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We are stubborn creatures

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By Jagdesh Singh | Opinion |

We are stubborn creatures. Our thoughts, our actions, our behaviors do not change much. To the point where our characters are defined almost absolutely until we leave this plane of existence. It is very rare that a conversation with an opposing idea ever changes our minds. This is why everything we argue about – politics, religion or even football – tend to be tribal and quickly closed off to black and white answers. It’s either or, never maybe. But life is organic, and almost everything tends to be a mixture of colors including black, white and gray.

When our perspectives change, typically by being in situations that are opposites to what we’ve experienced before, that moment creates a catalyst that changes our ideas, our thoughts. But these changes in ideas and thoughts don’t necessarily alter our fundamental beliefs, and our characters mostly stay the same. We remain stubborn.

We’ve all collectively lived through a pretty traumatic period in our collective lives in the past 3 years. Some have succumbed. Some suffered loss. Some actually suffered for a while with their lives hanging on a thin sliver of hope. In the grand big picture, there was a brief period where many of us made vows to ourselves or to the Gods that we would appreciate life a little more, and don’t sweat the small things in life.

Fast forward to today, and it seems like we’ve gone back to our pre-pandemic ways. Our daily toil to earn our income has somewhat increased. Schools, exams, competitions are back, some with a vengeance. Take a look at the morning traffic. The rush is back. The anger that comes along with the rush is definitely back.

I personally have had a few struggles. Eager to get back to life as it was before, I dived into the competitive pool head on. I worked harder, desperately looking for opportunities anywhere I could. I became envious of those that had more than me materialistically. I wanted my daughters to excel and beat their competition to the ground. It dawned upon me that to compete was to compare with others. And to compare with others, I’ve learned a long time ago, was a folly thing to do. Because every single living soul had to experience an infinite amount of very different experiences to get where they’re standing today. There is no way another soul has the same identical experiences since birth to have different outcomes in what they’re achieving today. A very silly thing to do – to compare.

And those so-called vows I made during the pandemic days of lockdown and fear, became distant memories. Like beach sands swept by the crashing sea water waves. Perspectives did change, during the pandemic. Ideas and thoughts did change. But I was still the same. Anxious. Fearful. Sweating the small stuff.

As I write this, my perspective is changing again. I’ve had a medical scare. My biggest paranoia has always been of dying at an age not old enough for my daughters to be independent. This was the same fear during the pandemic when anybody could’ve got Covid. Now, with this fear, the rat race and the competition are very uninteresting to me. Again. Like the seasons that come and go, these wake-up calls do come at a more frequent rate.

I suppose I will stop to smell the roses for now. Spend time with my loved ones, no matter how cliched that sounds. But what bugs me is my stubbornness. When I do survive this scare, I will slowly have selective memory again, and my character wouldn’t have changed. But the good news about my perspectives changing is that there is clarity on what is important. There is clarity on what the small things are in the grand scheme of things. The competition, the rat race, the struggle with greed and envy – all small things when my very life is in question. I hope, and I pray, that this wake-up call lasts a lot longer for my stubborn character.

Jagdesh Singh, a Kuala Lumpur-based executive with a US multinational company, is a father of three girls who are as opinionated as their mother

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

RELATED STORY:

The plight of the Rohingya (Asia Samachar, 29 April 2020)

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

Flames of Fire: Our Saviour

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Partition photograph taken by Margaret Bourke-White in 1947 for Time Magazine [Courtesy Life magazine]

By Tarlochan Singh (Ex-MP) | Experience | Partition |

The Muslim League gave a call for direct action to press for their demand for a separate homeland in the first week of March 1947. This was a very clever move to put pressure on the British government to agree to the division of India on a communal basis. The call for direct action emboldened the Muslims in areas where they had a majority. The population of Hindus and Sikhs in the Rawalpindi division and North West Frontier Province was less than 10%. Soon after the call for direct action, Muslims in every village where they had a majority started taking out processions and threatening the Hindus and the Sikhs. Trouble started in Lahore on 7th March when at various places many Sikhs were fatally stabbed. This was a warning signal and a precursor to worse outbreaks. Attacks by Muslim mobs started in Rawalpindi and other places also.

My village Dhudial was located on the Mundra Bhaun railway line and it was a known Sikh village in district Jhelum. Our village had a Khalsa High School, a middle girls school and four gurdwaras. The Sikhs were traders and most of them had families in Iran. The community was very rich and three-storey buildings were a common sight. When the elders of our community received the news of the attack on the Sikhs they prepared a defence plan to stop the entry of outsiders. All the houses were connected with each other through wooden planks placed on the roofs. Every  household was told to keep burning oil in cauldrons, bags of red chilli powder and a stock of stones. Teams of young men were deputed to go around the village round the clock and keep watch. Two persons with 12 bore guns were appointed on guard at pivotal points. On 11th March, the Muslim crowd tried to enter the village for the first time but it was beaten back. The next day, the Muslims came to attack us, better armed, and in larger numbers. We were no match for them in numbers but what we lacked in numbers, we made up in courage. Our group was led by one of my uncles, Bhagat Singh Kohli. We had to engage them in a hand to hand fight on the outskirts of the village. It was a bloody skirmish but we did not lose heart. I was a witness to this fight and I shall never forget the horrific sight till my dying day. We suffered casualties but more than 10 Muslims were killed. The Muslim retreated that day but returned with an even bigger force on 13th March and succeeded in setting a large number of houses on fire. The fire spread in the entire area and burnt the houses like matchsticks. All the villagers were forced to seek refuge in the gurdwara Santpura, and then later in the evening, to Sunder Singh Kothi across the railway line. The huge mansion accommodated all of us who were seeking shelter. We sat there, watching the Muslim crowd advancing towards the kothi with burning torches.

It was a miracle that somewhere around midnight an army convoy, led by a British Major, arrived at the village. They had been alerted when they had seen flames of fire licking the sky as they had been on their way. So, ironically, the act of arson that had set our homes on fire and forced us to flee also acted as a distress signal and an SOS for help that could be seen by our rescuers. Had the army unit not reached the spot when it did, it would have meant certain death for us. Upon arrival, the army unit immediately surrounded the kothi and the Muslim crowd was forced to beat a retreat and run away. An army officer took my father, Balwant Singh Kohli, and Natha Singh Anand to locate the godowns where the food grains were stored in order to feed the victims. The next day a camp was opened in the gurdwara and hundreds of Sikhs from other villages were also given shelter. The main bazaar and the houses around the gurdwara were saved but the rest of the village was completely burnt down. After two days, Bhimsen Sacchar and Swarn Singh visited our village and were highly appreciative of the bravery of  our youth and the way we had repelled the Muslim attack again and again.  

Master Tara Singh issued a statement requesting all the Hindus and Sikhs of our area to shift to Patiala and other places. We heard an announcement made by Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala offering shelter to all our people. We decided to leave for Patiala. But at that time, my father and his senior colleagues were of the opinion that this migration was temporary and we would come back after India attained independence and the violence abated.

We, a family of five members, with only Rupees 300/- in our pockets, reached Rajpura by train. From there we travelled on a horse tonga to Bahadurgarh gurdwara where about 100 of us  took shelter for the next few months. I volunteered myself as a child labourer and earned money by delivering large milk cans to Bahadurgarh Fort, where a camp for the Muslims refugees from Patiala had been set up. Later on I joined Khalsa High School, Patiala and cleared my matriculation exams in March 1949 with good marks. I got admission in Mahendra College, Patiala and earned a scholarship which proved to be a real boon. I completed my MA in Economics in 1955 from Punjab University. Gradually, I was able to settle down. Till date, I remember the two chairs and a table for my house that I first purchased.

Other people from my village also struggled hard and ultimately rose from the ashes. My school mates,  Kuldip Singh became a Judge of Supreme Court, Baldev Singh Anand became Secretary of the Government of India, Kulwant Singh Sabharwal was Chief Secretary of Haryana, P.S. Kohli was Army Commander Shimla, and our Headmaster Hira Singh’s son R.S. Talwar became the Chief Secretary of Punjab and Chairman of the Tribune Newspaper Trust, while the son of another student in our school, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, is a new Member of the Parliament; he is the President of World Punjabi Organisation. I, too, received the privilege to be a Member of the Indian Parliament and Chairman, National Minorities Commission with Union Cabinet Minister status. In business also our people established their names, for example, Mann Singh Chandhok and Sohan Singh Anand as the ‘Tire Kings’ in India. Ponty Chadha and his brother Dr. Rajinder Singh Chadha are known donors. We have a Dhudial Higher Secondary School at Patiala as well as Akal Dhudial Academy. There is also a residential colony in Pitampura, Delhi called Dhudial Apartments.

I was able to visit my native village with my wife who was born in Lyallpur. It was a very sad experience to see that Dhudial has lost all its sheen. The high school is now a middle school. All the impressive buildings that used to be so splendid are now in shambles. Memories of those terrifying days still makes us shudder but we are thankful to God and His benevolence that rescued us from the jaws of death.

Tarlochan Singh is a former Indian MP and chairman of the National Commission for Minorities from 2003 to 2006.

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How India’s super-intelligence agency destroyed peace in Panjab (Asia Samachar, 16 June 2022)



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

“I will fight till the noose is around my neck”

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Malaysian Kalwant Singh and Singaporean Norasharee Bin Gous have been scheduled for execution in three days, on 7 July 2022, at Changi Prison in Singapore. These are the 7th and 8th executions to be scheduled in Singapore so far this year — all of people convicted for participating in the drug trade and sentenced under Singapore’s mandatory death penalty regime. Last-minute legal applications have managed to delay four executions. We’ve lost Abdul Kahar bin Othman and Nagaenthran Dharmalingam. Will we lose Kalwant and Norasharee this week, or will we #stopthekilling?

This is Kalwant’s story.

By Kokila Annamalai | Singapore |

When Kalwant was four years old, growing up in Cameron Highlands, he snuck out of the house one day, got into the driver’s seat of his father’s land rover and started the vehicle. His family, who were watching TV indoors, saw the car move out of the corner of their eye and rushed out, alarmed. After rolling about 200 metres down the hill, one of the car’s tyres got stuck in a drain, bringing the rover to a stop.

“It’s a miracle he lived! It’s a steep hill, you know! Can you imagine if the tyre didn’t get stuck? He was so naughty!” Sonia, his sister, exclaims.

Their father was a farm worker and as children, Kalwant and Sonia would go with their father to harvest cabbage, French beans, strawberries, chillies and tomatoes from farms around Cameron Highlands. The siblings would squabble over the juicy strawberries they got to keep.

Their idyllic life in the hills was disrupted when Kalwant’s mother died suddenly – he was just a 12 year-old boy then. After his mother’s death, Kalwant grew withdrawn, staying out of the house more and more. But he stayed close to Sonia, who was 9 years older than him. When Sonia had a baby – Kellvina – Kalwant fell in love with the child immediately and took her under his wing. A single mum, Sonia worked in Kuala Lumpur to earn a living and support her family, while Kalwant cared for Kellvina.

“He’s the one who raised her,” Sonia keeps repeating. “He’s her baby girl.”

SEE ALSO: Singapore to hang Malaysian drug peddler next week, family won’t get another visit

When we talk, Sonia and Kellvina are upbeat, and eager to share stories about Kalwant. Their eyes glisten with love, and then quickly brim over with uncontrollable tears.

Kalwant left school at seventeen, and started working odd jobs as a waiter, a courier, a tour guide, a truck driver. He was inseparable from his cousin Sukhjeet, whom he calls ‘adek’. They were (and still are) huge Manchester United fans. Sonia loves to tell the story of how, when Man U came to Malaysia for the first time, Kalwant bought his sister and himself outrageously expensive tickets. Sonia still remembers exactly how much they cost – RM 480 each. “I didn’t even care about Man U! And it was a big sum of money to him, but he wanted me to be part of all the fun. And wah, how much fun we had!”

In 2011, Kalwant started commuting daily to Singapore for work from Johor Bahru, as many Malaysians do. He was a mortuary worker at a local hospital here. He had a girlfriend, he seemed happy. Meanwhile, in Kuala Lumpur, Sonia found herself slowly fading away. By 2013, Sonia had been struggling with depression and unemployment for some time, and felt stuck in a rut she didn’t know how to get out of. One day, Kalwant called her and asked if she would like to come live with him. He said he was worried for her and wanted to take care of her. Sonia immediately agreed. Kalwant’s invitation gave her much-needed hope, and she started making plans to move. A few weeks later, Kalwant was arrested.

After Kalwant was arrested, his father, who was then driving a taxi, started working himself to the bone so that he could afford to make the regular trips to Singapore to see Kalwant and pay the lawyer they had hired for Kalwant.

“After my father died last year, I checked the odometer on his taxi. It showed 820,000 kilometres. That’s how much he had driven for Kalwant. Every morning, he started the car at 4am, and drove nonstop. He took every job.”

This was the taxi in which the family came to see Kalwant, all the way from Cameron Highlands. After visiting him in prison, they would often park at Changi Village and sleep in the car. Then, they would visit Kalwant once more the next morning (back when families who were coming from further away were allowed two visits since they couldn’t come as often) and drive back home.

“Once, when he came on his own, my father even slept in the toilet at Changi beach,” Sonia recalls sadly. “He was the most dedicated visitor, he always showed up for Kalwant. Till he died, my father believed Kalwant would come back home. He had so much faith.”

“My father’s last visit with him was in March 2020. In Feb 2021, he was diagnosed with cancer, and just three months later, he died. Kalwant dreaded this all along – people he loved dying while he was trapped in prison, without even knowing what had happened till weeks or months later. “How will you come and tell me when papa dies?” he used to ask me.”

Kokila Annamalai is a writer, researcher, facilitator and community organiser. Read the full story, “I will fight till the noose is around my neck” (Learning from the Margins, 4 July 2022), here. Learning from the Margins reflects on activism, community organising and social justice work in Singapore.

RELATED STORY:

Singapore to hang Malaysian drug peddler next week, family won’t get another visit (Asia Samachar, 30 June 2022)



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

Indian fighter jet Tejas ‘top contender’ for Malaysia

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HAL Tejas (LA-5018) of Squadron 18 Flying Bullets doing air manoeuvre – Photo: Ministry of Defence, India

By Asia Samachar | India |

Indian fighter jet Tejas have emerged as a ‘top contender’ as Malaysia scouts for new light fighter jets.

India has emerged as the frontrunner for a Malaysian requirement of light combat aircraft, with a package deal on the table that would include maintenance and spares for the nation’s Russian origin Su 30 fighter jets, reports The Economic Times.

India has offered an attractive financial package for its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and has committed that it can keep Malaysia’s fleet of Su 30 jets flightworthy, given the vast spares reserve and technical expertise available with Hindustan Aeronautics

Other contenders for the deal — primarily South Korea and China — are not in a position to offer this package as they do not have backend contracts with Russian manufacturers to work on the Sukhoi fighters. Malaysia has 18 of the Su 30 MKM fighters, which are very similar to the MKI version that is in service with the Indian Air Force, the report added.

It is learnt that detailed discussions on the dual package have taken place and a final decision may be possible under the government to government route. Several nations like Malaysia have been impacted by western sanctions on Russia that have made ordering spares and other supplies for legacy military equipment challenging, it added.

The Malaysian air force has been scouting for 18 new light fighter jets, with the Indian LCA emerging as a top contender given its low acquisition cost and high technical ratings, the report said.

In a separate report, PTI said that Malaysia has narrowed down on the Indian aircraft notwithstanding the stiff competition from China’s JF-17 jet, South Korea’s FA-50 and Russia’s Mig-35 as well as Yak-130.

As part of the package, India has offered to set up an MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facility in Malaysia for its Russian-origin Su-30 fighter fleet as it is facing difficulties in procuring spares for the aircraft from Russia in view of western sanctions against Moscow.

“I am very confident about it unless some political shift takes place,” the report quoted Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) chairman and managing director R Madhavan.

Tejas is a single engined, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter. It has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws, according to the company’s website. The aircraft with delta wing is designed for ‘air combat’ and ‘offensive air support’ with ‘reconnaissance’ and ‘anti-ship’ as its secondary roles. Extensive use of advanced composites in the airframe gives a high strength to weight ratio, long fatigue life and low radar signatures. Aeronautical Development Agency is the designated project manager for the development of LCA.

HAL is the principal partner in the LCA programme with Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) acting as the Program Co-ordinator.

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here 

Surjit Singh (Mita) (1959 – 2022), Taman Tun Teja, Rawang

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SURJIT SINGH (MITA) S/O JIWA SINGH

15.1.1959 – 3.7.2022

Village: Hirdapur (Ropar)

Wife: Harmit Kaur (Miteh)

Children:
Jasvinder Singh
Late Kalvinder Singh
Late Gursharan Singh
Avin Paljit Singh
Keeran Paljeet Kaur

Deeply missed by brothers, sisters, brother in law, sister in law, nephews, nieces, and grandchildren.

Saskaar / Cremation: 4 July 2022 (Monday), from 10am to 12pm, at Shamsan Bhoomi Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur

Cortege leaves residence at 9am.

Path da Bhog: 17July 2022, from 10am to 12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Selayang

Contact:

Jasvinder Singh 016-4377257

Inderjit Singh (Indey) 012-7865717

Keeran 017-3856946

| Entry: 3 July 2022 | Source: Family



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twfffitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

One week after Moose Wala song, India now knocks out Khalsa Aid chief Ravi Singh’s twitter account

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By Asia Samachar | India |

First India bans Youtube link to a Punjabi song. Now, Khalsa Aid chief Ravi Singh’s twitter account gets knocked out.

The world’s biggest democracy is at work again. India must have used their muscle to ban the twitter account of Ravi Singh Khalsa, the founder of humanitarian agency Khalsa Aid.

“My Twitter account has been banned in India! This is the real face of democracy under the BJP!! Banning Sikh social media accounts won’t stop us raising our voices! We will only get louder!”, Ravi shared on his Twitter account yesterday (July 2).

In a subsequent message directed to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Ravi tweeted: “Anyway, you can block us but can’t silence us !”

When accessed in India, his Twitter handle account carries the following message: “Ravi Singh’s account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”

In response, British parliamentarian Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (@TanDhesi) tweeted: “The account of a humanitarian and human rights activist like @RaviSinghKA should not be withheld in India. He and Khalsa Aid have helped so many of those most in need – in the UK, India and around the world.”

In a separate response, Dr Audrey Truschke, a historian of South Asia and an associate professor at Rutgers University, tweeted: “India tightens its grip on information available to its citizens. Why? Because, in the Hindu Rashtra (the dystopian reality that Hindu nationalists are creating before our eyes), knowledge is dangerous and ignorance serves the regime.”

A week ago, Youtube in India had taken down Sikh rapper Sidhu Moose Wala’s song SYL which was released posthumously following his murder the month before.

The song had gone viral online garnering nearly 30 million views and 3.3 million likes on the singer’s YouTube page before it was pulled down over the weekend.

RELATED STORY:

Murdered Sikh rapper’s song pulled from YouTube in India (Asia Samachar, 27 June 2022)



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

Perak-born Sikh made partner at US PR firm, handles Hollywood personalities

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Ranjinder Kaur Hans at a recentOscar event. She has been made partner at PR firm EBComs. Right: EBComs founder and president Meredith Emmanuel (seated) with (L-R) Mary Keeler, Mackinley Sullivan and Ranjinder Hans

By Anandpreet Kaur | United States |

A US-based public relations (PR) firm which handles high profile Hollywood personalities has tapped Ranjinder Kaur Hans as one of its partners.

The Perak-born Sikh woman has been made a partner at behind-the-camera entertainment PR team EBComs LLC. Ranjinder has also been promoted to vice president of talent relations and awards.

“I have always been a cinephile and loved the entertainment industry since young. It has been a dream come true to be able to contribute in the industry I’ve always dreamed about as a kid,” Ranjinder, who now lives in Los Angeles, told Asia Samachar. “It is very gratifying and satisfying to know that the work makes a difference in the Hollywood film industry.”

EBComs has consistently led award-winning campaigns for its clients, helping them earn accolades including the historic 89th Academy Award nominee Rachel Morrison for Mudbound (first woman nominated for the Best Cinematography) and most recently, the big cinematography Trifecta win for Greig Fraser, ASC ACS (94th Academy Award Winner for Best Cinematography, BAFTA and the ASC award for Dune).

The company supports its clients’ career achievements by building recognition via media, guilds, BAFTA, Emmy and AMPAS, alongside speaking, teaching and consulting opportunities within the industry, according to its statement.

Born and raised in Perak, Malaysia, Ranjinder spent most of her childhood in the rural and rustic town of Sungkai before her family moved to Ipoh when she was 12 years old. She completed her SPM studies at Methodist Girls’ School, Ipoh.

She spent most of her adult life in Kuala Lumpur where she pursued A-Levels, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and later BSc in Applied Accounting with Oxford Brookes University in conjunction with ACCA.

Being an accounting and finance graduate, Ranjinder worked in the accounting industry for five years before making a career change. She was working at IBM Malaysia’s Asia Pacific Accounting Centre prior to the shift in her career.

In 2009, Ranjinder realised that accounting and finance was not her calling and she wanted to do something that involved communication, creativity and interaction with people.

The field of public relations and event management always fascinated her and she decided to give it a shot. This led her joining a Petaling Jaya-based PR agency.

“I had to start from scratch,” she said. She then went on to work at the Sepang International Circuit.

Shen then ventured into running her own boutique PR agency under the banner of RH PR. This went on for three years, during which she had managed publicity for Shah Rukh Khan and Madhuri Dixit for their concert in Kuala Lumpur.

She then moved to the United States to join PR agency The Ross Group prior to working for EBComs LLC in 2019.

Ranjinder is proud of the fact that she led the award campaign that eventually resulted in her client’s win at the Oscars and BAFTAs for Best Cinematography for the film Dune this year.

RELATED STORY:

Former BBC journo Sharanjit Leyl on her new pursuitsc(Asia Samachar, 9 March 2022)



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

Dera Sacha Sauda hatched conspiracy to cause unrest in Punjab, says special investigation report

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Still Kicking: Self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two women disciples at his ashram in Sirsa, Haryana. The jailed rapist still adorns his organisation’s online presence as seen in this snapshot from their Facebook promoting a ‘live’ event

By Prabhjot Singh | Opinion |

It was Dera Sacha Sauda that hatched a conspiracy to cause unrest in Punjab. The provocation was ban on screening of a feature film of the Dera Chief Ram Rahim Singh.

This is the major finding of a Special Investigation Team headed by Inspector-General of Police, Border Range, SPS Parmar.

The 497 page report of the SIT was released on Saturday by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to a select group of Sikh leaders.

The release of the report has already set in motion an animated debate not only about its select release but also about its findings.

The Shiromani Akali Dal, which had been at the receiving end for the three incidents of sacrilege committed in Faridkot district at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages, however, gets a clean chit in the report.

The Sikh leaders who were given copies of the report include Major Singh Pandori, Chamkaur Singh, Bhai Rupa, Resham Singh Khukhrana and Baldev Singh Joggewala. Never before has any such sensitive inquiry report been released only to a select group of people or leaders.

The State had an opportunity to release it by placing it on the floor of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha at the just concluded Budget session. However, the AAP government preferred to avoid tabling it in the State legislature. This is the first time that a report has been made public in this manner.

Though the investigation of the sensational sacrilege cases that were on the centre stage both in the 2022 Assembly elections and also the recent Sangrur Lok Sabha bye-election have remained mired in controversies, its findings have generated yet another animated debate.

The case, besides being investigated by different Special Investigation teams, was also entrusted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) before it was withdrawn from the central agency.

Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, now a member of Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Amritsar North, also remained associated with one of the Special Investigation Teams, before he quit after the Punjab and Haryana High Court made some observations. Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh quit as Inspector-General of Police and joined Aam Aadmi Party.

The report released on Saturday (July 2) by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was of the SIT headed by Inspector-General Border Range SPS Parmar. The five-member SIT constituted on April 4 last year on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court had submitted its final report to DGP VK Bhawra and DGP Intelligence Prabodh Kumar on April 21 this year.

The 467-page report counters several claims made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its investigation. The CBI had found no evidence of the Dera Sacha Sauda’s involvement and had filed a closure report. The investigation report was also submitted in a challan before a Faridkot court earlier.

The Parmar Committee squarely blamed the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda behind all the three sacrilege cases.

The report has named Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh as the conspirator besides naming several followers, including the three who have been absconding.

The first case related to theft of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara on June 1, 2015. Subsequently on September 25, two posters containing derogatory remarks against Sikh religion, Sikh preachers and Guru Granth Sahib were found pasted outside Dhodha Peer Gate at Burj Jawahar Singh Wala. The third incident was reported on October 12, when the “aangs” of Guru Granth Sahib were found strewn outside the Bargari gurdwara as well as in the village streets.

The SIT report said accused Sukhjinder Singh alias Sunny, Shakti Singh, Baljit Singh, Randeep Singh alias Neela, Ranjit Singh alias Bhola, Nishan Singh, Narinder Sharma and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (undergoing sentence at Sonaria Jail, Rohtak) were involved in the theft incident and later in throwing around the sacred “aangs” of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

According to the report, Sukhjinder Singh alias Sunny, Shakti Singh, Baljit Singh, Ranjit Singh alias Bhola and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh were involved in the second incident regarding pasting of sacrilege posters.

Three other Dera followers — Harsh Dhuri, Pardeep Kler and Sandeep Bareta — were involved in the conspiracy and were still to be arrested. They have been declared proclaimed offenders.

The investigation report said there was a direct link with the Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa, and the accused, who are followers of the Dera. “It is evident from material/evidence collected by the SIT of Punjab Police that the accused had direct nexus with the management of the Dera.

The report said prime accused Mohinder Pal alias Bittu (later killed in Nabha jail by inmates) and his companions were upset due to the non-release of the film ‘MSG-2’, following which Bittu organised a three-day dharna at Moga.

The accused were agitated at the non-release of the film and hatched the conspiracy to take revenge. Accused Nishan Singh and Baljit Singh stole the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib and later the accused used two cars and a motorcycle to carry out their operations.

What action the AAP government proposes to take on the report is still not clear. How the government now takes this report to its logical conclusion will be watched with tremendous interest.

Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience covering a wide spectrum of subjects and stories. He has covered  Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics and several major sporting events and hosting TV shows. For more in-depth analysis please visit probingeye.com  or follow him on Twitter.com/probingeye

RELATED STORY:

Dera chief Ram Rahim gets 20 years jail for rape (Asia Samachar, 28 April 2017)

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here 

‘I must say that I really admire the way the food (langar) is open to all…’

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Photo: En Ay Ech on Facebook

By En Ay Ech | Malaysia |

Today I had the opportunity to have food (langar) at Sikh Gurudwara in Penang.

Have been there before as well.

I was a bit reluctant first and thought if it would be ok for a non-Sikh to go inside and have free food or not.

I was pondering on this at the entrance and was indecisive when an old Sikh couple noticed my confusion and encouraged me to go inside and enjoy the free langar without any hesitation!

I just needed that push so I went inside.

I was welcomed and guided how to get the (food) langar. I followed the instructions and had my plate filled with everything!

I fully enjoyed my lunch in a relaxed and peaceful ambience. No one asked me who am I & why am I there! They only encouraged me to have more to my satisfaction.

I must say that I really admire the way the food (langar) is open to all without any discrimination or questions asked!

This is the right way to serve “humanity” and not just to serve the community of your own faith!

The others should learn from them!

#penang #sikh #gurudwara #langgar

[The article was taken from a Facebook entry by En Ay Ech at his Facebook page]

RELATED STORY:

Short film ‘Langgar’ on beautiful gesture from first Sikh Guru (Asia Samachar, 24 Feb 2020)



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

Sikh housewife bank account wiped clean in house cleaner scam

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By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |

As always, you would never think that you would be the next victim of an online scam. But a Sikh housewife is coming forward with a warning that it could hit just about anyone, if you let your guards down.

Just when Johor-based Baljeet Kaur was getting tired of juggling household chores and a Master’s degree, she chanced on an online advertisement for cleaning service.

Little did she know that her bank account was about to be wiped clean in the mid-June incident. She lost some RM20,000 in the scam.

“I want to share my story so that others don’t get duped,” she told Asia Samachar in a phone conversation.

This is how it happened. After responding to the online advertisement, a man contacted her and promised to send two maids for two hours at a fee of RM40. Shen then gets a text message from the same phone number with a link and instructions to download an application. She was asked to pay a one-time registration fee of RM20.

“I told him I’ll pay the registration fee along with the payment for the maids, but the man insisted that the registration payment must be done first, and he would collect the cleaning fee in person,” she said.

She downloaded the application, filled up a form and was directed to a page where she was required to reveal her online banking details to pay the registration fee.

“It looked very much like your online bank account website. But I received a message that the transaction didn’t get through. I then called the man, and he told me it could be a problem with my bank account. He suggested I try paying from another bank account,” she said.

Baljeet decided to ignore the suggestion. When it was almost time for the maids to show up, she felt suspicious as she did not get any return call. When she checked her banking account, she found that RM19,500 had been withdrawn. She then tried calling the man but the number was no longer reachable.

This is the response from her bank: “From what you’ve told us when filing your case we can see you’ve been a victim of a scam whereby your Internet Banking credentials could have been compromised via malicious application/link or unsecured website.

“Please be aware that by clicking a link or downloading a malicious application from unsecured website will enable a third party to gain access to your mobile device. Through this link or application, an unauthorized person can perform a variety of task such as diverting the PAC notification sent to your mobile device to a third party device.” 



ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: asia.samachar@gmail.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here

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