Austrian MPs on Wednesday (15 May) approved a law aimed at banning the headscarf in primary schools, a measure proposed by the ruling right-wing government.
The government says the patka head covering worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish kippa would not be affected, reports AFP.
To avoid charges that the law discriminates against Muslims, the report said the text refers to any “ideologically or religiously influenced clothing which is associated with the covering of the head”.
However, representatives of both parts of the governing coalition, the centre-right People’s Party (OeVP) and the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe), have made it clear that the law is targeted at the Muslim headscarf.
It said FPOe education spokesman Wendelin Moelzer said the law was “a signal against political Islam” while OeVP MP Rudolf Taschner said the measure was necessary to free girls from “subjugation”.
Austria’s official Muslim community organisation IGGOe has previously condemned the proposals as “shameless” and a “diversionary tactic”. The IGGOe said that in any case only a “minuscule number” of girls would be affected.
Almost the entire opposition voted against the measure, with some MPs accusing the government of focusing on garnering positive headlines rather than child welfare, the report added.
The government admits that the law is likely to be challenged at Austria’s constitutional court, either on grounds of religious discrimination or because similar legislation affecting schools is normally passed with a two-thirds majority of MPs.
The OeVP and FPOe formed a coalition in late 2017 after elections in which both parties took a tough anti-immigration stance and warned of the dangers of so-called “parallel societies”.
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Gurnam Singh addressing the World Sikh Parliament conference on World Peace and Self Determination in Birmingham
By Gurnam Singh | UK | OPINION |
This conference is about peace. Nobody in the world can be against living a peaceful life. So what is the obstacle to peaceful co-existence? And the answer is simple, injustice! The answer is the denial of rights of ordinary people. Peace is not possible without justice. Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin and one can’t be realised without the other.
But when we talk about justice, we are not simply seeing this through the lens of law, we also need to talk about: social justice; environmental justice and historical injustice. Accordingly, I am pleased that the mission statement of the World Sikh Parliament reflects this expansive conception of peace and justice, a statement that talks about ‘social, religious, political, linguistic, human and environmental rights’.
Though we have international structures, such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Criminal Court at the Hague, the rights of ordinary people across the planet have been/are blatantly denied. Tragically today the world is being carved up by powerful hegemonic states such as China, US, EU, Russia and India.
These Nuclear Super Powers do not function to serve the interests of ordinary peace living people of the world, but the interests of the the 5% of the worlds population that own 95% of the wealth.
And today when ordinary people and communities, in Panjab, Kashmir and other regions of the world, demand basic needs, health, education, clean water, safety and the right to self determination, they are labelled terrorists and separatists.
It might be worth reminding ourselves that the majority of the countries of the world, including India and Pakistan, are less than 100 years old – there is nothing natural about countries – it is the people that constitute nations but today bogus countries, many carved out from the colonial period act to suppress people and worse. And perhaps Panjab, which was an independent country until two Anglo Sikh Wars and eventual British annexation in 1849, is the most perfect example. A once proud state is gradually being obliterated from the face of the earth.
So how can we achieve peace in the world? That is the key question. I am reminded of something that Dr Martin Luther King said:
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that …True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.”
Today’s meeting is specifically focussing on the real threat of conflict in Panjab/Kashmir borders between Pakistan and India. Whilst we should never underestimate the threat of nuclear war, actually Panjab and Kashmir are more lively to be struck by conventional warfare, which will have catastrophic consequences. Since 1947 both the Panjab and Kashmir, as border states, as well as living under the contestant threat of war between the two nuclear states, have have been ravaged by state sponsored terrorism and sectarianism for decades.
As we rightly focus on peace and justice, we need to wide and deepen our conception of community to include non human species, to include nature, water, air and land. It was Guru Nanak who said, “pavan guru pani pitta mata dharat mahat…” (“air is your teacher, water is your father and earth is your mother”). And so as followers of Nanak, we must stop treating the natural world as, either a commodity for exploitation of or a nuisance to eradicated, or a dumping ground. We need to see the earth as a delicate living breathing organism that sustains itself and all life as we know it.
Today we have a climate emergency, related to the destruction and pollution of river and ground waters, pollution of the air, coastal erosion, global warming due to the release of greenhouse gasses and the melting of the polar ice caps, all of which which will dramatically impact the lives of people living in costal regions and rivers and those without the resources to move to safer parts of the world, which is poor people. And so there can be no greater emergency than the ”climate emergency’ which could result in the deaths of millions.
Along with climate change, across the world, we are seeing the real prospect of the kinds of genocidal eugenics and racism that we witnessed during the Nazi era in the 1930’s and early 40’s returning. From Trump in the US to Bolsonaro in Brazil, from Putin in Russia to Erdogan in Turkey, from Modi in India to Jinping in China, we are seeing the politics of authoritarianism and fascism.
Today minorities, indigenous people, as well as a range of what Henry Giroux terms transformative intellectuals, teachers, social workers, health workers, journalists, artists, trade unionists, environmentalists, film makes and other progressives, all feel threatened by a rampant authoritarian neoliberalism that places needs and interests of capital always before human rights!
So, to conclude, I say the only way forward for peace is justice, and to get justice peace loving people across the world will need to join hands and say:
No to hatred!
No to the destruction of the planet by super states,
Yes to self determination of all people.
Let us create ‘haleimi raj’, where people can live in peaceful coexistence!
Let us create ‘Begampura’, where social divisions are eradicated and fear and sorrow is banished!
Let us establish Nanak Raj, the true fortress built on the strongest foundations of universal human rights and dignity!
Let us build economic states that do not exploit human beings and raise the planet!
Let us start to truly redistribute wealth so that inequalities in health and education cease to exist!
An when we create equality, when we secure justice, When human need is satisfied and human greed is eradicated, then no doubt peace will flow in abundance.
[Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is a Visiting Fellow in Race and Education at University of Arts London and a Visiting Professor of Social Work at University of Chester as well as a presenter at UK-based Akaal channel. This views were shared on his Facebook page]
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 |
Malayan-born Karnail Singh Shounki has a penchant for Punjabi writing. In fact, he has been contributing articles and poems to local and foreign newspapers since 1955.
The 80-year-old retired Malaysian civil servant, popularly known by his nickname Shounki, has compiled his work in a book entitled Shounki Duniya.
Some of the poems selected for the book were published earlier in Kuala Lumpur-based newspaper Malaya Samachar.
Karnail was born in Rasa, Selangor, on 23 April 1939. His parents, Puran Singh and Tej Kaur, hail from Singh Pura Ambala, now in Patiala. He had his early education in Rasa, Kuala Kubu Baru and Kuala Lumpur.
The book was launched at Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya on 12 April 2019.
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 |
Puneet Pal Singh with his parents Dr Inderjeet Kaur and Dr Jaspal Singh
By Puneet Pal Singh | OPINION | SINGAPORE |
As we celebrated Mother’s Day over the weekend, I, like everyone else, thanked my mother for all she did to raise us. This year, though, I did something else as well. I thanked her for the role she has played in shaping my professional success.
Her response: “I did nothing. It is all down to your hard work and the almighty’s blessings”.
I usually don’t disagree with her. But on this, I do, specifically on the first part. As I have grown from being an individual contributor, to now leading a team, there are many things which I have picked up from my mother, and from observing other moms, that have helped me grow as a leader. In no particular order, they are:
ENCOURAGE, COACH, ENCOURAGE. REPEAT
The first step to achieving success with anything is having the belief that you can do it. Some people are blessed with high levels of confidence, but most of us need encouragement from time to time to help build that up. This is an incredibly important part of leading a team. It is even more important for leaders to know that encouragement doesn’t stop with one task, challenge, hurdle or failure. You must keep doing it at every major step. However, it is critical that leaders don’t just blindly encourage. They also need to identify areas where a team member needs to improve to achieve their potential and coach them along the way.
Who better to teach this virtue than a mother? From taking the first step, speaking the first word, being on the stage for the first time in school, failing the first exam, to the first day in college and work, one thing has been constant – my mother’s encouragement to believe that I can ‘do it’. She also made sure she pointed out areas that I need to improve in. She does that to this day.
DON’T LOOK DOWN ON FAILURE – IT SHAPES PEOPLE
Even with all the encouragement and self-belief there will always be times when we don’t end up on the winning side. Good leaders don’t see every such situation as a ‘failure’. Instead they highlight the importance of taking things into stride, learning lessons from each setback and using those to constantly improve and try again till you succeed.
I participated in almost every single extracurricular and sport activity in school each year. I won NOTHING, except more encouragement from my mother. The result? I found my calling in public speaking, specifically debating, as I started high school. All the years of being on stage, and not winning, took away the fear of failure. I have won every single competition since.
BE EMPATHETIC AND DON’T JUDGE
It is important to remember that a job doesn’t define a person. All of us have lives outside of work. What this means is that there are always circumstances, many times not related to our jobs, that affect us and impact about ability to deliver to the best of our potential. This is where empathy plays a key role. Great leaders have ability to understand the feelings of another person and go the extra mile to provide whatever support may be needed at the time. Trust is paramount to this. Team members need to have the belief that they can talk to their leader about such issues, without being judged at the time, or these being held against them at a latter stage.
Mothers across the world are the prime example on how to get this right. They listen to their children openly, without being judgemental. They understand what kids are going through and create a supportive environment around them to help address any issues, challenges or overcome any insecurities.
ENABLE SUCCESS AND REJOICE IT
The most important attribute that leaders can learn from mothers is that of being enablers of success. Nothing gives more joy to a mother, or a father for that matter, than seeing their children doing better than themselves. To me, this is the one attribute that is the hallmark of great leaders. They don’t create followers, but mentor future leaders and rejoice in their success. To do this, leaders need to be self-assured and not insecure that their jobs may one day be under threat from their own team. For that, leaders themselves need to continuously improve and become better with each passing day. That is a win-win for everyone.
MAKE IT FUN
Finally, we must learn how to make work more fun. Most jobs in the world involve some form of mundane, non-tactical, admin work that almost everyone dislikes. It is our duty to make sure that we make most part of the job fun for the team, so they look forward to work and even do the mundane aspects with a smile. If not, we run the risk of making work boring and triggering the thoughts of a change in the team and losing the war for talent.
On this front, I am trying to learn from my wife. She has an innate ability to make even the arduous task of math homework fun for our little one. I have not seen any child laugh while doing sheets of math problems. My aim is to see if I can make the process of raising purchase requests as fun as that in the weeks to come.
Singapore-based Puneet Pal Singh, a former BBC reporter and a partner at global public relations and communications agency, is now the Head of Communications, Southeast Asia at Cisco. His mother, Dr Inderjeet Kaur, was a chemistry professor at Himachal Pradesh University while his dad Dr Jaspal Singh was an anaesthetist. They are both retired now.
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 |
Passed away peacefully on Sunday, 12 May 2019. She was 80.
She will be dearly missed and forever cherished by her family.
Mother: Mdm.Swaran Kaur
Father: Late Kartar Singh Nijjar (Tapah)
Sons / Daughters In Law:
Rajinder Singh (Jack) / Jekji Kaur (Jaggo)
Satvinder Singh (Muchi) / Sangeeta
Daughters / Sons In Law:
Rajinder Kaur (Bawe) / Amrik Singh
Gurpritam Kaur (Pethu) / Pritam Singh
Gurprem Kaur (Prema) / Joginder Singh
Dashan Kaur (Guddu) / Late Shean Singh
Siblings, Grandchildren, Great-grandchildren, Nieces & Nephews, Relatives and Friends
Paath Da Bhog: 26 May 2019 (Sunday), 10am-12noon, Gurdwara Sahib Menglembu
Contact:
Jack 011-21706625
Rajinder (Bawe) 011-28406753
| Entry: 13 May 2019 | Source: Family |
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 |
PATH DA BHOG:25 May 2019 (Saturday), 10am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Klang followed by Guru Ka langgar |Malaysia
Dharamjit Singh Sandhu (1995-2019), Klang
An eternal memory till we meet again..
Those special memories of you will always bring a smile to our faces, If only we could have you back for just a while, Then we could sit and talk again, Just like we use to do, You always meant so much to us And will always mean the world to us, The fact that you’re no longer here, Will always cause us so much pain, But you’re forever in our heart Till we meet again.
DHARAMJIT SINGH SANDHU (KLANG)
20 May 1995 – 13 May 2019
Son of Late Gurcharn Singh & Dalvinder Kaur (Klang)
Grandson of Swaran Singh & Balbib Kaur (Biro)(Klang) and Late Gian Singh & Late Jiginder Kaur (Batu Pahat)
Brother and sister in law: Kawaljit Singh & Kavita Kaur
Sister and brother in law: Simranjit Kaur & Dabraj Singh
Deeply missed by Nephew, Nieces, Uncle and Aunties, Cousins, Relatives and Friends near and far.
Path Da Bhog: 25 May 2019 (Saturday), 10am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Klang followed by Guru Ka langgar
Contact:
Mahindar 016 2087895
Kawal 016 4759669
| Entry: 13 May 2019; Updated: 19 May 2019 | Source: Family |
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 |
Malaysian Armed Forces Sikh Veterans Association (MAFSVA) will hold its first Heritage Night and Charity Dinner on Sunday (19 May 2019) at Holiday Villa & Convention Centre in Subang Jaya.
Minister of Communication and Multiple Media Gobind Singh Deo has been invited as the chief guest.
The event is themed “Service and Sacrifice of Malaysian Sikhs in the Police and Military since 1873”.
The funds raised will go towards the preservation heritage and history connected to Sikhs, with the preservation of the ‘Green Ridge’ (WW2 battle site in Kampar, Perak).
The funds will also be used for the welfare needs of the veterans and to undertake veteran’s community projects.
Donors who donate RM5,000 and above will be invited to present their cheque on stage. Tables (10 each) are priced at RM3,500, RM2,500 and RM1,500.
Contact: Maj Harjit 012-2257703, Maj Harwan 012-9781323, WO Avtar 017-8730704, WO Sukhdev 019-6640086
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 |
A youth from Punjab, India, who was said to have moved to Malaysia nine years ago was reported to have died in Malaysia on Tuesday (7 May).
Nirmal Singh alias Nimma was identified as a 32-year-old youth from Barsal village, near Jagraon, reports The Tribune.
He is survived by his parents, wife and two minor children.
A family member told the newspaper that a travel agent from Malaysia called them up and demanded Rs 1.65 lakh (about RM9,900) to send the body to India.
“We do not have enough money to give to the agent. Even if we arrange the amount, we are not sure whether the agent will send the body to India or not. We request the government to help us,” he said, adding that the family is requesting Indian government assistance on the issue.
The Sikh Manifesto developed by the Sikh Federation (UK)
By Gurmukh Singh OBE | PANJAB TIMES | OPINION |
SELECTION & SUCCESSION PLANNING IN KHALSA PANTH
In year 2000, I wrote an autobiography of late Bhai Rama Singh ji in English with the title In Search of the True Guru. This was based on an earlier book in Panjabi with the title Roop Gobind Ka, Raj Khalsay Ka, Sikka Sonay Ka edited by Sardar Harjinder Singh Mander of Panjab Times as recited by Bhai Sahib. Mine was an interpretation rather than a direct translation and, for that reason, I spent long hours with Bhai Sahib who was staying in the area. I was trying to understand his vision, especially that of Raj Khalsay ka.
He had given much thought to the future of the Khalsa Panth. His vision was clear and positive. In his own simple language he discussed even complex concepts like Panthic organisation, selection procedures and collective decision making. When I told him about my own interpretation of Sikhi tradition, he would smile, look at me and say something to the effect that he was not asking me to agree with him but that he had full trust in my sincerity in interpreting his own experience. He was most reluctant to talk about it till persuaded by many letters and especially by a dedicated Gursikh couple from Southall.
In short, we can agree to disagree and yet we can come to common Panthic decisions for Panth di chardhi kalaa (Raj Khalsay ka) above jathebandi politics. I was reminded of these discussions with Bhai Rama Singh ji, when on 27 April 2019, I attended a General Assembly of the Sikh Council UK with a certain apprehension. Only a few hours before the meeting I had seen a disturbing letter of resignation from the Council, published by an e-journal, which had a list of names appended to it. There was no way to confirm the authenticity of the letter and whether formal written approval of the individuals named had been obtained or, if those representatives themselves had prior authority from their respective Gurdwaras or organisations. Sadly, on the face of it, the letter seemed to be a hurried way of putting pressure on the General Assembly through mass resignations. Demand for refund of subscriptions seemed to detract from seriousness of objections raised.
There will be reports of the General Assembly elsewhere. Suffice to say, that despite a well-attended Assembly in the Sarbat Khalsa tradition, there was a background sense of sadness about refusal by some to sit together to sort out differences. While regret was expressed, it was equally stressed that resignations (historical cross-reference to ਬੇਦਾਵਾ) were never heeded in Khalsa tradition. Decisions taken following solemn Ardas before the Guru were always carried out. There was prior notice of such tradition-based procedure in the call to the General Assembly.
Quite rightly, reconciliation was given high priority by all present, but not at the cost of coming to decisions for moving forward. No organisation can remain stagnant in suspended state for long, nor can any survive without timely succession planning.
Finally, the general impression gained by those present was that the main objectives were achieved above jathebandi politics: a strong desire to reconcile differences while moving forward with a new team.
A CASE OF RE-INVENTING THE WHEEL – WHY WE NEED A NATIONAL SIKH ASSEMBLY
Sikh corporate (ਪੰਥਿਕ) life is part of Sikhi living. Few would argue against the need for a national assembly of Gurdwaras and Sikh organisations to agree common Panthic objectives when approaching the government regarding Sikh issues and concerns. Only through a national assembly can the participating organisations be empowered to lead in own areas of activism with collective community support behind them: fields such as charity, Sikh heritage, Sikhi education, social, economic and political.
The second main objective of such an assembly is the ongoing need for centrally agreed community guidance to settle internal disputes which require interpretation Khalsa tradition, ideology and processes. The main concern of community sevadars, above jathebandi politics, is the wellbeing and progress of the community.
Sikhi temporal-spiritual ( ਮੀਰੀ-ਪੀਰੀ ) activism covers the whole spectrum of the Sikh way of life. It is clarified under Article XXIII of the Sikh Reht Maryda:- The concept of service is not confined to fanning the congregation, service to and in the Guru ka Langar etc. A Sikh’s entire life is a life of benevolent exertion. The most fruitful service is the service that secures the optimum good by minimal endeavour. That can be achieved through organised collective action. A Sikh has, for this reason, to fulfil his/her Panthic obligations (obligations as a member of the corporate entity, the Panth), even as he/she performs his/her individual duties&hellip. Every Sikh has also to fulfil his obligations as a unit of the corporate body, the Panth.
Organised collective action for Panth di Chardhi kalaa (progress) as envisaged in the Sikh Reht Maryada is only possible if there is an agreed list of community issues and priorities. It should come as no surprise that a number of dedicated professional level Sikhs did produce such a draft for general reference. That was the Sikh Manifesto which focused on Sikh issues only above internal jathebandi affiliations.
It was published and distributed to UK politicians. In addition to comprehensive information about British Sikhs, the Sikh Manifesto sets down Sikh issues with clarity for the period 2015 to 2020. Yet, it remains as a draft on the Panthic table to be continually d and improved.
One high priority always has been Sikh identity representation in the Parliament. Election of the first turban wearing Sikh MP, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, and the first Sikh woman MP, Preet Kaur Gill, can be attributed to massive Sikh support and by stating the case for better Sikh political representation in line with Sikh numbers in the UK. Sikh statistical monitoring in own right is a related issue.
Recently we heard that the Sikh Council UK is no longer a united voice of the Sikhs. Regrettably, for some of us, that is history repeating itself. Yet, after some time, there are likely to be calls for a national Sikh assembly again because we do need one! We hope next generations will avoid such mistakes and build on the success stories of earlier generations. We need to learn from the past to guide our future and avoid re-inventing the wheel.
Gurmukh Singh OBE, a retired UK senior civil servant, chairs the Advisory Board of The Sikh Missionary Society UK. Email: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk. The article first appeared at The Panjab Times, UK. See here and here.
* 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.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
The Sikh Manifesto developed by the Sikh Federation (UK)
To view copy of UK’s Sikh Manifesto 2015-2020, click here.
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 |
