers young Sikhs “with an identity which is equally American and Sikh.”

    “It is a profound symbol of our being together and it expresses that we are Americans no matter what complexion or religion we may be.”

  • Elderly Sikh Passenger Labelled ‘Bin Laden’ On Plane

    Elderly Sikh Passenger Labelled ‘Bin Laden’ On Plane

    NEW YORK:  An elderly Sikh man in the US was filmed while sleeping on a flight by a co-passenger who posted the video online with a title ‘Would You Feel Safe’ and a description that says “flying with bin laden.”

    Darshan Singh, who was travelling on a Jetblue flight from New York to California in November, didn’t exchange words with the man sitting next to him and was surprised when he saw his video online, Sikh advocacy group United Sikhs said.

    The 39-second video of Mr Singh, a California resident, has been viewed over 83,000 times since it was posted on Youtube on December 9.

    Mr Singh’s 20-year-old daughter informed the group that a video of her father sleeping on the JetBlue flight, recorded by the man sitting next to him, was circulating on the internet, said Manwinder Singh, Director, United Sikhs.

    “This act of ignorance is the latest in a series of anti-Sikh hostility in the days following the horrific shooting in San Bernardino, California on December 2,” he said.

    On December 6, a Gurudwara was vandalized with an anti-ISIS graffiti. On the same day, four Sikh men were stopped from entering a football game because of their turbans.

    Hundreds of people have commented on the video, most of them condemning the person who filmed it, with more than 1,170 people hitting the “dislike” button.

    “Sikhs are known to be fearless warriors and ones who are willing to give up their lives for others, so you should feel safe,” one person commented on the video.

    The Sikh group is trying to get the video removed from the Youtube.

    “Incidents like this are shocking. No one, Sikh, Muslim, or otherwise should be afraid to travel. These types of incidents only weaken the fabric of our nation,” said Jaspreet Kaur, Staff attorney of the group.

    “It’s everyone’s responsibility to be aware of acts of ignorance around them and to report them when they see them.

    Only then can we unify ourselves against hate, ignorance and discrimination,” she added.

    Sikh-Americans have long been the target of racially motivated violence and discrimination in the United States, especially after the 9/11 terror attacks.

    In September, a Sikh-American was viciously assaulted in a suburb outside of Chicago after being called “Bin Laden”. In 2014, Sandeep Singh, a Sikh American in New York City, was run over and dragged 30 feet after being called a “terrorist”.

    US-based Sikhs have launched a national campaign to tackle the growing misperceptions about their community post 9/11 terror attacks.

  • Indian American Sikh Fans can’t enter Stadium if they wear Turbans

    Indian American Sikh Fans can’t enter Stadium if they wear Turbans

    Three Sikh Americans say they were nearly barred from watching their team at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, because they were wearing turbans, according to reports.

    Denver Broncos fan Varinder Malhi and his friends were sporting jerseys, hats and other garb heading into the game, but it was the color-coordinated turbans — typically worn by Sikh men — that prompted San Diego Chargers security to say they couldn’t enter the game, ABC San Diego reports.

    The security official reportedly said the men would have to remove their turbans. One of the men denied entry Verinder Malhi, explained to a guard at the stadium that his religion prohibited him and his friends from removing their headgear, according to an ABC10 news report published Dec. 11. The fans were ultimately allowed in, but warned they would not be able to wear their turbans again if they came back to the stadium.

    But the harassment didn’t end there. On their way out, the group’s car was subjected to a search by a bomb squad after a call to police claimed the men were putting a bag in the trunk suspiciously. Someone at the game had called San Diego police to report the men were rummaging in the trunk of a car and then left the parking lot, police told ABC San Diego.

    A bystander took a photo of a bomb-sniffing dog inspecting the vehicle and sent it to the TV station. Malhi said the men had put a bag into the trunk after realizing they couldn’t bring it inside the stadium.

    “It’s bad, I mean, this is embarrassing for me, because we are Americans at the end of the day,” Malhi told ABC. “And we are not supposed to be afraid of fellow Americans.”

    Bill Stetson, head of security for the Chargers, and the San Diego Police Department could not be reached for comment.

    In the years since 9/11, members of the Sikh faith have been unintended targets of hate crimes and harassment from people who mistake them for Muslims, according to the Sikh Coalition, an anti-bullying, education and advocacy group.

    “Of course we all agree that safety and security is a priority for this country, but it shouldn’t come at a cost to personal freedoms,” said Simran Jeet Singh, a senior religion fellow with the coalition. “Racial profiling doesn’t help anybody. It doesn’t make us safe as a nation — it makes us less safe by making certain individuals feel like they’re not welcome in this country.”

    A Sikh temple in Orange County last week was vandalized with Islamophobic graffiti.

  • U.S. Army allows Sikh soldier to keep beard | Religious Freedom

    U.S. Army allows Sikh soldier to keep beard | Religious Freedom

    In a rare accommodation, the U.S. Army has allowed a Sikh soldier to temporarily keep his beard and wear his turban while serving in an active combat position.

    This is an important exception and the right move by the U.S. Army. The move sends a strong message to the world that United States supports religious freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance.

    Captain Simratpal Singh, 27, had to cut his hair on his first day at the United States Military Academy at West Point nearly 10 years ago since the Army would not allow a soldier with long hair or a beard, a report in the New York Times said.

    Last week, however, the Army finally granted Singh, who led a platoon of combat engineers who cleared roadside bombs in Afghanistan and was awarded the Bronze Star, a religious accommodation under which he is allowed to grow his beard and wrap his hair in a turban.

    “It is wonderful. I had been living a double life, wearing a turban only at home,” he told the Times. “My two worlds have finally come back together. A true Sikh is supposed to stand out, so he can defend those who cannot defend themselves,” he said, adding that he was prepared to sue if the accommodation was not made permanent.

    Currently, three Sikh-Americans are serving the US military — Major Kamaljeet Singh, Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan and Corporal Simranpreet Singh Lamba.

  • Guru Nanak Prize Awarded to The Pluralism Project at Harvard University and Serve2Unite

    Guru Nanak Prize Awarded to The Pluralism Project at Harvard University and Serve2Unite

    Two organizations dedicated to promoting tolerance and religious understanding through education, research and leadership training will share Hofstra University’s 2016 Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize,said President Stuart Rabinowitz in a press release dated December 11.

    The Pluralism Project at Harvard University, created in 1991, was inspired by the increasing religious diversity of the United States, diversity that its founder and director, Dr. Diana Eck, PhD, a professor of religious studies at Harvard, saw in her classes.

    Serve2Unite, a Milwaukee-based organization that focuses on youth and community outreach, was forged from tragedy, created by Pardeep Kaleka and the Sikh community after his father and five others were killed in a shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in 2012.

    “These two organizations use education and dialogue to promote tolerance, compassion and religious understanding. Now more than ever, I can think of no work that is more important,” said President Stuart Rabinowitz. “Their unwavering commitment is a testament to the principles Guru Nanak represents.”

    Dean Bernard Firestone of Hofstra College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, said this year’s recipients were chosen to reflect that there is no single approach to promoting interfaith understanding.

    “The Pluralism Project and Serve2Unite show that there are many ways to meet the challenge and embrace the opportunity presented by religious diversity,” Firestone said. “The most important thing is that people of different backgrounds communicate – whether it is through scholarly research, grassroots community outreach, leadership training or creative expression.”

    The $50,000 Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is bestowed every two years to recognize significant work to increase interfaith understanding. A formal award presentation is planned for spring 2016. The first Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was awarded in 2008 to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso.

    “I am humbled and honored to be able to accept this on behalf of The Pluralism Project,” Dr. Eck said. “A prize offered in the name of Guru Nanak is a very special honor indeed. I am also very pleased that we will be sharing the prize with Serve2Unite.”

    The Pluralism Project has engaged religious practitioners, students, scholars, interfaith and civic leaders for nearly 25 years around national and international research and education about religious diversity. Its projects include online resources, symposia and trainings, seminars and consultations, producing documentary films, case studies and profiles of interfaith organizations nationwide. Among the groups it has profiled, is co-recipient, Serve2Unite.

    Pardeep Kaleka, is an inner-city school teacher and former police officer who launched Serve2Unite after his father, Satwant Singh Kaleka – the president of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin, was killed in 2012.

    In just three years, Serve2Unite has expanded its programming from two Milwaukee schools to 20, with more than 600 active participants in its student leadership chapters. Under the direction of Arts @ Large, an umbrella arts-education organization that annually engages more than 7,000 students, teachers, and their families in the Milwaukee area, Serve2Unite helps young people create communities built on interfaith and intercultural understanding through community service, artistic projects, and guided dialogue, both in person and online.

    “We at Serve2Unite are extremely honored and humbled by the award,” Kaleka said. “Serve2Unite was founded upon the same ideology that Guru Nanak established the Sikh Religion upon; equality for all, regardless of caste, class, color, creed, or culture. Our mission is to carry this torch of justice forward in utter defiance of fear, ignorance, and hatred; to cultivate courage, wisdom, love, and human kinship on our earth.”

    The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was established in 2006 by Ishar Bindra and family and named for the founder of the Sikh religion. It is meant to encourage understanding of various religions and encourage cooperation between faith communities. Guru Nanak believed that all humans are equal, regardless of color, ethnicity, nationality or gender.

    In September 2000, the Bindra family endowed the Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Chair in Sikh Studies at Hofstra University in honor of the family’s matriarch.

    Tejinder Bindra, who is also a member of the University’s Board of Trustees, noted when the award was inaugurated that Guru Nanak espoused a message of universal brotherhood at a time of increasing religious intolerance during 15th and 16th century India. “It is in this spirit that the Guru Nanak Prize was initiated,” Bindra said. “If one can experience that universality then there is absolutely no room left for differences in race, color, caste, creed, religion or gender, and then as the Sikh scripture tells us ‘I see no stranger’.”

    “The awardees may or may not be Sikh and may represent any of the multitudes of faiths or, for that matter, even no particular faith at all,” he said. It is their dedication that brings humankind to their shared destiny, common purpose and roots that they honor.”

     

  • First Gurudwara Opens Near Johannesburg after 8 Years of Legal Battle

    First Gurudwara Opens Near Johannesburg after 8 Years of Legal Battle

    JOHANNESBURG:  The Sikh community today got its first Gurudwara after an eight-year-long legal battle near Johannesburg.

    The 2,500 square metres Gurudwara was officially opened in the suburb of Sandton, the economic hub of the country, by the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Mashabane-Nkoane.

     “Sandton is supposed to be the citadel of where those who have money live and the opening of the Gurudwara here is making the statement that indeed God is for us all, rich and poor,” said Ms Maite Mashabane-Nkoane.

    “Every humble human being can now walk in and pray at any time, irrespective of colour or creed,” the minister said as she conveyed congratulations on behalf of President Jacob Zuma and all South Africans to the Sikh community.

    Ms Mashabane-Nkoane, a former High Commissioner to India, said she had been privileged to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and was amazed at the Sikh community’s principles of caring for humanity.

    “Every time I interact with the people of the Sikh community, I remember our own (African) values of ‘Ubuntu’, which means ‘I am because you are’; we are all creatures of God.”

    Harbinder Singh Sethi, Chairman of the Johanensburg Gurudwara, said the, “We now have a Gurudwara Sahib here which is built with Sikh architecture but in a very modern way.”

    “It was difficult to build even one square centimetre in this corner of Sandton and now we have a jewel of 2,500 square metres here,” Mr Sethi said.

    Vikram Singh Sahney, President of the World Punjabi Organisation asked the local municipality to consider renaming the street where the Gurudwara is situated to ‘Khalsa Street’.

    Indian High Commissioner Ruchi Ghanashyam said that the Sikh community, wherever they were in the world helped drive the economy through their hard work and also assisted greatly in community upliftment ventures, in line with their religious principles.

    The large Sikh community in South Africa consists wholly of migrants who came here after the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990, as immigration from India was stopped by the apartheid government in 1948.

  • Police Apologize to Sikhs Over Conduct at London Protest

    Police Apologize to Sikhs Over Conduct at London Protest

    LONDON:  The London police have apologised for their treatment of Sikh protesters during a demonstration outside the Indian embassy in the British capital last month, a media report said on Sunday.

    Mak Chishty, Metropolitan Police’s chief of community engagement, said concerns had been raised by Sikh representatives about the actions of some officers at the October 22 protest, the Evening Standard reported.

    The Sikhs were protesting over the recent deaths in Punjab and related incidents.

    “An incident occurred where a Met Police officer is seen to take a flag sporting a religious symbol from a protester, snap the stick and throw it to the floor. This is deeply disrespectful to the Sikh community and is not acceptable.

    “I understand the distress and hurt that has been caused and I sincerely apologise to our Sikh community for this,” Chishty was quoted as saying.

    A total of 20 people were arrested when the peaceful demonstration of a “small group of protesters turned violent towards police”.

    “I am also aware that ‘kirpans’ were removed from two people once they had been arrested. This was against the direction of the senior officer present who immediately apologised during the protest,” the officer said.

    He added that officers deployed during future protests involving Sikhs would be briefed on the significance of the religious symbol and ‘kirpans’.

    “I would like to reassure the Sikh community that no disrespect or offence was intended and apologise for any distress, hurt or offence that has been caused,” Chishty said.

  • GURU GRANTH SAHIB DESECRATION – PROTESTS ACROSS PUNJAB

    GURU GRANTH SAHIB DESECRATION – PROTESTS ACROSS PUNJAB

    CHANDIGARH (TIP): Protests continue in Punjab over incidents of alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib even as the government deployed paramilitary personnel in four districts of the state.

    PROTESTS ACROSS PUNJABComing as they do so close to the farmers’ rail roko agitation, the protests have effectively grounded the state for over a fortnight and, Opposition leaders said, threatened to raise old ghosts of fear and instability.

    The extent of the crisis was underlined by the dramatic appearance of a sombre Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, accompanied by five Akali heavyweights, at a press briefing called by the police this evening to announce the arrest of two brothers for the alleged desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district’s Bargari village.

    “My father, my family, the whole Akali leadership have been perturbed by the incidents and have been on a mission to nab the culprits. A conspiracy was hatched to set Punjab on fire and the faces behind it have come to the fore,” Sukhbir Badal said. His father Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal hinted at a cross-border hand in the incidents.

    Announcing the arrest of the two brothers, a day after five other arrests, the police said they had solved five of seven incidents of desecration, and alleged a conspiracy hatched in Australia and Dubai. On Tuesday, the Punjab Cabinet passed a resolution condemning the acts of sacrilege in various districts and described it as “a deep-rooted conspiracy to disturb peace, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in the state”.

    With just about a year ahead of the 2017 elections and fighting growing public resentment, the state government finds itself pushed into a corner after protests got a fresh impetus today with yet another desecration complaint from Bathinda. Residents of Gurusar village blocked the Bhagta Bhaika-Bathinda rail route from 10 am to 1.30 pm after over 150 pages of the Guru Granth Sahib were allegedly found torn.

    The incidents, and the initial use of force by police to disperse protestors that led to the deaths of two men, set off a flurry of resignations from the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee, which is controlled by the Akali Dal, and a handful from the party, and other positions as well. As many as 15 members of the SGPC have quit.

    The latest resignations came from Mohan Lal Banga, a former Akali MLA, who stepped down from the Punjab Public Services Commission, while Mangat Rai Bansal, who left the Congress to join SAD two years ago, quit the party.

    Sikh protestors, responding to cues from two little-known preachers and a clutch of radical Sikh groups, continue to keep the state on edge with road blockades lasting several hours daily in several parts of Punjab. Akali MLAs and other district-level leaders have been unable to reach out to them. After a few incidents in which protestors chased away Akali leaders, they have virtually gone into hiding.

    The desecration incidents came days after the Akal Takht controversially exonerated Gurmit Singh Ram Rahim, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, from its own charge of blasphemy against him. The anger over the desecration incidents added to the unrest among panthic Sikhs over the pardon, for which the Akali Dal is widely blamed. A revocation of the pardon last week as a measure to mollify the protestors has not helped douse the anger against the Akalis.

    Security forces taking out a flag march in Amritsar.
    Security forces taking out a flag march in Amritsar.

    The government’s deployment of BSF personnel in the districts of Jalandhar, where Sikh protestors clashed with mostly Hindu shopkeepers, and in Ludhiana, Amritsar and Tarn Taran only seemed to underline its inability to bring the situation back under control.

    President of the state Congress Pratap Singh Bajwa said it showed a “trust deficit” between the state police and Sukhbir Badal, who is also the Home Minister. AAP said it was an attempt to “create a fear psychosis” in the minds of the people and “raise the bogey of terrorism” in the State. The Congress has demanded President’s rule in the State.

    Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress asked Badal to stop blaming external forces, and demanded to know why the government had not acted on the theft of the Guru Granth Sahib in the Faridkot village when the complaint was first made in June.

    After Monday’s Jalandhar incidents, the BJP, a partner in the ruling coalition with SAD, which had been a quiet onlooker through the last week, sprung to life. The state unit’s core committee including Union Minister Vijay Sampla and three BJP Cabinet ministers Madan Mohan Mittal, Surjit Kumar Jayani and Chunni Lal Bhagat met this afternoon. State BJP president Kamal Sharma made a carefully worded statement after the incident on behalf of the core committee, demanding the arrest of the culprits and “exemplary punishment” to them, plus an investigation into the conspiracy behind the incidents.

    He said the core committee had made an appeal to Punjabis all over the world.. “The damage done in the black days of militancy has still not been undone in terms of economic progress. This hard-earned peace has to be maintained at all costs. My special appeal to the youth of the state is that we should not cause damage to the state in anger and spoil the atmosphere of brotherhood,” said Sharma.

    Sharma described the Jalandhar incident as “unfortunate” and expressed the hope it would not happen again. “I will also request political parties not to do any politics over peace and brotherhood on the state,” he said.

  • GURU GRANTH SAHIB DESECRATION – Centre seeks report from Punjab on ‘foreign hand’

    GURU GRANTH SAHIB DESECRATION – Centre seeks report from Punjab on ‘foreign hand’

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The centre has sought a report from the Punjab government on information about the alleged involvement of a foreign hand in recent incidents of the sacrilege of the holy book that sparked state-wide protests.

    The central government is seized of the matter and has sought a report from the Punjab government, a senior home ministry official said.

    The official said all necessary action will be taken against criminal elements be it within or outside the country.

    Punjab police on Tuesday said, it had arrested two brothers for alleged involvement in the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib and claimed that they were getting instructions and funding from handlers in Australia and Dubai.

    Jaswinder Singh and Rupinder Singh were arrested for the case of sacrilege of the Sikh holy book at Bargari village in Faridkot district. The police said the brothers phone records had been traced to people in Australia and Dubai and a special investigation team would probe the matter.

    Aam Aadmi Party MP, Punjab, Bhagwant Mann met home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday and urged him to ensure peace.

    During the 15-minute meeting, Mann told Rajnat Sing the situation in Punjab was ‘very disturbing’ in the wake of recent incidents.

    The sources said, the home minister gave him a patient hearing and told him that he had already spoken to Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal. Chairman of International Sikh Council Mukhtiar Singh also met the home minister.

    Rajnath spoke to Badal on Monday and assured him ‘all possible help” from the centre to address the situation. Singh later apprised Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the situation in Punjab.