Firstly I apologize to those who’ve been looking for a post, for not having had one sooner, but truthfully there’s nothing new for me to add that isn’t already known or hasn’t already been published by more credible sources, and like everyone else look to these sources for any new bit of information they can pass our way.

The controversy for those not aware in a nut shell is the leader of Dera Sacha Sauda, who’s name really deserves no promotion, thought he was a bad ass, went out and tried to create his own institution of Amrit, but instead of blessing the world with nectar of the iron blade, he instead got prissy and gave us a big bowl of pink milk [not that there’s anything wrong with rufza, but saying you got baptized by it, is just weak]. Anyway’s the Baba went on to initiate what he called sat-sitaray, and after administering the pink milk to his followers knelt in front of them and asked they initiate him with the sticky pink stuff also.

Once that image and news hit the desi papers, all hell started [as it should] broke loose and Sangat’an gathered in Bhatinda to protest, and protest they did burning effigies and all. If this Baba was running it small time like Mann Chand or whoever else this would have been it the end of it, but seeing as how this Dera has thousands of followers those mans decided to crash the Protest attacking those protesting and also causing a scene. Now lets face it, after 1978 and 1984 the panth has had this flame in the pit of its gut just looking for a spark to come out, a means to lash out and the Baba’s chelay crashing the protest and showing that they were ready to go toe to toe is what ignited that flame.

So now you had riots in Bhatinda, The Panth vs the Dera and its chelay. Well that’s what it looks like on the outside if off course there wasn’t the political undertone which also exists at bottom of this which features the legendary bout between Congress and the Akali’s.

See Badal knew that the Dera had clout amongst the masses and it’s why he made it a pit stop in his campaign for votes, but unlike the small time Babay that he has under his wing the Dera wanted what Badal couldn’t deliver and there go threw its support behind the Congress party. Which in turn gives this situation a political overtone that could clearly well overshadow the phantic matter at hand, albeit 1978 and 84 were riddled with political overtones which are used to discredit the movement all the time.

Since Monday (when the first protests happened), protests have sparked up all over the once thriving state of Punjab, and it would seem as though that Sikhs have felt the bigger of the blows in terms of negative media coverage and causalities, all the same the fight continues.

 What has me confused is if Badal and the Akali’s, are the ones who started this [supposedly], then why is Badal posturing for the Jatehdars he has under his thumb to hold off from bringing about a sandesh or Hukamnamaa (Badal reportedly asked them to hold for a week), after all wouldn’t it be in his best interest? None the less, Singh Sahib Vedanti today issused a hukamanama stating a full out boycott against the Dera all the same.

Most Singh’s I know and have spoken to, are riling at the news and many are on the edge of their seats with a cross between eager and nervous anxiousness, hoping that this is just what the Panth needed and what will once and for all bring us right back to where we left off in the mid 80’s, but I guess that will be left up to how our leaders and the government react to the incident. Although how many have actually gone out and bought tickets to India to join in the struggle is yet to be seen, but whether this in fact sparks a re-emergence of the struggle is also yet to be seen.

As far as what I expect to come out of all this, my guess is as good as the next man’s. Whether this finally brings about a time when all those of us who once talked about giving Shaheedi a chance to actually live up to our words or on the flip side coward behind them is to soon to be known. After all this whole thing could just shrivel up into being just an isolated incident that could have put India back into a civil war, but didn’t. But seeing as how this has led to a few Kurbani and injuries already, I doubt that this will be just another foot note in our history.

So lets see what happens and hope that the Himmat is still there.

I got this email a while ago, and thought it was pretty jokes. For those who don’t get it, the Centennial foundation has come under fire in recent years for the guests they choose to honour as having contributed to the Sikh cause in some form or another. I remember last year they felt it appropriate to honour Khushwant Singh, and this year it’s none other then every Sikhs favourite historian or I guess dist-orian, (however you want see him), Dr. W. Hew McLeod.

To his credit McLeod has spawned his own form of McLeodian Sikhi which has been embraced the world over by dumb-asses of all races and nationalities. It’s interesting to see how McLeod’s work on Sikhi serves the Sikh cause when some examples of quotes from his writings include such statements as:

“It is misleading to call Guru Nanak the founder of Sikh religion, as he did not originate a new school of thought or set of teachings……Guru Nanak established a Panth as sect of Hindusim and not a new religion.”

“The ten Gurus never preached one set of religious doctrines or system……,

“The arming of the Panth could not have been the result of any decision by Guru Hargobind, but because of Jat influx in the Sikh fold…….

“The traditional account about the founding of the Khalsa on the Vaisakhi day of the year 1699, (A.D.) cannot be accepted, as there are `compulsive reasons for skepticism’, and `the traditions relating to the period of Guru Gobind Singh must be, in some considerable measure, set aside……,

“The Sikh code of discipline, Rahit Maryada, and Sikh symbols were evolved during the eighteenth century as a result of gradual growth, though the tradition declares they were definitely settled by a pronouncement of Guru Gobind Singh and were a part of the Vaisakhi day proceedings in 1699 (A.D.).”

“Though the Gurus denounced the caste system and preached against it, yet they did not seem sincere or serious in removing caste difference.”

“The succession of Guru Granth Sahib as Guru of the Sikhs, ending the line of living Gurus on the death of Guru Gobind Singh, was not because of an injunction of Guru Gobind Singh himself, but was a subsequent adaptation by the Sikhs, who were fighting for their existence, to meet the needs of the Panth for cohesion.”

“The authenticity of the current version of Guru Granth Sahib which is widely accepted and revered by the Sikhs, is open to question, since there are three manuscripts (birs) available which are not entirely identical.”

But then again the Foundation, knows best.

Taking a break from all the negative press that Sikhs have been getting lately, I thought it was worth a change of tone by copping the Toronto’s Star’s most recent article on MP Nav Bains. Although I’ve shit on him here or there in the past, respect is still due to the man who’s already earning praise as being a possible contender for the liberal leadership seat, putting him in line to take aim at being the next PM of Canada.

Although, I don’t see him taking aim or cozy-ing it up in the big seat anytime soon, I will say that with the way the Star’s been praising him since the convention, I’m sure he’s made many believers of him yet.

MP Bains: A `charter child’ TheStar.com - News - MP Bains: A `charter child’

Outspoken critic of government’s role in Afghanistan is representative of the new Canada, says political consultant

April 26, 2007

Linda Diebel

At 29, Navdeep Bains is a rising star in the federal Liberal caucus. He’s outspoken, highly regarded and seen by senior Liberals as having the potential, as one put it, “to be the first Canadian prime minister in a turban.”

The Brampton-born MBA is also what’s known as a “charter child.” It’s the term for the growing number of young Canadian politicians who matured under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and consider it a reflex responsibility to speak out on important issues of human rights.

So it should come as no surprise that Bains (Mississauga-Brampton South) lived up to his reputation for outspokenness last week during a trip to Pakistan, making an issue of the sacrifice of Canadian soldiers in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Bains wasn’t in Lahore to talk about Afghanistan. The Liberal trade critic was part of a delegation, headed by International Trade Minister David Emerson, in the Pakistani city (not far from his maternal grandfather’s birthplace) for World Trade Organization talks on agriculture.

But on the eve of the trip, another eight soldiers were killed in Afghanistan, and Bains asked Canadian diplomats to arrange a briefing for him with leading Pakistani journalists. He wanted to talk about the lack of border security between Pakistan and Afghanistan (making it porous to Taliban fighters), as well as the Afghan military coalition, which operates under NATO control.

What he heard disturbed him.

“I was very disappointed at their lack of knowledge of the Canadian role in Afghanistan,” Bains told the Toronto Star, after his return to Canada on the weekend. The journalists thought the only foreign nations fighting in Afghanistan were the United States and Britain.

Bains explained to them that Ottawa is “very serious” about its Afghan mission and talked about the heavy loss of Canadian lives, which stands at 54 soldiers and one diplomat.

He faults the Conservative government for failing to publicize the significant cost to Canada. “We need to… make sure there is a strong awareness – particularly in the region – of the sacrifices Canada has made,” said Bains. “And the government has to be more aggressive in insisting upon being part of the decisionmaking process in NATO.”

Bains is also angry that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has refused to release the written report of a recent fact-finding mission by Wajid Khan, the PM’s special adviser on the Middle East and Afghanistan. Khan, the MP for Mississauga-Streetsville, joined the Conservatives earlier this year after Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion warned he couldn’t serve as Harper’s adviser and stay in the Liberal caucus. On Jan. 5, the day Khan was supposed to discuss his situation with Dion, he crossed the floor, skipping his meeting with the Liberal leader.

“What is Khan doing? We don’t know. It’s a secret,” said Bains. “It’s incumbent on the prime minister to better explain the situation to the Canadian public… It’s not good enough for Khan to say that he can’t comment.”

Bains’ outspokenness after his trip to Pakistan was typical of a man used to being at the centre of public controversy.

Politics is in his blood: his paternal grandfather Jaswanl was a municipal politician in India; his own interest began in high school in Brampton; and he won a hotly contested nomination in a newly created riding in December 2003, getting elected six months later.

In last year’s Liberal leadership race, Bains supported Gerard Kennedy. When Kennedy threw his support to Dion, Bains went too, soon becoming a favourite among Dion Liberals.

Though he is touted as a possible future PM, Bains won’t comment on his leadership ambitions, insisting: “I’m still learning the ropes.”

He’s bilingual, speaking English and Punjabi, but he hasn’t mastered French – yet. He spent the first week of the recent Easter break studying French in Montreal.

“Nav is representative of the next generation of Canadians,” said Toronto political analyst Rob Silver, a veteran Kennedy organizer. “This is the new Canada. He’s from a family of immigrants and he grew up in the suburbs. It will be people like Nav who will lead the country and determine where Canada is going over the next 50 years.”

Last week was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ 25th anniversary. A framed copy of the charter hangs in Bains’ riding office in Brampton and he has made copies available in several languages to his constituents.

Fighting for Charter rights has been at the heart of his short political career. It’s the reason he supported same-sex marriage legislation, despite opposition in the conservative Sikh community.

Bains received anonymous telephone threats his career was over – “not death threats” – but he didn’t back down. Even his grandmother, Ajit, 72, who lives with his parents in Brampton, picked up the phone to hear her grandson pilloried.

“I am proud of him,” she said on a recent Friday, before her regular visit to the Gurdwara Temple in Brampton. In a white chuni and tunic, she sat with Bains’ niece Rumeet, 5, and talked about her grandson.

“It is a very honourable profession,” she said in Punjabi with Bains translating. She watches Question Period on TVand complains when he’s absent. Bains explained the significance of the Charter of Rights after he heard her talking about “somebody called Charter.”

There have been other difficult times. In January, Harper rose in the Commons to ask for a Liberal response to a report in the Vancouver Sun that Bains’ father-in-law, Darshan Singh Saini, was “on the RCMP’s potential list of witnesses” for the Air India investigation and was a former spokesperson for a terrorist organization advocating Sikh nationhood.

Saini, who now drives cab in Toronto, told the Star he has been questioned by the RCMP and CSIS and long ago severed ties to the Babbar Khalsa Panthak. “I have nothing to hide. If they need to talk to me again, all they have to do is ask and they will be guests in my home.”

Liberals felt the issue was used by the Conservatives to insinuate Saini was somehow a suspect. According to Silver, it was meant to smear Bains. “They can smear him or paint caricatures as much as they want but it’s too easy and it’s cheap… Nav is much better than that.”

Meanwhile, Bains is upbeat about his political future. Dion called him last December to ask what role he would like in the shadow cabinet. His interest in business and foreign affairs brought him the international trade post.

“The life of an MP is awesome,” said Bains, before kissing his grandmother goodbye at his parents’ home and giving his young niece Rumeet a cuddle. It was practice for an upcoming role in October. That’s when his wife, Brahamjot, is expecting their first child.

source - Toronto Star 26/04/2007

Sikh American Veteran Assaulted by Police Officer in Illinois

SALDEF calls for immediate probe into assault and the xenophobic, anti-immigrant statements by police officer against bronze star recipient.

NagRockedWashington D.C., April 11, 2007 — The Sikh American Legal Def ense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the country, today called upon the Joliet Police Department to investigate the actions of one of its officers when patrolling a local neighborhood.

On Friday March 30, 2007 at around 3:00pm, Mr. Kuldip Singh Nag, a Sikh American who was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in the U.S. Navy during the first Gulf War, was at his home in Joliet, IL when a local police officer noticed that a van parked on Mr. Nag’s private property had expired registration tags. Upon being confronted with this, Mr. Nag’s wife, Vera Kaur Nag, informed the officer that the van is parked on their driveway and was inoperable.

Mr. Nag then came outside to answer the officer’s questions regarding the van. The Joliet police officer then demanded that Mr. Nag park the van inside his garage and not on the driveway, to which Mr. Nag responded to the officer that it was not possible and that regardless, the van is parked on his private property and he has a right to park it on his driveway.

At this moment, the officer pulled out his pepper spray and attacked Mr. Nag. As Mr. Nag screamed in agony, the officer removed his baton and violently struck Mr. Nag numerous times until he fell to the ground. While the assault ensued, the officer was reported by both Mr. and Mrs. Nag as saying, “You f****** Arab! You f***** immigrant, go back to you f****** country before I kill you!”.

Mr. Nag’s wife and six year-old child both witnessed the violent assault, which resulted in Mr. Nag immediately being admitted to the hospital where he stayed for five days due to complaints of intense pain and head trauma. Mr. Nag also received numerous bruises and a serious head injury which have caused him to go blind for several minutes at a time.

“This case seems to be a clear incident of police misconduct in Illinois,” said SALDEF Managing Director Kavneet Singh. “We are horrified at the anti-immigrant sentiment the officer allegedly used as he violently accosted Mr. Nag, and further that his six year old son was a witness to this violent assault. We call upon both Joliet and Illinois officials to investigate this incident and for the Illinois community to stand in solidarity with Mr. Nag.

SALDEF has garnered the strong support of the Illinois Sikh American community and is currently working with The Chawla Group Ltd to represent Mr. Nag in a criminal case brought on by the City of Joliet.

When Rodney King, a black man from LA, was pulled over and beaten by the cops his story sparked mass race riots in Los Angeles. A similar story happened back 2001 in Cincinnati when Steven Roach was aquited of murdering an unarmed black youth. So then today I hear the story about Kuldip Nag, a desi , US Gulf War Veteran who gets his ass beaten by a cop over expired plates on a van that was broken and sitting in his driveway and there’s still little thought or even threat of shit hitting the fan.

Naturally this leads me to wonder if we as a community are we waiting for more stupidness to go down before we see the Jessie Jacksons of our community (whoever they maybe) get out in the media and start blasting the police and getting the community all roweled up to take action.

Sadly enough, most uncles we see are more then complacent when it comes to this type of news and would rather try to lead the community in the direction of least resistance and confrontation, with the mentality that hey we’ll make life easier for them now then maybe master will help us out a bit later on, when we need to get that visa or those immigration papers signed.

See I agree screaming and looting and parading down the downtown cores won’t do anything for us other then get us labeled as savages, but some sort of outrage on a communal level should be expected and delivered. See maybe its complete over reaction on my part to expect such things, after all compared to India, the number of us getting beat for random shit by cops is still relatively minimal, but when do we take a beating as more then a beating? Unless we let people know that we’re not down for getting our asses beat and labeled Arabs I just don’t see this type of shit ending any time soon.

See I’m not trying to say that what Saldef, and the Sikh Coalition are doing isn’t enough, I’m more interested in how long it will be before the rest of us and the broader community takes notice of such things and starts letting our voices be heard.

Even though most of you have your attention and sights set on All Star Weekend, I thought it would be safe to share some info about some other happenings, specifically Amu, a movie that looks at the whole 1984 Riots in Delhi.

I haven’t seen the movie myself, but will probably try and make it sometime to check it out soon, just because it does seem promising. By promising I mean that it does seem to have some potential to educate if not give some insight into just a part of what happened in 1984. I remember few years back there was Hawyian, but that movie no where near lived up to the hype surrounding it, and instead felt more like a SSA/COSS meeting that was aimed at tackling a problem, but instead settled everything by pulling the whole “mis-communication” line.

Hopefully Amu will be different. Hopefully it will take a solid stand and not really sit on the fence as much as I feel Hawyian did. From what I’ve been told by those who have watched it, the movie is worth watching and supporting, so I’ll give it a chance and see what happens.

I’ll probably follow up with a review of it if I do get a chance to check it out, which I do hope is pretty soon. For those interested, below is the official trailer with the synopsis from the site and local show times. The organizers are hoping to get enough people out this weekend to help fuel this movie’s play time at the given theaters since it is limited and the theaters intent on keeping the movie running is motivated almost entirely by ticket sales.

Summary:

Amu is the journey of Kajori Roy, a 21-year-old Indian American woman who has lived in the US since the age of 3. After graduating from UCLA Kaju goes to India to visit her relatives. There she meets Kabir, a college student from an upper class family who is disdainful of Kaju’s wide-eyed wonder at discovering the “real India”. Undeterred Kaju visits the slums, crowded markets and roadside cafes of Delhi. In one slum she is struck by an odd feeling of déjà vu. Soon after she starts having nightmares. Kabir gets drawn into the mystery of why this is happening particularly when he discovers that she is adopted.

Meanwhile Kaju’s adoptive mother – Keya Roy, a single parent and civil rights activist in LA, arrives unannounced in Delhi. She is shocked to discover that Kaju has been visiting the slums. Although Kaju mistakes her mother’s response to a typical Indian over protectiveness – Keya’s fears are deeper rooted.

Slowly Kaju starts piecing together what happened to her birth parents and mother and daughter clash as Kaju discovers she has been lied to her whole life. What was the truth? Why was it suppressed? As Kaju and Kabir undertake this quest they both discover their families involvement with a man made tragedy of immense proportions which took place twenty years ago in the capital city of India: the massacre of thousands of people of the Sikh faith. In a searing climax the young people are forced to confront the reality of the past and how it affects the present.

Official Website: http://www.amuthefilm.com 

Local Showtimes (as found on the website):

TORONTO

Opening: Feb 16:
Cineplex Carlton
20 Carlton St. (at Yonge St.), Toronto
(416) 598-2309
Show Times: Mon – Fri: 4 30, 7, 9.30
                   Sat Sun: 1.30, 4.30, 7, 9.30

AMC Kennedy Commons
33 William Kitchen Rd.
Scarborough
(416) 335 5323
Show Times: Mon – Thurs: 4.30, 7, 9.45
                   Fri: 2, 4.30, 7, 9.45
                   Sat. Sun: 11.30, 2, 4.30, 7, 9.45

Empire Square One
100 City Center Drive
Missisauga
(905) 275 2640
Show Times: 1, 4, 7, 9.40

Empire Empress Walk
5095 Yonge St. (Empress Ave.)
North York
(416) 223-9550
Show Times: Fri – Sun: 1, 4, 7, 10
                   Mon – Thurs: 4, 7, 10

Hindi print: without subtitles
Rainbow Woodbine
Woodbine Center Mall
500 Rexdale Blvd. (at Hwy 27)
Etobicoke
(416) 213 9048
Show Times: 12.45, 2.50, 4.50, 7, 9.10

MONTREAL
Opening: Feb 23

AMC Forum 22
2313 St. Catherine West
Montreal
(514) 904 1250

VANCOUVER

Opening: Feb 23

Empire Granville 7
855 Granville St.
Vancouver
(604) 684 4000

Cineplex Strawberry Hill Grande
12161 72nd Ave
Surrey, BC
(604) 501 9400

Story :- PanthicWeekly

In light of Satguru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji’s gurpurbh recently its only fair we remember what being the son of our father entails.