| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 27 Aug 2016 | Asia Samachar |
The Malaysian government has given an assurance that the it will will amend the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 to resolve issues and problems when a spouse converts to Islam, a long standing issue that has been hotly debated.
On 26 Aug 2016, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the amendments will be tabled in the next Dewan Rakyat meeting in October.
“The amendments are meant to resolve any dispute between civil and syariah courts when a spouse embraces Islam,” he told a women’s gathering on Thursday….“Any vacuum or overlap in existing laws can be resolved once changes are made to the Act.”
“The decision to amend the Act has been agreed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Cabinet…We are aware that this has been an issue and we want to find a solution to this problem,” he said when launching the national Women’s Day celebration, reports The Star.
The loophole has seen a number of cases being battled out in the courts of law where one of the spouses, usually the husband, would convert to Islam and attempt to unilaterally change the status of their children’s faith as well.
One of them is S Deepa who has been embroiled in a custody battle with her ex-husband who embraced Islam and quietly converted their two children for almost four years.
Another cases involves indergarten teacher M. Indira Gandhi. Her legal wrangle her ex-husband, Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah, formerly known as K. Pathmanathan, began in April 2009 when he took their youngest child Prasana Diksa, then 11 months old, and converted to Islam. The two older children – Tevi Darsiny, then 12, and Karan Dinish, then 11– remained with their mother.
She is not very hopeful with the latest attempts on amending the laws.
“I’ve heard the same thing since 2009. For years, the Government has been saying it will table the amendments but up until now, nothing has been done…I’ve been waiting for too long and lost far too much,” she said in a report in The Star (S. Deepa welcomes proposal to amend Marriage and Divorce Act, 27 Aug 2016). “It’s been seven years and I still don’t have my daughter back.”
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Melbourne, Australia | 26 Aug 2016 | Asia Samachar |
Amritsar-born Gurinder Kaur vying for Victoria council seat – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
A 35 years old IT professional from Melbourne will be the first Sikh woman to contest in the local government elections in Australia.
Gurinder Kaur, born and raised in Amritsar, will be contesting as an independent candidate to represent the South-West ward in Whittlesea council in Victoria.
“I have opinions on what I think our city could look like or should look like… I’m wanting to make sure I’m listening to the community as well so it’s not just me going in with what I think should happen,” she tells Asia Samachar in an email.
She is also an independent member of the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council in Australia.
An IT professional, Gurinder said she moved to Australia in 2006 and has experience of working in private as well as public sector.
She added that she has been very active in community projects including mentoring refugees to setup small business, fund-raising for cancer hospitals, kids camps, crisis support for international students and other local projects.
John Arkan, a blueberry farmer from Woolgoolga, is the first Sikh councillor of Australia when he was elected as a council member of the Coffs Harbour City Council in 2008 and later as deputy mayor in 2012-2013.
In July, he ran as an independent candidate for a seat in the New South Wales (NSW) in the 2 July Federal elections. He came out in the sixth position on vote count.
In her email, Gurinder said she council matters were not just about pipes and drains and roads, but about the social things that need to go on in communities.
She said she would like to see a library around Wollert, greater safety for residents and small business owners, extension of O’herns Rd and a new secondary college in Epping North.
Voting is compulsory for voters on the State roll for this election and enrolled residents may be fined if they do not vote, according to information at the Victorian Electoral Commission website.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Sikh Welfare Society Malaysia team pays a courtesy call on Malaysian Deputy Minister of Woman, Family and Community Development Chew Mei Fun (4th from left) in Putrajaya on 26 Aug 2016. The team included (L-R) Hardip Kaur (Exco), Hardev Kaur (Exco), Santokh Singh (Treasurer), Charanjit Singh (Exco), Tarlochan Singh Dhaliwal (President), Tara Singh Gill (Exco) and Bhubinder Kaur (Exco) – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
The Ministry of Woman, Family and Community Development will assist the Sikh Welfare Society Malaysia (SWSM) on the welfare cases that are referred to its Welfare Department as well as provide funding for its activities.
Deputy Minister of Woman, Family and Community Development Chew Mei Fun gave the assurance when a team from the society paid her a courtesy call in Putrajaya on Thursday (26 Aug 016).
“Various plans to assist the Sikh community were discussed. YB stressed that her Ministry is willing to work together with Sikh Welfare Society in their programmes and even provide financial assistance and funding,” SWSM President Tarlochan Singh Dhaliwal said in a text sent to Asia Samachar.
Chew has also agreed to be a SWSM Patron. She has assigned special officer Nonie Baizura bt Mohd Kosim to liase with tje society.
At the meetiong, Chew had also approved a RM3,000 funding for a woman’s legal awareness workshop to be held soon.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Sikh Welfare Society Malaysia team pays a courtesy call on Malaysian Deputy Minister of Woman, Family and Community Development Chew Mei Fun (4th from left) in Putrajaya on 26 Aug 2016. The team included (L-R) Hardip Kaur (Exco), Hardev Kaur (Exco), Santokh Singh (Treasurer), Charanjit Singh (Exco), Tarlochan Singh Dhaliwal (President), Tara Singh Gill (Exco) and Bhubinder Kaur (Exco) – PHOTO / SUPPLIED
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
One fine morning, a military land rover drove up to the front of his house. He boarded it and soon after, together with two other persons, he was sworn into service in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) at Port Dickson in Malaya. Colonel (Retired) Jagrup Singh’s application to join the army was approved and it marked the beginning of his long and fulfilling military career, one which enabled him to make telling contributions to the nation.
Jagrup was born in 1938. At that time, his father was attached to the police force and the young Jagrup spent most of his childhood at the police training school at Thompson Road. When he was four years old, he vividly recalled seeing the Japanese marching in from the MacRitchie Reservoir area and life drastically changing for him during the Japanese occupation. Back at the police training school barracks, Jagrup’s father had a small plot of land where he planted rambutans and beans for his family. Jagrup’s family was later transferred to the Hill Street Police Station. They made a home for themselves there on a vacant plot of land at the premises. With his knowledge of farming, Jagrup’s father planted vegetables on the land.
Around that point of time, tragedy befell the family. One of his brothers was taken gravely ill. The doctor could do little beyond providing vitamins to his ailing brother. Given the limited resources, there was little his family could do to help his brother. Jagrup recounted, “Food was scarce and difficult to come by during the years of the occupation. My mother would cook rice when available and if possible but this was extremely rare. However, what we really needed was milk for my brother in order for him to recover.”
His family’s prayers were somewhat answered when his father managed to rear a cow with the help of some Indian commissioned officers. The plan was to provide the commissioned officers with milk in exchange for their help. At the same time, the family was very grateful to the Tamil community for providing space to keep the cow at no cost. To his family’s joy, his brother recovered, though not fully. This episode was just part of the travails endured by the family which made many sacrifices to ensure its collective well-being. Such travails were also important lessons of life for Jagrup.
During the years of the Japanese occupation, Jagrup enrolled in a Japanese school. All the subjects were taught in Japanese. It was difficult for the local students to adapt to these changes as many, if not all, could not understand Japanese. Jagrup recalled: “I learnt nothing there.” Fortunately, life eventually improved when the Japanese left Singapore in 1945.
When Jagrup neared the completion of his education at Raffles Institution, his parents wanted him to enter the university. However, he was apprehensive, especially given his family’s constraints. He knew that if he went to university, his siblings would likely lose out. Instead, he wanted to become a planter in a rubber estate in Malaya. As his parents had shown him early in life their capacity for sacrifice, he wanted to become a planter so that he could earn an income and support his family. He completed his GCE ‘A’ Levels, which in itself was an achievement at that time.
When Jagrup was in the first year in the GCE ‘A’ Level programme, national service was introduced in Singapore. While attending part-time national service in a camp at Beach Road, a military officer approached him to consider joining the SAF.
Jagrup confessed: “I did not know anything about the SAF. (The Major) explained it to me and passed me an application form. My parents left the decision to me and assured me that they would support my decision. Despite the uncertainties, I chose the SAF.” That marked the turning point in Jagrup’s life.
Jagrup’s first posting in the SAF was to the 1st Singapore Infantry Regiment. He was briefed on his reporting details upon his arrival at the then-Tanjong Pagar railway station. However, he would soon return to Port Dickson to be trained as an officer in the SAF. After undergoing training for two years, he passed out as a commissioned officer.
In the course of his duty, Jagrup was posted as an instructor to Command and Staff College. He ensured that his unit was efficient in its training. More importantly, he ensured that his soldiers were always operationally-ready. On various occasions, his unit emerged victorious in these competitions. He recalled: “During one exercise, a top Israeli General was invited to inspect my unit. The General left impressed with the work of my team, especially the high standards expected of and delivered by the personnel in the unit.”
During his time in the SAF, Jagrup was also deployed on several overseas posts and tours in various significant capacities. He was also sent to represent Singapore and the SAF on various occasions. Some notable examples of such postings and his experiences included the 62nd Regimental Signal Officers Course in the United Kingdom; the Jungle Warfare Course in Kota Tinggi (Malaysia) and Australia, the Military Accounts Course in Perak (Malaysia) and the Command and Staff College Course in Australia.
An important highlight in Jagrup’s military career was the privilege of being sent to England in 1963 to represent Singapore at the Queen’s birthday. Jagrup was additionally also Singapore’s Military Attaché in Manila in the Philippines and attended the United States Army Familiarisation Course in the United States.
When he retired, it was no surprise that Jagrup was well suited, with his vast experience, to continue to be involved in military work undertaken by the Singapore Ministry of Defence. This included the sale of military equipment to overseas partners. He then started his own enterprise dealing in military equipment. Finally calling it a day, Jagrup decided to look after his family full time.
I have known Jag, as he is fondly known, since our primary school days. We were in the same standard. We separated during our secondary school days but met again when I reported at the Federation Military College for my military officer training. He was then in his second year. Jag went on to have a distinguished career in the SAF. During his service, he had a high degree of perseverance and discipline, and he expected that as well from his soldiers and those who worked with him. Although a senior officer, he never abused his authority.
Jag came from a humble family. His compassionate and caring nature is reflective of his family’s environment. He is a good friend and is full of humour. We have a round of golf on Sundays when we are free. I bring along my son, Andrew, and we have a wonderful breakfast at his house before setting out to the golf course.
All in all, Jag and I have been friends for about 65 years and the friendship is still going strong.
-Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Kesavan Soon (Singapore Armed Forces)
As Jagrup laps up his retirement years, he recapitulates that the Japanese occupation was the one event which left an indelible impression on him. “I watched, saw and learnt lessons from the Japanese occupation. The same Japanese who were masters suddenly became prisoners of war. My father used to say that this is life. Today, you may be the top man but tomorrow you may go down. My circumstances were what made me different.”
Having gone through some trying times, his advice to young Sikhs is simple, “Work hard! Chardi kala! Look forward to the future. If you are a Sikh, you are special. We are now much better off. Maintain your faith. This is very important. Maintain your beliefs. Work hard. Success is only a stone’s throw away.”
Jagrup’s motto in life is “One should persevere and also be a keen learner. This applies to many, if not all aspects, of life. Only then will one realise one’s dreams”.
He made sacrifices for the family, persevered in the face of adversity and took a leap of faith to join the SAF. He eventually went on to realise his dreams and in the process, made significant contributions to the nation.
[This article is courtesy of SINGAPORE AT 50: 50 SIKHS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS, a book published by the Young Sikh Association, Singapore (YSA) in conjunction with Singapore’s 50th birthday]
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Asia. How to reach us: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 25 Aug 2016 | Asia Samachar |
JASBIR SINGH: A long serving volunteer at Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia
There is renewed interest in Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM), judging by the initial response received by its newly elected leader.
“I’ve been receiving many calls and suggestions. Many have offered themselves to join the committee,” Dr Jasbir Singh tells Asia Samachar in an interview.
Jasbir, a central banker by profession and a long-time volunteer with SNSM, was elected unanimously as SNSM Jathedar at its annual general meeting on 14 Aug 2016.
SNSM elects only the Jathedar, a Punjabi word which literally means the leader of a group, who serves for a two-year term with a team that he appoints.
The SNSM has gone through some turbulent times in the recent years largely tied to what is seen as attempts by certain quarters to keep their grip on the organisation’s leadership.
Jasbir said the new exco will meet for the first time tomorrow (26 Aug 2016) at the Sabha House in Kuala Lumpur.
Asked what the Naujawan Sabha needs the most at this juncture, he says: “We need people. We need volunteers with different backgrounds. We need volunteers who can provide general help, we need volunteers who can provide specific help.”
Speaking to a group of senior sevadars recently, Jasbir said: “What do I need? Support. If I go off track, sound me off. Hankaar (ego) can develop very fast in a person. It’s easy to loose track, to loose our sense. Hence, advise is vital. Jathedar is just a position, I’m just another sevadar.”
In that informal meeting, Jasbir emphasised that it was important for the SNSM to go back to basics.
“We need to go back and see why Sabha was established. It was for primarily Sikhi parchaar,” he said.
“We have one Guru, and the Guru has given us everything….Many a time, we are fighting with each other, who is better and who is not. We have to go beyond this.”
EXTRACTS FROM THE INTERVIEW:
What’s next after the AGM?
I’ve been receiving many calls and suggestions. Many have offered themselves to join the committee. I’ve picked the team for the exco and will announce it soon. It’s a fair mix of young and seniors. Let me inform them first before announcing it to the Sanggat.
Many trainers have also come forward to offer their services. I’m going to engage them. We need to see how we can have structured programmes for the youth. We need to see how to empower the youth, how to allow them to stand out in society.
What is the most pressing need?
We need people. We need volunteers with different backgrounds. We need volunteers who can provide general help, we need volunteers who can provide specific help. Specific here is mainly related to social media, people with good writing skills, people with a passion to teach kids, and a passion to develop modules for Gurmat learning and primary school education.
I’m a strong proponent of early education. If we can educate our children at the primary level, we will have more matured students at the secondary schools.
For Gurmat learning, we are looking for people willing to go for kirtan tours, run Sikh camps. We will provide the necessary training. Those interested can provide their names and details. They can drop us an email at sewaksnsm@gmail.com.
We are looking at getting all our kirtanis together. We need to start sending them out for parchaar tours, like what we used to do before. The Family Paath Mala is something that we would like to revive, as well.
What is the position of Sabha’s funding?
With no funding coming from the Government, we need the contribution from the Sikh Sanggat. We would like recommend a continuous flow of funds. This can be achieved through the One For the Guru daswand scheme. Everyone can contribut thorugh this sceme.
We encourage people to make the minimum contribution of RM30 per month. We recommend they use the standing instruction method via online banking.
Forms are availble at the Sabha headquarters. We will make them available soon via the Sabha website. For more enquiries, please contact Amreeta Kaur (+014.9318826).
What are the key focus moving forward?
We need improve on our administration at the Sabha headquarters. We want to put in place governance for managing our finances, filing system, communications, and other key activities that take place from there.
What are the areas of emphasis?
We are looking at five primary areas: 1. Sikhi Parchaar, 2. Youth development 3. Education, 4. Welfare, and 5. House keeping (internal Sabha affairs).
For Sikhi parchaar, we need a structured plan. We are getting the involvement of senior sewadars to work on this.
For welfare, we will act to connect people in need of help with those who can provide them. For example, when somebody needs welfare help, we will connect them with the welfare group. The nishkam sevaa, where they provide different types of help to poor families, will continue.
In the field of education, we have so many experts in Malaysia. We want to gather them to see how best to look out for our community. We need coaching classes – not study classes. Here, the students will learn skills to improve their education. We would like to get university students to be involved here.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Japan Times | Tokyo, Japan | 25 Aug 2016 | Asia Samachar |
Group meals like this one at the Tokyo gurdwara, served for free to all attendees no matter their faith, are an important feature of Sikhism. | MEGHA WADHWA / Japan Times
By Megha Wadhwa
SPECIAL TO THE JAPAN TIMES
However long a migrant group has lived within a host culture, that settlement process can feel incomplete without a place to call their own — a focal point for the community where they can come together, celebrate important occasions and preserve their traditions. That was certainly the case for Tokyo’s small Sikh community as the 300th anniversary of an auspicious date approached at the end of the millennium.
The year 1699 marks the institution of the Khalsa, the Sikh fraternity created by their 10th spiritual leader, Guru Govind Singh, to protect the rights of the community, which at the time faced violent oppression. Among Tokyo’s Sikhs, their joy as the April 1999 third centennial drew closer was tempered by their yearning for their own temple, or gurdwara, within the city, a spiritual emblem that would mark their origins.
While a gurdwara already existed in Kobe — the Guru Nanak Darbar, a place Sikhs in Tokyo often visited to fulfill their spiritual needs — traveling to Kobe proved costly and inconvenient for many.
For three years starting in 1998, devotees would gather once a month or on special occasions at one of a number of Indian restaurants, where they had set up a temporary temple in what was usually a limited space. Here they were able to offer worship, and the temple would move from one restaurant to another. Since Indian immigrants owned these restaurants, the space was granted on a voluntary basis.
“We came early morning and arranged the restaurant space for the one-day temple, cleaned the hall, prepared food for the devotees, and made the traditional offering called Kada Prasad,” recalls Bhupender Singh Sokhi, who played a key role in setting up the temporary temples.
The most commonly used restaurant was The Great Punjab in Akasaka, which is today known as Dining Bar Sonia, owned by Latesh Kumar Gajria. Three years later, in 2001, Sokhi asked Gajria if the community could rent a vacant room in the basement of an office building he owned in the Myogadani district, Bunkyo Ward, and here, finally, Tokyo’s Sikh community established its first small house of worship, known as the Guru Nanak Darbar Tokyo. Initially, community members paid a fixed amount toward the monthly rent, but later the temple committee purchased the entire basement floor.
Sikhs initiated into the faith are required to wear what are known as the five Ks, which all have important symbolic meaning and value. These are kesh (uncut hair — often wrapped in a turban), kara (steel bracelet), kanga (wooden comb), kacchera (cotton underwear) and kirpan (dagger). In famously homogeneous Japan, Sikhs that keep these traditions can’t help but stand out from the crowd, which has been a source of problems in the past.
“Even though we finally found a permanent place, along with it also came some challenges,” explains Sokhi. “Many Sikhs give up their five Ks on moving overseas, but there are also those who stick to their faith and faithfully follow religious laws. A person with knowledge of the Sikh religion can easily identify a Sikh by appearance, but some get intimidated on seeing a male Sikh with a turban and beard. The Japanese in the temple vicinity experienced something similar on seeing large numbers of us once in a month.”
There were several complaints from neighbors in the initial years — some locals apparently even feared they were terrorists — and the police kept a close eye on the activities of the gurdwara devotees. But with time, things changed, and soon Japanese too were joining the faithful and even donating food and money regularly to the temple, as well as helping with the cleaning and other preparation during festivals.
The Japanese who visited and supported the gurdwara were mainly friends and colleagues of members of the congregation, as well as researchers who were keen to study the community. The Japanese wives of Sikhs also attend the temple, some regularly along with their husbands and children, with a small number dressing in the traditional salwar kameez worn in India’s Punjab region and even becoming devout followers of the faith.
The word Sikh means “disciple” or “learner.” Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region of South Asia during the 15th century. Their sacred scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, teaches the importance of faith and meditation in the name of the one creator, unity and equality of all humankind, selfless service for the benefit and prosperity of all, and honest conduct.
Sikhism’s history in western Japan can be traced back to the aftermath of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, when Indians abandoned the ruins of Yokohama and relocated to Kobe. Whether Kanto or Kansai today hosts more Sikhs is an open question, as the Japanese government does not record the religion of its Indian residents. The temple in Tokyo attracts about 70 Sikhs, other Indian residents and locals during festivals and between 35-50 attendees for regular services.
The longer existence and relative economic stability of the community in Kobe makes it easier for Sikhs there to maintain their identity in comparison to their fellow belivers in Tokyo, many of whom work as laborers rather than traders or professionals, making them more vulnerable and often leaving them with tough choices.
Although the Tokyo Sikh community has come a long way in creating a place for itself in a foreign land, outside of the gurdwara issues remain. Perhaps the biggest challenge of all is reconciling Sikhs’ duty to wear the five Ks, the most obvious being kesh, while functioning within Japanese society.
“I had to cut my kesh because the boss at my factory had no idea about our religion,” said one temple attendee who requested his name not be published. “He refused to employ me, and told me bluntly that he couldn’t hire me with this appearance.”
For Mandeep Kaur, kesh is already an issue for her son, who is only 5 years old.
“Our biggest challenge is to convince our kids not to cut their kesh, but the truth is many of us fail,” she says. “My son keeps telling me to cut his hair because his classmates find him different, and he is often mistaken for a girl. He also finds his long hair a challenge during swimming lessons.
“A friend’s son decided to cut his hair because it was preventing him being selected for the soccer team, since he was told that he couldn’t join with a turban. He then decided to shave his legs as well, because of frequent remarks by Japanese friends about him being ‘hairy.’ “
While some parents are flexible and cave in in such situations, there are others who find themselves unable to. One couple reported that their son was keen on joining his school baseball club, but was told he couldn’t because of his turban. The boy took the decision to hold on to his Sikh identity and gave up on his dream of joining the baseball club.
Kaur says that while some children are self-assured enough to brush off comments by friends, others are sensitive, and in these kinds of cases parents often feel they have no choice but to give in. She believes that the low number of Sikhs in Japan makes it difficult to imbue children here with a clear understanding and high regard for the five Ks.
For people in business or other white-collar jobs, or those linked to Indian or other international schools, the turban is often much less of an issue. In fact, one Sikh man said that his headwear attracted such a lot of attention that he was eventually interviewed on Japanese TV around the late 1990s, and this in turn brought a lot of publicity to the electronics store where he worked. Later, when he was forced to cut his hair for medical reasons, his Japanese boss was distraught — more so, even, than the man’s family members — because it meant less publicity for his store and therefore less custom.
A frustration that comes up repeatedly in conversations with Sikhs here is with the rigidity of Japanese rules, particularly as they relate to restrictions that prevent them fully participating in society while observing kesh. While Sikhs say they do not experience racism to the degree that exists in other parts of the world, Japan often forces them to make the choice between observing the rules of their faith and qualifying for a job or membership of a school sports club, for example. Compromise rarely seems to be an option.
“Sikhism is in our hearts, and we will always be Sikhs even if we cut our hair,” said one interviewee, but this is not a sacrifice that all are prepared to make, even if the alternative is exclusion.
Megha Wadhwa is a Ph.D. candidate at Sophia University who is researching the Indian diaspora in Japan. The article was published in The Japan Times on 24 Aug 2016 . See here.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
Balvinder Kaur Saund of the UK’s Sikh Women’s Alliance
Despite the awareness campaigns and change in outlook, people’s preference for a son lingers even in this time and age. This comes through even among the Punjabi diaspora.There is still an underlying pressure to have sons rather than daughters, says Balvinder Kaur Saund of the UK’s Sikh Women’s Alliance in a candid essay.
She minces no words, saying, “Despite all our talk about women being equal, in practise it is the opposite.”
The awareness campaigns against gender inequality have led to corrective thinking, but the mindset in favour of a male child is deep-rooted.
She says the birth of a male grandchild is still preferred, and celebrated by grandparents.
“Families hold Akhand Paths, Bhangra parties and sponsor radio programmes to announce the arrival of a grandson. Paaths like Sukhmani Sahib are generally held to mark girls’ birthdays while others go quiet on the birth of a baby girl.”
Saund says this is apparent when you visit a gurdwara in London. “A few months ago, a granthi in a gurdwara in East London, was saying a prayer on behalf of a grandmother who asked God to grant her the boon of a grandson. The Alliance members spoke to the granthi in the Langar Hall. We asked him first if anyone ever asked him to conduct prayers for a girl child? He said, `Never’. Then we asked him why does he not say prayers for the birth of a healthy baby, rather than mentioning gender preference. He wrung his hands and replied that he only does what he is asked.”
Angered by this, Balvinder pleads, “Enough is enough, put a stop to such subtle and intimidating pressure on women. It is man’s sperm that decides the gender of the baby.”
She points out that it’s older mothers who “make life hell” for new mothers, and ap peals to Sikh leaders, “We proudly say Kaur means princess and Singh means Lion. Are the Lions eating their own princesses now? Let us have a serious debate on this vile practise of female infanticide…”
However, this is not an exclusively Punjabi problem.
Speaking during a UK radio show, Ikraam from Scotland said, his mother always made it plain that she wanted sons, and not girls, which caused him to think the same way. When his third child was a daughter, he initially distanced himself from her. But four years on, he says, “I love her more than my two sons.”
Rahima, who was born into a Sikh family but married a Muslim and adopted that faith, has three daughters, one of whom is severely disabled. She says people would offer commiserations to her for having another daughter. An Asian mother even asked her what sins she must have committed in previous lives to have three girls and one who is disabled.
She says her in-laws have never pushed them for sons, but her father, pressurized her brother into having a son after three daughters.
The preference for a son is clearly a problem, but there are efforts to tackle it by various groups. One such campaign “The Pink Ladoo campaign” – offers pink laddoos to promote celebrations of a daughter’s birth – to show that sweets should not only be distributed on the birth of a male child. – By Jasleen Ghura, TNN (Aug 22, 2016)
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Asia. How to reach us: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 24 Aug 2016 | Asia Samachar |
Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC), which represents most of the gurdwaras in Malaysia, had recently revised its website and introduced a logo for the organisation. – PHOTO / ASIA SAMACHAR
Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) is finally moving ahead on the social media front.
The council, representing 110 out of the 121 gurdwaras in Malaysia, has refurbished its website and rolled out an e-magazine.
The first of its e-magazine began reaching gurdwara members this week. In most gurdwaras, the 20-page pdf magazine is then forwarded to members via Whatsapp and other social platforms.
“The plan is to produce it quarterly,” MGC executive committee Balvinder Singh tells Asia Samachar.
The revised website, which went live about two months ago, carries circulars issued by MGC to its member gurdwaras.
The MGC social media team is led by its vice president Karamjeet Singh. The team includes Balvinder and Amanjeet Singh.
In the past, MGC had been seen as a laggard when it comes to the usage of the social media for communication with its members and the wider public.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 23 August 2016 | Asia Samachar |
Ekamjeet Singh from Klang Rangers in yellow jersey
Highlights from Match Day 3
Kg Pandan Lions and Klang Rangers register their first loss of the season
Only Pulapol remains unbeaten
Coming from 2 goals behind, Selayang Sardar celebrate their win in style
Last season runner up, Rawang Akaal Warriors, shocked with their loss to Selayang Sardar
Youngest debutant records were smashed today by Ekamjeet Singh from Klang Rangers making debut at 5 years 7 months and 2 days. A record previously held by Jassvir Singh which made a winning debut as well at the age of 8 years 36 days old.
3 Hatrick
Rajvinder Sing (Iron River Kings)
Kabir Singh (Selayang Sardar)
Akeysh Singh (Pulapol Eagles)
NEXT MATCH DAYS FOR APL 2016:
1. 31 Aug 2016 (Public Holiday)
2. 9 Oct 2016 (Sun)
3. 23 Oct 2016 (Sun)
4. 6 Nov 2016 (Sun)
5. TBC (either Nov 13 or 20)
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
| Sarjit Kaur | Roti for the Soul | Asia Samachar| 23 Aug 2016 |
Dev Patel (right) stars in The Man Who Knew Infinity – PHOTO / SOURCED
The Man who knew Infinity is based on a 1991 book by Robert Kanigel and premised on a true story. Set during World War 1, it stars Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire as the real life Srivinasa Ramanujan. His life story is as inspiring, as it is tragic.
From Madras to Cambridge
Ramanujan, a young man from Madras writes to Prof Hardy on his mathematical theorems. Prof Hardy, a widely acknowledged English mathematician of his time, was impressed with his work. He arranged for Ramanujan to sail to England, leaving behind his newly married wife and mother. Ramanujan sets foot in Trinity College in Cambridge with a strong desire for his work to be published.
His journey was a challenging one; he was in a foreign land; he faced racial issues and non-believers in his ability. The ongoing war also necessitated food rationing. His only food for the soul was his theorems and communication with family back home. Despite all odds, he rose above the challenge. He was nurtured and mentored to greatness and eventually presented his unique gift to the world.
The Number-Journey
The film was premiered at the International Film Festival in Toronto, Zurich, Singapore and Dubai. Given its central theme, it engaged distinguished mathematicians Manjul Bhargava and Ken Ono as Associate Producers of the film. The film has been praised by mathematicians and scientists for its authentic portrayal of theoretical maths. It also projects a moving relationship between a student and his mentor. A meeting of two culturally different yet mathematically connected minds. It shows how faith and passion help overcome the challenges in life.
Ramanujan had the extraordinary ability of coming up with complex and ground breaking maths concepts despite not having proper training in the subject. He accepted his remarkable talent as a gift from God. His maths theory suggests that everything adds up. He would regularly minimise 12 steps of logic into 2! Hardy decided he should go through the formal education and training to prepare for the academic world that he must deal with. Through these two minds, the audience is taken on an enchanted number-journey!
Challenges and Faith
His Madras phase is portrayed briskly, with the main story dealing with his life in England. Ramanujan’s wife, Devika Bhise, while not prepared to let him go, felt he must follow his dream. He was to take her to England, once he stabilises. However this desire was never fulfilled due to a sad family twist, known to both of them much later.
While impressed by his genius, Hardy insists that Ramanujan supply proofs for his work or a reconstruction of his findings. To Hardy’s mind, math theorem isn’t pulled from thin air. Ramanujan, on the other hand, couldn’t comprehend the need for evidences, given his awareness and intuition on its origination – its source. He was hopeful to get his work published in time and didn’t want the theorems to die with him. He wanted to present this divine theory to the world. He also understood that Hardy who is an atheist will never appreciate this fact.
One Romantic Incident
Prof Hardy was a confirmed bachelor who devoted all his life to maths. He is portrayed as a tough individual with little show of emotions. However, over time, his interaction with Ramanujan changed his demeanour. He visited Ramanujan during his period of illness and showed compassion and kindness. He described their collaboration as – the one romantic incident in his life!
The mathematical romanticism rubbed off on the number – 1729, which played a central role in the story. Hardy remembers taking a taxi cab number 1729 to visit Ramanujan. While Hardy said the number seemed dull, Ramanujan revealed its splendour – the smallest number expressible as the sum of two cubes in two different ways. And they both add up perfectly.
What he meant was:
1729 = 1³+ 12³
= 9³+10³
As Hardy gradually opened up, Ramanujan confessed the source of his ground breaking theorems. He explained that God speaks to him. He would have these numbers inscribed in his dreams and would document them the following morning. The source of his theorems came from our Creator. Hence, he couldn’t comprehend the need to prove them. Who are we to question God? – was his notion.
Happy and Sad Moments
Ramanujan’s isolation from his family, grizzly English climate, vegetarian diet which was not easily accommodated and intensity of work eventually took a toll on him and within seven years of leaving India he was diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Ramanujan eventually gets his work published and was accepted as an FRCS fellow. It was a proud moment for him and Hardy, however by then his health had taken a dive.
Ramanujan developed theories that was several decades ahead of his time, yielding results of interest to mathematicians even today. He just didn’t live long enough to publish all of them. He returned to India in 1919, still frail, and died the following year, aged only 32. Something he predicted early on in his life.
Are Men Inventors or Explorers of Infinity?
In his memorial speech for Ramanujan, the audience sees the transformation in Prof Hardy, the atheist he was, when he accepted Ramanujan’s explanation for his theorems. Hardy in his wisdom, said that mathematics was never invented by men. It was always there, and the enlightened ones would discover these theorems, already present in the universe. He affirmed that, “We are merely explorers of infinity. Infinity was never our invention”.
The message in the movie brought some reflection to the table. I had certain questions of my own and sought to research them. The more I sought, the more information I found. The work of other math experts came to light.
Is God a Mathematician?
In his book entitled, Is God a Mathematician?, Mario Livio delves into this question. Does mathematics hold the key to understanding the mysteries of the physical world? Is mathematics ultimately invented or discovered? His story of math starts in ancient Greece, with Pythagoras and followers searching for the ‘cosmic order’ in numbers and ratios. They believed that numbers describe a world whose order exists and humans are privileged to discover that order.
The Golden Ratio
In another book by Mario entitled: The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi,the World’s Most Astonishing Number, he explains that historically there has been a mysterious relationship between numbers and nature of reality. Mario tells the tale of a number, at the heart of that mystery which is Phi or 1.618.
This mathematical relationship widely known as The Golden Ratio or Divine Proportion, was discovered more than 2,000 years ago and played a crucial role in guiding the construction of Pyramids by ancient Babylonians. Poets and composers have used the Phi in their works and it was also featured in works of art from Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Phi is present all around us, where subject matters rests in the proportion above. Its amazing functionality in Mother Nature such as in mollusc shells, sunflower florets, rose petals and even the transcending galaxy suggests its importance as a fundamental characteristic of the Universe. Again, inferencing that our Creator is a mathematician, among others.
The Infinite
In this movie, the divine mathematician is not Ramanujan nor Hardy. And Ramanujan knew that. He knew what Infinity represents. And where it originated. Everything comes from Him. Everything is a gift from Him. As the notion goes: Seek and you shall find. He sought. And he found.
Dr Michio Kaku, an author and American professor of theoretical physics, said that the mind of God is cosmic music; the music of strings resonating through dimensional space.
Water, earth and the nether world are filled with these species. A specie may become extinct where it may be replaced or move to another planet. However, the creation and destruction of these species keep them in balance, all the time.God works in such precision!
The Infinity Ring
We watched the Ramanujan movie in the good old Shaw Theatre in Singapore during our trip there.On the way home, we visited Johor Premium Outlet where Swatch was having a sale. One silver ring attracted me, a combination of matte and shine intertwining each other. I couldn’t resist its aesthetics and 70% bargain. Not that I intended to fantasise as – The Lord of the Ring!
Later that day, my daughter asked to see the ring. What she said got me speechless. I looked at the ring in wonderment. Her words rang in my ears – “It has the shape of infinity, Mum”. The infinity symbol just stared at my face.
We are Infinitely One
Our attraction to the cosmic energy is so compelling! Our thoughts can create our reality. If only we open ourselves up to the cosmic path that is just waiting to take us on that divine journey. Seek and you will find.
Ramanujan knew infinity. He knew that God is infinite. His creations are infinite. In the final analysis, we are infinitely One.
Roti for the Soul is a compilation of heartwarming stories for the soul. Through her lens, Sarjit Kaur takes us on various journeys in life.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
