NEW DELHI | Farmers are living at Agitation Sites like they have lived like this throughout their life and are habitual to life of Roads. – Text & Photo: Kisan Ekta Morcha Facebook page (24 Feb 2021). For more photos, go here.

RELATED STORY:

Climate activist Disha Ravi arrested over Greta ‘toolkit’ on farmer protest (Asia Samachar, 14 Feb 2021)

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 | HONG KONG |

Meet Mukhjot Kaur from the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police. She was recently featured in a video released by the Hong Kong Police tp showcase their talent from different backgrounds.

Mukhjot joined the uniform services in 2017 upon passing a Chinese written test and completing other training under Project Gemstone, a community integration programme run by the police force, which offered more Chinese training.The other Sikh who joined at the same was was Mandeep Singh.

Project Gemstone is an initiative launched by the police in 2013 to enable non-ethnic Chinese members of Junior Police Call to overcome language barriers, widen their career choices and help their integration into the community.

Blazing the trail after was Sukhdeep Kaur who completed the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department (CSD) training in December 2009.

RELATED STORY:

Hong Kong’s resolute first Sikh female prison officer (Asia Samachar, 25 May 2020)

By Asia Samachar Team | INDIA |

Labour activities Nodeep Kaur finally gets bail after being picked up the Indian police in Jan 12. In the course of arrest, they have been allegations that she had been denied medical attention and tortured.

The bail comes as the Indian farmers continue their protests nationwide to urge the Indian government to repeal three agriculture laws passed late last year.

The bail also comes after another sensational arrest and bailing of yet another young activist in connection to the farmers’ protest. On Feb 23, a Delhi court granted bail to climate activist Disha Ravi days after the Delhi Police arrested her for allegedly editing a social media document, or toolkit, about the ongoing farmer protest against three central laws. The bail came 10 days after she was picked up in a case that had sparked outrage in India and abroad.

“Nodeep Kaur and Disha Ravi, young female activists jailed for supporting the farmer protests in India, were granted bail. I want to believe it’s in part because so many people spoke out against the government’s silencing dissent. Please stay loud — this fight is far from over,” tweeted Meena Harris, the niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, who had earlier also highlighted the issue.

In Nodeep’s case, the Dalit labour activist was arrested by the Haryana Police under charges of extortion and attempt to murder on Jan 12. She was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court today (Feb 26) when it came up for hearing before the bench of Justice Avneesh Jhingan.

Apart from the bail plea, the HC had also taken suo-moto cognizance after it received an email regarding Kaur’s alleged illegal confinement by the Haryana Police, reports The Indian Express.

Kaur, currently lodged at Karnal jail, contended before the HC through her counsel, advocates R S Cheema, Arshdeep Singh Cheema and Harinder Deep Singh Bains, that she had been falsely arraigned as accused in the FIR dated January 12, registered at Kundli Police Station in Sonipat. On Friday, the counsels of Kaur argued that IPC 307 (attempt to murder) and other serious sections were not made out, the report added.

In her petition, Kaur, a member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, claimed she was “targeted and falsely implicated” in the case as she was successful in generating massive support for the ongoing farmer movement against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

She also claimed she was physically assaulted in police as well as judicial custody after her arrest by the Sonipat police in January. She further claimed her medical examination was not conducted, in violation of Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

In court, the Haryana Police had denied the allegations, saying Kaur had not raised any such matter either in front of the medical officer or the chief judicial magistrate (CJM). The police also submitted that Kaur had made a “proactive speech” stating they would “attack police”, before her arrest.

Justice Avneesh Jhingan had on Wednesday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea to today after the Haryana Police failed to submit a medical report to the court. “She (Kaur) was medically examined but the said report has not been placed on record by the State, rather only a medico-legal report under Section 54 CrPC is placed on record,” Justice Avneesh Jhingan said.

Kaur, 24, is charged in three cases, including attempt to murder and extortion. She has already been granted bail in the other two cases. Advocate Cheema said the trial court had already accepted her bail plea in the other two FIRs, numbered 649 and 26. The HC Friday granted Kaur bail in FIR number 25, which is also registered at PS Kundli.

Nodeep’s sister Rajvir had earlier told The Indian Express: “Nodeep joined the (farmers’) protest at Singhu in November. She was also fighting for labourers who didn’t get wages regularly. On January 12, she was protesting near a factory in Kundli when police picked her up… I met her and she told me cops assaulted her in custody.”

In a separate report yesterday, The Indian Express reported that a co-accused in Nodeep’s case had suffered multiple injuries.

A report by the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Chandigarh, submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday, has said that a medical examination of Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan president Shiv Kumar, 24, showed multiple injuries, including at least two fractures on his left hand and right foot, “caused by blunt object/ weapon”. The injuries are “more than two weeks old”, says the report.

Kumar was arrested on January 16, four days after co-accused Nodeep Kaur was picked up.

In its case history, the report says Kumar alleged that “the police tied both his feet, lay him on the ground, and hit him on the soles. His second, third and fifth toe nails of the right foot were torn and the nail of the big toe of his left foot became blue. They also hit him on the buttocks with flat sticks, then they tied his hands and stretched his legs. He was made to lie on the ground with both legs straight and a metal pipe was placed on his thigh and rolled over the thighs by two people. They also hit him on both hands and palms and on the back of his head.”

RELATED STORY:

Climate activist Disha Ravi arrested over Greta ‘toolkit’ on farmer protest (Asia Samachar, 14 Feb 2021)

SASKAAR / CREMATION:  Cortege leaves residence No 42, Jalan Desa Gombak 1, Taman Desa Gombak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur at 1.30pm, 27 Feb 2021 (Saturday) to Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, KL. Saskaar will be at 3pm. If you would like to pay your final respects at Loke Yew, due to MCO restriction, please strictly adhere to prevailing SOP | Malaysia

SARDAR JAGJIT SINGH @ GURDIAL SINGH (EX-KAMPAR)

(1.11.1945 – 26.2.2021)

Village: Koharkha

Wife: Late Sardarni Piar Kaur

Children / Spouses:

Jagdev Singh & Renujeet Kaur
Sukdev Kaur & Satvinder Singh
Jasdev Kaur & Aniljit Singh
Daldev Singh & Manjeet Kaur
Paramdev Kaur & Premjit Singh

Grandchildren:

Sohan Singh, Nimmerta Kaur, Kabir Singh, Ekraj Singh, Gur Eesha Kaur, Maneesha Kaur, Prabhjeeven Singh, Jasnaamjeet Kaur, Phurman Kaur, Darsan Singh, Hardev Singh, Gursimar Kaur, Darvesh Singh, Banndna Kaur & Pranav Singh

And a host of relatives & friends to mourn their loss.

Saskaar / Cremation: Cortege leaves residence No 42, Jalan Desa Gombak 1, Taman Desa Gombak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur at 1.30pm, 27 Feb 2021 (Saturday) to Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, KL. Saskaar will be at 3pm. If you would like to pay your final respects at Loke Yew, due to MCO restriction, please strictly adhere to prevailing SOP.

Contact:

Jagdev Singh 012-2148464
Daldev Singh 016-2729967
Satvinder Singh 019-3709027

Message From Family:

It is with sadness, love and cherished memories we share that our family partriach has peacefully passed away surrounded by his family.

He will be remembered fondly for his gentle nature and endless caring.

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who have conveyed their heartfelt condolences, prayers & support.

| Entry: 26 Feb 2021 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | UNITED STATES |

An American Sikh was close to celebrating his 40th birthday. As the next part of his life journey, Drupinderbir Singh Khaira decides to join the 265th Combat Communications Squadron.

“To be honest with you I’ve always wanted to join the military. Right now, even though I’m 39, this is the perfect time that I could join. I want to give back to the country that has given me so much,” said Dru.

Aside from working on U.S. Navy Destroyers or Abrams Tanks, Dru has decided to join the Air National Guard to serve his state and country. He’s now one of the MAINEiacs, as they are known. The cut-off age to join is 40.

The 265th Combat Communications Squadron is based in South Portland, Maine. The unit deploys, operates and maintains strategic emergency communications anywhere in the world in both peacetime and combat environments. Recent deployments include Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Afghanistan, Qatar, and Niger.

“This is ideal for me because I’m financially and career-wise I’m in a stable position. So the best thing to do is to serve my country. I just want to give back to my community, give back to my country, that has given me so much,” he said in a video released at the 101st Air Refueling Wing Facebook page.

Dru has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in and cyber security engineering.

In the same video, 265th CCS commander Lt Col Brian Camire says: “With his qualifications and the caliber of the individual that he is, we could tell us is someone that we want to have in the 265th family.”

RELATED STORY:

Massachusetts Sikh soldier’s path to military service (Asia Samachar, 28 Sept 2020)

By Gurnam Singh | OPINION |

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

RELATED STORY:

Towards a more loving, sharing and caring world in 2021 (Asia Samachar, 22 Dec 2020)

By Karminder Singh Dhillon | Sikhi Concepts | 

What is the narrative of Dhrm Raj within Gurbani? We can develop the basic principles by examining some verses that discourse the concept.

The first thing Gurbani does is to REMOVE the myth of Dhrm Raj. The second thing Gurbani does is to ELIMINATE the fear that has been instilled by the purveyors or transmitters of this myth.

Verse 1: Guru Arjun on page 614 of the SGGS.

ਸੰਤਨ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਪੂੰਜੀ ਸਉਪੀ ਤਉ ਉਤਰਿਆ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਧੋਖਾ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਅਬ ਕਹਾ ਕਰੈਗੋ ਜਉ ਫਾਟਿਓ ਸਗਲੋ ਲੇਖਾ ॥3॥

Meaning: My Guru has provided me with a bounty of enlightenment. As a result of which a deceit has been exposed and removed from my mind. The deceit of Dhrm Raj cannot work on me as I have done my own accounting within, I have torn up, I have shredded this entire myth of accounting in the afterlife.

The myth is destroyed and the fear is eliminated. The notion that I do my own accounting of my deeds WITHIN – is being introduced in place of the myth.

Verse 2: Guru Arjun on page 1348 of the SGGS

ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ ਮਹਲਾ 5 ॥ ਸਿਮਰਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਿਲਬਿਖ ਸਭਿ ਕਾਟੇ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਕੇ ਕਾਗਰ ਫਾਟੇ ॥

Meaning: I have realized Divine virtues and discarded human vices. In so doing – I have shredded the account books of the concocted Dhrm Raj. (I have destructed the entire notion of Dhrm Raj as an entity of any function in the afterlife.).

Again, the myth is destroyed and the fear of Drhm Raj in the afterlife is eliminated. The notion that I do the accounting of my spiritual deeds WITHIN myself is being emphasized.

Verse 3: Bhagat Kabir on page 793 of the SGGS.

ਬਹਤਰਿ ਘਰ ਇਕੁ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸਮਾਇਆ ਉਨਿ ਦੀਆ ਨਾਮੁ ਲਿਖਾਈ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਕਾ ਦਫਤਰੁ ਸੋਧਿਆ ਬਾਕੀ ਰਿਜਮ ਨ ਕਾਈ ॥ 3 ॥

Meaning: The One Creator resides in the entirety of my mind. His divine Virtues are ingrained therein. (As a result) I have ransacked the office of the concocted Dhrm Raj and have left nothing to be accounted for therein.

The message is clear. Ransacking the office is idiomatic for saying for me the myth of Dhrm Raj – the judge, the court, the judgement – all of that does not exist. Why? Because I account for my actions to the Creator Within – and that is the only judge, court and judgement that I am concerned with.

Verse 4: Guru Ramdas jis on page 698 of the SGGS. 

ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰੀ ਜਗਜੀਵਨਿ ਹਰਿ ਉਰਿ ਧਾਰਿਓ ਮਨ ਮਾਝਾ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਦਰਿ ਕਾਗਦ ਫਾਰੇ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਲੇਖਾ ਸਮਝਾ ॥ 4 ॥

Meaning: The Creator has blessed me with realization within. Nanak, the account papers of the concocted Dhrm Raj do not exist   for those beings who have become enlightened of the reality of accounting of our deeds.

The message is clear again. As far as Gurbani and Guru Ram Das ji is concerned, the reality of accounting of our deeds does NOT involve Dhrm Raj.

Verse 5: Guru Ramdas ji says again on page 1326 of the SGGS.

ਤਜਿ ਲਾਜ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ਸਭੁ ਤਜੀਐ ਮਿਲਿ ਸਾਧੂ ਸੰਗਿ ਰਹੀਜੈ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਕੀ ਕਾਨਿ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਡੁਬਦਾ ਕਾਢਿ ਕਢੀਜੈ ॥

Meaning: I have discarded ego and all desire for worldly pride; and come into the company of my Guru.  He has removed the subjugation and fear of the concocted Dhrm Raj  and pulled me out from the debilitating fear of the invented myth.

In summary, the Gurbani position pertaining to the concocted myth of Drhm Raj as the judge in the afterlife is as follows:

The beginning point of Sikhi is that the Creator is Within. If the Creator is within. Then His court is within. If the Court is Within then the judge is also within. And the judgement is within.

Gurbani has also REDEFINED the concept of Dhrm Raj. Raj means Kingdom and Dhrm means spirituality.

So Not only is the Creator, His court, His judgement and the judge who  is within. The kingdom (Raaj) is also within. The Kingdom within is one of spirituality (Dhrm). So Dhrm Raaj is when spirituality reigns within us. The Entity That Sits On the Throne of Spirituality Within Is Our Conscience. So Dhrm Raj is when spirituality Reigns within our conscience.

Verse 6: Guru Arjun from page 406 of the SGGS

ਕਲਿਜੁਗੁ ਉਧਾਰਿਆ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ॥ ਮਲ ਮੂਤ ਮੂੜ ਜਿ ਮੁਘਦ ਹੋਤੇ ਸਭਿ ਲਗੇ ਤੇਰੀ ਸੇਵ ॥ ੧ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਤੂ ਆਪਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਸਭ ਸ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਧਰਤਾ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਜਾ ਬਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਹੋਆ ਸਭ ਪਈ ਪੈਰੀ ਆਇ ॥ 2 ॥

Meaning: My Guru has blessed my temporal world. All my senses that were engaged in evil thoughts, speech and misdeeds have all begun to function to serve You O Guru. You are the Creator, You the sustainer, you reside within all. In such realization, the Kingdom of Spirituality has been wondrously installed within me. All my senses have surrendered to become subjects of this Kingdom of spirituality within.

It is clear that the Dhrm raj of Gurbani is an entirely different concept and no relation whatsoever with the Dhrm raj of the pre-1468 beliefs and that of the 4,000 year old Canvas. The latter has to be discarded and the former inculcated. The myth of Dhrm raj must be removed from our spiritual mindsets to make space for the Kingdom of Spirituality or Dhrm raj of Gurbani. Only then will we be able to establish the Raj of Dhrm within our minds and conscience IN THE HERE AND NOW.

Verse 7: Bhagat Kabir makes his choice and lets us know about it on page 1158 of the SGGS.

ਹਮਰਾ ਝਗਰਾ ਰਹਾ ਨ ਕੋਊ ॥ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਮੁਲਾਂ ਛਾਡੇ ਦੋਊ ॥ ੧ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

I have no conflict in my mind whatsoever. No struggle within me anymore. (I have achieved such as state because) I have discarded all the claims of the clergy.

ਪੰਡਿਤ ਮੁਲਾਂ ਜੋ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੀਆ ॥ ਛਾਡਿ ਚਲੇ ਹਮ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਲੀਆ ॥ ੩ ॥

All that the clergy of Pandit and Mullah have presented us I have discarded while walking the path of my spirituality. I discarded it all and have accepted nothing at all.

This kind of an overhaul of our belief system and psyche is necessary to allow the truths of Gurbani to find space within us.

ਰਿਦੈ ਇਖਲਾਸੁ ਨਿਰਖਿ ਲੇ ਮੀਰਾ ॥ ਆਪੁ ਖੋਜਿ ਖੋਜਿ ਮਿਲੇ ਕਬੀਰਾ ॥ ੪ ॥

Meaning: (The Outcome of the discarding is that) I am able to fill my cleansed mind with pure love   for my beloved Creator and fill it with love of the Creator; enabling me to Contemplate Within the self and bring about realization of the Creator within.

We need to note that whenever and wherever the words Dharm raj or Dhrm Rai appear within Gurbani it appears in two contexts. The first is in the context of the pre-1469 beliefs namely the Dhrm Raj of the afterlife.  When used in this context – the purpose of the Bhagat or Guru is to destruct the myth, critique it as unacceptable, point out its un-believability and its non-acceptance, and to declare that I am above such a myth. That I have ransacked that office, that I have torn up all the papers therein.

The second usage is in the redefined context. Dhrm Raj in the Gurbani context is the Kingdom of Divine Spirituality that we need to build within us.

Our task – as Sikhs of Gurbani within the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) – is to be able to know which of the two contexts are being applied by the composer of the shabd.

In essence then, what Gurbani has done is to Liberate us from the entire pre-1468 Canvas. To free us from the debilitating and crippling fear of the clergy concocted concepts of the 4,000 year old canvas.

When you stop fearing the Drhm Raj of the after life, you start to construct the Raj of Dhram in the Here and Now. When you discard the concocted notion of Dhrm Raj in the after life, you acquire the Gurbani notion of Drhm Raj. You start to build the Kingdom (Raj) of Divinity (Drhrm) within yourself in the Here and Now.

To view the video, click here.

(The above are raw notes from Dr Karminder Singh’s video presentation)

SIKHI CONCEPTS VIDEO SERIES BY KARMINDER SINGH DHILLON

Part 1: Guru Nanak’s Canvas

Part 2: Death

Part 3: After Life

Part 4: 8.4 million (Chaurasi Lakh)

Part 5: Reincarnation

Part 6: Heaven and Hell

Part 7: Salvation in Afterlife (Mukti)

Part 8: Court of Judgement (Dargah)

Part 9: Dhrm Raj

Sikh thinker, writer and parcharak Karminder Singh Dhillon, PhD (Boston), is a retired Malaysian civil servant. He is the joint-editor of The Sikh Bulletin and author of The Hijacking of Sikhi. He can be contacted at dhillon99@gmail.com. 

RELATED STORY:

Seeking heaven, fearing hell. What says Gurbani? (Asia Samachar, 15 Jan 2021)

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

Sehajpreet Singh had volunteered for a number of initiatives as the world underwent a Covid-19 pandemic. The 17-year old senior high school student from Bayside, Queens, was one of give young people picked up by the New York Times.

“As a Sikh in New York, you are aware of racist behavior but nothing like what happens in other parts of the country,” Sehajpreet told the newspaper. “Hearing stories from someone from the same culture and religion and how poorly they’ve been treated made me feel really sad. I haven’t experienced that here.”

Read the full story, ‘These 5 Teenagers Managed to Volunteer This Year. Here’s How.’ (New York Times, 26 Feb 2021), here.

RELATED STORY:

When Sikhs led volunteers to help Aceh tsunami victims (Asia Samachar, 4 Jan 2021)

By Jagdesh Singh | OPINION |

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 Mark Mathen Victor | The Sun Daily | Malaysia |

OUTSHINING other contestants to clinch second place in the finals of the inaugural The Harvinth Skin Fans’ show last month, Shaunvinder Singh, 22, gave a remarkable performance by playing contemporary music using traditional Indian instruments to display his talent.

Although the show boasted vocally-diverse talents, Shaunvinder set himself apart from the others, captivating the judges by showing his finesse in playing the dhol and tabla, hence transcending music boundaries.

The Harvinth Skin Fans’ talent show was created by comedian and YouTuber Harvinth Skin. The show initially began on a small scale, literally inside the comedian’s car but was later turned into an actual show, intended as a platform to showcase Malaysia’s diverse talents.

Seeing it as an opportunity to bring his talents to a bigger platform, Shaunvinder seized the opportunity and took part in the show.

“I analysed the show and saw that there were many singers with various talent. I asked myself what would make me stand out from the others.

“The idea was to be creative and to get the judges on the edge of their seats. I think I managed to do that,” said Shaunvinder, who goes by the stage name Shaunvinda.

A computer science graduate, the aspiring musician revealed that music had begun as a hobby, before it progressively became more important after he began posting his music on social media.

Read the full story, ‘Musician Shaunvinda uses traditional percussions to play modern music‘ (The Sun Daily, 23 Feb 2021), here.

RELATED STORIES:

Young cricketer Shaunvinder recognised at TNB Penang function (Asia Samachar, 12 Oct 2016)

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 |

AKHAND PATH:  5 March 2021 (starting @ 8.30 am) to 7 March 2021 at Guru Nanak Darbar Tatt Khalsa Diwan Gurdwara. PATH DA BHOG around 11.00 am on 7/3/2021 | Malaysia

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

Jehaa chiri lekheaa tehaa hukam kamaaeh, ghalae aavehi naanakaa sadhae outhee jaahi ।।1।।

GIAN KAUR W/O LATE SARDAR TERLOK SINGH CHUGAWA

(Ayer Panas, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur)

5/5/1937 – 26/2/2021

As Kuala Lumpur is still under Covid-19 movement restrictions, please adhere to the relevant SOPs.

The family would like to express their gratitude for all the kind thoughts, prayers, messages & support during our time of grief.

Children,
Grandchildren &
Great Grandchildren

Contact:

(016-2570418)Kaldev Singh
(016-3814658) Daljit Singh
(012- 2298089) Jasvinder Singh

| Entry: 2 March 2021 | Source: Family

By Lakhpreet Kaur and Simran Jeet Singh | Teen Vogue | 

Since November of 2020, hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers, laborers, and allies have flooded the Delhi border to protest against new agricultural bills that they feel will undermine their livelihoods. Protesters have set up temporary housing camps demanding change through speeches, marches, and strikes. While the protesters themselves have been largely peaceful, the Indian government’s forceful response has caught the attention of observers around the world concerned about significant allegations of human rights abuses.

And yet, despite the reports of police brutality, questionable detentions, and repression of free speech, the protestors remain undeterred. More people continue to join the demonstrations daily, making it one of the largest protest movements in modern history. The protesters have been on the streets for more than two months, enduring the brutal cold of winter in North India — and they have no plans to go home anytime soon.

In a sea of elderly people, one strikingly younger face is a mainstay. With her long black hair pulled into a ponytail, switching flawlessly between Hindi, Punjabi, and English, Dr. Ritu Singh can often be found standing before a camera, giving fiery interviews in support of the farmers.

“This moment has awakened so many people who were sleeping,” she tells Teen Vogue. “It has awakened those who never thought about what we are eating, and that what we have [on] our plates is because of those who work so hard in their fields each day in order to feed themselves and to feed us all.”

While proponents of the farm bills say they will modernize Indian agriculture, opponents say they are “anti-farmer” and likened them to a “death warrant.” Many farmers are concerned that the new legislation will facilitate a corporate takeover of small farms and further reduce the power of agricultural workers. About 58% of India’s 1.3 billion people rely on agriculture as their primary source of income, and farmers comprise a substantial voter block in India, making farming a central political issue in the world’s largest democracy.

The farmers protest has garnered support internationally, from global figures like Rihanna and Greta Thunberg, and locally, from Indian activists, artists, and students. “Dr. Ritu,” as she is lovingly known among the protestors, is one of the latter who is using her voice to stand up for the working class.

Dr. Ritu is a psychologist and social activist who approaches advocacy by working from the ground up: attending farmers meetings with men, speaking with women farmers about their needs, and sharing their concerns through YouTube videos and media interviews. “As an activist, my primary role is to make people aware of the negative impacts of these newly passed farm laws,” she says. “That’s why I need to be connected with the farmers.”

Dr. Ritu has been connected with farmers her entire life. Although she currently lives in New Delhi, she hails from a farming family and agrarian community in Tarn Taran Sahib, Punjab. These personal roots drew her to the farmer protests as they spread to India’s capital in November.

“I had been closely following the farmer protests in Punjab, and when I found out that they were coming to the borders of Delhi to protest the farm laws, I wanted to go be with them,” she says. “I went to the Singhu Border just to experience the moment and to stand in solidarity with them. I was so moved that I have been joining them regularly ever since.”

Dr. Ritu immediately became a notable presence at the Delhi protests. Many of the farmers are older men. She’s a young woman with advanced degrees and is unrelenting, unapologetic, and unwilling to take sh-t from anyone — especially from the government.

She attributes her outspoken activism to being raised in a feminist household. “From the beginning, my parents have always given us full freedom and full confidence. They would tell us often that it’s our responsibility to fight for our rights and raise our voices against injustice.”

Dr. Ritu was born into a faith, Sikhism, that advocates for gender equality; she was also born into a culture that is deeply patriarchal. While her family’s staunch feminism fits within Sikh worldviews and practices, it runs counter to how many in her community perceive and treat women.

See the full story, ‘India Farmer Protests: Women Like Dr. Ritu Singh Are on the Front Lines’ (Teen Vogue, 1 March 2021), here.

RELATED STORY:

India’s farmers are protesting authoritarianism disguised as capitalism. Sound familiar? (Asia Samachar, 18 Feb 2021)

By Baldev Singh Dhaliwal | OPINION |

Now that the UK Census for 2021 are fast approaching, the Sikhs are being advised by the leading UK organisations, to write SIKH under “Other”. For some time now there has been a concerted push and demand by a majority of UK Sikh organisations (debated on Sikh networks) to obtain a dedicated SIKH tick box on the Census form under Ethnicity. As that has not been successful, now the advice therefore is to write SIKH under “Other” on the Census form. The reasoning remains the same.

At the peak of that previous debate about getting a dedicated SIKH tick box I had put forward my reasoning as a Sikh Australian, which I re-produce below.

Every time the Census time comes around, we, the Sikh Australians, are divided as to what a Sikh should write under the question of ANCESTRY, which is the equivalent of UK’s ETHNICITY question. Perhaps to be divided, by now, is an established Sikh trait!

What has puzzled me somewhat though is as to why a Sikh writing down “Sikh” under the ETHNICITY question (in UK) or therefore the equivalent question ANCESTRY (in Australia) is committing some sort of a sin against Guru Nanak’s Sikhi principles, as is being repeatedly suggested. If so, many of us have been committing that sin every time we have filled the census form and by that same reasoning continue to do so when we think of Sikhs as some sort of an identifiable group.  Yet fill that census form and answer the ethnic question truthfully we must, by ticking a box or writing under other, as our civic responsibility.  Wonder why this issue of somehow transgressing from Guru Nanak’s Sikhi principles has risen only since the push for a “Sikh” tick box under the ethnicity question?

Regarding the SIKH tick box: To me asking for the provision of a Sikh tick box under the ethnicity question is doing what we have been doing before, only better. It gives a clear choice for those in doubt. One will always have the choice to tick some other box or write what they wish under “other” as before, if they so wish.  Sikhs have always been responsible citizens of the countries they have lived in. By demanding a Sikh tick box they were simply exercising their legitimate right. With the Sikh tick box the outcome might be a better demographic picture of the community for monitoring, access & equity and other similar purposes. In my opinion it would have been irresponsible not to push for that right. Accurate statistics and numbers do matter.

Most Sikhs, believe that they are a distinct identifiable group (more than a religion) under whatever name; Panth, Qaum or Nation. If it was not clear before, Guru Gobind Singh Ji left little doubt about the Niara Khalsa and Panth! The question does come to mind: Were the Sikh regiments formed just on the basis of religion or was there more? As regiments in the name of religion are generally not heard of. I could be wrong.

Just to recap on the Ethnic question [which really should be the main focus], the definition of Ethnicity, for the purpose, is provided under the UK Government Web Archives:

Department of Health

National standards for ethnic group and related matters

What is an ethnic group?

31. Ethnicity is complex to define as it is multi-faceted. Importantly, ethnicity is subjective: a person should self-assign his or her own ethnic group. While other people may view an individual as having a distinct ethnic identity, the individual’s view of their own identity takes priority. Features that help to define ethnic group are as follows:

• a shared history;
• a common cultural tradition;
• a common geographical origin;
• descent from common ancestors;
• a common language;
• a common religion; and
• forming a distinct group within a larger community.

I suspect in the Mandla case the Lords elaborated and applied the above National Standards, in the case of the Sikhs. Guided of course by community mentors plus their own knowledge about the Sikhs particularly in regards to the Sikh Regiments. 

In reference to Australia, the Australian census pamphlet starts in bold print, “Your community is counting on YOU”. Clearly drawing one’s attention to the importance of the Census. The pamphlet explains, “Information provided on the Census form helps to provide an accurate picture of their communities.  Census information also assists in the fair allocation of government funds to ethnic communities.” Then the pamphlet draws one’s attention to the most important questions, these being of language, ancestry and religion.

So for the purpose of the census the term “Ancestry” (in Australia) simply means an identifiable, meaningful group with common characteristics, for the purpose of collecting demographic information essential in developing policies and services, for monitoring purposes, for distribution of resources, special needs, issues etc. In the case of UK (or for any other country) it would be no different.

Ethnicity question in UK and Ancestry question in Australia clearly are for the same purpose. The authorities are looking for meaningful identifiable groups. And the Sikhs fit into that requirement. Seems a no brainer! The argument that if the Sikhs unite under that group it will somehow compromise Guru Nanak’s Sikhi principles is simply pointless and a red-herring!

 Somewhere, Dya Singh of Australia wrote, “If you are not counted, you don’t count” 

 Regarding the UK forthcoming Census I can add, “As a Sikh if you write anything other than SIKH under Ethnicity you are helping to score your own goal.”

[Baldev Singh Dhaliwal JP-Ret’d British Telecom engineer settled in South Australia since 1986, and involved with community cohesion, Sikh welfare and advancement. He received the South Australia Governor’s Multicultural Award for 2011]

RELATED STORY:

UK Census: Now, which boxes shall I tick? (Asia Samachar, 28 Feb 2021)

Kithe Likhia (Where is it written)? (Asia Samachar, 23 June 2018)

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 | CANADA |

Seasoned banker Manjit Singh joins Sun Life Financial Inc, Canada’s second largest insurer by market value, as its executive vice-president and chief financial officer.

Prior to this, Manjit had spent close to two decades at TD Bank. His most recent designation was executive vice president for enterprise finance.

With more than 25 years of finance, strategy, risk and treasury experience, Manjit has worked in financial services both in Canada and internationally.

In his new role, Manjit will have responsibility for leading Sun Life’s Finance organization, including finance, tax, capital, corporate development, investor relations and strategic finance initiatives including implementation of the new IFRS 17 accounting standard. He will also be a member of the executive team, according to a statement by the Toronto-based insurer.

He was also a board member at of Lung Cancer Canada, TRIEC, Sikh Foundation of Canada and the American Red Cross.

A native of Mississauga, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Waterloo and Masters of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Ontario, has earned the CFA designation, and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.

Manjit is married with two teenage daughters and lives in Mississauga.

Sun Life provides insurance, wealth and asset management solutions. It has operations in Canada, US, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda.

RELATED STORY:

Bikram to steer Google Cloud in India (Asia Samachar, 23 Feb 2021)

PATH DA BHOG:  7 March 2021 (Sunday), 9.00am-11.30am,  followed by Guru Ka Langgar at Gurdwara Sahib Selayang Baru | Malaysia

KALEH AYE NANAKA SEDHE UTH JAYE

LATE MATA JI JOGINDER KAUR W/O LATE SARDAR KARAM SINGH (Ex Sentul Railways)

(18.7.1930 – 23.2.2021)

Age: 91 Years

You will be dearly missed, fondly remembered and forever cherished

Leaving behind children

Dr Sohvinder Kaur (Malacca)   / Dr Kulwant Singh

Late Baldev Singh

Munjeet Singh (Seremban) / Jagdish Kaur

Balbeer Singh (Selayang) / Nermal Kaur

Davinder Kaur (Cheras) / Jasbeer Singh

Pritpal Singh (Seremban) / Jasminder Kaur

Jaspal Singh (Seremban) / Balbinder Kaur

Brother & Sisters (Punjab, India)

Grandchildren, Great Grandchildren, Nephews & Nieces, In Laws, Family & Friends

Sahej Path Da Bhog: 7 March 2021 (Sunday), 9.00am-11.30am,  followed by Guru Ka Langgar at Gurdwara Sahib Selayang Baru

Contact : Balbeer Singh (012-2072156)

| Entry: 4 March 2021 | Source: Family

IN LOVING MEMORY:  Sukhmani Sahib da Path on 14 March 2021 (Sunday) at Dharmak Sabha Gurdwara Niven Road, Singapore. Programme: Sukhmani Sahib da Path 2pm – 4pm followed by Kirtan, Tea and Snacks | Singapore

E k  O n k a r

IN LOVING MEMORY

SARDAR SURJAN SINGH SIDHU S/O LATE BACHAN SINGH & LATE GURDEV KAUR

(1947 – 2021)

Village: Patto Hira Singh

Passed away peacefully on 17th February 2021 in Malaysia.

Dearly missed and fondly remembered by loved ones

Children / Spouses:

Ranjit Kaur Sidhu (+65 90021414) / Ranjit Singh Togar (+65 91529264)
Dr Jasveer Kaur Sidhu / Dr Thirunavukarasu Rajoo
Ravinderpal Singh Sidhu / Shiva Zare
Davinderpal Kaur Sidhu

Grandchildren:
Gurkeeratjit Singh Togar / Diren Arasu
Arshbirjit Kaur Togar / Kavissh
Manbirjit Singh Togar / Liraaj
Pearleenjit Kaur Togar

Brother Bhaguvan Singh Sidhu & Family
Late Sister Rashpal Kaur Sidhu & Family

Relatives and Friends

Sukhmani Sahib da Path: 14 March 2021 (Sunday) at Dharmak Sabha Gurdwara Niven Road, Singapore. Programme: Sukhmani Sahib da Path 2pm – 4pm followed by Kirtan, Tea and Snacks.

Please treat this as a personal invitation.

| Entry: 4 March 2021 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | INDIA |

A Malaysian Sikh model saw her dreams coming true when she landed a lead role in a Hindi web series. And that too during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.

How did it happen?

Beauty pageants winner Amrit Kaur Dhillon had always wanted to become an actress.

An opportunity presented itself for a role in ‘Luv Down,’ a Hindi drama web series that was about to start shooting in March 2020, around the time when nations starting closing their borders due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

On 12 March 2020, she was informed that India was shutting their international borders.

“I had to make a decision. On one hand it was my dream and on the other all sorts of risks,” she shared on her Facebook page.

“Taking a leap of faith I packed my bags and was in the airport within two hours. Two months later, I was blessed with the role of lead actress for a show called Luv Down.”

The series was released on Disney+Hotstar.

“I never expected this to happen as we were facing the toughest times and we were all locked in our homes and some in foreign cities,” she said when contacted by Asia Samachar.

She said it was challenging to shoot during the lockdown as most things were closed and they had limited facilities.

“Apart from that, we shot Luv Dow in a very short period and I must say that was a little tough but I enjoyed every second of it,” she said.

Amrit, winner of Miss Malaysia Global 2015 and Miss India Worldwide Malaysia 2018, has also played a lead in a few short films that have yet to be released. She was among the main casts in Ajay Devgn’s film called De De Pyaar De.

RELATED STORY:

Pakistan touch to Malaysia’s first local Punjabi movie (Asia Samachar, 7 April 2020)

By Nilanjana Bhowmick | TIME |

The message to women was clear: Go back home. Since November, hundreds of thousands of farmers had gathered at different sites on the outskirts of the Indian capital to demand the repeal of three agricultural laws that they say would destroy their livelihoods. In January, as the New Delhi winter set in, the Chief Justice of India asked lawyers to persuade elderly people and women to leave the protests. In response, women farmers—mostly from the rural states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh—scrambled onto stages, took hold of microphones and roared back a unanimous “No!”

“Something snapped within us when we heard the government tell the women to go back home,” says Jasbir Kaur, a sprightly 74-year-old farmer from Rampur in western Uttar Pradesh. It’s late February and Kaur has been camping at the Ghazipur protest site for over three months, only returning home once. She was stung by the court’s suggestion that women were mere care workers providing cooking and cleaning services at these sites—though she does do some of that work—rather than equal stakeholders. “Why should we go back? This is not just the men’s protest. We toil in the fields alongside the men. Who are we—if not farmers?”

Questions like this have rarely been asked by women like Kaur, long used to having their contributions to farming overlooked as part of their household duties. But this wave of protests—the world’s largest ongoing demonstration and perhaps the biggest in human history—has prompted thousands to make their voices heard. Indians of all ages, genders, castes and religions have been united by a common goal: to roll back new agricultural laws passed in September by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The laws, suspended in January by the Supreme Court but not yet repealed, would allow private corporations to buy directly from farmers, which they say would leave them at the mercy of buyers and do away with the traditional wholesale market system or mandis, where they are assured a minimum set price for certain crops.

Women, who form the backbone of Indian agriculture, may be particularly vulnerable to corporate exploitation. According to Oxfam India, 85% of rural women work in agriculture, but only around 13% own any land. “Women are not seen as farmers. Their labor is immense but invisible,” says Jasbir Kaur Nat, a member of the Punjab Kisan Union, who is mobilizing farmers in Tikri, the protest site at the border of Haryana and Delhi.

“This law will kill us, will destroy what little we have,” says Amandeep Kaur, a farmer from Talwandi in Punjab, whose husband died by suicide five years ago, following a bad crop that landed him with a debt of around $7,000. As well as farming, Kaur works as a community health worker to support her family; she and her two daughters only got rights to the land after her husband’s death. She lost out on compensation of almost the same amount that the Indian government gives to families of farmers who die by suicide because she did not secure a post mortem of the body to certify the death as suicide. “I didn’t even know the procedure to claim compensation from the government for my husband’s death,” she says. “How am I going to negotiate with businessmen?”

The U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization has urged action on the gender gap in agriculture, saying women’s voices must be “heard as equal partners” to ensure both agricultural development and food security. And at the protests in India, women are speaking up. Before now, some women had never stepped out of their homes without a veil, let alone spoken onstage in front of thousands of men. Many arrive at the sites in tractors, a powerful—and previously male—symbol of farming in India. “Women are changing women here,” Nat says, praising the spirit of protest among these women. “They are claiming their identities as farmers.”

See the full story, ‘’I Cannot Be Intimidated. I Cannot Be Bought.’ The Women Leading India’s Farmers’ Protests’ (TIME, 4 March 2021), here.

RELATED STORY:

India Farmer Protests: Women Like Dr. Ritu Singh Are on the Front Lines(Asia Samachar, 2 March 2021)

Labour activist Nodeep Kaur granted bail (Asia Samachar, 26 Feb 2019)

SASKAAR / CREMATION:  7 March 2021 (Sunday) at Gui Yuan  Crematorium, Jalan 229, Petaling Jaya (9am-11am: Sukhmani Sahib Paath; 11am: Saskaar). This will be followed by Sahej Paath Arambh at Gurdwara Sahib Subang Jaya. PATH DA BHOG: 14 March 2021 (Sunday), 10am-11.30am, at Gurdwara Sahib Subang Jaya, Selangor | Malaysia

JEHA CHIRI LIKHYA TEHA HUKAM KAMAEH, GHALE AAVE NAANKA SADE UTHEE YAAYE (SGGS, 1239)

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

SARDAR SARJIT SINGH BAINS S/O LATE SHEER SINGH BAINS

(8.7.1923 – 5.3.2021)

Village: Bilga

Wife: Late Mata Jagir Kaur

Children / Spouses:

Balwant Kaur / Parshan Singh (Deceased)

Balbeer Kaur / Bulwant Singh Randhawa

Nasib Kaur / Dr Hardeep Singh Bhatia

Joginder Singh(UK) / Gurjit Kaur (Uk)

Mohinder Singh (Deceased) / Ajit Kaur Sidhu

Dobinder Singh (UK)  / Janet Bains

Manjit Kaur / Judvinder Singh Randhawa

Grandchildren: 

Jasbinder Kaur / Pardeep Singh (Deceased)
Jasbir Singh (Aust) / Lindsay
Jasminder Kaur (Aust) / Harman Singh
Kiranjit Kaur / Swinder Singh
Kamaljeet Kaur / Balventher Singh
Savita Kaur (UK) / Sunil Patel
Harjinder Kaur (USA) / Gurpartap Singh
Harjeet Singh (Bangkok) / Gurjeet Kaur
Jasminder Kaur (UK) / James Brown
Ravinder Singh (UK)
Sharonjit Kaur
Sheetaljit Kaur / Sarjit Singh (Kuching)
Debinder Kaur
Ravi James Bains (UK)
Kiran Anne Bains  (UK)
Harvinder Singh / Reshwinder Kaur
Manpreet Kaur / Harjinder Singh

Saskaar / Cremation: 7 March 2021 (Sunday) at Gui Yuan  Crematorium, Jalan 229, Petaling Jaya, 47300 Selangor Darul Ehsan. (9am-11am: Sukhmani Sahib Paath; 11am: Saskaar). This will be followed by Sahej Paath Arambh at Subang Jaya Gurdwara, Selangor Darul Ehsan

Path Da Bhog: 14 March 2021 (Sunday), 10am-11.30am, at Gurdwara Sahib Subang Jaya, Selangor

As we are still under Covid-19 movement restrictions, please adhere to the relevant SOPs. Our family would like to express our gratitude for all the kind thoughts, prayers, messages & support during our time of grief.

Contact:       

Harvinder Singh Randhawa (012-695 1539)

Manjit Kaur Bains (017-425 8837)

Balventher Singh (012-660 0693)

| Entry: 6 March 2021 | Source: Family