| Entry: 8 Oct 2024; Updated: 14 Oct 2024 | Source: Family
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Deeply missed and fondly remembered by her grandchildren, great grandchildren & great great granddaughters & host of relatives and friends
SEHAJ PATH DA BHOG: 13 Oct 2024 (Sunday)
6am – 8am – Asa Di Vaar 9.30 am – 12 pm – Sehaj Path Da Bhog & Antim Ardass GURDWARA SAHIB SERDANG
Late Mata Prakash Kaur was born in India in 1924 lived a remarkable century of life, passing away peacefully at the age of 100. She witnessed an entire era unfold, through decades of change, growth, and challenges. A pillar of strength, wisdom, and kindness, she touched the lives of all who knew her. Her family and friends will forever remember her love, warmth, and the countless lessons she shared. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, great great grandchildren. Though she is no longer with us, her spirit and the stories of her incredible life will be cherished for generations to come.
For Further Information Kindly Contact No: Pramjit Singh Bhullar – 019 930 5691 Anildeep Singh Sandhu – 010 420 7080 Balvinjit Singh Dhilion – 017 879 3846
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Gone too soon. Will be remembered and missed by all. Have led a celebrated life surrounded by loved ones, relatives and friends. May your soul rest in peace and your loving memories give us comfort and strength.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Punjab, land of the five rivers, is a bit like the rivers themselves. Patchy, flowing, full or dry in places, and at a crossroads often. At an intersection of strife and contentment, the urban rich and rural poor. Four geographical regions—Amritsar-Majha, Doaba-Jalandhar, Malwa-Patiala and Puadh-Chandigarh—define the state and its history.
The patchy part, one may argue, comes in culture. No real gharanas left, no real patronage, no real direction so to speak. A Hollywood-meets-Bollywood hybrid film industry exists even though, ironically, so much of the Hindi film talent in Mumbai is from Punjab. The film stars are pop stars too—like Daljit Sona and Diljit Dosanjh. Gold indeed.
In literature, Punjabis, many argue, do not love their language the way, say, Bengalis, Malayalees, Tamilians or Kannadigas do. If not for the efforts of Punjabi writers and teachers… The vocabulary of the language has expanded. Punjabi writers, teachers and scholars have opened up avenues for intellectual growth by engaging in dialogue with global perspectives.
However, there appears to be little interest among the general public in their writings. Many Punjabi people now draw greater pride in using English or Hindi over their mother tongue. Despite all this, Punjabi writers remain engaged in their creative work and are striving to connect Punjabi readers with a refined literary understanding.
Prof. Ashish Khokar’s father Mohan Khokar was a legendary dancer and guru, the event honored his enduring legacy. Ashish continues to carry forward his father’s legacy through lectures, demonstrations, and performances worldwide.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
In the last General Election, it was a matter of some satisfaction to see a full identity Sikh stand as a candidate for the Reform UK Party. That was his personal choice. Our concern here is that British Sikhs should take an interest in politics and be full participants in the UK political process and policies.
Sikhi miri-piri ideology should guide Sikh politics and not some assumed, taken-for-granted, loyalty to any particular political party. Agendas of parties keep changing. No party should take Sikh support for granted and Sikhs should feel free to join parties of own choice.
In the UK, traditionally, Sikhs have generally shown a leaning towards the Labour Party and social values. That is understandable because earning livelihood through honest labour (kirat karni) is a core Sikhi principle. It may be argued that Sikhi is closer to the Labour Theory of Value than exploitative type of capitalism. Ideologically, Sikh support is for the welfare system with a safety net for all, social justice and an impartial rule of law. Sikhi is not against doing well in life and building a sound economic family and community base. Sikhi is not against prosperity derived from hard work and advancement in all fields at personal, family, community and global levels.
Whether as members of political parties or from outside, Sikhs should support those objectives in political party manifestos which align with Sikhi thought, egalitarian and Sarbat-da-bhalaa values. That also means that Sikhs should join political parties of own choice and influence party policies towards Sikhi universal values and Panth di Chardhi kalaa. Accordingly, they should hold politicians accountable against those objectives. To some extent the Sikh Reht Maryada, gives pointers to these Panthic objectives.
In this connection, the feedback from diaspora contacts is that The Sikh Manifesto 2015, is the ideal introduction and blue-print which can be redrafted to accord with the Sikh political situation and need in any country. Much thought was put into the drafting of the document by a professional team.
Regardless of the country the Sikhs live in, the spiritual as well as political reference point should always be Guru Granth-Panth represented by the Sovereignty of the Institution of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. About the Sovereignty of the Takht as an Institution, let us not forget the words pf Sirdar Kapur Singh: When the Sikhs do not have a sovereign state of their own, the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib) with its surrounding complex, continuously retains its theo-political status, which may be suppressed by the political power, compromised by individuals or questioned by politicians, but which remains and never can be extinguished, for, it is sui generis and inalienable, and imprescriptible.
Sikhi is often validated by applying the ideologies of Western isms, for example, capitalism, socialism, Marxism, democracy etc when it should be the other way around. Constant and ever-green Sikhi values should be applied to validate those parts of these systems acceptable to Sikhi thought. Otherwise, over time all these systems have shown glaring flaws and bred discontent, controversy and conflict. None have brought us nearer to the human goal of an ideal society, the halemi raj or begumpura, envisaged in Gurbani.
So, such comparisons are false and mislead regarding the sovereignty of universal Sikh thought as preached by Gurbani and practised by Guru-Persons. Sikh politics can only be guided by Sikhi thought and as practised by the Khalsa Raj tradition. The above also gives pointers to the question of Sikh self-determination wherever they live.
Gurmukh Singh OBE, a retired UK senior civil servant, chairs the Advisory Board of The Sikh Missionary Society UK. Email: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk. Click here for more details on the author.The article first appeared at Panjab Times, UK
* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Chief Superintendent Manjit Kaur Atwal retires in September 2024 – Photo: Leichestershire Police Facebook
By Asia Samachar | Britain |
Manjit Kaur Atwal, the first Sikh woman police officer in Leicestershire, has retired after 28 years in the force. Rising to the rank of chief superintendent makes her as one of the highest-ranking Sikh female officers in the UK.
“When I joined back in 1996, there weren’t many that looked like me,” she told BBC. “And there weren’t many women either. But now, we’ve got a lot more women in the job.
Manjit joined the police in 1996. She had moved to Leicestershire from Derbyshire following an arranged marriage and had two small children. She had originally planned to go into nursing and got into Leicester Nursing School but, due to culture clashes with the family she married into, she was unable to take up the post.
However, after going to a police recruitment event with a friend she had a new plan, according to an article at the Leicestershire Police website.
“The recruiting sergeant asked me how I was going to cope on night shifts with two young children and that just make me more determined to prove that I could do it. In those days you did 15 weeks at Ryton followed by a week in the community which involved spending a day at a funeral-directors, a children’s home, the ambulance service, fire brigade and a day visiting religious establishments across the city including a temple, church, gurdwara and synagogue.
“I honestly think that week was brilliant – it gave me a great understanding about the work of so many other agencies which I found useful throughout my career,” she told the website.
HERE’S THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
Manjit was one of the first Sikh woman to work for the force and retires as one of the highest-ranking Sikh female police officers in the UK. She is currently on secondment to the College of Policing where she is the Strategic Lead for Violence Against Women and Girls and Op Soteria – the national programme to improve the police service’s response to rape and serious sexual offences.
She continued; “I have always thought the Sikh beliefs of equality, honesty, humility and ‘seva,’ which means service, are the same as the principals at the heart of policing and are the reasons for the success of my police career and my wider engagement across our diverse communities. I have always supported the progression of female police officers and staff, as well as those from Black and minority ethnic communities, and male colleagues across policing locally and nationally. So what are her career highlights?
“The job I enjoyed the most was when I was the NPA commander in the city. Being at Mansfield House showed me what it really means to be in a police family. We were such a great team, including the cleaner, local officers and members of staff – everyone had a real desire to do right by the people of LLR. What is unique about the city is that it is visited by people from every NPA. I used to go into the city and hold ‘meet your inspector’ events and would then feedback any issues from our visiting communities to the relevant NPA commanders.
“I also got to be involved in so many cultural events from Diwali to Pride to the Carribean Carnival – that role gave me everything I wanted in policing. I was part of the team that secured purple flag status for the city which was quite an achievement (we finally got there Mr Streets!) The city tested you in so many ways around safeguarding, night time economy and criminality – I really look back on my time there with fondness.”
Manjit may be the only police officer in the country who had to break up an argument live on BBC television. She was being interviewed by BBC East Midlands Today in the city centre when an altercation broke out behind her between two street entertainers – Manjit had to stop the interview and step in to stop a fight breaking out! One of them was dressed head to toe in silver so it made quite interesting television!
Manjit is chair of Leicestershire’s Sikh Police Association raising awareness of the faith in force and supporting other Sikh colleagues and she is also chair of the Women’s Inclusive Network (WIN) and was instrumental in setting up the Keep in Touch (KiT) days supporting officers and staff on maternity and paternity leave. “I am really proud of how the KiT days have gone from strength to strength over the last six years and seeing the lecture theatre get fuller every time and I know they will continue to grow and support many others long after I have left.
“When I started at Welford Road, I was a General Duties Officer or GDO. I was given the choice of a skirt or culottes and I had a handbag with a small truncheon. We had brown pocket books, which the sergeant would randomly check, and we had ticket books with carbon paper in them so that if you wrote on the top copy it appeared on the sheet underneath as well – they were known as ‘pinks.’ “I was blessed with a brilliant first sergeant – Gary Watts – he was brilliant and I learnt so much from him. I’ll never forget him.” “In my career I have been able to do so many things. I struggled to pass my inspectors exams at first so I was a sergeant for 12 years. In that time I worked as the deputy at Wigston, a staff officer to the Chief Officer Team, I went to EMSOU, FIB and on response and trained to be a negotiator.
As I leave, I reflect on a fullfilling police career where I have worked with some exceptional officers and staff including forensics, admin support, analysts, comms teams and CMD staff – they have always had my back so I have always strived to support police staff and officers who are younger in service than me, especially those from underrepresented groups. I have made so many friends for life. If you’d told me when I joined all those years ago that I’d be a chief superintendent, I wouldn’t have believed you. So what now?
“My daughter lives in America with my two grandsons so I am looking forward to spending more time with them, I am going to look for some voluntary opportunities at Derby City Hospital and I want to do some more walking including the moon walk for breast cancer but I am also going to take some time to rest.”
“I want to thank my two adult children, my son Sandeep and my daughter Corinne, and my wider family including my late parents. I would like to thank them for being on the journey with me and their support with my career.
“My last piece of advice is don’t be pressured into doing what others want you to do, do what is right for you and always remember why you joined – to deliver the best service to the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and give them trust and confidence in policing.”
Detective Superintendent Chris Baker said: “Manjit and I joined the negotiator cadre together in 2012 and over the years she’s had many deployments to a vast array of incidents including kidnaps, sieges, people in crisis and protests including the closure of the M1 for more than 24 hours in 2016.
Manjit has given her heart and soul to negotiating and has no doubt saved many lives over the years. She’s the archetypal negotiator: kind, warm-hearted, compassionate and a wonderful listener, attributes that make her one of the best people to have at your side when you’re on a freezing bridge or car park in the middle of the night.
“She’ll be greatly missed by all of us in the negotiator family, not just here in Leicestershire but across the country where she has made friends for life. I’ll especially miss her as a fellow Derby County supporter … well no-one’s perfect!
“Manjit, go and enjoy the next chapter of your amazing life and enjoy those sleep-filled night with the phone switched off!” Chief Constable Rob Nixon QPM said; “I have had the pleasure of working with Manjit across her entire service. It has been a privilege to see her grow and develop in different roles and ranks. She is an individual who makes a difference and puts her all into everything she does.
“We are immensely proud of her and all she has achieved and she will be deeply missed. She has certainly made her mark on policing and her legacy will live on in so many ways as she enters the next chapter. Thank you Manjit.”
Chief Superintendent Manjit Kaur Atwal retires in September 2024 – Photo: Leichestershire Police Facebook
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Gurbir Singh Grewal has left the job of enforcement division director of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) where he was policing Wall Street misdeeds.
Gurbir joined the regulator in July 2021 to lead the SEC’s 1,500-person enforcement unit after serving as New Jersey attorney general. He made history as the first Sikh American to hold both positions.
“Today was a difficult day; so incredibly privileged to have served with such a dedicated group of public servants and proud of all that we’ve accomplished together on behalf of investors. But I’m really looking forward to the next chapter,” Gurbir shared on his LinkedIn account.
He will leave Oct 11, 2024, the agency announced on Wednesday (Oct 2).
Gurbir, who oversaw a stepped-up period of enforcement against Wall Street and the fast-growing cryptocurrency industry, was little-known on Wall Street when he was appointed in 2021. There, he became known for advocating for bigger fines against securities law violators and for taking a tough stance on cryptocurrency, which he cast as a new form of the same activity the SEC had regulated for decades, reported the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
In the SEC statement, Chair Gary Gensler said: “We have been incredibly fortunate that such an accomplished public servant, Gurbir Grewal, came to the SEC to lead the Division of Enforcement for the last three years. Every day, he has thought about how to best protect investors and help ensure market participants comply with our time-tested securities laws. He has led a Division that has acted without fear or favor, following the facts and the law wherever they may lead. I greatly enjoyed working with him and wish him well.”
As Enforcement Director, the statement noted that Gurbir prioritized restoring investor trust and confidence in the financial markets by emphasizing proactive enforcement initiatives and working to create a culture of compliance among market participants.
To that end, the Division recalibrated remedies so they were viewed as more than simply the cost of doing business and provided meaningful specific and general deterrence to wrongdoers, and the Division moved with urgency to address emerging risk areas.
Under Gurbir’s leadership, it said the division also prioritized holding insiders, industry professionals, and gatekeepers accountable for their securities law violations, rooting out fraudulent conduct, enforcing disclosure and recordkeeping requirements, and enforcing whistleblower protections.
At the same time, he redoubled efforts to promote self-policing, self-reporting, and remediation by market participants through, among other things, highlighting the benefits of cooperation in the Commission’s public orders and in his public statements.
During Mr. Grewal’s tenure, it said the Division of Enforcement recommended, and the commission authorized, more than 2,400 enforcement matters resulting in orders for more than US$20 billion in disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties, more than 340 industry bars against individuals, more than US$1 billion in awards to whistleblowers, and the return of billions of dollars to harmed investors.
For example, under his leadership, it said the division recommended and the commission authorized more than 100 enforcement actions addressing widespread noncompliance in the quickly growing crypto space, including against the operators of the largest crypto asset trading platforms in the world and the operator of the largest crypto asset trading platform in the United States for depriving investors of crucial investor protections by not complying with the registration provisions of the federal securities laws.
Further, the division brought a number of enforcement matters to protect investors in private funds from market manipulation and misleading or inadequate disclosures and controls regarding conflicts of interest and fees and valuation.
The Division also prioritized rooting out insider trading. The SEC brought enforcement actions in a wide range of situations where insiders abused access to material non-public information (MNPI), including so-called classic insider trading as well as the first trial finding a defendant liable for insider trading in the shares of a peer company. The SEC also brought actions addressing fraud in block trading and against firms for failing to maintain policies designed to prevent misuse of MNPI.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Sadden to inform the passing of Master Kuldeep Singh s/o M. Kesarr Singh Dhanoa on 4 Oct 2024
For those paying final respect, can visit the family residence at No. 10E, Jalan Kuel, Wadihana, Johor Bahru
FUNERAL: 6 Oct2024 (Sunday) 1:00 pm: Sukhmani Sahib Path at Residence. 2:45pm: Cortege leaves for Cremation Ground 3:30pm: Saskaar (cremation) at Hindu Crematorium Jalan Kebun Teh, Johor Bahru 3:40pm: Kirtan Sohila 4:30pm: Alahnia path at Gurdwara Sahib Johor Bahru. Langgar will be served at Gurdwara Sahib.
PATH DA BHOG: 13 Oct 2024 (Sunday) 9am to 12 at Gurdwara Sahib Johor Bahru
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Datin Gurmit Kaur A/P Gurbakhes Singh on Friday 4th of October 2024
She leaves behind her beloved husband, Datuk Ravinder Singh Sodhi and cherished son, Gabben Gurbakhes Singh Sodhi
She will also be deeply missed by:
Brothers: Dato’ Dr Joginder Singh, Dato’ Jaspal Singh, Dato’ Dr Jasvinder Singh Sisters: Datuk Dr Inderjit Kaur, Datin Paramijit Kaur
Loved ones, Nephews, Nieces, Brother In Law, Sisters In Law, Relatives and Friends
Right now I’m in a different place And though we seem apart I’m closer than I ever was, I’m there inside your heart.
Wake will be held at 1, Lorong 5/10F, Off Jalan Gasing, 46000, Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Saturday 5th of October 2024 from 10am – 8pm
Cortège leaves residence 1 Lorong 5/10F Off Jalan Gasing 46000 Petaling Jaya Selangor on the Sunday 6th of October 2024 at 12pm to Shamshan Bhoomi Hall (Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, KL).
PATH DA BHOG 13th October 2024 Sunday, 9.00am – 12.00pm Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya Followed by Ardaas & Guru ka Langgar
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
Panjabi has been identified as the fastest growing language in New Zealand, according to data from the nation’s latest census.
Among the most widely spoken languages, the growth between the 2018 and 2023 censuses was fastest for Panjabi, which is spoken in India and Pakistan (up 45.1% or 15,429 people), Tagalog, a Filipino language (up 37.5% or 16,239 people), and Afrikaans (up 32.7% or 12,075 people).
Those who identify as European or Pākehā make up 67.8% of the population followed Māori at 17.8%. They are tailed by Indians (5.8&), Chinese (5.6%) and Samoans (4.3%).
People of Asian ethnicities make up 17.3%, including the country’s Filipino community which has grown by nearly 50% since 2018, an increase of more than 35,000 people to total 108,297.
The data also showed that Auckland continued to be the most ethnically diverse region. While half the population have a European ethnicity, it was the region with the highest proportion of people with Asian ethnicities (31.3% compared with 17.3% nationally) and Pacific ethnicities (16.6% compared with 8.9% nationally).
The 2023 Census showed that people living in Aotearoa New Zealand identified with a wide range of ethnicities – and spoke over 150 languages. Additionally, while most of the population were born here, New Zealand was also home to people born in a diverse range of countries.
“Just under 30 percent of New Zealanders were born overseas, and the census recorded well over 200 different birthplaces,” deputy government statistician and deputy chief executive insights and statistics Rachael Milicich said. “Pretty much every part of the world is represented here, from people born in Iceland in the north, to Argentina in the south.”
Of the census usually resident population count, 3.5 million people were born in New Zealand and 1.4 million were born overseas.
The census, conducted in early 2023, placed New Zealand’s official population just shy of 5 million, at 4,993,923. Nearly a million people (one in five) are of Māori descent.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
