Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu honoured by Gurdawara

15th June  2020 at 6:51 PM
Honoured due to his efforts in providing ration to the needy 

Ludhiana: 15th June 2020: (Punjab Screen Bureau)::

The management of Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji in Model Town Extension have honoured Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu for his efforts in providing ration to the needy during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Mr Amarjit Singh Tikka, Chairman, PMIDB, and trustee of the Gurudwara Management Committee, informed that Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu worked wholeheartedly for providing ration to the needy during the COVID 19 pandemic. He said that even the wheat procurement under Mr Ashu completed smoothly, due to which the Punjabi farmer is thanking the Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab government.

He said that for his efforts during the pandemic, the management of Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji honoured Mr Bharat Bhushan Ashu. They informed that the Gurudwara management committee worked hard to ensure the preparation of langar for more than 2000 people daily & given to police for distribution. Besides, the persons preparing langar were also given health insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh from the gurudwara committee.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included Gurudwara President Rajinder Singh Bindra, Chairman Baba Ajit Singh ,Trustees Surinder Pal Singh Bindra, Sukhwindar Pal Singh Lally, Harpreet Singh Rajdhani, Amarpal Singh Sarna, Navpreet Singh Pareeti, Kawaljeet Singh Bindra, Gurcharan Singh Khurana, Dara Babbar, besides several others.

25 Sikhs killed in Kabul Gurdwara

200 people were believed to be trapped 

Harrowing images from the scene. Absolutely heart-breaking. These attacks are horrible and reprehensible-and they remind us of how much work we have before us to end religious intolerance. I'm seeing far too much anti-Muslim hate in response to this violence.

From Kabul Afghanistan via Internet: 25th March 2020: (Punjab Screen Bureau)

According to the reports available on internet unidentified gunmen and suicide bombers attacked a Gurdwara in the Kabul the capital of Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing at least 11 people according to local media reports also. According to another media report  attackers targeted a ‘dharamshala’ in Shor Bazar area of Kabul, which has a sizeable population of the Hindu and Sikh minorities. figure of killed rose to 25. According to a Sikh leader Narindrpal Singh a member of Parliament, up to 200 people were believed to be trapped inside. After the attack a shock prevailed in the world. 

As soon as hearing the attack on a Gurdawara Sahib Afghan security forces had blocked off the area and were taking on the attackers, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said in a message to media persons. It was not immediately clear exactly how many attackers there were or who they were. 
The incident began around 7.45 am local time in PD1 of Kabul city. Three attackers are still fighting with security forces, and one is shot”. Sikh Organisations condemned the incident allover the world.

A reminder that responding to hate with more hate hurts us all. Don't let yourself get sucked into bigotry. It's not worth it.

Photos and details are being given here from with courtesy from Simran Jeet Singh on Twitter.

Simranjeet Singh quoting an eyewitness Narindra Singh Khalsa also said in another thread that about 150 Sikhs trapped in Gurdwara during attack. Some told this figure 200 Sikhs. Narindra Singh Khalsa said that the gunmen started their attack at a time when the Dharamsala was full of worshipers.

In Malaysia:

A Sikh temple stands as a place of fellowship
The gurdwara, the largest in Southeast Asia, offers a variety of services, as well as tranquillity and togetherness, to local Sikhs and people from other faiths.
By Grace Chen for Khabar Southeast Asia in Kuala Lumpur
October 29, 2012

A Sikh devotee offers prayer at Gurdwara Tatt Khalsa Diwan on Jalan Raja Alang in Kuala Lumpur. Activities are not as robust on weekdays but on Sundays especially, yoga and music classes makes the place hum with life. [Photos by Grace Chen/Khabar]

The Gurdwara Tatt Khalsa Diwan is the largest house of worship for Sikhs in Southeast Asia.

It is lunch time and Rajinder Kaur, 66, is eating a vegetarian meal of polao, bean curd and lentil gravy in the dining hall of Gurdwara Tatt Khalsa Diwan. Lunch is free and everyone, regardless of religion, race or social class, is welcome. About 200 people turn up each day. On festival days, the hall may host up to 1,000 diners.
But Rajinder is not here for free food.

After losing her husband to a heart attack nine years ago, she has come to the largest Sikh temple in Southeast Asia to seek peace. Rajinder's late husband used to volunteer in the kitchen.

"In an age where everyone is thinking of making money, this is the only place where I can feel calm and unhurried," says Rajinder.

Jeswant Singh Sran, security chief of the gurdwara car park, has held his post for ten years. He sponsors tea for morning prayers between 5 and 7am, makes sure the area is free of drug addicts, and greets visitors with puns.

"I am the 'only Singh in the world', hence my name, Jeswant. And what does a guy who likes to cool himself in a deep pool of water call himself? Kuldeep," quips the retired police officer.

Jeswant points out three other gurdwaras located within a five-kilometre radius, including one at the police academy in Jalan Semarak, and another at the Jalan Bandar police station.

"Many first-generation Sikhs were recruited in the armed forces. The presence of these gurdwaras kept them steadfast to their duty," says Jeswant, who joined the forces in his youth.

Standing like a sentinel on the border of the Chow Kit market Kampung Baru, the gurdwara is a beacon to the Sikh community, both local and foreign. Foreign workers employed in area businesses comprise 30% of the congregation. They come to volunteer and find comfort in their brethren's company.

The roots of the gurdwara can be traced back to 1819, to its original site where the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital now stands.

According to Sujit Singh Gill, 80, treasurer of the gurdwara for nine years, the British government officially allocated the lot for the Sikh community in Jalan Raja Alang in 1922.

Originally serving the Sikh community from the Setapak and Sentul area during the 1920s, the congregation grew to include businessmen who worked in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in the 1960s.

The Malaya Samachar newspaper, printed entirely in Punjabi thrice weekly, with a run of 500 copies per issue, is housed in the complex.

Fifteen rooms are available to house the needy or budget travellers on a temporary basis, but the gurdwara committee is careful whom they accommodate for safety purposes.

The construction of the temple's two buildings, standing on 1.5 acres of land in the middle of a prime commercial area, was fully funded by gurdwara members.

"It is the members who have ensured the survival of the gurdwara thus far," said Sujit, who added that they have 600 lifetime members who contribute RM 100 ($33) to the gurdwara fund annually.

Still, Sujit, the treasurer, feels the gurdwara has seen better days.

A religious school had some 500 students and 20 teachers in the 1970s but had to close due to lack of students. Snarling city traffic, changing five-minute journeys to two-hour crawls, has made it impossible for students to reach school on time.

Gurdip Singh, Sujit's assistant, said it's all about the changing times. But while things may be quiet on weekdays, the complex bustles on weekends. On Sundays, children come for religious classes, yoga and music lessons.

"People still come here to pray in the mornings and evenings. We still have our festivals. Our monthly schedules have few free days and we still cater to community needs like marriage ceremonies and requiem. That is a good sign," Gurdip said. In Malaysia: