Sikh lady runs for Surrey mayorship

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Welcome to the first edition of musings from Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Surrey, is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada, and the fastest growing city in Metro Vancouver. It has a population of over 468,000 (2011 census), with the Punjabis (Apnay as we cordially call ourselves) are it’s  most noticeable citizens.

Hence, Surrey is also referred to as ‘Amristsar West’ or ‘Surreypur’. I am proud to live here and would like to share anecdotes of happenings in Surreypur.

On Saturday (Nov 15, 2014), we will be having our municipal elections. Independent city counselor Barinder Kaur Rasode is one of the candidates who hopes to shake up Surrey’s political establishment and succeed as the first female South Asian mayor in North America. In fact, Ms. Rasode’s campaign team believes she could be the first Sikh woman mayor in North America. Should that materialize, it will indeed be another proud moment for the Punjabi community here.

Rasode launched her campaign under the slogan “One Tough Mother” and said, if elected, she will make public safety a top priority in Surrey and vowed to get “tough on crime.”

While the Punjabis are often top in many positive endeavors in Surrey, like construction and entrepreneurship, unfortunately they have also become the top gangsters and drug-related offenders in Surrey. Crime needs to be a priority for any candidate here and needs to be addressed.

With election day looming at the end of this week, the race for Surrey mayor is “exceptionally close”, according to the results on latest online study by Insights West. The online study shows Surrey First’s Linda Hepner and the Safe Surrey Coalition’s Doug McCallum are tied at 33 percent support among decided voters. Barinder Rasode of One Surrey is not far behind, at 30%.

One-in-five Surrey residents (21%) say their opinion of Rasode has improved over the past month, for a momentum score of +8. In this category, Linda Hepner stands at +1 and Doug McCallum at -9.

A quarter of Surrey voters (24%) are still undecided on which candidate to support in the mayoral election. Among those who have settled on a choice, Hepner and McCallum are tied with 33% each, followed closely by Barinder Rasode (30%).

I am hoping Barinder Rasode wins and we may be able to raise the Nishan Sahib, along with the Surrey City Hall and British Columbia flags on Monday.

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[Inderjeet Singh is a Malaysian Apna, now residing in Surrey, Canada. He has always been active in Sikhi-related activities]

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  2. Hearty Congregation to Datuk. Amrit vele da Hukamnama Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji, Sri Amritsar, ANG-755, 19-Feb.-2016.

    ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ਘਰੁ ੧੦
    ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
    ਦੁਨੀਆ ਨ ਸਾਲਾਹਿ ਜੋ ਮਰਿ ਵੰਞਸੀ ॥ ਲੋਕਾ ਨ ਸਾਲਾਹਿ ਜੋ ਮਰਿ ਖਾਕੁ ਥੀਈ ॥੧॥ ਵਾਹੁ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਾ ਵਾਹੁ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਦਾ ਸਲਾਹੀਐ ਸਚਾ ਵੇਪਰਵਾਹੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਕੇਰੀ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਦਝਿ ਮਰੰਨਿ ॥ ਜਮ ਪੁਰਿ ਬਧੇ ਮਾਰੀਅਹਿ ਵੇਲਾ ਨ ਲਾਹੰਨਿ ॥੨॥

    Rag Suhi Mahala 3 Ghar 10
    Ek-Onkar Satgur Parsad !
    Dhuneeaa N Saalaahi Jo Mar Vannjasee || Lokaa N Saalaahi Jo Mar Khaak Thheeee ||1|| Vaahu Maerae Saahibaa Vaahu || Guramukh Sadhaa Salaaheeai Sachaa Vaeparavaahu ||1|| Rehaao || Dhuneeaa Kaeree Dhosathee Manamukh Dhajh Marann || Jam Pur Badhhae Maareeahi Vaelaa N Laahann ||2||

    रागु सूही महला ३ घरु १०
    ੴ सतिगुर प्रसादि ॥
    दुनीआ न सालाहि जो मरि वंञसी ॥ लोका न सालाहि जो मरि खाकु थीई ॥१॥ वाहु मेरे साहिबा वाहु ॥ गुरमुखि सदा सलाहीऐ सचा वेपरवाहु ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥ दुनीआ केरी दोसती मनमुख दझि मरंनि ॥ जम पुरि बधे मारीअहि वेला न लाहंनि ॥२॥

    ☬ ENGLISH TRANSLATION :- ☬

    RAAG SOOHEE, THIRD MEHL, TENTH HOUSE:
    ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:
    Do not praise the world; it shall simply pass away. Do not praise other people; they shall die and turn to dust. ||1|| Waaho! Waaho! Hail, hail to my Lord and Master. As Gurmukh, forever praise the One who is forever True, Independent and Carefree. ||1||Pause|| Making worldly friendships, the self-willed manmukhs burn and die. In the City of Death, they are bound and gagged and beaten; this opportunity shall never come again. ||2||

    ☬ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿਚ ਵਿਆਖਿਆ :- ☬

    ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਦੁਨੀਆ ਦੀ ਖ਼ੁਸ਼ਾਮਦ ਨਾਹ ਕਰਦਾ ਫਿਰ, ਦੁਨੀਆ ਤਾਂ ਨਾਸ ਹੋ ਜਾਇਗੀ। ਲੋਕਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੀ ਨਾਹ ਵਡਿਆਉਂਦਾ ਫਿਰ, ਖ਼ਲਕਤ ਭੀ ਮਰ ਕੇ ਮਿੱਟੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਇਗੀ ॥੧॥ ਹੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਾਲਕ! ਤੂੰ ਧੰਨ ਹੈਂ! ਤੂੰ ਹੀ ਸਲਾਹੁਣ-ਜੋਗ ਹੈਂ। ਗੁਰੂ ਦੀ ਸਰਨ ਪੈ ਕੇ ਸਦਾ ਉਸ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤ-ਸਾਲਾਹ ਕਰਨੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਸਦਾ ਕਾਇਮ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਸੇ ਦੀ ਮੁਥਾਜੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ॥ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਤੁਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੁਨੀਆ ਦੀ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਤਾ ਵਿਚ ਹੀ ਸੜ ਮਰਦੇ ਹਨ (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਸਾੜ ਕੇ ਸੁਆਹ ਕਰ ਲੈਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਅੰਤ) ਜਮਰਾਜ ਦੇ ਦਰ ਤੇ ਚੋਟਾਂ ਖਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਤਦੋਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ (ਹੱਥੋਂ ਖੁੰਝਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਮਨੁੱਖਾ ਜਨਮ ਦਾ) ਸਮਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਮਿਲਦਾ ॥੨॥

    ☬ अर्थ :- ☬

    दुनिया की खुशामद न करता फिर, दुनिया तो नाश हो जाएगी। लोगों को भी न सलाहता फिर, खलकत भी मर मिट जाएगी॥१॥ हे मेरे मालिक! तूं धन्य है! तू ही सलाहने योग्य है। गुरु की सरन आ कर सदा उस परमात्मा की सिफत सलाह करनी चाहिए जो सदा कायम रहने वाला है, और जिस को कोई मोहताजी नहीं है॥१॥रहाउ॥ अपने मन के पीछे चलने वाले मनुख दुनिया की मित्रता में जल मरते हैं, ( आत्मिक जीवन जला कर खाक कर लेते हैं। अंत) यमराज के दर की चोटें खातें हैं। तब उनको (हाथों से जा चूका मनुख जनम का) समां नहीं k

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