The Dec 26 2004 Asian tsunami – triggered following a seabed earthquake that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale off the coast of Sumatra in Indonesia – saw waves of destruction smashing into parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India. Close to 500,000 people have died and millions more have been left in urgent need of food and shelter. As Asia grappled with tsunami aftermath, the world has come together in an overwhelming show of sympathy, love and support.

In Malaysia, an established Sikh body – the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia rose to the occasion by spearheading Global Sikhs,a humanitarian relief team that has ventured into the heart of destruction in Aceh, Indonesia, to do their bit in offering assistance to the victims.We capture their story in this special issue.

By Habhajan Singh | THE SIKH (SPECIAL EDITION) | MALAYSIA |

THEY are familiar with men in turbans.The tsunami-ravaged Aceh, a province in the sprawling Indonesia archipelago, is known for its Islamic credentials. But the “new men in turban” who descended on their land early this year were a new sight for the people of Aceh, who associate turbans and beards as being Islamic or Arab.

“Are you a Muslim?” asks an elderly lady as Dr Jaswant Singh attends to her in the first few weeks following the Dec 26, 2004 tsunami that slammed Aceh with waves as high a three story building.

“No, I’m a Sikh,” he replies.

“What are you doing here?” the lady asks. One look and you can tell something is bothering her. She’s not alone. Many others in Aceh carry the same look of bewilderment and agony. This lady has lost almost her entire family in the killer waves that smashed into Aceh following a massive undersea earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Aceh alone lost close to 300,000 people in the tragic incident Hence, the makcik – the Malay word for an elderly lady – has many reasons to be anxious.

“I’m here to help,” replies the 37 – year old doctor who grew up in Puchong, Selangor.

”Where are the Arabs?” the lady shot back another question, gazing at his turban.

Dr Jaswant is from the Global Sikhs – Waves of Mercy, an ad-hoc humanitarian relief team powered by a group of Sikhs and expatriate sailors in Malaysia. The soft-spoken doctor signed up to be part of the maiden team of 31 volunteers to carry out relief work in Aceh.

It is a brave act, indeed. as Aceh is closest to the epicenter of the earthquake and one of the worst hit by the tsunami. The almost daily tremors that occurred were a grim reminder to the volunteers that the region could be whacked by another earthquake. These volunteers were walking on Ground Zero that may witness an epidemic outbreak.

Yet Dr Jaswant and his friends braved on.

it did not take long though for the people of Aceh to get to know more about these men in turban. They were not Arabs.They are the Bhai Khanaiyas of today – men and women who are willing to go deep into troubled areas, carrying with them aid and relief, plus bringing hope and love to people desperately in need of them regardless of nationality and race.

True blue humanitarian workers

The Global Sikhs – Waves of Mercy, a mission spearheaded by the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM), has been tremendously successful, both in accomplishing its mission and endearing the hearts of the Malaysian public, plus those from outside the country.

When the SNSM decided to shoulder this mission, it was something it had never executed before. Volunteers of the SNSM, the Malaysian-based Sikh organisation established in the early 1960s, are experts in running Gurmat camps gatherings we come to know as Samelans. They have little or no knowledge of humanitarian relief work. But the call for seva was so strong that these Sabha volunteers found themselves sailing across the deep blue sea, wearing the badge of humanitarian relief work to do their bit for the tsunami victims.

Take Malkith Singh, for example. A long-time dedicated volunteer of SNSM, currently its vice president, Malkith has been assisting in running the day-to-day affairs of the SNSM for many years now. He has organised countless Gurmat camps and coordinated the kirtans and parchars of international raagi jathas. Malkith partakes in the cooking of Guru-ka-Langgar almost every other day in one Gurdwara or another and has attended to to families in need of assistance.

On Jan 7, 2005 Malkith sailed with 30 others on the maiden Global Sikhs‘ relief mission to Aceh. He was on a yatch, fully loaded with thousands of boxes containing food, medicines and emergency supplies and ready to sail more than 500kms.

Within weeks the Global Sikhs-Waves of Mercy team of volunteers was nursing some 10,000 people in two areas. In Pulau Weh, an island just north of Banda Aceh, the volunteers were assisting some 7,000 people displaced and housed temporary in 15 makeshift camps. While Pulau Weh was not as badly hit by the tsunami as other areas in Aceh, aid and relief work carried out by Global Sikhs-Waves of Mercy did become the turning point for the people of this beautiful island who had lost their homes and everything else.

In Paroe and its surrounding areas – villages facing the Indian Ocean that faced the full brunt of the tsunami – some 3,000 villagers came under their care. Here, however, was a story of death and destruction.

In no time, thousands of makciks, like the one under Dr Jaswant’s care, came to know of Sikhs. Whenever they see the men in turban or the words ‘Global Sikhs‘, the villagers knew help has arrived. Not only do they bring food, medicine and love abundance, to the delight of the villagers, the people of Aceh were amazed that the Global Sikhs brought them the Quran and other religious items required by Muslims.

The word began to spread, carrying forward the good name of the followers of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. An incident in Sabang,the small port city in Pulau Weh that acts as the forward station for the mission illustrates the point.

A group of doctors from the Global Sikhs-Waves of Mercy were left alone to carry out thew work. Feeling hungry walked into the town to buy some food. The shop owner refused to accept payment. “Kamu orang bawa pertolongan” (You’re men who brought us aid),” he said. And when they see men in turban, or the Global Sikhs banner, even the army waves you on. While they may know nothing of the Sikhs, they found them to be honourable people, providing true blue humanitarian relief, with no hidden agendas.

Back in Malaysia, people from all walks of life came to know of these Sikh volunteers: how they have joined in efforts to provide emergency aid to Aceh. Malaysians are impressed as to how such a small community is able to mobilise aid and relief within such a short span of time.There are less than 80,000 Sikhs in Malaysia out of a population of 25 million people. News of the good work of Global Sikhs and other agencies also began making its round in the Sikh circles, as well.

SNSM hopes the good work being carried out by Global Sikhs will correct the misperception people have regarding Sikhs. Global Sikhs hopes to put forward an image of the Sikhs that is dynamic, vibrant and humanitarian. “For years, Sikhs have been branded as terrorists and people who gave trouble. Sadly this image has lingered on, ” Global Sikhs operations director Harvinder Singh told team members in a meeting in the early days of the mission. “This disaster is an opportunity. We will represent Sikhs around the world. Hopefully, it will remind them of Bhai Khanaiya, the first Red Cross.”

What is the spirit of Bhai Khanaiya? We go back some 300 years ago. ln the midst of a battlefield. one solitary soul was walking around, water and medicine in hand. He would attend to anyone in sight, no questions asked. There was a battle going on, with two sides at war with each other. That did not stop him from nursing the wounds of everyone in his path.

Bhai Khanaiya had performed selfless service of humanity with no distinction of nationality, caste or creed. Some Sikhs complained to Guru Gobind Singh that Khanaiya had been resuscitating the fallen enemy soldiers. He was summoned to the Guru’s Darbar. The case against him was put forward. Now, what do you say, Brother Khanaiya? ”Yes, my Lord, what they said is true in a sense, but I saw no Mughals or Sikhs in the battlefield. I only saw human beings.” The Guru. pleased with the reply, blessed him and told the Sikhs that Khanaiya had understood his teachings correctly. In a sense, the Global Sikhs-Waves of Mercy mission works on that very principle: we are here to serve anyone who needs our help.

THE BEGINNING

The story of Global Sikhs began in the days following the Dec 26 disaster. The province of Aceh on the island of Sumatra is just across the Straits of Malacca. Malaysia is its closest neighbour. Some key volunteers of the SNSM were approached with the idea of providing some form of assistance to the victims in Aceh. At that time, the number of dead reported was way much lower and Indonesia was still not in the news as the place worst hit by the deadly waves.

Within days, the Sabha House the SNSM headquarters in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, turned its premises into a center facilitating and coordinating relief operations. More than 100 volunteers were deeply engaged in one activity or another towards this end. Donations in the form of food, clothes and others began pouring in by the lorry loads. Every nook and corner of the two-story bungalow was almost filled up with goods from generous Malaysians. Clearly. a humanitarian relief agency was taking shape at Sabha House. The meeting room was transformed into the mission’s Command and Control Centre, which soon would be operating 24-hours a day. By all accounts this is probably the largest Sikh humanitarian relief agency, in terms of number of volunteers, to go into action in an international tragedy.

By end-March, the Global Sikhs-Waves of Mercy would have sent some 160 volunteers to Aceh over seven missions, performing all kinds of relief and rehabilitation work. Indeed, history is in the making for Sikhs in Malaysia and worldwide.

The energy levels these volunteers exude were simply amazing and contagious. In a matter of no time hundreds came forward to render help in one way or another. These volunteers, most of them with full-time jobs or people running their own companies, came forward to lend time, energy and expertise. Without doubt, the mission needed all the expertise it could muster. Being new to relief work the learning curve was steep. The ‘to-do’ list was lengthy: clarifying the mission, identifying the right people for the right job, providing basic emergency and relief training, searching for funds and goods, coordinating with other relief agencies, getting the necessary approvals, reaching out to people about the work, and so on.

As the mission moved on, the right people and the required stuff began falling in place. At times, it was almost as if miracles were unfolding, one after another. For the first few shipment, the mission needed medicines costing millions of dollars. Overnight, the supply reached our doors at Sabha House. We needed foodstuff to take to Aceh. Again, the donors came forward.

Critical to the mission was a proper control centre. A couple of army experts with just the right expertise and experience came forward to help in that area. At the end, the Command Centre transformed into a mission operation centre: there were clocks on the wall telling you the time In Aceh and Kuala Lumpur, and maps of Aceh were plastered on both corners of the room. Dedicated telephone lines and networked computers were put in place for volunteers to get cracking. The man responsible for putting the Command Centre into place was Global Sikhs deputy operations director, Satwant Singh, a globetrotting environmentalist with a multi-national company.

ROUTE BY SEA

So, how did we get to Aceh? At that point the big international agencies were already making a beeline to Banda Aceh, the capital of the province, perched at the tip of the Sumatra. But feedback that we got noted that the relief teams and goods were stranded at the capital as the complete destruction of the road network on the west coast of Aceh hindered onward movement into the remote areas of Aceh.

Bearing this in mind, what do we do? That was one of the most critical questions for operations director Harvinder Singh and the team. A dedicated and long-time SNSM volunteer, Harvinder played an instrumental role In providing leadership to the team, at that point already in high gear.  Having put In so many collective man-hours, they were not about to col back. “lf you want success, you have to do something you have never done before,” Harvinder had said to the team.

And that‘s exactly what happened – treading on a path other volunteers had never treaded before. By sheer coincidence, Global Sikhs were matched with the Waves of Mercy, a group of sailors based in Langkawi, an Island on the West coast of Malaysia. Led by Captain Hugo Crawford, the group of expatriate sailors was already busy putting together a team to send goods and people to Aceh. The Irish-born Capt Hugo and friends were at Langkawi when tidal waves rocked the shores of Langkawi an island on west Side of peninsular Malaysia. The US$10m ship under his care – it belongs to a businessman – was one of the few that were spared during the incident on Dec 26. The 52-year old former carpenter, who hails from Belfast, refused to let the tragedy get the better of him. “The images haunted my mind as I tried to sleep,” says Capt Hugo.”In a flash, it was clear to me what I had to do. I’m a captain of a 130-foot motor yatch. So, why not I attempt a rescue mission for the thousands of unfortunate people along the coastline of Northern Sumatera.” He bandies around his fellow-seamen. That’s how Waves of Mercy came about.

Within a week – by Jan 7 – the new partnership of Global Sikhs – Waves of Mercy sent out two vessels carrying 31 volunteers and 150 tons of emergency supplies on its way to Aceh.The first team, led by with Malkith Singh as the chief-de-mission, also included a group of 10 medical personnel.

The new partnership changed the plan we had initially wanted to operate, thus realigning the mission’s anchor. Unlike most humanitarian agencies in Aceh that came in via air, Global Sikhs now could avoid Banda Aceh and the likelihood of its volunteers and goods getting stranded.

As the only humanitarian aid agency fully mobile with sails, Global Sikhs set its base camp in Sabang, Pulau Weh. The local hospital in Pulau Weh was in dire need of extra help. It had lost five of its nine doctors to the tsunami. Dr Susheelwant Kaur and colleague went straight to work making their way from one camp to another, handing some 7,000 people at 15 Internally Displaced Camps.

Some 20 days after the tsunami, the Global Sikhs team sailed along Paroe. The village caught the attention of Global Sikhs. Since the tsunami incident, the village facing the epicenter of the earthquake had not received any relief, save for a solitary air drop a couple of days earlier. But that proved of little use. Cooking rice with the polluted water made everyone sick. “Move than half its population had been wiped out. When we first landed there, some of the children there could not even walk,” says Malkith Singh, who was on board the Sean Paquitto yacht that brought relief to the villagers.

Back at home In Malaysia, things were moving at break-neck speed. Right from the beginning, the mission was meant to embrace anyone and everyone who wanted to serve as humanitarian relief workers, regardless of race, religion or nationality. From the onset, Global Sikhs had enlisted non-Sikh members. Dr Tikfu Gee was busy drawing up the medicine list together with Jagdeep Singh and his wife Jasmeet Kaur. Kishore Kumar was gallantly handling logistics. The husband-wife couple of Tik and Stephanie were working into the wee hours of the night, alongside Tarminder Singh, to get the website up and running.

From day one, the mission adopted the inclusive route. To keep the platform open to other concerned organisations, the team adopted the name Global Sikhs. SNSM Jathedar (president) Harwindar Singh spelt out its mission: “Global Sikhs is a platform for anyone who wants to serve in providing relief to the devastated people of Aceh and to assist them In rebuilding their lives.” At that juncture, the Global Sikhs alliance had already included the United Sikhs. Others Sikh organisations soon began lending a helping hand.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Over the weeks, Global Sikhs have been concentrating its efforts in providing assistance to Pulau Weh and Paroe. At Pulau Weh, the team embarked on several other projects. One of them is ensuring proper sanitary conditions  at displaced people’s camp.

With the operations moving from the emergency phase to the rebuilding process, Global Sikhs have just sent 16 boats to Paroe. This is to help the predominantly fishing community back on its feet. More boats are on its way. ”You should have seen the glow in the eyes of the people In Paroe when they got the boats. It was simply awesome,” said one volunteer working there.

More importantly, it’s giving the people there – the four or five villages there lost at least half their members and saw the waves destroying their homes – something to look forward to. “We‘re now me the rebuilding phase,” says Jagdev Singh, SNSM Vice President who has taken over as Global Sikhs‘ director of operations.

The work being done by the brave volunteers of the Global Sikhs-Waves of Mercy is definitely making a difference. For years to come, the people of Aceh will remember the men in turban who came as waves of mercy following the waves of destruction.

[The article first appeared in the The Sikh (Special Edition), a SNSM magazine, published in March 2005. The author was the Global Sikhs media director]

PATH DA BHOG: 12 Jan 2020, 5pm-7pm, at Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Jalan Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia

ਜੇਹਾ ਚੀਰੀ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤੇਹਾ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥ ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

Jayhaa cheeree likhi-aa, tayhaa hukam kamaahi. 

Ghalay aawah naankaa, saday othe jaahi (SGGS, 1239)

GENKIR SINGH S/O LALL SINGH

Formerly of Batu Pahat, Johor

(2 June 1946 – 31 December 2019)

Wife: Kirpal Kaur Ajit Singh

Children / Spouses: 

Inderjeet Kaur / Balvinder Singh

Asvinderjeet Kaur / Davinder Singh

Jagmohinderjeet Singh / Kiranjit Kaur

Path Da Bhog: 12 Jan 2020, 5pm-7pm, at Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Jalan Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur 

Contact:

Jagmohinderjeet: 011-52192937

Asvin : 010-2260762

| Entry: 31 Dec 2019; Updated: 1 Jan 2020 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | EDITORIAL |

The murder of Amitpal Singh Bajaj in the tragic incident in Thailand in August caught the attention of many of our readers. It was our most-read story in 2019.

Amitpal, the 34-year-old Malaysian-born IT consultant who held British citizenship, perished in the scuffle on the night before he was scheduled to leave with his Singapore-born wife and their two-year-old son.

The next most-read story came from Indonesia. Indonesia lost its most prominent Sikh son with the passing on of Harbrinderjit Singh Dillon in September.

Known widely as Pak H.S. Dillon, Harbrinderjit is easily one of the most well-known Indonesian Sikhs who has held important positions in the Indonesian government and civil society.

And the third most-read story in 2019 was on the making of the gurdwara in Putrajaya, the seat of Malaysia’s administrative capital.

Here are the top 30 most-read stories at Asia Samachar for 2019.

TOP 30 STORIES:

1. “Please just go, go, save Veer”
2. HS Dillon: Indonesia loses most prominent Sikh son
3. Putrajaya gurdwara in the making
4. Sikh student rises against all odds, bags Malaysian university VC award
5. The Grand Lady of No 81, Jalan Templer passes away
6. AirAsia pulls ads after Sikh community feedback
7. Guru Nanak’s teachings ‘very much aligned ‘ to Singapore core values, says PM
8. Record RM1.6m raised at KL crematorium fundraising dinner
9. Three Punjabi gals enter final round of Miss Universe Malaysia 2019
10. California Sikh farmer still working at 105
11. Did she convert to Islam?
12. A big Sikh wedding in Malaysia
13. Sweet news for narcotics officer ACP Dalbir Singh
14. Singaporean Sikh protecting Johor crown prince
15. Chair for Sikh wedding couple causes stir
16. Top Malaysian police Sikh lady officer retires
17. Thai singer Aruni releases song on Guru Nanak’s travel to Baghdad
18. Shweta crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2019
19. Rakhvinder Singh shines at Malaysian navy cadet officer graduation
20. Malaysia’s pioneer Sikh scientist made Emeritus Professor
21. Malaysian Sikh planter, amateur radio hobbyist Sangat Singh passes away
22. Malaysian Sikh pipe band emerge champs at world championships
23. Amazing sewa at Malacca annual Sikh event. What’s the secret?
24. The brave Sikhs of Borneo
25. Medical student Kajel Kaur wins Miss Earth Malaysia
26. Exit from my ‘dream’ home
27. Fire destroys home of active Medan lady sewadar, donation drive launched
28. Sikh bikers complete cancer charity ride, clocking 16,800km across 5-nations
29. Time for Sikh women to join politics, urges lawmaker Ramkarpal
30. Arvin first Malaysian Sikh swimmer to bag medal at Sea Games

By ERIN B. LOGANSTAFF WRITER | LOS ANGELES TIMES |

For the sixth year in a row, the Sikh American Float Foundation motored a float down the 5½-mile parade route. This year, coffee grounds, lentils, walnuts, cranberries, spices and coconut flakes adorned the 85-foot-long float, titled “Planting Seeds of Hope.”

Maninder Minu Singh, creative director of the foundation, began thinking about the float’s design a year ago. She had to think of a way to connect this year’s parade theme, “The Power of Hope,” with the Sikh faith. Eventually, Singh settled on a large sculpting of Bhai Ghaneya Singh Ji, a Sikh from the 18th century known for giving water to wounded soldiers on the battlefield regardless of faith.

With the Irwindale-based Phoenix Decorating Co., Singh and 1,400 volunteers were able to bring to life a man who exemplified what the world should be, she said, “putting humanity above affiliations and differences.”

The float shows Ji pouring water, surrounded by 69,000 live roses and 16 real-life children. The presence of children from different backgrounds was important to showcase, Singh said, because they are the future of the world.

“If we plant seeds of love, compassion and service into young minds today, then they can design a world in the future that is more peaceful, kind, loving and beautiful,” she said.

An estimated 500,000 Sikhs live in the United States. The religion has roots in the 15th century Punjab region of India.

Some people wrongly assume that Sikhs are Muslims because of the turbans they wear. Violence against American Sikhs intensified after 9/11, when Islamophobia was on the rise.

In 2012, six people died in a mass shooting at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee.

Recently, reports of hate crimes against the group have increased. In 2015, the FBI recorded six reports of hate crimes against Sikhs. In 2018 there were 60, a 200% increase from the 20 reported in 2017, according to figures provided by Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.

“Sikhs are attacked not only because they are confused with Muslims, but also because their adherents are doubly stereotyped” as part of a “foreign” faith, Levin said in an interview. He noted that changes in law enforcement data collection and the “excellent outreach made by the Sikh community” contributed in part to the dramatic increase in reports.

Local Sikhs see the parade as an educational opportunity. Having a float that showcases diversity and works with non-Sikhs, like Lhotka, is key to spreading a message of kindness and compassion, Singh said.

“At the end of the day, we all believe in freedom, equality, compassion and service,” she said. “Those are the things necessary to blur the lines of division and bring us together.”

See original report , Rose Parade 2020: Sikhs roll out a float to sow seeds of hope, generosity and harmony, here.

By Asia Samachar Team | UK |

Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Mughal emperor Akhbar were among the 20 leaders who caught the attention of a group of historians and authors challenged by the BBC to name the world’s greatest leaders.

They were asked to nominate the greatest leader – someone who exercised power and had a positive impact on humanity – and to explore their achievements and legacy.

Ranjit, listed as the Ruler of the Sikh empire 1801–39, was great because he forged a modern empire of toleration.

Dubbed the Lion of Punjab, his reign marked a golden age for Punjab and north-west India.

“Though a devoted Sikh who embarked on a campaign to restore the great monuments of his religion – including the Harmandir Sahib or ‘Golden Temple’ at Amritsar – he also went to great lengths to ensure religious freedom within his lands,” writes Matthew Lockwood, an assistant professor of history at the University of Alabama.

The list appeared in a recent issue of the BBC World Histories Magazine.

It includes Amenhotep III (Egypt’s greatest pharaoh when Egypt ruled the ancient world, c1390–1352 BC), Isabella of Castile (the Queen of Castile, 1474–1504, whose influence reshaped the western world) and Oda Nobunaga (Japanese feudal lord in the 16th century who succeeded in unifying Japan, 1534-1582).

The full entry on Maharaja Ranjit Singh:

Maharaja Ranjit Singh: 

Ruler of the Sikh empire 1801–39

For most of the 18th century, India was a fractured and war-torn place. As the once-dominant Mughal empire entered its period of terminal decline, it left behind a power vacuum. Punjab was not exempt from this problem. By the time Ranjit Singh was born in 1780, Afghan raids, chronic infighting among Punjab’s various misls (sovereign states) and the looming presence of British expansion left the region politically fragile, economically weak and religiously splintered. All this changed with the rise of Singh, the ‘Lion of Punjab’.

By the early decades of the 19th century, he had modernised the Sikh Khalsa army, embraced western innovations without abandoning local forms and institutions, unified the fractious misls, stabilised the frontier with Afghanistan, and reached a mutually beneficial detente with the British East India Company. Singh, however, was more than a mere conqueror. While the Indian subcontinent was riven with imperial competition, religious strife and wars of conquest, Singh was, almost uniquely, a unifier – a force for stability, prosperity and tolerance.

His reign marked a golden age for Punjab and north-west India. Though a devoted Sikh who embarked on a campaign to restore the great monuments of his religion – including the Harmandir Sahib or ‘Golden Temple’ at Amritsar – he also went to great lengths to ensure religious freedom within his lands. He patronised Hindu temples and Sufi shrines, attended Muslim and Hindu ceremonies, married Hindu and Muslim women, and even banned the slaughter of cows to protect the religious sensitivities of Hindus. Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Europeans were all employed in the modernised army and administration of his empire. Under his leadership, infrastructure was improved, commerce opened and expanded, and the arts flourished.

This golden age would not survive him. After his death in 1839, Ranjit Singh’s empire of toleration unravelled. The British invaded, the Sikh empire collapsed and instability returned to the region. Though certainly an imperialist, Ranjit Singh represented a different, more enlightened, more inclusive model of state-building, and a much-needed path towards unity and toleration. We could still benefit from his example.

You can read the full article, ‘Who is the greatest leader in world history?’,  here

By Parveen Kaur Harnam | OPINION |

I refer to the news about the CAA in India and Uyghur Muslims in China. Though the two issues appear far removed, I find that there are similar broad strokes and will be drawing attention to both here.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), now Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 (CAA) – as the bill has already been passed – in India has brought with it an intense debate, on both sides of the shore.

Those who are in support, or rather those who are against the protests against it, are of the mind that most people are not understanding the CAA in its entire context. We are simply reacting, following the masses. So, are we?

Let’s look into what the CAA is, in a simple manner. It is an “addition” of sorts to the Citizenship Act 1955. It appears, prima facie (on the face of it), to spell an integral shift in the concept or rather reality of what it means to be an Indian citizen. It brings a positive impact to the rights of citizenship of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian religious minorities, giving them a face – where there was none codified in the Citizenship Act before.

The problem (and this is no trivial problem: it is in fact reminiscent of the nationality laws for foreigners in Saudi Arabia) is that the bill (quite deliberately) deprives this right from Muslim minorities. This, in essence, would go against the (is ultra vires the) Indian Constitution and is likely to be a grave violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which India has ratified.

The CAA has caused a whole new debate on the National Population Register (NPR) and subsequently the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

One of the voices, namely, writer and activist Arundhati Roy (author of The God of Small Things) has become highly prominent in this debate, suggesting (perhaps in anger and an attempt to institute a movement) that names and addresses be forged in the Indian NPR to pull wool over the eyes of the government that has now passed a law that is – without a shadow of a doubt – anti-Muslim. Although Arundhati Roy was perhaps driven to say and do these things because of the nature of the CAA, some citizens and even the Indian government have instead gone against her, not realizing that her arguments are an almost unavoidable by-product of the CAA.

Such is the power of media. Silence is appreciated (surprisingly, the worshipped Bollywood celebrities have failed to give a strong reaction to the CAA, I think the words of Albert Einstein is important here “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing”) and people who voice out are condemned, vilified and subsequently silenced. A truly sorry state of affairs.

In another stronghold Asian nation, there is the issue of Uyghur Muslims in China, for which the waters are evidently muddled. On the one hand, we have all read and become aware of the “apparent” issue in the continent: that Muslims are being put into “modern-day” camps (eerily resembling Nazi-era concentration camps). This is bad, we all know that, right? Alas, it seems that isn’t so simple after all. China has since then voiced out on the fact that this is simply the evil of Western media (they’re at it again!).

This then becomes a wholly different issue, what is the truth and what is the lie? Is the viral (honestly, quite clever) video from an earnest young girl on Tik Tok to be believed? Are Uyghur Muslims truly being terrorized, deprived of their rights to practice religion or is all of this a fabricated crisis, one that is borne out of a “need” to stifle China’s growth as an economic superpower of the 21^st century?

The facts and statistics released by China seem legitimate. According to China, they have invested in the Uyghur Muslims and the re-education camps are merely a means for them to be able to become on par with the rest of China’s society.

So, does this mean that China is the next victim of the dreaded (supposedly obsolete) “yellow journalism”? The answer is one that cannot be found, it appears. When one Googles “Uyghur Muslims”, one only finds “data” and “research” that smacks of a one-sided media coverage (data and research are in quote marks here because there is no responsible journalism surrounding the facts). The source of most of it is speculative: primarily gained from members of extremist group (the main one being the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)), terrorists and separatists. How then do we search for the truth?

The answer to that is: the truth lies somewhere in between. There perhaps is some level of control on the part of the Chinese government (as they are after all a unitary one-party socialist republic), and we all know that China is famed for its control over outside media. This control, however, appears well-meaning, an action that became “necessary” due to the attacks on Xinjiang (notice that I am using the word “appears” and “necessary” here, because the truth is hard to find, especially in regard to Uyghur Muslims). We have been led to believe for ever so long, that there is a crisis in China, that there is a lack of transparency with information and this is with reason, no doubt.

The question is: is the issue truly about Uyghur Muslims or is it simply that China is a conservative country that guards its doors against “Western” coverage? It could very well be that because China is so secretive about its goings-on that we are quick to believe any coverage on it (good or bad) because there is nothing else to fall back on? Perhaps.

If anyone were to ask: why should we care about issues that do not directly affect us? Why am I, a Malaysian citizen, talking about these issues? The answer would be in Martin Luther King Jr’s words, in a letter from Birmingham Jail “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly”.

Parveen Kaur Harnam is a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer. 

* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.

RELATED STORY:

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA|

The heat is on. Manjit Singh, a teacher with three decades of service under his belt, was seen assisting a student who fainted at a Malaysian school.

In a video clip received by Asia Samachar, Manjit was seen carrying the student to a classroom to recover after fainting possibly due to heatwave.

The incident took place at SMK Dusun Nanding, a national secondary school in Hulu Selangor yesterday (2 Jan 2020) when schools resumed for the new year.

By Asia Samachar Team | PAKISTAN |

Nankana Sahib gurdwara has returned to normalcy after a protest by a group on Friday, according to local reports.

Scores of protesters surrounded the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib on Friday afternoon, threatening to overrun the holy site if their demands for the release of suspects in an alleged forced conversion case were not met, reports The Dawn.

The protesters dispersed after several hours in the evening following successful negotiations between them and government representatives, which led to the release of the arrested persons, the report added.

He newspaper reported that the talks  were between the protesters and the PTI Nankana Sahib president Pir Sarwar Shah.

Pakistan Sikh Council (PSC) patron Ramesh Singh Khalsa said the situation had returned to nomalcy.

“The situation is under control right now, I just confirmed from local Sikh Sangat. All the mob and people outside the Gurdwara [have been] removed,” he said in a text message shared in a discussion group at 1am (Malaysia time) today (4 Jan 2020).

According to The Dawn report, on Friday evening, scores of charged protesters staged a sit-in outside the Gurdwara. They were led by the family of a man, Ehsan, who was accused of forcibly converting a Sikh woman, Jagjit Kaur, earlier this year.

In a Facebook posting, an individual with the handle ‘Imranchishti Baba’ spoke about how some family members were picked up by the police and that the matter had now been resolved.

The profile says the individual studied at Lahore-based University of the Punjab and Govt Guru Nanak High School at Nankana Sahib.

On August 28, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed in the Nankana police station against six people who were accused of abducting and forcefully converting the 19-year-old woman.

Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as the Gurdwara Janam Asthan, is the site where the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak, was born.

See full report here.

SASKAAR / CREMATION PATH DA BHOG: 1.30pm, 5/1/2020 at Jalan Kuari Crematorium, Cheras, Kuala Kumpur. Cortège leaves from No 49, Jalan BU 7/4, Bandar Utama, 47800, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, at 12pm | Malaysia

ਜੇਹਾ ਚੀਰੀ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਤੇਹਾ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥ ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

Jayhaa cheeree likhi-aa, tayhaa hukam kamaahi. 

Ghalay aawah naankaa, saday othe jaahi (SGGS, 1239)

JASBIR KAUR D/O SOHAN SINGH

(13 May 1958 –  4 Jan 2020)

Husband: Mendar Singh A/L Toja Singh

Children: Tirath, Manpreet, Ishpal, Ishdev, Mangeet

Grandchild: Armaita Nehal Kaur Khera

Saskaar / Cremation: 1.30pm, 5 January 2020 (Sunday) at Jalan Kuari Crematorium, Cheras, Kuala Kumpur

Cortège timing: Cortège leaves from No 49, Jalan BU 7/4, Bandar Utama, 47800, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, at 12pm, 5 January 2020 (Sunday)

Path Da Bhog: To be updated

Contact:

• Tirath (daughter): 016-2789619
• Ishdev (son): 010-2191567

| Entry: 4 Jan 2020 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA|

The mob demonstration at the main Nankana Sahib gurdwara yesterday was an attempt by a ‘small family’ to disrupt the growing Muslim-Sikh harmony in the nation, especially in the aftermath of the major 550th celebration of Guru Nanak towards the end of last year.

The family had also attempted to use an existing contentious conversion issue of a Sikh girl as an ‘excuse’ to create a spark.

“The issue was fronted by a small family,” Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Satwant Singh told Asia Samachar in a telephone conversation.

“The Pakistan government has done much to enhance Muslim-Sikh bhaichara (brotherhood) in the recent past. Maybe some people are unhappy with it.”

When asked, Satwant said the family did not have any political or madrasah connections.

In a video released on his personal Facebook page, Satwant, who took the help of PSGPC in July 2019, had appealed to the Pakistan government to take stern action on the perpetrators of the Friday demonstration and ensure the safety of Sikhs nationwide.

In the incident, a scores of charged protesters staged a sit-in outside Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, also known as the Gurdwara Janam Asthan, after the Muslim Friday prayers.

They were led by the family of a man, Ehsan, who was accused of forcibly converting a Sikh woman, Jagjit Kaur, earlier this year, reported Pakistani newspaper The Dawn.

In video clips circulated after the Friday demonstration, the lead demonstrator, going by the Facebook handle of ‘Imranchishti Baba’, threatened to build a mosque in the place of the current gurdwara.

By Royce Millar | THE AGE | AUSTRALIA |

The Bairnsdale football ground seems an unlikely site for a display of Sikh culture and charity, as unlikely as hardy Gippslanders queuing for free vegetarian food.

But these are exceptional times in Eastern Victoria.

On December 30, as fire raged through the state’s far east, 10 members of Sikh Volunteers Australia packed a van with food and water and headed from their base in Devon Meadows, in Melbourne’s south east, toward the smoke.

“We didn’t know where to go exactly,” said organiser Lakhwinder Singh 34. “We were trying to contact the local council but we were unable to make any contact. We just heard that there is a fire and we must go.”

Through a Gippsland fires Facebook page the group contacted Bairnsdale neighbourhood Centre boss Leanne Jennings who advised where their help was most needed. The neighbourhood centre also assisted with accommodation and extra cooking facilities.

The Sikhs based their food service at the relief centre at the Bairnsdale football ground. On the first night they served more than 100 meals and were still feeding people at 1.30 am. “The Red Cross and the Salvation Army were there but there was still a great need,” explains Mr Singh.

Undeterred by the smoke and confusion the Sikhs also travelled to other fire-threatened communities including Lakes Entrance. On Thursday they helped feed anxious locals and travellers at Orbost until the town was evacuated. “Everybody had to leave from there,” says Mr Singh.

As expected, a staple served by the group is classic veggie curry. But the group also does pasta (including gluten-free) and sandwiches. “Whatever people like,” says Mr Singh.

A second van of helpers joined the group on Friday. They have restocked mainly from local supermarkets but group members have also replenished supplies from Melbourne.

Sikh Volunteers Australia was founded by the burgeoning Sikh community in Melbourne’s south east about six years ago. It established a free food service in 2017 and now regularly helps feed homeless people in the municipalities of Casey and Frankston.

Early this year it extended its reach to help feed those affected by bushfires at Bunyip near Pakenham.

The group’s work is driven by the Sikh belief in people caring for one another says Mr Singh.

Since Monday, and under the watchful eye of head chef Sukhwinder Kaur, the group has prepared and served breakfast, lunch and dinner for many hundreds of residents and tourists.

See full story, ‘Thanks dhal: Sikh group to the rescue with hundreds of free curries’ (The Age, 3 Jan 2020), here.

By Jagtar Singh | OPINION | PUNJAB, INDIA |

Chandigarh: It was being expected for long.

Former finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa on Friday resigned from the office of the Leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal Legislature Party. He did not quit the party. The issue is not that of Parminder Singh Dhindsa but that of the Leader of the Legislature Party in the Assembly raising the banner of revolt.

Of course, he assigned no reason in his resignation letter addressed to party president Sukhbir Singh Badal. This move was being speculated upon when his father and Rajya Sabha member from Akali Dal Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa resigned from all party offices including that of the Secretary General. He too did not resign from the party.

Dhindsa Senior had taken this step to register his protest against the functioning of Sukhbir. In the political affairs committee meeting after the last Assembly election in 2017, he had argued for the resignation by Sukhbir Singh Badal from party presidency for the dismal failure. The party could retain only 15 out of total 117 seats in the House after having been in power continuously for ten years. The Akali Dal won only two seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The last time the Akali Dal was hit by similar crisis was towards the end of 1998 when the party stalwart and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra had proposed that party president Parkash Singh Badal should either quit this office or appoint officiating president as he had little time to spare for the party affairs being the chief minister. Tohra had raised this issue after the Akali Dal that had come into power in 1997 winning the highest ever 75 seats (74+1) was defeated by six votes from Adampur in the Assembly bye-election.

The crisis resulted in the vertical split. Tohra was ousted not only from the all-powerful office of the SGPC chief but also the party. He subsequently floated Sarv Hind Shiromani Akali Dal but the party failed to take off. However, he succeeded in the ouster of Akali Dal from power in 2002 Assembly elections.

Towards the end of about yearlong behind the scene parleys, he had come to the opinion that he would negotiate when there was level playing field that meant defeat of Akali Dal in the Assembly elections. He ensured the defeat of Akali Dal candidates. The two stalwarts united when Badal became former chief minister. Badal had used state power to oust Tohra.

The situation in 2020 is different.

Sukhbir Badal continues to be under the shadow of Bargari sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib. The Akali Dal is the weakest ever. The party could not even retain Jalalabad, the seat vacated by Sukhbir Singh Badal following his election to the Lok Sabha, in the bye-election. The only strength of the Akali Dal is its alliance with the BJP and a cabinet berth in Narendra Modi government.

However, speculations have been there for months about the BJP looking for alternative. Presently, the alternative is just not there. However, Sukhdev Singh Dhinda had been conveying in political circles that he took the step only after getting signal from the BJP higher ups. It may be mentioned that a senior BJP leader had discussed this issue with a Delhi based senior Sikh leader too who suggested that only a Punjab based leader could mobilise the Punjabis for a new outfit.

Parminder Dhindsa being strong or weak leader is not important. What is important is the signal that the party president can’t keep the senior leaders united. It is an open secret in the Akali Dal that several other senior leaders are not happy with the state of affairs in the party.

The perception that the party is pocket borough of the president has been reinforced with the appointment of Sharanjit Singh Dhillon as Leader of the Akali Dal Legislature Party without any meeting. It is this style of functioning of Sukhbir Singh Badal that is under question.

See original story, ‘Revolt in Akali Dal when the party is the weakest in history. Last split led by Tohra was in 1999’, (Jagtar Singh Reflects, 4 Jan 2020), here.

By Asia Samachar Team | PAKISTAN |

Pakistan premier today lambasted the perpetrators of the Nankana demonstration incident which has caught the attention of Sikhs worldwide and also promoted a number of Muslim groups to bring flowers to the gurdwara marking the birth place of Guru Nanak.

The prime mover of the Friday (3 Jan) incident at Gurdwara Janam Asthan – who had angrily called for a mosque to replace the historically significant gurdwara – has since released a video clip seeking apology, though Sikhs in Pakistan have called for action to be taken against him.

In two tweets today (5 Jan 2020), Prime Minister Imran Khan said: “The major difference between the condemnable Nankana incident & the ongoing attacks across India on Muslims & other minorities is this: the former is against my vision & will find zero tolerance & protection from the govt incl police & judiciary;

“In contrast, Modi’s RSS vision supports minorities oppression & the targeted attacks against Muslims are part of this agenda. RSS goons conducting public lynchings, Muslims being violated by mobs are all not only supported by Modi Govt but Indian police leads anti-Muslim attacks.”

Imran played a pivotal role in the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor just before the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birth in November 2019. The corridor allows Indians to visit the birth place of the Sikh faith founder, located just miles from the Indian-Pakistan border in Punjab.

The joy and celebratory mood of the opening of the corridor was marred some minor incidents. However, the mob demonstration after a Friday prayer, led by a local man connected to an earlier controversy of a Sikh girl allegedly forced to convert to Islam, was a disappointment for many Sikhs.

However, it had turned out that the perpetrator had personal motives.

In a report today, quoting unnamed official source, The Dawn reported that in the Friday incident, police had to step in amid rising tensions in Nankana Sahib after a heated debate at a tea stall threatened to blow into a big law and order issue.

The Pakistan newspaper noted that reports said four customers while taking tea at Zaman’s stall in front of Gurdwara Janam Asthan started a conversation about his nephew, Muhammad Ehsaan who, just a few months ago, came into the limelight for marrying a Sikh girl after allegedly forcing her to convert.

Zaman reportedly reacted with anger, which led to a confrontation between two groups. A small crowd gathered to raise slogans. A team of Nankana Sahib police had to intervene briskly to control the situation, according to the report.

Panjab’s Muslim leaders and scholars, including Syed Ali Raza Gillani who hails from the family lineage of Syed Mian Mir, had condemned the attempt to use the ‘Islam card’ in the incident. They had gathered at the gurdwara yesterday with offerings of support and flowers.

The Indian media had generally played up the incident as one where Muslims were attacking Sikhs.

However, some local Sikhs saw it rather differently. An official of the Pakistan-based Sikh organisation described the mob demonstration an attempt by a ‘small family’ to disrupt the growing Muslim-Sikh harmony in the nation, especially in the aftermath of the major 550th celebration of Guru Nanak’s borth.

“The issue was fronted by a small family,” Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Satwant Singh had told Asia Samachar in a telephone conversation. “The Pakistan government has done much to enhance Muslim-Sikh bhaichara (brotherhood) in the recent past. Maybe some people are unhappy with it.”

1st Year Barsi: Sehaj Path Da Bhog on 12 Jan 2020 (Sunday) at Gurdwara Sahib Kajang, Selangor, from 9.00am to 12.00noon, followed by Guru Ka Langgar | Malaysia

First Year Barsi In Ever Loving Memory Of

LATE RANJIT SINGH S/O LATE HAZARA SINGH 

Greatly missed and forever in the hearts of loved ones

Forever and deeply missed by beloved family:

Wife, Daughter & Son in-law, grandchildren, host of relatives and friends.

Sahej Path Da Bhog: 12 Jan 2020 (Sunday) at Gurdwara Sahib Kajang, Selangor, from 9.00am to 12.00noon, followed by Guru Ka Langgar

Contact: Jit Kaur 010-8669658

(Kindly accept this as our personal invitation)

| Entry: 5 Jan 2020 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | PAKISTAN / INDIA |

On the day very day of the mob demonstration in front of Gurdwara Janam Asthan, a key gurdwara connected to the birth place of Guru Nanak in Nankana Sahib, both India and Pakistan had released official statements of their own.

Pakistan had downplayed the Jan 3 event as a ‘minor incident at a tea-stall’ while India demanded for ‘strong action’ against the ‘miscreants who indulged in desecration of the holy Gurudwara’.

In another statement to the media on the same day, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri was reported to have said that no loss of life or property took place in the episode, chiding the Indian media for painting the “minor dispute” as a religious conflict.

“India is unsuccessfully trying to divert the attention away from minorities who are up in arms there,” he was quoted in a local Pakistan newspaper.

The central figure in the incident was believed to have been Imran Chishti. In videos that went viral on the social media, he could be seen speaking angrily in front of the historial Sikh gurdwara, claiming that he would get a masjid built in place of the present gurdwara.

He is related to the family embroiled in an incident where a Sikh girl was allegedly forcefully converted to Islam. The case is expected to be heard in the courts soon.

The very next day, he had issued an apology for any hurtful comments he may have “inadvertently” made against the community or the gurdwara.

PAKISTAN: Altercation between two Muslim groups in the city of Nankana Sahib

The provincial authorities in the Punjab province have informed that there was scuffle in the city of Nankana Sahib today, between two Muslim groups. The altercation happened on a minor incident at a tea-stall. The District Administration immediately intervened and arrested the accused, who are now in custody.
Attempts to paint this incident as a communal issue are patently motivated. Most importantly, the Gurdwara remains untouched and undamaged. All insinuations to the contrary, particularly the claims of acts of “desecration and destruction” and desecration of the holy place, are not only false but also mischievous.

The Government of Pakistan remains committed to upholding law and order and providing security and protection to the people, especially the minorities. The opening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor is a manifestation of Pakistan’s special care extended to the minorities, in line with the vision of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Islamabad
3 January 2020

Statement released by Spokesperson’s Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan

INDIA: India strongly condemns vandalism at Nankana Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan

We are concerned at the vandalism carried out at the revered Nankana Sahib Gurdwara today. Members of the minority Sikh community have been subjected to acts of violence in the holy city of Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji. These reprehensible actions followed the forcible abduction and conversion of Jagjit Kaur, the Sikh girl who was kidnapped from her home in the city of Nankana Sahib in August last year.

India strongly condemns these wanton acts of destruction and desecration of the holy place. We call upon the Government of Pakistan to take immediate steps to ensure the safety, security, and welfare of the members of the Sikh community. Strong action must be taken against the miscreants who indulged in desecration of the holy Gurudwara and attacked members of the minority Sikh community. In addition, Government of Pakistan is enjoined to take all measures to protect and preserve the sanctity of the holy Nankana Sahib Gurudwara and its surroundings.

New Delhi
January 03, 2020

Statement released by Ministry of External Affairs, India

1st YEAR BARSI: Path Da Bhog on 12 January 2020 (Sunday) at Gurdwara Sahib Kuantan, from 9 am to 11.30 am, followed by Guru Ka Langgar | Malaysia

In Loving Memory of Our Beloved Mother

MATA PARAMJIT KAUR

d/o Late Keshar Singh w/o Late Rattan Singh

Departed 15th April 2019.

Deeply missed by family, relatives and friends.

Path da Bhog will be held on 12 January 2020 (Sunday) at Gurdwara Sahib Kuantan from 9 am to 11.30 am followed by Guru Ka Langgar.

Please treat this as a personal invitation.

For further inquiries:

• Dr. Bhajan Singh – 0139276292
• Nirmal Kaur – 0162606292

| Entry: 6 Jan 2020 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | PAKISTAN |

A Pakistan Sikh youth, who had reportedly worked for six years in Malaysia, was shot dead in Peshawar while said to be on a pre-wedding shopping.

Parvender Singh, whose body was found on Sunday, was believed to have been shot dead on Saturday.

Peshawar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sajjid Khan told The Dawn that Parvender, according to the FIR, had travelled to Peshawar to complete last-minute errands for his wedding, including buying gold.

“However, close to midnight on Saturday, the victim’s brother, received a call from his [Parvender’s] phone where an unidentified man told him that he had killed Parvender and where they could find his body.

“The body was later recovered from a stormwater drain on Sunday. The victim had sustained one bullet injury to the head.”

The victim had returned to Pakistan after spending six years working in Malaysia and was to be married in February, according to the newspaper report.

Parvender is the brother of Harmeet Singh who became Pakistan’s first news anchor in 2018.

The incident comes just days after the mob demonstration at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib which shocked Sikhs globally, coming just two months after the celebration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

It later turned out that the incident was triggered by some personal dispute, and not communal or religious in nature.

By Sikh Siyasat | INDIA |

Chandigarh: As per reports the Madhya Pradesh administration on December 30, 2019 demolished around nine Sikh houses and destroyed crops in around two hundred acres in Patari, Gothra, Panwada and Lehroni villages of Tehsil Karhal (District Sheopur). These Sikhs had been living there for more than three decades after migrating from the states of Punjab and Haryana.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Wednesday (January 1) condemned ‘forcible eviction’ of Sikhs from Karhal village of Sheopur district in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and formed a panel to look into the matter.

SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal said to suppress the Sikhs in MP, their houses are being razed and their lands being usurped. He said SGPC is with the victim Sikh families.

“We are finding out all information about the action against Sikhs there, so that we can help the victim families,” he said in a press statement issued from Amritsar.

He informed that the SGPC has formed a sub-committee comprising executive member Indermohan Singh Lakhmir Wala, additional secretary Tejinder Singh Padda and member Gurcharan Singh Garewal. “The sub-committee has been directed to visit the MP village to gather all information about the incident. The committee will also help the victim families there,” he said.

See full story, Sikh Houses and Crops Destroyed by Administration in Madhya Pradesh; SGPC Forms Panel (Sikh Siyasat, 2 Jan 2020), here.

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

The man accused of organising the mob demonstration outside the Nankana Sahib historical gurdwara was booked under the Terrorism Act on Sunday, two days after the incident.

The swift action to arrest him for the incident on Friday (3 Jan 2020) was probably due to the attention given to the case, including a tweet by the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During the demonstration at Gurdwara Janam Asthan, the accused, Imran Chishti was seen in a video threatening to raze the gurdwara and build a mosque in its place, remarks that made headlines in newspapers in neighbouring India.

“The Douchebag that incited violence against Sikh community has been booked under TERRORISM act which is non bailable offense. This will send out a clear message to anyone who tries to threaten or harass any minority community. Full marks to the provincial government,” Punjab Chief Minister’s focal person (digital media) Azhar Mashwani said in a tweet on Sunday.

“The main culprit in #NankanaSahib incident Imran has been arrested. FIR # 6/2020 u/s 295A/290/291/341/506/148/ 149, 6 sound system /7ATA has been registered at Nanakana Police Station.”

He added: “The scuffle was between 2 Muslim groups. NOTHING to do with Sikh brothers. To save his family members’ skin (the guilty party) Imran tried to create a scene as his family is being victimised due to his brother’s marriage.”

The suspect is the elder brother of Mohammad Hassan who married a teenage Sikh girl in September 2019 after allegedly abducting and converting her to Islam, triggering a controversy.

The case was resolved with the families agreeing that the girl, who is now at in Dar ul Amaan, will decided her next move at the Sessions Court which is scheduled to hear the case on Thursday (Jan 9).

The swift action, after an apparent delay in action by the authorities – with the accused seen able to release an apology video from the comfort of his home – was welcome by various quarters.

“Swift action in #NankanaSahib is remarkable, at both national & regional fronts by religious & political leaders. Non-Pakistani Sikhs need to recognize the need for protection of miniscule Sikh population in Pakistan; their struggles, pressures & reach demand delicate navigation,” said Sikh activist Harinder Singh in a tweet.

In two tweets on Jan 5, Prime Minister Imran Khan said: “The major difference between the condemnable Nankana incident & the ongoing attacks across India on Muslims & other minorities is this: the former is against my vision & will find zero tolerance & protection from the govt incl police & judiciary;

“In contrast, Modi’s RSS vision supports minorities oppression & the targeted attacks against Muslims are part of this agenda. RSS goons conducting public lynchings, Muslims being violated by mobs are all not only supported by Modi Govt but Indian police leads anti-Muslim attacks.”

Imran played a pivotal role in the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor just before the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birth in November 2019. The corridor allows Indians to visit the birth place of the Sikh faith founder, located just miles from the Indian-Pakistan border in Punjab.

By Suresh Nair | SINGAPORE |

Former national hockey player Minder Singh Maneke, who created history in Singapore’s second oldest social club, passed away today (7 Jan 2020). He was 65.

He was one of the rare breeds of non-SJI (St Joseph’s Institution) Sikhs who made it to the Singapore Recreation Club (SRC) Padang in the mid-1970s.

The businessman created history by being the first Sikh to be SRC chairman for Games Control Board. That’s one of the four top posts in the club established in 1883.

A stylish attacking midfielder from Beatty Secondary School, he moved up from Combined Schools to Under 23 and the national team, at the height of Singapore hockey.

Level-headed in decision-making, he diligently carried out his high SRC office with pride. This encouraged more Sikhs and other races to come to the Padang fold.

I was reliably told his pockets were full most of the time and he favourably helped those in monetary deed.

His biggest family pride was when his graduate-son Ravinder rose to be one of the highest-ranking Sikh police officers here. A rare distinction indeed.

You set many super Sikh milestones on the SRC Padang and you will be remembered for your iconic sporting feats.

Cremation: Mandai Crematorium at 4.15pm, tomorrow (8 Jan). Path Da Bhog: Sri Guru Singh Sabha on Saturday (11 Jan).