Confronting Death

Liv Sikhī webinars create awareness, encourage reflection, and arouse absorption. The webinars cover a wide range of topics and issues through presentations, workshops, or lectures. It provides live interactive sessions, allowing participants to engage with presenters and other attendees in real-time, or as pre-recorded instructional workshops.

Topic: Confronting Death
Presenter: Inderpreet Singh

Who should attend?
Anyone interested in knowing more about Sikhī and has an inquisitive mindset.

What is the presentation about?
This talk will be a journey through all facets of the topic of "death" in Sikhī: What is a Sikh's relationship and attitude with "death"? How is a Sikh to react upon the "death" of a loved one, or upon "death" and destruction of communities and nations? All these and more aspects of death will be investigated through the lens of gurmat - bani, tvarikh and rahit.

Who is the presenter?
Inderpreet Singh is a technology professional currently working for a multinational high-tech firm as Director of Emerging Technologies. He serves on the Board of Advisors of the Sikh Research Institute and the Sikh Scholarship Foundation.

Session Time:
11 am – 12:30 pm CST

Registration Cost:
Free; Donations welcomed
Sponsored by Boston Sikh Sangat

To register:
http://sikhri.webex.com 

For More information:
http://www.sikhri.org/downloads/Liv-Confronting%20Death.PDF 

Internship Opportunities at Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI)

SIDAK INTERN
The Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization seeking to develop a principle-driven community by protecting the core and enlarging the resource pool. SikhRI’s mission is to facilitate training and development while inspiring Sikh values, create global awareness of Sikhi, and deliver solutions to the key challenges faced by the Sikh community. SikhRI is currently seeking to fill the position ‘Sidak Intern’. Sidak is a two-week long distinctive leadership development program for young adults seeking to increase their commitment towards the Sikh faith. This position requires a dedication of a minimum of 15 hours per week starting 16 March 2009. Intern must be present in San Antonio, Texas from 12 June 2009 – 17 July 2009.During their stay in San Antonio, a 40 hour per week commitment will be required. SikhRI will cover airfare and also provide room & board while in San Antonio The Sidak Intern will report to the Director of Education and work directly with the SikhRI staff, volunteers, and Sidak 2009 attendees. Upon successful completion of the internship a $500 stipend will be awarded.

For more information click here: http://www.sikhri.org/support/careers.asp

OUTREACH STRATEGY INTERN
The Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization seeking to develop a principle-driven community by protecting the core and enlarging the resource pool. SikhRI’s mission is to facilitate training and development while inspiring Sikh values, create global awareness of Sikhi, and deliver solutions to the key challenges faced by the Sikh community. SikhRI is currently seeking to fill the position ‘Outreach Strategy Intern’. This position requires a dedication of a minimum of 10 hours per week starting 1 March 2009 for 6 months. Intern need not be present in San Antonio, Texas to work. The Outreach Strategy Intern will report to the Operations Specialist and will work directly with the SikhRI staff. Upon successful completion of the internship a $600 stipend will be awarded.

For more information click here

Sikh Centennial Foundation's Annual Gala on April 18th at the ROM

The Sikh Centennial Foundation is a non-profit organization which was founded in 1997 to commemorate the centenary of Sikh settlement in Canada. Since its inception, the Foundation has been in the forefront of promoting Sikhism, as well as Indian heritage and culture.

The Foundation continues to work in bringing greater understanding of the Sikh way of life amongst the community at large by:

• Creating and fostering a positive and accurate portrayal of Sikhs
  
• Celebrating the achievement of excellence in accordance with Sikh ideals
  
• Promoting an awareness and understanding of Sikh milestones
  
• Promoting an understanding of the Sikh way of life
  
• Making Sikh heritage and history accessible
  

The Sikh Centennial Foundation Annual Gala features Sikh culture at its finest. In 2009, Sikh Centennial Foundation will again honor both exemplary Sikhs and non-Sikhs whose accomplishments deserve recognition. On April 18th 2009, at 6:30 pm, at the prestigious Royal Ontario Museum, experience heart pumping beats of live dhol players, tantalize your taste buds with aromatic cuisine from the Host, marvel at the award winning work of kirpan maker Jot Singh Khalsa, be entranced by an unplugged performance with Juno award winner Kiran Ahluwalia, and end the night dancing to the intoxicating rhythm of bhangra music with DJ Double AA. It will be a festive celebration guaranteed to mesmerize your senses!

Watch Out Rabbi! Here's Manpreet Singh

Demo acoustic version of What A Day written, produced and performed by Manpreet Singh.

What a Day

The Power of Toy Planes

Stuck in Punjab? Want to go abroad? Just buy an airplane.

Not a real one of course, that would be silly. A toy plane will do. Buy one, donate it to a gurdwara and wait. All your vilaiti dreams will soon come true. If you think I'm pulling your leg, just ask the people at Tihan gurdwara near Jalandhar. They'll tell you it works.

In the realm of "truth stranger than fiction", here's an absurd story that simultaneously highlights how desperate people are to move abroad and how fantastical they imagine living in the West to be.

Who are the smartest guys in this whole tragi-comedy? The guys who've set-up shop outside the gurdwara to sell, yep, toy airplanes.

Plane offerings at Punjab shrine lend wings to rural dreams
Offerings of toy planes cover the floor of Sikh shrine Tilhan Gurudwara after word spread that such an offering helped a woman obtain a British visa for her son.

By Amrit Dhillon, Correspondent
Published: January 30, 2009, 23:33

New Delhi: The desire to leave India's rural poverty and flee to a better life abroad has always been powerful in Punjab state in northern India, but it has taken an unusual form with Sikhs offering toy planes in Sikh temples (gurudwaras) to help them achieve their dream.

Most worshippers (Sikhs are a majority in the state) enter a gurudwara by taking off their shoes, bowing before the Sikh holy book, and making an offering of food or money which is placed in front of the book.

But when word went round that the prayers of a woman, who had offered a toy plane at Tilhan gurudwara near Jalandhar were answered and was granted a visa to go to Britain, a new mania gripped people in the area.

The gurudwara's floor is covered by toy planes of varying sizes.

Gurdev Singh Atwal's son, a young unemployed man with little land, had been trying to obtain a visa for the UK for a long time, with no success. He believes his plane offering help him succeed in his quest for a visa.

"I am sure there was a connection. He had been trying for years but his visa came through just weeks after my offering. When I told my relatives, they too came with planes to make the same offering," said Atwal.

The gurudwara now looks like a toy shop, the white sheet on the floor covered with planes.

"My daughter married a Canadian, who sponsored her to join him but her application was rejected. They said the marriage wasn't genuine. We offered the plane before we appealed against the decision and we won. She's in Vancouver now," said Sarabjit Kaur Bains, a resident of a nearby village. All poor Punjabis yearn to go abroad, a desire made even stronger by the fact that virtually every family has a relative based abroad.

Britain, Canada, America, the Middle East and Australia are like mythical promised lands for the people of the state.

Families sell what little land or gold jewellery they possess to pay vast sums of money to immigration racketeers who promise to send them abroad, legally or illegally. Having fleeced them, they disappear or begin giving excuses.

Seeing a new business opportunity, toy shops selling planes have sprung up in the area. Gurudwara manager Balbir Singh says that he disapproves the new practice as "superstitious" but there is no stopping the people.

"They are so unhappy and desperate to go overseas that they will try anything. It's an obsession here, like a mental illness. They are so anxious, we don't stop them," he said.

Others are less charitable. Jullundur textiles exporter Tejpal Singh Hothi, laughed at the offerings as "idiotic". If the practice was to be taken to its logical conclusion, he says, the ramifications would be highly amusing. Link

Malton Mental Health & Integration Planning Project

Here's some info on a project dealing with mental health and addiction in the Malton region:

Hey guys, the following is some information that I am working on in regards to mental health and addictions within Malton. This is a research project specific for Malton funded by the government.

The question is; why is our Desi community not using social services offered within the Malton community?

We are holding an open forum for Malton residents on Wed Feb 25 at 6:30 to 8:30 PM in hall B at Malton Community Centre to ask our Desi community why we do not use social services offered within the community.

The facts are as follows:

52% of the Malton population are South Asian and 16% are black. Most common mother tongue is Punjabi (10,000 people out of 38,174) (2006 stat)

1 in 5 individuals will have mental health needs. (this includes stress, anxiety as well as major issues such as schizophrenia & bi-polar disorder etc.)

Depression and anxiety can occur from school, especially around exam time. Speaking specific about the Desi community, mental health issues can also occur due to the soci-economic status of our families (money issues), father drinking too much which may lead to physical, verbal abuse or neglect. Our generation trying to balance western and eastern views on living etc…Then there are serious mental illnesses that are more biological like hearing voices or seeing things (schizophrenia) etc… You guys get the picture.

So my question is (which you can help answer at the forum) Why is our community not accessing social services within Malton?

Do we not know about the services
Is there a language barrier
Is there a cultural barrier between us and the social workers (service providers)
Is it because of stigma
Are we afraid
Is it because when we go see doctors within Malton they do not understand the serious mental health issues that some of our mothers, fathers, brothers or sisters may have
Is it because the doctors don't know any psychiatrists that they could refer someone to
Is it because we just don't believe in things like counseling and do things through spiritual means

There are many reasons but at this stage in the research I need to hear from you. Whatever you say will help shape the future services within Malton. If you say we need material written in Punjabi, that will happen. Anything that you feel needs to be said please come out to the forum and share your opinions (bring anyone in your family that may want to voice their opinion, we will have Punjabi interpreters there)

I've attached a flyer for the forum

Wed Feb 25th 630-830PM
Malton Community Centre
3540 Morning Star Drive

If you have any questions feel free to contact me;

Dass,

Randip Singh (647-286-4323, rsingh@reconnect.on.ca)

For more info, click on the flyer below:

United Sikhs: Sikh Youth Assaulted by Security Guards at Toronto Games Arena

"The security guards and police officers had no legal justification to apply any force whatsoever to Gagandeep and in doing they committed an assault on his person. The actions of both the security guards and police were reprehensible and unjustified."  Jagmeet Singh, criminal defence lawyer of Dhaliwal Law, who is representing Gagandeep Singh and working with UNITED SIKHS

"Sikhs should be able to live in dignity and with respect in Toronto, which is one of the most diverse cities in the world. We do not know of any reason the security guard could have to ask Gagandeep to leave the wash room. The guards actions appear to be racially bias," UNITED SIKHS Community Affairs Coordinator, Ranbir Singh, commented.

You can read the full press release here.

No More Fake Passports On Jet Airways

If you were planning on using a fake passport to get on a flight from India to Canada, you're too late. They're on to you.

Agents for Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Canada Border Service Agency have discovered dozens of Jet Airways passengers arriving at Toronto's Pearson International Airport with fake travel documents in recent months, five sources familiar with the matter told the Star.

After pressure from Canadian officials, Jet has reassigned responsibility for passenger security checks to its security division from its customer service department.

"We want to root out this menace as much as anyone," said Ragini Chopra, a Jet spokesperson.

In most cases, a person with an extensive international travel history applied for and received a legitimate Canadian visa.

The photo page of their Indian passport was then replaced with a doctored one and used by a different person.

It's unclear how many people were involved in the scam, but Canadian immigration officials believe several dozen have slipped into the country with the fake Indian passports in the past year. (Link)

However, never underestimate the entrepreneurship of Punjabis:

Even as authorities seem to have solved the problem with Jet, fraudsters are trying new tactics. Two weeks ago, a passenger with a fake Indian passport was stopped during a layover on a Toronto-bound Kuwait Airlines flight from Hyderabad, India, a source told the Star.

Recently, police in the town of Moga, Punjab, arrested two brothers who ran a travel agency for allegedly making a pair of passports with different names for a woman who sought to travel to Canada, the Hindustan Times reported.

It said Hakam Singh and Harmeet Singh are charged with cheating and forgery and are accused of preparing the passports for Kulwinder Kaur, a resident of a nearby village.

Kaur paid a broker 10,000 rupees ($255) for the passports, the newspaper reported.

Canadian authorities are considering adding biometric information to visas in an effort to head off attempts by fraudsters.

Press Release on Assault of Sikh Raptors Fan

UPDATE: PRESS RELEASE

Jagmeet S. Dhaliwal of Dhaliwal Law, criminal defence counsel representing Gagandeep S. Saluja

SUMMARY OF FACTS:
Gagandeep’s sister Simran K. Saluja purchased tickets to a Raptor's game as a gift to celebrate Gagandeep’s 21st birthday. After the basketball game Gagandeep and Simran attended a post game reaction. Gagandeep left to use the washroom and was followed by a security guard. Other people were using the washroom, and there were a number of individuals exiting and entering the facilities. Gagandeep was approaching an unoccupied stall when the security guard told him to leave. Before giving Gagandeep an opportunity to leave, the security guard began pushing and shoving Gagandeep and called for backup. Approximately 4-5 security guards attended the scene and continued to push and shove Gagandeep. During this altercation Gagandeep's turban was knocked off. Once outside police officers attended and placed Gagandeep in a choke hold. He was then arrested, placed in handcuffs and charged under the Trespass to Property Act for the offences of fail to leave premises and engaging in a prohibited activity.

OUR POSITION:
Mr. Saluja did not commit any offence. Mr. Saluja vehemently maintains his innocence and as his defence counsel I will vigourously defend him against these false allegations. Mr. Saluja and his sister were ticket paying fans of the Raptors who were fully entitled to attend the game and other related events. The security guards and police officers had no legal justification to apply any force whatsoever to Gagandeep and in doing they committed an assault on his person. The actions of both the security guards and police officers were reprehensible and unjustified.

GRIEVANCES:
1) Gagandeep was singled out from the other individuals making use of the washroom.
2) Gagandeep was not given an opportunity to leave after being instructed to do so.
3) Security guards and police officers applied non consensual force to Gagandeep causing him injury.

Jagmeet S. Dhaliwal B.Sc., LL.B.
Barrister and Solicitor

dhaliwal.law@gmail.com

She Was The Ticket To A Better Life

Pawandeep holds a framed photo of her sister. In the photo, Amandeep is wearing a pink salwar-kameez, a Punjabi dress. "She dreamed of a better life for herself and her family. All she wanted was to live happily with her husband and son like any other woman."

I don't even know where to begin with this story. The grisly facts of Amandeep Kaur Dhillon's murder and her father-in-law's arrest have been covered before, but this weekend, the Toronto Star's Raveena Aulakh wrote a detailed story. You can read the full article here and it will break your heart, not just because of Amandeep Kaur's tragic story, but because her story is all too common in our community.

Baldev Mutta knows the stories of immigrant women all too well.

The executive director of the Punjabi Community Health Centre in Brampton says hundreds of young Punjabi brides arrive in Canada every year. Many have arranged marriages. "They don't know anyone, don't have any support system and battle pressures most people can't even imagine exist," he said.

In the Punjabi culture, men are raised to be dominant while women are expected to be subservient. "The level of thinking of men in the Punjabi community leaves a lot to be desired," said Mutta, a Punjabi himself. Mutta, who runs programs at four Sikh temples in Brampton, Rexdale, Malton and Oakville, and hosts a radio show, wishes he had been able to reach Amandeep.
Some women are so isolated that they are not allowed to have any communication even with their parents, said Kripa Sekhar, executive director of the South Asian Women's Centre on Lansdowne Ave. in Toronto. "There are times when we get emails or phone calls from a woman's family saying they haven't heard from her ever since she came to Canada, can we check on her," says Sekhar.

In some cases women, bruised and beaten, have been locked up in their homes, not allowed to make or receive any calls. "It's a problem women face everywhere, but what is unique among South Asians is that we don't acknowledge it or want to talk about it."

We can deny it all we want but here's the sad reality for many (not all) Punjabi families:

Punjabi Speaking People Required for Commercial

Looking for people who speak Punjabi fluently, (very fluent) and would like to take a crack at acting in a commercial. Preferably Male, or even non-union if you are an actor.

Please send a photo and resume to Katherine at katherine@creativebubetube.com or www.creativebubetube.com 

- Compensation: $250
- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
- Please, no phone calls about this job!
- Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

More on Sikh Raptors Fan Assault

From Jagmeet Singh, Gagan's legal counsel:

1) Gagandeep was specifically singled out. There were many other individuals using the same washroom.

2) He was not given an opportunity to leave the washroom. If he was not supposed to be there then the security guards should have provided a warning for Gagandeep to leave.

Instead:
3) The security guards assaulted Gagandeep when they had no cause to do so.

Furthermore his turban was knocked off during the unjustified assault adding insult to injury.

Sikh Raptors Fan Gets Roughed Up By Security At Toronto's Air Canada Centre

Just when you think that everything is hunky-dory for Sikhs in Canada, you hear of an incident like this that makes your cringe. Here's a first-hand account of an incident that took place at the Toronto Raptors game last Friday night.

My brother, Gagandeep Singh Saluja and I, Simran Kaur Saluja attended a Raptors game at the Air Canada Centre on the night of Friday, January 30, 2009. I witnessed something which disturbed me tremendously. After a great night of getting two of the Raptors’ players to sign our jerseys and getting Jermaine O’Neal’s wristband, my brother and I make our way out to see the post-game show.

He tells me he has to use the washroom. Entering a public washroom is not unlawful in any way. I witnessed many people entering and exiting the same washroom my brother wished to use. A security guard approached my brother, out of all people as he is a visible minority that stands out. The security guard told my brother to get out. For what reason? Well, let me describe my brother to you all. He is a third-year student studying Business Management at UTSC and a proud Sikh youth who wears his turban with pride and joy…A huge Raptors’ fan as well. Gagan asks him “for what” while he tries to make his way to a stall and the security guard starts pushing him and saying “You don’t want to start with me!” He then calls back-up. Gagan finds himself with 4 to 5 security guards on him trying to kick him out. Police officers get involved during this time and start tackling him.

I sensed something wrong while I was standing outside watching the post-game show. I was hesitant in terms of if I should check on my brother in the washroom but I thought it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to do that. I decided to wait for him as I thought that the security guard had let him use the washroom. I wait for about 10 minutes for my brother…I was getting a bit edgy and started looking around for him. I had not seen anything.

Later, the security guard is out of breath and sweaty and attends to the location where I had seen him prior to the whole washroom catastrophe. I ask him “Aren’t you the one who was in the washroom?” He said “yeah.” He knew that I was there waiting for Gagan and after another 10 minutes he tells me, “You might want to make your way out as to whoever you were with is being arrested.” I race outside to find my brother without his turban on, in pain and suffering. When I saw his face…I don’t know how to explain such regret. I keep thinking to myself ‘had I gone into the washroom?! Maybe, just maybe they would not have used such force against him.’ I love my brother a whole lot and I never want to see him hurt. This whole ordeal that happened in Toronto, Canada out of all places is just sad.

A Facebook group has been set-up to raise awareness about what happened and hopefully track down some eye-witnesses.

I was told what happened in the washroom by several witnesses including a Social Worker. Many were saying that justice must be served and I agree; justice MUST be served. Make sure that this does not happen to any other citizen. My mission at this time is to get those who were witnesses of this whole ordeal to support my brother. I was stupid not to get the contact information of witnesses as I was in great shock. So if you or anyone you know came to the Air Canada Centre on the night of January 30, 2009 and witnessed such horrific unnecessary abuse in and around Gate 1 please contact me at simran_s@hotmail.com

We need witnesses to help prove the illegitimate use of force by the security officers. Invite your friends to this group and please lend a hand in putting a stop to racial profiling!

If you're interested in letting ACC know about how you feel:

Please send your opinions and comments to the Air Canada Centre directly. They need to be aware of the situation and respond appropriately no matter how profiled or isolated of an inicident it may be.

While this is, of course, only side of the story but, given what Sikhs and visible minorities face regularly, I'm tempted to give Mr. Saluja the benefit of the doubt.

Were you at the game? Have you been singled-out for "special attention" at a public event like a sports match?