Path Da Bhog: 19 Feb 2017 (Sunday), 10am-12pm at Gurdwara Sahib Kampung Pandan Dalam Settlement, KL |Malaysia
Joginder Kaur (1932-2017), Kampung Pandan
Joginder Kaur @ Kalwant Kaur
Village: Amritsar
Born: 16 December 1932
Departed: 6 February 2017 (Monday)
Husband: Late Sarjit Singh Sekhon
Children:
Mr & Mrs Balbir Singh (Kampung Pandan)
Mr & Mrs Kirpal Singh (Cheras)
Mr & Mrs Balwinder Singh (Toronto)
Mrs Manjit Kaur @ Meeta
Also leaves behind grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Path Da Bhog: 19 Feb 2017 (Sunday), 10am-12pm at Gurdwara Sahib Kampung Pandan Dalam Settlement, Lorong 7, Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur. Followed by Guru Ka Langgar.
Contact: Kirpal Singh 017.365 8435
Asia Samachar | Entry: 11 Feb 2017, 19:00 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
A gurdwara member (right most) talking to Malkit Singh (second from left) and a youth in black patka (third from left) after the two were asked to leave Gurdwara Sahib Lembah Jaya Ampang today – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
Two Sikhs were asked to leave the Gurdwara Sahib Lembah Jaya Ampang for allegedly attempting to disrupt a sermon by Dr Karminder Singh today.
One of them, identified as Malkit Singh and believed to be a retiree from the Malaysian armed forces, was also believed to be involved in a similar incident in the darbar sahib of Gurdwara Sahib Selayang Baru not too long ago.
In this latest incident, one youth wearing a black patka stood up in the darbar sahib of the Lembah Jaya gurdwara while Dr Karminder, a senior Malaysian civil servant and a lay parcharak, was still making his presentation.
He began speaking in a loud voice, disrupting the talk that was already into its 90th minute.
Some members of the gurdwara management committee (GMC) requested the youth to allow the speaker to continue his presentation, but the youth continued to speak in raised voice.
At this juncture, a senior committee member escorted the youth out of the darbar sahib of the gurdwara in Selangor.
When walking back into the darbar sahib, Malkit was alleged to have stood up and confronted the Lembah Jaya GMC president Harbans Singh Gill Kaleke.
“When he refused to sit down and continued to speak loudly, we asked him to leave the darbar sahib,” Harbans told Asia Samachar. “These are not our regular Sanggat members. We have never seen them here before. The Sanggat is united in not wanting such disruptions.”
The rest of the Sanggat members remained calm and Dr Karminder continued with his presentation.
“We have a lecturer speaking on our platform. If you don’t agree, don’t create a ruckus in the presence o Sri Guru Granth Shaib and the Sanggat,” said Harbans.
Jaswant Singh, the gurdwara’s assistant treasurer, said this was the first such incident at the gurdwara.
One member of the Sanggat alleged that Malkit had signaled the youth in black patka just before the youth stood up to speak while Dr Karminder was in the midst of his lecture.
“I was seated at the back row. I saw what was happening,” he told Asia Samachar.
When contacted, Malkit confirmed that he was at the Lembah Jaya gurdwara but declined to elaborate on the incident over a phone conversation.
Dr Karminder’s lecture session was part of the Family Day Camp organised by the Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organisation (CMSO) together with the gurdwara and Sikhi Vichar Forum (SVF). The camp series is themed Leadership of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) in the 21st Century.
After lunch, Bibi Inderpal Kaur from Toronto, Canada, continued the camp with her lecture.
Such camps have been held at a number of gurdwaras, including Seremban, Kajang and Klang.
In the Selayang incident on 16 Dec 2016, Dr Karminder was giving a talk on ‘Ek Granth, Ek Panth, Ek Maryada’. The talk was twice interrupted by two Sikh men on the pretext of raising questions.
When driving home after that session, two unidentified men on a motorcycle swung a brick at Dr Karminder’s car, in what is believed to be an attempted assault to cow him from sharing his thoughts on the Sikh faith.
‘Ek Granth, Ek Panth, Ek Maryada’, a slogan mooted by the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC), is meant to promote the centrality of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS).
The incident was followed by a number of conflicting reports on the social media, with some versions later turning out to be untrue.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Jagmeet Singh, the 38-years-old criminal defense lawyer turn politician, has been making waves in Canadian politics. We are not talking about some gurdwara level politics. He’s in for the big time – national politics, currently serving as the Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party.
In fact, rumour has it that he may just be the new face of Canada’s New Democratic Party.
That would be interesting to see. On the other side of Canada’s politics you have the ‘bad ass’ defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan. See here.
In a recent article in the GQ magazine, it noted Jagmeet’s custom-designed suits that ‘look sharp as hell’.
“I felt that if people are going to stare at me, I might as well give them something to look at,” he told the magazine.
Jagmeet, of course, carries with him more than just a dashing style.
“But why should you care about a guy that represents a suburban district outside of Toronto?” the article asks. “Because rumor has it that Singh will soon make the jump into federal politics and run for leadership of the left-wing New Democratic Party of Canada, ready to take on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party government.”
It also noted that BuzzFeed had recently anointed him the “most stylish politician in Canada by like a million kilometers.” He’s the first turban-wearing Sikh to sit in Queen’s Park; he commutes to work by bike, often featured on his Instagram (35k followers).
The magazine asked him how he got into politics. He brought Sikhi into the picture.
In response to the question, he says: “My Sikh spirituality also influences my political style. We strongly believe in social justice as an element of our founding philosophy—that there is one energy and that we are all connected, kind of like the force. So if I see someone else suffering, as a Sikh I see that as me suffering. There’s this morality that flows from this idea that we are one and connected, and we celebrate diversity and people of different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. At the end of our meditations, our mantra that we repeat roughly means ‘we wish the betterment of all humankind.’ That motivates me to help build a world that’s fair and equal.”
The magazine also asked him how did your personal style become such a part of your political style?This was his response:
So throughout my life, I realized that people would stare at me because I stood out. Some may feel awkward about that. Being stared at makes you feel self-conscious. I felt that if people are going to stare at me, I might as well give them something to look at. [laughs] I saw it as a chance to transform an awkward situation into an opportunity to show people who I really am. I wanted to show that I was confident and sure of myself—that I wasn’t afraid of who I was. That confidence fought off some of the stereotypes and prejudice I encountered, and I started to develop my style more when I realized I could tear down some of these stereotypes.
A beard and a turban sometimes conjure up negative associations, but if you see someone with a lime colored, bright orange, or pink turban, it disarms people’s stereotypical notions of this image and it disarms people from those stereotypes. It became a way for me to extend my platform as a politician. Because I was considered stylish, with these colorful turbans and well-cut suits and showing myself as confident person, I could use that as a tool to talk about things like unfairness, injustice, poverty, and inequality in the public sphere.
See the full interview with GQ, entitled ‘A Chat with Jagmeet Singh, the Incredibly Well-Dressed Rising Star in Canadian Politics’, here.
Jagmeet Singh: Deputy Leader of Ontario New Democratic Party – PHOTO / FACEBOOK
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Opinion | Malaysia | 13 Feb 2017 | Asia Samachar |
A gurdwara in Malaysia yesterday ejected two Sikhs after they allegedly caused a ruckus in the darbar sahib while a sermon was in progress. See here.
This is a new development in Malaysia. In the past few weeks, Sikhs in Malaysia were greeted with the uncomfortable reports that certain parties were believed to be deliberately trying to disrupt talks on Sikhi at gurdwaras by certain preachers.
After the incident at Gurdwara Sahib Lembah Jaya in Ampang, Selangor, yesterday, Asia Samachar received two separate views. One seems to be defending the ejected party, the other in support of the preacher. We share them both.
VIEW 1: You are breaking up the Panth
By Jaipreet Kaur
Do you think by writing negative thoughts and posting them on your website is a good thing? For example: “One member of the Sanggat alleged that Malkit had signalled the youth in black patka just before the youth stood up to speak while Dr Karminder was in the midst of his lecture”.
If this is true, then its ok but why you are not telling the rest of the story? Why didn’t you write the reason behind those two people speaking out loud in darbar sahib? What were they unhappy about?
Bhai ji, I don’t know what is your mission but whatever you are bringing up on your website about the Ek Granth Ek Panth issue is not right. You are actually breaking up the Sikh Panth in Malaysia.
With regards to the Dashm Granth issue, just look at what you have written about mitare pyare nu shabda. Don’t you think it was a sin – writing such bad thoughts about Guru Gobind Singh Ji shabda?
Bhai ji, no matter how much your team tries to remove Dashm Granth Bani, trust me, there will be many youths like me, who will stand up and defend our Dashm Pitah ji bani.
Waheguru Ji ka khalsa Waheguru Ji ki Fateh
VIEW 2: The Sanggat is awakening, there is hunger for Gyaan
By Jarnail Singh Dhillon Arshi
The Lembah Jaya Ampang Gurdwara Sanggat had a highly charged session with Malaysia’s lay preacher extraordinaire Dr Karminder Singh Dhillon who mesmerised the full house capacity gurdwara hall for more than 90 minutes with the most modern, logical and reasoned way to seek GYAAN from the One and Only GURU of the Sikhs, AAD SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI, in the way Guru Ji intended.
The long running series of talks by Dr Ji, entitled Leadership of the SGGS into the 21st Century’, have been very well received at more than 12 Gurdwaras all over Malaysia, including the bigger ones such as Seremban (twice), Klang (twice), Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh, Muar, Kuala Pilah, Sungei Besi Shappahn and Selayang (twice). The latest is at Lembah jaya Ampang, the awakened jagrook sanggat of which is mostly members of the Tatt Khalsa Diwan Selangor.
The bilingual talks, in Punjabi and English, are aided by the excellent slides to help portray the Divine Message of SGGS clearly and logically. At almost each talk, Dr Ji concludes with an invite to a follow up. When Dr Ji concludes each talk, he opens the floor to all to ask questions – something which has never happened before. For so long, preachers have come and preached and gone….leaving the sanggat none the wiser and most times with totally wrong messages culled from fake stories, sakhis and tall tales of miracles which have absolutely NOTHING at all to do with the Guru’s Divine Message in SGGS.
The Dharam de Thekedaar (contractors of religion) are feeling threatened. They fear losing all RELEVANCE as each Sikh understands Gurbani. They fear losing all relevance when do away with RITUALS. These are the very peope now trying to put a stop to such an awakening.
BUT the members of the Sanggat are overwhelmingly in support of seeking the Gyaan which has so long been kept hidden under wraps by these contractors. This is evident when you see them take the trouble to make the time and sit for almost 90 minutes and more at each session, and then ask questions to allay their doubts.
There is strongest evidence that the Sanggat is awakening….and jagrook. No more spoon feeding will be tolerated from half baked, semi literate preachers, who are in it solely for self glory and money.
The Sikhs hunger for GYAAN, LOGIC and reason-based knowledge in SGGS which is leading them into the 21st century and not backwards to the Dark Ages! The time has come to join this Revolution of Knowledge, Gyaan and Gurbani based Religion to improve our lives and become Sikhs that lead.
The Lembah Jaya Sanggat, led by its able leadership, have shown they are progressive and willing to take steps towards the Guru to seek Him. Kudos.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Port Dickson, Malaysia | 14 Feb 2017 | Asia Samachar |
NEW CHAPTER: KDM opens a PEC in Port Dickson, its 50th centre nationwide – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
Plans are underway to start a Punjabi Education Centre (PEC) for Port Dickson.
The management teams of Khalsa Diwan Malaysia (KDM) and Gurdwara Sahib Port Dickson (GSPD) had met on 11 February to pave the way for the setting up of the centre for Punjabi language teaching and learning.
This would be the 50th PEC under Punjabi Education Trust Malaysia (PETM), the education arm of KDM.
“We are always ready to help wherever there is a demand and need for a centre for the promotion of Punjabi Language in Malaysia,” said KDM president Santokh Singh.
The others present at the discussion were PETM chairman Gurnam Singh Dhillon, KDM treasurer Sarjit Singh and KDM VP Diljit Singh. Among others, they discussed the administrative and financial aspects and rules and regulations on managing and running the centre.
GSPD secretary Ravinder Singh said the Sanggat looked forward to the teaching and learning of the mother tongue in Port Dickson.
In January, Asia Samchar reported that some 3,000 students were expected to attend the 47 PECs nationwide.
In a statement then, Santokh said about 250 teachers had their meetings at their respective PECs in early January and were all geared to serve the Quam in the field.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Asia Samachar | Entry: 14 Feb 2017, 12:00 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Petaling Jaya, Malaysia | 15 Feb 2017 | Asia Samachar
Bibi Kiranjot Kaur: Former SGPC secretary general – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
This is a chance to meet a Sikh woman who has played a significant role in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and who actually replies present on Facebook.
Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, a former SGPC general secretary, will be in Malaysia this week.
She will be officiating a Gurmat studies convocation on Saturday (18 Feb) and speaking at a Gurmat seminar entitled Sikhi In the 21th Century on Sunday (19 Feb), both in Petaling Jaya.
The SGPC senior member will also have speaking engagements at Gurdwara Sahib Klang on Friday (17 Feb) and Gurdwara Sahib Parliament on Satudary (18 Feb).
Kiranjot is the grandaughter of the the renowned Master Tara Singh (1885-1967), known chiefly for his advocacy of an autonomousPunjabi-speaking Sikh nation in the Punjab region.
Her mother, Dr Rajinder Kaur Kaur (1931 -1989), was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian Parliament. Rajinder, who was also editor of Sant Sipahi, was shot dead by unidentified assassins.
Kiranjot has been described as having deep personal interest in the Sikh heritage and has championed high profile conservation causes.
Among others, she is director of an orphanage and a Gurmat vidyala that trains young Sikhs as preachers of Sikh religion.
Kiranjot, a former member of the Advisory Committee of the Akal Takht Jathedar, has also initiated Interfaith dialogue of Sikhs with Jews and represents SGPC on international platforms.
On Saturday (19 Feb), 111 persons will received diploma or certificates for Gurmat studies ad understanding of gurbani studies after completing their respective Gurmat courses conducted by the Sant Sohan Singh Ji Melaka Memorial Society (SSSJMMS).
The society is a member of the Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organisations (CMSO) which is coordinating the engagements of Kiranjot.
Bibi Kiranjot comes on the heel of the earlier Sikhi parchaar tour of Bibi Inderpal Kaur, a lay preacher from Toronto, Canada.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Path Da Bhog: 19 Feb 2017 (Sunday), 10am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Mainduab Pudu, KL | Malaysia
Hurjit Singh Nagreh (1953-2016), Jalan Ipoh
Dear family and friends. My late husband, Mr Hurjit Singh Nagreh’s 1st year Barsi will be held at Gurdwara Sahib Mainduab, Pudu on Sunday the 19 February 2017 from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm followed by Guru Ka Langgar. Please take this as a personal invitation from the family. – Madam Jaspal Kaur
Hurjit Singh s/o Late Daulat Singh
Birth: 22 Feb 1953
Departed: 7 March 2016
Spouse: Jaspal Kaur Dhaliwal
Children:
Dr. Melinder Kaur Nagreh
Capt. Navinder Singh Nagreh
Path Da Bhog: 20 March 2016 at Gurdawara Sahib Mainduab Pudu, Kuala Lumpur
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Nirmal Singh, a Sikh granthi, conducts a morning prayer as evacuees sleep in the background at Shri Guru Ravidass in Rio Linda, one of the many gurdwaras in California that opened its doors amid the Oroville Dam crisis. – PHOTO / LA TIMES
Nirmal Singh, a Sikh granthi, conducts a morning prayer as evacuees sleep in the background at Shri Guru Ravidass in Rio Linda, one of the many gurdwaras in California that opened its doors amid the Oroville Dam crisis.
The gurdwaras in the Sacramento area became temporary sanctuaries for tens of thousands who fled low-lying regions on the Feather River this week amid warnings of flooding from the rapidly filling Lake Oroville, Sacramento-area.
Sikhs opened their temple doors to Oroville Dam evacuees — and strangers came pouring in, headlined Los Angeles Times in a news report on Valentine’s Day.
The news report started off with Nirmal.
“It’s usually a quiet affair, with words spoken in Punjabi to an empty hall the size of a large backyard — a solemn start at the small Sikh temple that sees few people outside of weekend services.
But this week, Singh had company. Bodies shuffled under blankets in front of him. On “Tuesday a Mexican couple and their kids woke up to his right, revealing the head scarves they wore in respect of Sikh traditions. In a nearby room, an African American man was also was getting up to the sounds of prayer,” it says.
Nirmal captures the Sikhi spirit: “This is their home. Our faith teaches us to help everyone. The poor, the hungry, it doesn’t matter who you are.”
Sikhs in Sacramento, home to 10 temples and about 11,000 Sikh families, began putting out calls for supplies and volunteers on Sunday evening after 180,000 people living in communities downstream of Lake Oroville were given short notice for mandatory evacuations.
The crowds didn’t start arriving at Shri Guru Ravidass until the mayor of Sacramento posted a list late that night of temples that were set up as shelters. It was retweeted 2,500 times, the report noted.
The report goes on:
It was around then that Juan Cervantes was driving from Olivehurst, an evacuated area across the river from Yuba City. He spotted the tweet and came with his wife, two brothers, their wives and seven kids among them.
They arrived Sunday at the 24-year-old Shri Guru Ravidass Temple, a yellow stucco building with green trim on the eaves located north of Sacramento in Rio Linda. In this rural area, it’s not uncommon to see horses grazing in front of barnyards.
Cervantes had encountered Sikhs before; Yuba City is home to one of the most concentrated communities in the country and hosts more than 100,000 at its annual Sikh parade. But he had never stepped foot in a temple.
It’s been a learning process.
Cervantes almost forgot to take his shoes off when entering the prayer hall where the families slept. He dozed off each night with a blue baseball cap on his head, not just for warmth but to keep his hair covered while in sight of the Sikh holy book at the front of the room. He’s had to remember to always point his soles away from the stage where the book is kept. And he’s avoided eating meat on the grounds, trying to attune himself to the vegetarianism many Sikhs follow.
For the 38-year-old who picks fruit in the Central Valley’s farms, it’s also been a moment of humility — and connection he didn’t expect.
“These people are just like me,” said Cervantes, who shares a two-bedroom apartment with his wife and three kids back home. “I’m Catholic, but we have the same God. We have the same heart. The same hands.”
Kathy Flores evacuated late Sunday from the Yuba City area with her son and neighbor and found shelter in a small house next to the temple usually reserved for board meetings. There, she slept on blankets with 23-year-old Rafael and 30-year-old neighbor Samantha Simpson.
Because Flores came with a cat and a dog, she stepped in the temple only for food and to thank her hosts. In Indian culture, the closest most people come to having pets is keeping guard dogs.
“We were stuck in traffic for three hours and heard on talk radio that temples were open. This is the first one we hit,” said Flores, 66, who left nearly all her belongings behind at her apartment, save a few changes of clothes. “They’ve fed us. They’ve gone looking for dog food. I’ve even had some of their spicy curry.”
For the Sikhs of Rio Linda, where holy day festivals can bring more than 700 attendees but weekday prayers attract a handful at most, the acts of kindness are a religious calling. They’ve also hosted faces familiar to their own, with Sikhs fleeing flood-prone areas seeking refuge.
“Our temples — all temples — always have a rule of having an open-door policy to house and feed anybody. That’s one of the most important teachings of our guru,” said Raj Kumar Sood, a truck driver who is the temple’s board secretary. “But we’ve never seen a crowd like this.”
So on top of the usual industrial-size batches of rice, lentils, cauliflower and spinach volunteers cook for the prayerful each week, community members have chipped into add some American flare to their offers. A Sikh who runs a pizza shop closed it on Monday, directing his staff to make vegetarian pies, spaghetti and macaroni and cheese to donate to the temple. Variety packs of chips sat alongside stacks of bottled water in a dining hall. Cans of Dr Pepper were plentiful.
Sood hoped that, in an age when Sikhs are often maligned and attacked, non-Sikhs would look at “the good that we try to do and change their impression.”
Sikh communities in Yuba City and nearby Sacramento date back more than a century, when Punjabi communities who had settled in England began immigrating to California. Some of the first Sikhs in Yuba City helped build Southern Pacific Railroad, and the Yuba City-Marysville area has about 40,000 Sikhs today.
About half of the country’s 500,000 Sikhs are estimated to live in California, with the majority of those in the northern part of the state, including the Bay Area.
Members of the faith have been targets of abuse and violence since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, apparently mistaken for Muslims. Sikhs in Sacramento still recall Sept. 15, 2011, when a Sikh gas station manager in Meza, Ariz., was shot after a man said he wanted to “go out and shoot some towel heads” to get revenge against Osama bin Laden.
The community came together in mourning in 2012 when a white supremacist killed six Sikhs during a shooting rampage in Oak Creek, Wis. Two elderly Sikh men were killed in a drive-by shooting six years ago in nearby Elk Grove. The crime remains unsolved.
They’ve also faced challenges of a different sort.
The Rio Linda temple has been attempting for years to forge ahead with plans to replace its prayer hall with a new, 12,000-square foot building with golden domes, but has run into repeated complaints from neighbors who’ve shown up at community planning board meetings to oppose the project. Neighbors have said they’re concerned about parking and drainage, but temple members have wondered whether they’re more concerned about religion.
But in the Sikh faith, “you can’t expect people to do good to you only because you do good to them. It is not a trade,” Sood said. “But there is a balance that will naturally happen.”
On Tuesday, officials lifted mandatory evacuation orders for area south of the Oroville Dam, though residents were warned they could be forced to evacuate again.
A few hours after finding out he could go home to Olivehurst, Guillermo Cervantes said he would take his time in returning. He was hoping to avoid traffic, so he stayed back with his wife and kids after his older brother, Juan, left.
Inside the temple, with few evacuees remaining, Cervantes grabbed a box of Little Caesars pizza and breadsticks for the road, and took a last glance at his temporary and unexpected home, where posters of bearded Sikh gurus in bright turbans lined the walls. He and his wife had driven to the temple separately Sunday to pack as many belongings as they could in case of a flood, and decided they would leave one car behind in its parking lot as they went south to visit family in Fresno.
They would come back in a few days with a gift for their new friends in Rio Linda, Cervantes said.
“And we will have another chance to say ‘thank you.’”
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Saskaar: 3pm on 16 Feb 2017 (Thurs) at -02-2017 at Tanjung Malim, Perak |Malaysia
Swaran Kaur (1932-2017), Tanjung Malim
Swaran Kaur d/o Ram Singh
Born: 1932
Departed: 16 Feb 2017
Husband: Late Surat Singh
Saskaar / Cremation: 3pm on 16 Feb 2017 (Thurs) at -02-2017 at Tanjung Malim, Perak
Cortege timing: Cortege leaves from 10 Jalan Segar 2, Taman Segar, Tanjung Malim, Perak at 2:15 pm on 16 Feb 2017 (Thu)
Contact: Santokh Singh (Ex Customs) 019.7407689, Jagdev Singh 013.3305995
Asia Samachar | Entry: 16 Feb 2017, 06:00 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
This is something for all of us to think about as we mull over what’s wrong with our community.
A 17 year old wants to be a Sikh and we start asking (on her behalf) where she should go to learn about Sikhi, where to look for books, ask if Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) runs courses, thank God that the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM) Gurmat samelan is around the corner, etc.
But if the same 17 year old wanted to be a doctor, engineer or lawyer, then she probably would research everything herself. She would most probably get all the information about books herself, find out about schools, etc, etc. She may even go looking for other doctors or lawyers to talk to. But not when it comes to finding your way around for Sikhi.
Why the huge difference in our attitudes and approach? Is it because in our minds Sikhi has no value and no priority; no importance? That we can live without it? That others can do it for us? If they do, then fine; if they don’t, too bad?
Why can’t a 17 year old open do an internet search and type “basic Sikhi ” or how to be a Sikh? It’s that easy. If one is interested, that is. That’s what 17 year olds do when they want to learn how to remove chewing gum from their shoes, right? Or are we saying learning how to remove gum is of higher priority than learning the basics of Sikhi?
Still wondering why Sikhi is in the state it is in? The core issue to mull over is about ‘taking responsibility’.
Whenever we want to do or achieve something in life (from learning how to remove chewing gum to becoming a Nobel prize winning nuclear scientist), we take responsibility all the way by finding resources, discovering the path etc. Which is great. But when it comes to Sikhi and Gurbani, we shirk all responsibility and blame others: gurdwaras have failed, MGC does nothing, SNSM not doing its part, granthis are useless, I can’t read Gurbani, no books on Sikhi. The list goes on.
Yes, there some shortcomings. But aren’t we responsible for our Sikhi journey? What are we doing to improve our gurdwaras, granthis, MGC, SNSM? There are some 10 million books and articles on Sikhi on the net. How come we keep saying we can’t find any?
Even the idea of a SATSANGAT as a role model requires the SATSANGEES to take responsibility. A true SATSANGAT is amongst those who have ‘individually strived’ to become enlightened Sikhs and THEN come together to share in and share out the Guru-derived enlightenment.
ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਕੈਸੀ ਜਾਣੀਐ॥ ਜਿਥੈ ਏਕੋ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਣੀਐ॥
Satsangat Kaisee Jaaneeai || Jithhai Eko Naam Vakhaaneeai ||
Which gathering is called a holy congregation? Where the only subject of discourse is ‘virtues’ of One God. (SGGS, page 72)
NAAM VAKHAANEEAI requires taking responsibility. Right? Now, if 20 “passengers” of Sikhi got together and hoped that the getting together in the presence of SGGS ji will somehow work its magic and “enlighten” them or that enlightenment will “rub off” on them simply because they attend a SATSANGAT? Nothing useful can come out of this other than networking.
Hence, the question is not so much what others can or cannot do for my Sikhi advancement, but what I WANT to do. What I NEED to do. What I MUST do.
* On my own first.
* Once I take responsibility for my spiritual journey then I will see others as facilitating, helping and supporting.
A Sikh is a seeker of truth. The seeker cannot live without the Guru. With that in mind, my first responsible step is to approach the Guru for guidance in the manner aptly described in this line from Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaars:
Charan saran gur ek paiddaa jaae chal satgur kott paiddaa aagae hoe laeth hai ||
“A disciple who walks one step towards his Guru to take his refuge and goes to him with devotion and humility, the Guru advances to receive the devotee by taking a million steps.” (Vaaran Bhai Gurdas)
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Saskaar: 17/2/2017 (Friday), 3pm at Hindu crematorium, Johor Bahru|Malaysia
Jagir Kaur (1927-2017), Johor Baharu
Jagir Kaur A/P Jit Singh
Village: Patto Hira Singh
Born: 28/7/1927
Departed: 16/2/2017
Age: 89
Husband: Late Chief Inspector Jagjit Singh Dhillon Patto
Children:
1. Dr. Rashpall Singh Dhillon/ Manjeet Kaur Sidhu
2. Dr. Bjinder Singh / Dr. Berinderjeet Kaur
3. Herbhajan Singh/Parminder Kaur
Also missed by grandchildren.
Cremation: 3pm on 17/2/2017 (Thursday) at Hindu crematorium, Johor Bahru
Sukmani: 11.30am at 8, Jalan Angsana, Taman Kebun Teh, Johor Bahru
Contact: Dr. Rashpal Singh 012.7712626
Asia Samachar | Entry: 16 Feb 2017, 21:15 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Walking on egg shells remains a risky business, wouldn’t you say? Yet, it’s so tempting. I am embarking on such an endeavor today, though only metaphorically.
The local gurduara that I often frequent, to my mind, is highly odd and I confess that I am conflicted about it.
It has a constitution and the usual structural framework of a committee with procedural safeguards of an electoral process, but the last election was held, not a year, or 2 or even 5 or 6 years ago, but almost a decade ago.
During the active electoral phase, congregational peace was fractured, not every year but often enough.
Now a dominant cabal of two or three people has seized control. All procedural safeguards or laws have been suspended, buried and forgotten. The new “bosses” run it mostly by remote control. They rarely attend the gurduara; it’s in my view an absentee management.
The irony is that this gurduara serves very special congregations, the crème de la crème of the Sikhs many of the programs and initiatives of those in power are fairly attractive.
In our neighborhood, there is another gurduara that has been, from its inception some years ago, a totally closed shop in matters of management; there never is a changeover. This exclusive/limited framework is enshrined in their constitutional framework. Their programs, too, are attractive and peaceful.
These are not the only existing examples of dera-structured gurduaras in North America. I know of a few and they are proud as peacocks of their closed shops.
My dilemma: How did the Sikhs become such passive spectators at their own institutions. I am absolutely flabbergasted.
It seems unnatural. It is against the universal ideals of transparency and accountability that are core Sikh values. It negates self-governance seen in free people and enlightened nations that tout responsible management.
In earlier essays I have argued at length that such ideals were and remain the foundational principles of Sikhi as well — of Sikh practices during the Guru period, also during post-Guru time when Misls held sway, but progressively diminished during Ranjit Singh’s rule of greater Punjab and thereafter until today.
Our subsequent record in such matters seems to have taken on an increasingly murkier downward slope since then, and even more acutely since India’s independence from the British in 1947. Now we seem to have hit bottom.
Ideally, gurduaras should be sangat-driven, hence sangat-governed. Many models for such governance exist but that’s not the issue here today.
Why the move towards privately held closed shops is not a mystery. It is easily understood when we explore the past decade or two of gurduaras in North America. Even the most jaundiced eye will concede that an alarming number have faced election related violence with concomitant police-enforced fragile peace, court cases and legal decrees – and even a run or two to the Akal Takht.
The dollars lost are in the millions, the downside of fragmenting the community and the loss of trust immeasurable; its repair forbiddingly difficult if not impossible.
Gurduaras controlled by an iron hand suffer in many ways: A primary harm (as a non-dollar loss) is the fact that the topic of sangat-driven gurduara hardly ever surfaces in conversation; we avoid it like the plague. It’s like running away from any talk about a scandalous relative or a drunken mother. We run from the topic as fast as our little legs will carry us.
What do we do instead? We dismiss all or any conversation on gurduara management quite handily by a big beatific smile and platitudes. We thank God and Guru that we have peace in the gurduara. Any attempt at further ideas on such matters feels as if we are stepping on egg shells.
This, then, becomes the graveyard of ideas, not people; and any query summarily dismissed or ignored. Is such a gurduara any better than a dera that’s run by one man, no matter how pious? I am tempted dub it the peace of a cemetery.
When life deals us a seemingly intractable dilemma it also offers us several alternatives. In ascending order, our response can be: 1. to ignore the Hobson’s choice facing us and become like a dove with eyes closed facing an eagle, 2. to poke the idea as an enemy — gingerly like a rattlesnake, 3. to open a frank dialogue seeking an honest and fair resolution, 4. to explore outside the system for possible allies like the judicial system, or 5. to go on a violent rampage.
Our community seems to be largely at level one. Failing that, we rush headlong to level 4 or 5. These two choices seem interchangeable and sometimes coexist. Whenever these two are on the table, there is a lot of talk – entirely unconnected to any program or direction but over laden by tons of innuendo and insult.
Doesn’t it remind one of the Republican Party’s primaries and the election season that just concluded? Review the recent exchanges between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Hillary’s speeches were some of her best; she heaped insults on the Donald with piercing sharp verbiage and Trump responded a day later with an outburst that outdid hers. The insults and sound bites were rare collectables. What was lacking was even an iota of programmatic vision on either side.
Our disagreements at gurduaras are qualitatively no different. Have we Sikhs found in our new home in America a kindred Yankee spirit or have the Americans caught some virus native to us? Or is such behavior embedded in the human gene?
Life will bestow us many good things and many more that are not fun, nice, useful, or comfortable. We can’t always run away from them, nor can we beat them into oblivion. We need to hone the tactics of patience, grace, conversation and sehaj, to cope with them effectively.
What we, as a community, haven’t mastered yet is the skill to disagree without becoming disagreeable. Remember that peace is not just an absence of war; it is a state of mind. Remember that even the most contradictory word preserves contact, it is silence that isolates.
I am reminded of the fact that even walking can be painful for very tender feet. But is the idea of gurduara management so alien or threatening that we can’t even try a tentative step towards the role of the sangat in management. To me this is more than a trivial matter; it has existential overtones – all negative.
Is the gurduara and community so like egg shells that visiting that hallowed ground guarantees untold suffering?
Guru Granth Sahib admonishes us to gather together to work out through our doubts and differences ਹੋਇ ਇਕਤ੍ਰ ਮਿਲਹੁ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਾਈ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਦੂਰਿ ਕਰਹੁ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥ (“Hoai ikatr milo meray bhai, dubhida door karo liv laaye…” p 1185).
We can’t behave like mugwumps all the time, can we?
I.J. Singh is a New York based writer and speaker on Sikhism in the Diaspora, and a Professor of Anatomy. Email: ijsingh99@gmail.com.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
NP Singh, CEO of Sony Pictures Network India Private Ltd (SPNI), on front cover of Business Today
Foodie and cricket lover NP Singh – the CEO of Sony Pictures Network India Private Ltd (SPNI) – is committed to making Sony the first choice for TV viewers in the Indian sub-continent.
“Singh has an uncanny ability to gauge the industry’s pulse and foresee the road ahead – a little better than others,” Business India magazine observes in a cover story entitled ‘All the Right Moves’ (30 Jan-12 Feb 2017).
“Having had a long association with SPNI, he is clearly making the right moves to ensure that Sony not only remains relevant but also retains its leadership position across several segments. The most notable being to consolidate Sony’s position in sports, which he feels will be as big a draw as general entertainment, going forward,” it adds.
The 57-year old corporate chief, who was splashed on the front cover of the magazine, was said to like going for long drives whenever he finds the time, allowing him to time to spend with consumers, listening to their thoughts and aspirations.
NP has spent 17 years at SPNI, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.
NP Singh was made COO in December 2004 and oversaw the operations of Sony Entertainment Television and MAX. Prior to his appointment as COO, NP Singh served as chief financial officer of Sony Entertainment Television since 1999.
The industry environment is fast changing, the article argues. A discernible transformation of sorts is taking place in the Rs 2 lakh crore media and entertainment industry. And, while the television industry, estimated at Rs 75,000 crore, still remains the biggest provider of entertainment, others, like smartphones, are emerging as major competitors, it adds.
The article also says that NP likes Indian music and has belted out Hindi songs at parties on many an occasion. He is also a foodie and does not miss a chance to try out local fare at any place he goes.
NP is an alumnus of the Delhi School of Economics and a gold medallist from the Indian Cost & Works Accounting Institute.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Saskaar: 4pm on 19 Feb 2017 (Sunday) at Kampung Tunku MPBJ Crematorium, Petaling Jaya|Malaysia
Ranjit Singh (1969-2017), Shah Alam
Ranjit Singh a/l Gurbax Singh
Born: 31 August 1969
Departed: 18 February 2017
Wife: Baljit Kaur a/l Dlip Singh
Children / Spouse:
Alvinder Kaur / Amardip Singh
Rashbinder Singh
Lasbinderjeet Singh
Saskaar: 4pm on 19 Feb 2017 (Sunday) at Kampung Tunku MPBJ Crematorium, Petaling Jaya
Path da bhog: To be announced later
Contact: Ranjit Singh @ Kale 016.3595928.
Asia Samachar | Entry: 18 Feb 2017, 18:00 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Harbans Singh Kaleke: Lembah Jaya gudwara management committee president – PHOTO / ASIA SAMACHAR
Gurdwara parbandhaks must not be cowed by the rowdy behaviour of a few Sikhs trying to disrupt darbar sahib programmes in light of the recent ejection of two Sikhs from a gurdwara in Selangor.
“Carry on with the vichaar of Shabad, carry on with the discussions on Sri Guru Granth Sahib,” Gurdwara Sahib Lembah Jaya gurdwara management committee (GMC) president Harbans Singh Kaleke tells Asia Samachar.
“No one can stop Gurbani vichar (discourse) of SGGS ji in gurdwara. We will be having more programs soon.”
On 12 Feb 2017, Lembah Jaya gurdwara management team was confronted with an incident where a Sikh youth stood up and disrupted an on-going sermon by an invited speaker Dr Karminder Singh by loudly saying the Sikh greeting before trying to lambast the speaker. He was escorted out of the darbar sahib by a GMC member.
Moments later, another Sikh was asked to leave the darbar sahib when he was alleged to have made a scene when he confronted Harbans on the move to eject the first youth.
It is understood that the underlying issue is connected to the objection of a certain segment of the Sikh community to the Ek Granth Ek Panth Ek Maryada slogan mooted by the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC), a council representing a majority of the 120 gurdwaras in the country.
There have been various comments on the slogan on the social media, with some of them seen to be blatantly twisting facts and even peddling lies.
“We have to put a STOP now for this actors. They have been doing this without FEAR of Guru Ji & Sanggat, no shame and with No respect. !!! There was ONLY Shabad verchar being conducted,” Harbans said in a comment via the Faceboook.
When Asia Samachar ran the news report on the incident at Lembah Jaya, Harbans had shared the following comment via the Facebook:
“You are called Chur when you come to gurdwara with Bad Intention as to steal golok, revenge or bad mouth. This program is on SGGS Ji. A gurdwara is the place for Gurbani Vechar. and the Vechar is on Shabad. Suddenly someone gets up and raise his voice with No respect to sanggat and Guru Ji and not relevant to Gurbani. So we told him politely to give his most respect to SGGS Ji. If he is not happy than to move out. And during Q&A to raise his doubts.
The Gurdwara is in the Hands of Parbandak Committee and we managed it. We r fully in charge.
He raised his voice in the presence of SGGS ji and his intention is to stop the Vechar. But we told him politely to leave as NOT to cause further ruckus.
Let me remind Malaysia Sikhs, we don’t want incident happening in Canada to happen in Malaysia. Kirpan attack in Darbar Sahib.
No one can stop Gurbani Verchar from SGGS ji in a Gurdwara and we will be having more programs soon. Churs are not welcomed. Come to Gurdwara as A Sikh. To learn and understand Gurbani. By the way, Ampang Sanggat and management Committee are very United. So Mr Chur, no more problems from you in Ampang. Gurfateh Ji.”
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
The three-day Simran Retreat 6.0, an annual Sikh camp with simran, seva and kirtan as its key component, will take place in Taiping, Perak, from 24-26 February 2017.
The camp is anchored by Harcharanjeet Singh, a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer who is regular parcharak at Sikh camps in Malaysia, Australia and a number of other countries.
To register, check out the group’s Facebook page at Weekly Simran, here.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Path Da Bhog: 26/2/2017 (Sunday), 5 pm-7pm, at Gudwara Sahib Sentul, Jalan Haji Salleh, Kuala Lumpur |Malaysia
Mohinder Kaur (1940-2017), Cheras
Mohinder Kaur d/o Kala Singh
Born: 1940
Departed: 13 Feb 2017
Age: 77
Husband: Joginder Singh (Jogi)
Children:
1. Mr & Mrs Manjeet Singh (Cheras)
2. Mr & Mrs Sukhwinder Singh (Shah Alam)
3. Late Mr Harjeet Singh
Also missed by grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Path Da Bhog: 5 pm-7 pm on 26/2/2017 (Sunday) at Gudwara Sahib Sentul, Jalan Haji Salleh, Kuala Lumpur
Contact: Joginder Singh 016.9853748
Asia Samachar | Entry: 18 Feb 2017, 18:45 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Path Da Bhog: 24 Feb 2017 (Friday), 6.45pm to 8.30pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Selayang Baru |Malaysia
IN MEMORY: Pritam Singh (1937-2016), Selayang
Pritam Singh s/o Hari Singh
Village: Chola Sahib
Born: 18 July 1937
Departed: 3 March 2016
Spouse: Bans Kaur (Gudie)
Children / Spouses:
Sawant Kaur / Malkeet Singh
Harbajan Singh
Gurmit Singh / Saveeta Kaur
Jaspal Singh / Ahroop Kaur
Harjit Kaur/ Kirpal Singh
Grandchildren: 7
Path da bhog: 6.45pm to 8.30pm on 24 Feb 2017 at Gurdwara Sahib Selayang Baru, Selangor
Message from Family: Please treat this invitation to all relative and fly friends.
Contact: Sawant Kaur 019.2886471
Asia Samachar | Entry: 19 Feb 2017, 12:45 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 20 Feb 2017 | Asia Samachar |
GROUP PHOTO: Malaysian Personal Data Protection Commissioner Khalidah Mohd Darus (seated, fourth from left) and members of MPLMA and officials from Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government and Ministry of Communications and Multimedia. – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
Some 600 licensed money lenders representatives attended a briefing on the impact of the Malaysian Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) on the sector.
Organised by the Malaysian Punjabi Licensed Moneylenders Association (MPLMA), the session in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday (18 Feb 2017) also allowed license money lenders to register themselves as required under the Act.
“We had a strong turnout,” MPLMA Vice President Palwinder Singh tells Asia Samachar.
Effective 16 Dec 2016, all registered money lenders are required to register themselves under the Act which regulates the processing of personal data in commercial transactions.
The half-day session also included officials from the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government and Ministry of Communications and Multimedia. Officials from the latter ministry had opened up a counter to enable to allow the participants to register as required by the Act.
On hand to brief the participants were Malaysian Personal Data Protection Commissioner Khalidah Mohd Darus and Richie a/k Andrew, an Assistant Chief Secretary at the department dealing with moneylenders.
In Malaysia, money lending is governed by the Moneylenders Act 1951 which comes under the supervision of the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government.
The Act regulates and controls the business of moneylending, the protection of borrowers of the monies lent in the course of such business.
MPLM (known as Persatuan Pemberi Pinjam Wang Berlesen Punjabi Malaysia) was formerly known as Punjabi Sahukara Association which was was established in 1952.
In September 2016, the association held a seminar to make members more aware of their role and responsibilities as moneylenders.
The seminar was held as the association found that some licensed money lenders were not well-versed with the regulatory requirements that govern their business.
STRONG TURNOUT: Some 600 people attended the Malaysian Punjabi Money Lenders Association (MPLMA) forum – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
