PATH DA BHOG: 20 January 2019 (Sunday), from 9am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Kg Pandan Settlement |Malaysia
Manjit Kaur (1933-2019), Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur
MANJIT KAUR W/O LATE ARJAN SINGH
Village: Kappurthala
Passed away peacefully on 12 Jan 2019 at 7.45pm
Leaving behind:
Sons: Ranjit Singh (Rana) and Manmohan Singh (USA)
Daughters: Ravinder Kaur (USA) and Abdesh Kaur
And grandchildren.
Path da Bhog: 20 January 2019 (Sunday), from 9am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Kg Pandan Settlement
Contact: Ranjit Singh (Rana) 019-3596989
| Entry: 13 Jan 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 |
Penang Hindu Association president P Murugiah showing some products that uses pictures of Hindu dieties – Photo: Supplied
With the Thaipusam festival just a week away, manufacturers of religious items has been urged not to use Hindu deities pictures when labelling religious products.
In a statement, Penang Hindu Association (PHA) president P Murugiah said the manufacturers should immediately stop using pictures of Hindu deities to promote their products as it hurts the feelings of the Hindus when these packages were found thrown in dustbins after using the items.
Among the products cited were camphor, incense packets, red kungumam, sandal wood powder, thiruneeru (holy ashes),oil, ghee and sambrani.
He feared these items would flood the market again during the coming Thaipusam festival.
“It hurts the Hindus and being insulted whenever we come across these packages were being thrown in dustbins or found on the road sides, there were incidents where these holy images were unknowingly stepped by the people.
“It is the moral responsibility of the local manufacturers to identify and understand the sensitivity of the Hindus in the country to stop this irresponsible act of the some greedy businessmen who aimed to make money by ignoring the feelings of the people,” he said in a statement.
He has also called on the Indian High Commission to play its part in highlighting the issue for items imported from India.
“Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry could also play their role by acting against the local traders who manufacture and distribute such items and the Customs Department should ban the import of such items,” Murugiah said.
He added several countries in Asia had imposed the ban of such items and Malaysia should also follow the government of the neighbouring countries on this issue.
“Singapore does not allow the import of such items,” he told Asia Samachar.
He appealed to the Hindus to stop buying these items immediately to make the manufacturers realise that the consumers would not support this anymore.
Thaipusam, will be celebrated on Jan 21, which falls on “Pusam Natchatram” at numerous Murugan Temples in the country and around the world to worship Lord Murugan
PHA has been handling unclaimed dead bodies in Penang for more than three decades, having handled more than 500 bodies todate. The association is also a once-a-month free clinic, a legal aid centre and a one-stop centre to help the poor.
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 group of students are all set to roll-out the Lohri Fiesta – Bonfire Celebration 2019 tomorrow (13 Jan 2019).
The event is organised by the final year Bachelor students of Arts and Cultural Management from the National Academy of Arts Culture and Heritage (ASWARA).
The festival is the only Punjabi folk celebration in Malaysia that utilise bonfires as the main element of its celebration, the statement added.
The event is conducted to fulfill the project assessment program required of students in the final year assessment course (PeTA) APS 6996, the students said in a statement emailed to Asia Samachar.
Date: Sunday, 13th January 2019 Time: 5.00pm – 10.30pm Venue: Taman Metropolitan Kepong Entry: Free
Former radio broadcaster and information officer Pawan Singh Arora has been appointed as the public relations officer (PRO) at Punjab Governor House, making him the first Sikh to hold the post.
Prior to this appointment, Pawan served as a district information officer at the Directorate General Public Relations Punjab in Nankana Sahib since April 2016, according to information at his LinkedIn account. He was earlier a content writer at a Lahore-based advertising company.
Pawan holds Master of Philosophy and a Master’s degree for communication and media studies from University of the Punjab.
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 |
Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Kala Afghana, an author who has challenged many of the ideas underlining the Sikh masses’ understanding of their faith, has passed away. The Vancouver-based controversial author was 96.
To some, he was an illuminated mind who provided clarity to the Sikh teachings mired over the years in Vedantic practices. To others, he was out to do mischief by side-stepping long-held Sikhi interpretations and misrepresenting Gurbani (the word of the Guru).
In 2003, Gurbaksh was excommunicated by the Akal Takht, a key Sikh institution.
“It is clear his agenda is to break Sikhs with their heritage and thus weaken them enough to be easy to pick off by the RSS and other Hindu fundamentalists,” reads a comment on the social media critical of him. There are many more such comments, some openly voicing their contempt for the retired policeman who hails from the village Kala Afghana.
On the flip side, those influenced by his work mourn his death.
“The Sikh world has lost one of its most illuminated minds. He contributed immensely to Tatt Gurmat while exposing the corruption of Sikhi by our corrupted clergy – deras, sants, babas and Taksalees. He influenced a great many minds – Sikh parcharaks, writers and thinkers. He wrote profusely and his revolutionary ideas will live on,” wrote Dr Karminder Singh, a senior Malaysian government civil servant who plays an active role in Sikhi parchaar (preaching) in Malaysia.
Sikh commentator Prof I.J. Singh described Kala Afghana’s passing away as a ‘great loss’.
“I treasure his courage and independence of thought. As also his wit that I enjoyed when I met him here in New York some years ago — spent several hours together,” he said in a note to Asia Samachar. The New York-based writer and speaker on Sikhism in the diaspora is a Professor of Anatomy.
Gurbaksh, whose most influential work is Biparan Kii Riit Ton Sach Daa Maarag (From the Practice of Ritual to the Path of Truth), has been involved in writing about Sikhi since retiring from the Punjab’s police force.
In an earlier article, Puneet Singh Lamba writes: “He [Gurbakhs] believes Sikhism, like Buddhism and Jainism, would have been absorbed into Hinduism were it not for the unambiguous and consistent delineation of Sikh theology provided by Sikhism’s primary scripture, the Adi Granth. In an interview with The Sikh Times, Kala Afghana stated that his only rahit maryaada (code of conduct) is the Adi Granth. He confirmed that he doesn’t believe in the official Sikh Rahit Maryaada, approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (S.G.P.C.), an elected body responsible for managing India’s major gurdwaras.
“His most influential work is the multi-volume epic titled Biparan Kii Riit Ton Sach Daa Maarag (From the Practice of Ritual to the Path of Truth). The series expounds in great detail on the astonishing number of rituals and mythologies that have gained currency in contemporary Sikhism. This essay highlights the primary themes.”
See full article, entitled ‘Gurbakhsh Singh Kala Afghana: An Adi Granth Purist‘, (Puneet Singh Lamba, The Sikh Times, Jul. 10, 2004), here.
What is the basis of his Sikhi interpretation? Gurbakhsh goes back to Gurbani as enshrined in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
“When putting forth a view, he backs it up with at least five Gurbani quotations,” Calgary-based Punjabi journalist Harcharan Singh Parhar told Punjabi Radio (Canada) hosted by Manjit Singh Piasa.
“For those who want to condemn or contradict his views, he asks them to back their view with three Gurbani quotations. If they can make their case, he has said that he would be happy to retract his views,” added Harcharan in the programme in memory of Gurbakhs. Both have met Gurbakhs in person.
In the social media sharing quoted earlier, Dr Karminder continues:
“The clergy and our corrupted institutions including the AT left no stone unturned to lock his soul up – they excommunicated him in exile, harassed him, threatened him and prayed profusely for his death.
“He has passed on but not before creating uncountable thinking and questioning minds. He will live on in their minds and in the minds of many more to come.
“The corruptors and hijackers of Sikhi are naturally overjoyed that they have one less threat to deal with. It’s a reflection of their small mindedness.
“The SGGS linked Sikh world will feel blessed in the enlightenment that Kala Afghana shared with all. His loss will be deeply felt but the passion for Sikhi truths that he ignited will burn bright for generations to come. May Guru ji bless strength to his loved ones to bear his loss.”
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 |
Sikh Religious Society Palatine serving meal n Christmas Day at a Salvation Army home in Chicago – Photo: Voice Online
By Rattan Mall | US |
CHICAGO, Illinois: More than 30 members of the Sikh Religious Society, Palatine, a suburb of Chicago, helped feed the needy on Christmas Day (December 25) at Salvation Army located at 825 North Christiana Avenue in Chicago. The local Sikh community group from Chicago has been doing this “Langar Seva” (food service) at Salvation Army since 1992.
Hot meals (turkey, chicken, mashed potatoes, beans, stuffing, bread rolls, sweet potatoes and apple pie) for over 600 people, donated by the Sikh community, were prepared at the Salvation Army kitchen. Sikh men donning their turbans, women and youth served the meals to the needy guests with great respect and kindness.
Sikh community youth volunteers handed out cookies, bagels, cakes to the families after the meal at the exit door. Children were also given free toys donated by other charities. Volunteers from other faiths were also present there to serve.
“It gives us a great pleasure to serve the traditional meal on Christmas day to the underprivileged needy families, or homeless people longing to celebrate the joy of Christmas with dignity like anyone else,” said Sarwan Singh Raju, the Sikh coordinator.
TO read the full story (Voice Online, 3 Jan 2019), 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 |
Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir (left) with Malaysian interfaith council representatives. Jagir is second from right) – Photo: Dr Mahathir Facebook / Chedet
By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |
Malaysia’s sole interfaith council paid a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today (11 Jan 2019) in what was described by one of the participants as a ‘very open, frank, cordial and fruitful discussion’.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) representatives had a one-hour meeting with Dr Mahathir in Kuala Lumpur.
This is the first face-to-face meeting between the interfaith council leaders and the comeback prime minister who now leads the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government which outsted Barisan National (BN) in the May 2018 general elections.
“We had discussed various issues of concern and an inclusive Malaysia. Tun M had heard all issues patiently and had said that he would personally look into the issues.
“Tun also affirmed the PH government would be inclusive and would be guided by the Federal Constitution and the rule of law,” MCCBCHST VP Jagir Singh, who had earlier served as the council’s president, told Asia Samachar in a text message.
The others in the delegation were Mohan Sham, Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim, Ven Sing Kang and Tan Ho Chieow.
In a statement at his acebook page, Dr Mahathir said: “This morning I received courtesy call from the members of Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism at my office in Kuala Lumpur. Despite our differences, this country has been more peaceful than other countries in terms of racial harmony and religious tolerance. This government will be very sensitive towards all religions and at the same time each and every one of us must obey the rule of law.”
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 |
Harawant (2nd from right, wearing glasses) and the Towner Boys after a tournament – Photo: Supplied
By Hernaikh Singh (On Behalf of Towner Boys) | SINGAPORE | IN MEMORY |
I have been requested to write this eulogy on behalf of Towner Boys for the late Mr Harawant Singh. I am privileged and humbled by this honour, and I know that it is also a difficult responsibility. This is because Mr Harawant was part of so many beautiful experiences for the Towner Boys. Any attempt to speak about this great human being may fall short of reflecting what he really was.
I met Mr Harawant sometime in the late 1970s. Sikh Sewaks Singapore was informally established in 1978to serve the Sikh youth and sangat. Mr Harawant was one of the pioneers of the group. I was part of a group of impressionable youngsters back then. Many, if not all of us, came from not-well-to-do families. Our passion was football. Some of us attended Punjabi classes at the Singapore Khalsa Association every Saturday afternoon and the 20-minute recess was a time for us to play football in the field.Honestly, we looked forward to that more than the classes!
When Sikh Sewaks decided to start a football team, Mr Harawant took us under his wing. Of course, we were delighted for it provided another avenue for us to come together to play football. We represented Sikh Sewaks for a while. I recall Mr Harawant carrying a red pail with orange mix and ice to our trainings every week. Realising that we were committed and passionate, Mr Harawant then brought his younger brother, Mr Karpal Singh, as the coach of the team. Mr Hawarant also realised that football was a bond that could keep us away from mischief and trouble. It would also keep us together for a long time. There was a nice balance between the two brothers. Mr Karpal was a strict no-nonsense coach while Mr Harawant as the jovial, friendly and approachable manager
Soon, believing they could do more for us, Mr Harawant and Mr Karpal decided to make the team more professional. They decided to participate in football tournaments and in the league. We became Towner Sikh (since Central Sikh Temple where Sikh Sewaks Singapore was based was in Towner Road) and then Towner Sports Club since we could not participate in national-level competitions donning a religious name. We brought non-Sikhs into the team. Under Mr Harawant’s and Mr Karpal’s guidance, we became one of the more successful non-league teams and probably the only one with an official sponsor – Hummel.
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Towner Boys after emerging champions in a Vesakhi Mela football tournament. Harawant is on the extreme right, Kirpal Singh on the extreme left. - Photo: Supplied
Harawant (2nd from right, wearing glassesO) and the Towner Boys after a tournament - Photo: Supplied
Towner Boys after emerging champions in the Vesakhi Mela football tournament. Harawant is 5th from the left (in glasses) - Photo: Supplied
The Towner Boys get-together during of one of the boys from the US. Harawant
Some of the Towner Boys at the prayers following Mr Harawant’s cremation
Training was torturous at times but we kept coming back every week. Which teenager in the right frame of mind would wake up to train from 9.00am to 12.00nn every Sunday, sometimes without even touching the football during the session? We did! We were a family. Mr Harawant even arranged for us to travel to Malaysia for friendly matches. Our first trip was to Pontian and then Seremban. We stayed in the gurdwara. For us, these trips meant a lot since we could not afford to travel on our own. Our parents trusted us in Mr Harawant’s care. They knew he would look after us. On his part, Mr Hawarant made us feel wanted. He had a great personality. He never got angry and never scolded us. He was such a wonderful and caring mentor.
In all those growing up years, Mr Harawant looked after us like a father would his children. We certainly would have gone awry. There were so many distractions around us. He did not let that happen. He took real good care of us and made sure we did well.
We grew up, got married and became parents. He was present at our weddings. Now some of us are based overseas – in Australia and the United States. We would find occasions to meet when the overseas-based Towner Boys came back. Whenever we met with Mr Harawant, he would express his joy at how well we turned out. You could see the glow and happiness on his face.
In a conversation with one of the Towner Boys, Mr Harjinder Singh, which encapsulates his feeling for all of us, Mr Harawant said, “I am so happy for all of you. You guys are just like my children…See you guys grew up from all sorts of backgrounds…All grown up now with families of your own…All having good jobs and self-sustaining and not dependent on anybody. I cannot imagine I have so many small grandkids. Always meet with our fellow Towner Boys; make sure all of you keep in touch and remember the hard times you guys went through. Tell your kids and you grandchildren our stories…our outings…our games…our gatherings. Laugh about the good old days. Memories will always stay!
This wonderful person left us suddenly on 6 January 2019. Till today, all the Towner Boys are finding it so difficult to come to terms with our loss. We have known Mr Harawant for almost 40 years. When you lose someone you have known for so long, it is really tough. But when you lose someone like Mr Harawant, it is really hard to express the sadness and emptiness. It is said that good people don’t die; they become God’s angels. We know for certain that Mr Harawant is up there looking over all the Towner Boys and our families.
We will always cherish Mr Harawant’s time with us, and our time with him. He shall always remain in our hearts and he shall always be in our prayers.We will always miss him.
Hernaikh Singh, one of the Towner Boys, is the current president of Singapore Khalsa Association
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 |
Gurdwaras are one of the core institutions for the Sikh way of life. From the day we are born, we become part of the Gurdwara community. In fact, it is where most of us learn about our faith and then begin to develop our relationship with our Guru, where we celebrate joyous and sometimes unfortunate events with our family and friends, where we learn to speak Punjabi and read Gurmukhi, and where there’s always a hot nutritious meal to feed our hunger. On certain occasions, there are mini camps (aka mini-samelans) that molds our leadership and people skills so we are better-prepared to face the real world. Gurdwaras play many functions in the community but ideally we feel there is still room for more.
In this article, we focus on the educational front of things.
Across Malaysia, children are returning to the classrooms this week. The harsh truth is their performance in the classroom is becoming increasingly important in setting their future path. Let’s face it in today’s world, a solid education has become a pre-requisite to a successful and comfortable life, more so if you come from poorer communities. However, if we can effectively focus on educating children since young, we can help to avoid the traps of poverty and joblessness.
As one of our core institution, Gurdwaras could and should play a part in this system. We already have the infrastructure (i.e. classrooms) in place, a strong pipeline of talent within the Sanggat and most importantly a sewa-focused mindset. We have done an amazing job in ensuring everyone is well-fed, we should be able to replicate this feat with free basic education for children.
Based on this principle, we started the GSPJ Tuition initiative in 2018 to provide free tuition classes to form 1 students. Our initiative was well received. We sought qualified teachers to conduct the classes and were given full support by the Gurdwara Parbhandak to utilize the classrooms in PJ Gurdwara. Classes commenced in the second week of January 2018. Within weeks of the commencement, we received funding from the Malaysian Gurdwara Council (MGC) via grants from Socio Economic Development of the Indian Community Unit (SEDIC) under the Prime Minister’s department.
With the additional funding, we were able to add more subjects and forms within the year. By the end of 2018, we were providing tuition to circa 40 form 1 and 2 students, covering core subjects like English, Mathematics and Science. This would not have been possible without the continuous support from our tireless teachers and volunteers, parents and funders (i.e. PJ Gurdwara Parbhandak, MGC and SEDIC).
Photo: GSPJ Tuition Team
We are proud to announce that this initiative will continue in 2019. Experienced teachers and tutors have been recruited to teach English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mathematics and Science for form 1, 2 and 3 students. Tuitions are free of charge and it is open to all students regardless of race, faith and socio-economic backgrounds. If anyone would like to register, please get in touch with us immediately (Jagmeet: 0166877067 or Sarabmeet: 0124447463).
Unfortunately, funding remains uncertain at this stage. Regardless, this initiative will continue. To those who would like to support and donate to this initiative, do get in touch with us.
It is our hope that this would inspire more of such initiatives across other Gurdwaras in Malaysia. Together, we can transform our Gurdwaras to be an education hub open to everyone, on top of the many other functions it already serves.
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 |
Khalsa Academies Trust raise £40,000 for hospitals & charities
More than 500 students and parents across four British schools came together on different nights over the Christmas break and took part in a globally-televised sponsored sleep-out which has so far raised £40,000 for school resources and local charities, according to a SikhPA release.
Khalsa Secondary Academy in Stoke Poges, Atam Academy in Ilford, Khalsa Academy in Wolverhampton and the Seva School in Coventry took part in the five day TV telethon run by the Sikh Channel to commemorate Saka Sirhind, the term for the unique sacrifices made by the young sons and mother of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s youngest sons, aged five and seven, were bricked alive by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam in the early 1700s. Guru Ji’s elder sons aged 14 and 18 along with 40 other Sikhs also sacrificed their lives whilst fighting in a famous battle during the same period.
Before their passing, Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s two youngest grandsons and mother were forcibly held day and night at the top of an open-air tower known for being extremely cold in the winter. This is why many Sikhs stop sleeping in beds and instead stay on the floor and hold outdoor events at this time of year, in memory of what their Guru’s family went through. These sacrifices are honoured during the month of December, the statement added.
The local charities chosen by each of the schools to receive funding were:
Wexham Park Hospital Children’s Ward by Khalsa Secondary Academy, Stoke Poges
Birmingham Children’s Hospital by Khalsa Academy, Wolverhampton
Homeless Project Malachi, Atam Academy, Ilford
University Hospital Children’s Ward by Seva School, Coventry
“This amazing event demonstrated the significance of the unique sacrifices made over 300 years ago whilst raising funds to support children’s wards in NHS hospitals and a homeless project across the country. One of the most important values that are taught at these schools is “Seva” which means to help those in need. We are immensely proud of all the students, parents and the wider, community and would like to thank them and the Sikh Channel who have made this amazing event possible”, said Nick Singh Kandola, CEO.
The fundraising is continuing until the 25th January. You can donate at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/sakasirhand
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 |
