Is Gurinder Singh really Shintu Kumar? A simple DNA test should answer this without question.
From Rediff:
Woman from Bihar claims lost London Sikh boy is her son
PTI March 26, 2008 03:36 IST
A family from Bihar claims that a nine-year-old Sikh boy found abandoned at a London bus stop last week, is their son and was kidnapped three years ago. The Metropolitan Police is investigating the matter and has not ruled out that it could be a case of child trafficking, given that the boy apparently lived with a European for three years. Gurrinder Singh, who speaks only Punjabi, was found in Harrington Road, Southall area last week, the BBC said. It said one Bindiya Devi of Aurangabad town in Bihar claimed Gurrinder's name is Shintu Kumar and he was abducted on March 3, 2005. The family claimed to have seen the boy's photo flashed on a TV channel and instantly recognised him. Bihar legislator Bhim Singh endorsed the family's claim and said Shintu was his nephew, while the Aurangabad police is reportedly investigating the matter. Gurrinder told city police that a European in his 30s who he called 'uncle' left him at the bus stop after they had lived together for three years. The boy apparently told them that his parents were dead and the police had begun a probe into whether he was a victim of child trafficking. Bhim Singh told BBC News that he had raised the issue in Bihar Legislative Council. "I discussed it at length with the chief minister," he said. Aurangabad Superintendent of Police Ganesh Kumar said four people were on trial in connection with the abduction but the boy was never found.
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WHY TRY TO FIT IN?
YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
...No Doubt The Universe Is Unfolding As It Should.' Mai is tired. Very, very tired. Maybe a little overworked. She maintains 7 (seven) blogs, 3 public, 4 private on top of all the usual stuff of life. I care deeply about all these people and situations I write about. The Singhs: Laibar, Sukhvir, Gurinder, Sarabjit,...and The Kaurs: Parveen, Rajvinder, Sarita,...And the Causes: Darfur, Burma, Tibet, Gaza, and, of course, KHALISTAN. (Note, I haven't yet gotten around to writing about Tibet, but as soon as I get some good pictures to share...) And, of course, the occasional piece of hate mail. (Not much, thanjfully.) I really needed a pick-me-up today, a little something maybe a bit personal. Funny how the universe is ordered. First I got that lovely, lovely comment published in the previous post. Then this arrived from a friend. Yes, that is exactly what I need. And come to think of it, I am feeling a little squirrelly...I am going to lie down and take a nap. Folding the laundry and washing tthe dishes will just have to wait.
This is what you need today!!!  Don't let things drive you Have a fabulous STRESS FREE day!!!!
WHY TRY TO FIT IN?
YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
I actually have something a little more personal to report about Brother Laibar Singh Ji! I posted a link the article from the BC Local News on my facebook Posted Items list: Laibar Singh Returns To Abbotsford It contained this picture  I left the comment: Brother Laibar Ji, I am pleased to see you have grown your kesh. Now, please, this is embarrassing. Please cover it properly. (Nice beard!)
Today, a young woman (I won't as yet mention her name, as I haven't gotten her permission) left this comment: Just in case people didn't know...Laibar Singh Uncle Ji always had kesh..he had the most beautiful hair and a beautiful dhari..but when he was ill the nurses cut it off bc it was tooo hard for them to clean and maintain it..but he had a really sweet Apni nurse who use to..but then she was no longer there..so the other nurses cut it. He also wore the same Kara for approximately 25 years..but when he was hospitalized..they had to take it off...or cut it..something like that..he misses it a lotttt! I'll get him one shortly. He is very happy being back at Abbotsford and thanks all the Sangat and people on a daily basis for supporting him. WAHEGURU.And he wore a dastar yesterday..he was glowing! WAHEGURU. I responded: VAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA VAHEGURU JI KI FATEH!!
Bhenji, thank you so much for this note. I didn't know about his kesh, that's so sad...I, too, wore the same kara from 1984 to 2006. It had to come off twice during that time, both times to go into an MRI after a stroke, but mine was put back on.
We know so little about Brother Laibar Ji as a person. The newspaper articles seem to see him either as a pest or a cause. Any little bit of information like this is valuable. In fact, I intend to post your comment on The Road To Khalistan (http://roadtokhalistan.blogspot.com) to share with my/our readers. Please get him that kara at once! I am so happy that he is back in a dastaar. I know it's hard when he's lying down so much, but it has to be a great morale booster for him!
And please tell him not to believe reports that the Sangat has deserted him. Big names really seem to blow a lot of hot air, but he still has the support of many of us 'little' people.
Many of us have little money, but big commitment.
We/I appreciate his thanks and will hold it close to my heart.
A big, hearty FATEH to him and lots of Chardi Kala!
A picture of him in the dastaar would be wonderful!!!
And now another response from Bhenji: oh Thank you so much for the reply Ji
Yes..I know what you mean..I dont think he feels the sangat has deserted him..but he feels so powerless sometimes..and a great pain on people..but we tell him otherwise.
I dont know if you know but AHH..I love him so much, I see him all the time! He is a bundle of joy...hes soooooooo appreciative..I cant even explain how much the thanks everyone. And the fact that he doesnt blame God for the situation hes in..some do that..but hes like well whats happened to me has happened to me..and im going to get better..because I believe I can and people tell me I can.
Hes the best! Love him to pieces. And I cant thank everyone enough for praying and being there for him...
it heals him :)
and I shall try to get a picture of him..and post it up soon..maybe within a few days.
Take care of yourself
And stay in Chardi Kala!!
WAHEGURU
I have often thought that probably the last thing this gentleman ever thought he would become was a 'Cause.' Life sends us funny twists and turns. I certainly never thought I would be writing and publishing a periodical that would be read by Sikhs - and a few nonSikhs - on every inhabited continent, written and distributed free of charge, with only minimal self-censorship to all and sundry. One certainly never knows where life will send us.
The Internet has opened doors for sewa that couldn't even have been dreamed of just a few years ago.
BTW, my name on facebook is Mai Harinder Kaur. If any of our readers would like to be friends there, that would be uber kaint with me!
This song just seems to fit:
HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER
(B. Scott and B. Russell)
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...
This story has captured my attention. Who is this young Gurinder Singh? Why was he alone in London? Who was the 'white' uncle? We all know ' uncle' can be just about any man of his father's generation. Look at that haunted little face. Let me be blunt. I think it likely that this child is a victim of human trafficking, probably for the sex trade. Whatever it is, our little brother needs our help. I know - courtesy of Sitemeter - this blog has regular readers in London. Somebody knows who he is and what his story is. Let's get to the bottom of this. Although it's impossible to tell for sure from this picture, it looks like Gurinder still has his kesh. The thought of some pervert... Let's get to the bottom of this. Quickly, for his sake!  Nine-yr-old Sikh boy left alone on London street Monday, March 24, 2008 (London) It's a mystery Scotland Yard are finding hard to solve. A nine-year-old Sikh boy, who speaks only Punjabi, was left on a west London street.
The boy said he doesn't know who left him there, nor is he revealing the identities of any of his relatives. He told the police that he was brought to the UK two to three years ago but doesn't know from which country.
Southall, that has a significant Punjabi population, is worried for the boy. They want something to be done and are trying to find out more but the details of what happened are not clear yet.
The boy claimed that he was kept indoors for a long time by a white uncle. Beyond that he cannot say anything.
It was last Tuesday that Gurinder was left behind by his white uncle. Clueless, he walked into a health clinic nearby and the police were later notified.
Gurinder is now in the care of the London department of social services. Police are trying to find out how he got here. Virendra Sharma, MP, Ealing Southall said he's being looked after well.
At present the agencies are working on the child's welfare, giving him counselling, support, interpreters in Punjabi and foster parents of the same background. So support is being given.
Police are looking into the child trafficking angle and are appealing for any information about the boy.
-- WHY TRY TO FIT IN? YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
My sister and dear friend, Kamal, sent me this history of the uncle of Parveen Kaur. It moved me deeply, so, as usual, I feel the need to share it with you. Astonishing! And it answers auestion I have long held. If the child murdered in her womb was a shaheed, then certainly, so were my two little girls. From Muslim to Babbar
Based on article by Bhai Amardeep Singh Amar in Fatehnama May 2005 One of the forgotten heroes of the Sikh movement is Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar aka. Bashir Mohammed. This is the story of how a Muslim policeman became a Singh and then a great martyr of the faith. Childhood Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar, then Bashir Mohammed, was born on August 1, 1970 in Bhanmay Kalan, Dist. Mansa. His parents were Janab Ali Mohammed and his mother was Mata Noori (Dayalo). Bashir had two other brothers and two sisters. Bashir Mohammed was very studious from a young age and also very active in sports. He was the leading member of the Government High School (Bhanmay) volley-ball team and before entering the tenth grade, also began to take an interest in wrestling. Bashir began to practice wrestling in the village beside his and then travelled to all the local villages to particpate in the various athletic competitions. He began to be known in the area as a very good wrestler. Bashir eventually issued an open challenge to all the wrestlers in the area but no one accepted. He was now a wrestling champion. Bashir's mother, Mata Noori, had been one of the few Muslims left behind after the Partition of 1947. She had been raised by a Sikh family who then married her to a Muslim to respect her family traditions. But Noori had developed a respect for the Sikh faith and where Bashir was taught verses from the Koran, his mother also recited BaaNee. Bashir's diary was filled with quotations from both the Koran and Sree Guru Granth Sahib. Joining the Police After graduating from High School, Bashir decided to help improve his family's financial situation and joined the Punjab Police. Seeing his strong body and hearing about his skills as a wrestler, DSP Sukhdev Chahal took Bashir as his personal bodyguard. It was in these days that the Sikh Liberation Movement was in full stride. Sikh youth were leaving their homes with assault rifles in their hands and jaikaray on their lips to fight against Hindustani oppression and the disrespect of Sree Darbaar Sahib. The Panth had begun its struggle for Khalsa Raj. "We will not cause any hurdle to a just rule, but if an evil regime tries to destroy our religion and its practices, with the support of Satguru, Akaal Purakh, we will shake its very roots."
In those days, Bhai Gurmel Singh Babbar and Bhai Racchpal Singh Babbar along with their Jatha were active in the Mansa area. The Punjab Police were frustrated by their growing influence and bold actions. The security forces, taking a cue from Brahmin ideology, decided to remove all restrictions on its men to fight the Sikh Movement. False encounters, atrocities on women, children and the elderly and recruitment of Black Cat thugs became the norm. Infiltration DSP Sukhdev Chahal realised that the best way to defeat Babbar Khalsa would be from the inside out. He decided that an informer was what the Punjab Police needed. For this mission, DSP Chahal needed someone he could trust fully and someone who would have no sympathy for the Sikh movement. He decided that for this mission, his trusted Muslim bodyguard, Bashir Mohammed would be their man. Bashir was ordered to grow his hair and take the appearance of a Sikh. Once his beard had grown long enough, the Mansa Police enacted an elaborate drama. Bashir, who now looked like a Singh, was shown to have escaped from the Sardulgarh police station with weapons and ammunition. He used information provided by the police to approach Bhai Gurmel Singh Babbar's group and managed to establish links with Babbar Khalsa. DSP Chahal had thought that by sending Bashir Mohammed into the Babbars, he would be able to learn about the inner workings of the group, stop their missions and eventually wipe them out. Akaal Purakh had something else planned. Bashir began spending time with the Singhs and although at first he would send regular reports, he started to develop a deep respect them. The Singhs would rise at amrit vela and meditate on Naam and would do their nitnem together. The way in which they read baaNee and their faith in Vahiguru impressed Bashir. They had complete love and respect for each other and were willing to sacrifice their all for their brothers. Bashir Mohammed spent time with Bhai Racchpal Singh and Bhai Gurmel Singh and also came in contact with Bhai Dharam Sigh Kashteeval and Bhai Vadhava Singh Babbar. Becoming a Singh Bashir had taken the Sikh form to infiltrate the group, but now he was beginning to feel Sikhi in his heart. He felt as if he was a traitor to his own conscience by being an informant. After being troubled for some time, Bashir decided that despite the risk of death, he would admit to the Singhs that he was an informant of the Punjab Police and also a Muslim. He approached Bhai Gurmel Singh one day and told him the story of how DSP Chahal had arranged his infiltration into the Jatha by faking his escape from the police. Bashir also explained that he could no longer continue the act and now felt as though he wanted to dedicate his life to Sikhi and fight in for Sikh liberation. He was not sure what reaction the other Singhs would have but the Sikh faith teaches, jo srix AwvY iqsu kMiT lwvY iehu ibrdu suAwmI sMdw ] The Singhs decided that Bashir should be given time to think about his decision and sent him for further training. There, he met many other Chardi Kala Singhs and his love for Sikhi grew. Bashir asked that he be given amrit. An amrit sinchaar was organized with Bhai Vadhava Singh doing seva in the Punj Pyaaray. Bashir bathed and arrived dressed in the Khalsa's BaaNaa to beg for the gift of amrit and naam. The Punj Pyaaray asked over and over, "Are you becoming a Sikh under any pressure? Is someone compelling you to ask for amrit?" Bashir would reply again and again, "No, it is my own wish. Please bless me…" The Punj Pyaaray decided that Bashir would be accepted and he was given amrit and the gift of naam. Bashir Mohammed was no more. Born that day was Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar. Bhai Lachhman Singh and the other Singhs who wanted to fight for Sikh liberation with Babbar Khalsa, were sent back to their areas in Punjab after agreeing in the presence of Sree Guru Granth Sahib and the Punj Pyaaray to the following conditions: 1) Every Singh in Babbar Khalsa will be amritdhari
2) Every Babbar must at the very least complete his nitnem every day
3) Every Babbar must meditate on naam for at least two hours a day
4) Every Babbar must avoid the four kurehits (cutting of hair, use of intoxicants, eating of meat and extramarital sexual relations)
5) No Babbar will resort to extortion to raise money and will not loot ordinary citizens
6) No one should be killed without their guilt in some crime having been proven
7) No new recruitment will be done without the permission of High Command
8) Babbars will respect all women as sisters and daughters
9) No information about the Jathebandi will be leaked to outsiders
10) Looting, unjustified killings and rape will be considered treachery by the Jathebandi and will be punished by death.
Entering the Battlefield After returning to the Mansa area, Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar became a well known Sikh fighter. The traitors to the Sikhs in the area began to tremble at his name. After the shahidi of area-commander Bhai Gurmel Singh Babbar, Bhai Lachhman Singh was made the Lt. General of the area. DSP Chahal was going mad trying to control the Babbars. His informant in the Jathebandi had not been heard from for a long time and the Singhs would carry out the most daring missions and not be caught. And no information on who they were or where they were hiding could be traced. After some time though, Chahal received information that Lt. General Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar was none other than his former bodyguard, Bashir Mohammed. Chahal was furious and vowed to kill his former informant at any cost. Bhai Lachhman Singh became known across the Punjab and DSP Chahal stayed closely on his trail. Bhai Lachhman Singh had now gotten married to Sakeena Begam who also became a Sikh and changed her name to Rani Kaur. Falling Stars The dark days of 1992 arrived and the major leaders of the Sikh resistance were eliminated one by one. The struggle began to slow down as the shining stars of Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan Liberation Force began to fall. Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar, Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghvala, Bhai Pargat Singh Fauji, and Bhai Bhaag Singh Babbar were the major leaders in Malwa and all embraced martyrdom. By February 1993, Punjab was no longer safe for any Sikh fighter. Informers seeking rewards for turning in Singhs were everywhere, on the prowl. Bhai Lachhman Singh, still only 22, was one of the last major fighters in action. Rani Kaur was pregnant with their first child and so Bhai Lachhman Singh decided that living a life on the run in Punjab was too much for his wife and it might be best if they left Punjab for some time so they could rest and the situation might improve. The couple decided to move to Calcutta. An acquaintance of Bhai Lachhman Singh arranged the couple's travel to Bengal and they began to live in an apartment in the well-known Tiljala area. Bhai Lachhman Singh and Bibi Rani Kaur settled briefly into a peaceful life together. But DSP Chahal had not forgotten or forgiven Bhai Sahib for his betrayal. Chahal continued his search. Chahal managed to capture the acquaintance of Bhai Lachhman Singh, who had arranged his travel to Calcutta. He could not bear the brutal torture and revealed the whereabouts of Bhai Lachhman Singh and his Singhnee. DSP Chahal assembled a party of his bounty hunters and left for Calcutta. Shaheedi On May 17, 1993, Bhai Lachhman Singh and Bibi Rani Kaur had finished their day and gone to sleep. The Punjab Police hit squad moved in. They surrounded the area and closed in on the apartment. Leading the party were DSP Chahal and SP Operations SK Singh. Chahal's moment of revenge was at hand, but he was deathly afraid of Bhai Lachhman Singh. He remembered how big the wrestler Bashir Mohammed was and had heard of Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar's daring missions. He wasn't going to take a chance. He ordered the police party to without warning, open fire on the apartment. The door was ripped apart by the burst of bullets and the firing continued on for 15 minutes. The surrounding area was awakened and neighbours began to go on their roofs to see what was happening. Chahal ordered his men to enter the apartment to see if the couple were still alive. The terrified officers crept forward through the shattered door and saw Bhai Lachhman Singh and Bibi Rani Kaur lying in a pool of blood. Bibi Rani Kaur was visibly pregnant and had become a martyr along with the couple's unborn child. DSP Chahal, having regained his courage, entered the apartment and grabbed Bhai Lachhman Singh's kesh and dragged his body out. The stone hearted police men were shocked at having killed a pregnant woman and respectfully carried out her body. The sun had risen and neighbours began to gather on the street to see the bodies of their new Sikh neighbours. One brave Bengali Babu approached and asked Chahal, "Sardar ji, why did you kill these people?" Chahal replied, "Why? What's it to you?" and shoved him aside. The bodies were loaded onto the police jeeps and the killers drove away to claim their rewards. Another star had fallen. Bhai Lachhman Singh Babbar is a hero of the Sikh Panth and his sacrifice should never be forgotten.
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| look at his eyes...... absolutly fearless......thats an amazing story!!
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"Physical Death I Do Not Fear, Death of Conscience Is A Sure Death"
-Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale
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-- WHY TRY TO FIT IN? YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
Today is Easter Sunday, a day that would probably pass unnoticed for this Sikh if she were not married to a Christian. I had not thought to write about it here until I came across this piece that someone posted in IHRO. I found it thought-provoking. I considered doing some judicious editing, taking out some pro-Christian, slightly revisionist statements, but decided against that. That seems a bit dishonest and this blog is nothing if not honest! So please read. And weep. Or something. 
His thirst for scapegoats shows how poorly George Bush understands the meaning of Easter. A FUNNY KIND OF CHRISTIAN
Somewhere in the Middle East, Jesus Christ is strapped to a bench, his head wrapped in clingfilm. He furiously sucks against the plastic. A hole is pierced, but only so that a filthy rag can be stuffed back into his mouth. He is turned upside down and water slowly poured into the rag. The torturer whispers religious abuse. If you are God, save yourself you fucking idiot. Fighting to pull in oxygen through the increasingly saturated rag, his lungs start to fill up with water. Someone punches him in the stomach.
Perhaps this is how we ought to be re-telling the story of Christ's passion. For ever since the cross became a piece of jewellery, it has been drained of its power to sicken. Even before this the Romans had taken their hated instrument of torture and turned it into the logo of a new religion. Few makeovers can have been so historically significant. The very secular cross was transformed into a sort of club badge for Christians, something to be proud of.
Two weeks ago, the most powerful Christian in the world vetoed a bill that would have made it illegal for the CIA to use waterboarding on detainees. "We need to ensure our intelligence officials have all the tools they need to stop the terrorists," said George Bush in a passable impersonation of Pontius Pilate. "This is no time for Congress to abandon practices that have a proven track record of keeping America safe."
Throughout his time in office, the president has frequently been photographed in front of the cross. Yet as his support for torture demonstrates, he has understood little of its meaning. For the story of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is supremely a moral story about God's identification with victims.
The French anthropologist René Girard is the modern voice that has done most to explain the nature of this moral change. Human societies, he argues, are often held together by scapegoating. From the playground to the boardroom, we pick on the weak, the weird or the different as a way of securing communal solidarity. At times of tension or division, there is nothing quite as uniting as the "discovery" of someone to blame - often someone perfectly innocent. For generations of Europeans, the Jews were cast in the role; in the same way women have been accused of being witches, homosexuals derided as unnatural, and Muslims dismissed as terrorists.
The crucifixion turns this world on its head. For it is the story of a God who deliberately takes the place of the despised and rejected so as to expose the moral degeneracy of a society that purchases its own togetherness at the cost of innocent suffering. The new society he called forth - something he dubbed the kingdom of God - was to be a society without scapegoating, without the blood of the victim. The task of all Christians is to further this kingdom, "on earth as it is in heaven".
Yet, for all his years in office, it is hard to think that President Bush has done anything much to make this kingdom more of a reality. Instead he has given us rendition, so-called specialised interrogation procedures, and the blood of many thousand innocent Iraqis. Given all this, what can it possibly mean for George Bush to call himself a Christian?
Easter is not all about going to heaven. Still less some nasty evangelical death cult where a blood sacrifice must be paid to appease an angry God. The crucifixion reveals human death-dealing at its worst. In contrast, the resurrection offers a new start, the foundation of a very different sort of community that refuses the logic of scapegoating. The kingdom is a place of shocking, almost amoral, inclusion. All are welcome, especially the rejected. At least, that's the theory. Unfortunately, very few of us Christians are any good at it.
-- WHY TRY TO FIT IN? YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
Here is Luis Arturo Vasquez, the sleazebag wuss who attacked Sukhvir Singh Ji on Thanksgiving. Stay tuned; he gets sentenced in April and the prosecutors are asking for the maximum sentence of two years, plus a demand that he pay for all of his victim's medical expenses.
A Kent man who attacked a taxi driver and called him an "Iraqi terrorist" last fall could now face two years in prison. Luis Arturo Vazquez, 21, pleaded guilty this week to second-degree assault and malicious harassment -- a hate crime -- for the November attack, which left cabbie Sukhvir Singh with a concussion, cuts on his face, bite marks on his scalp and other injuries. King County prosecutors will ask for the two-year term when Vazquez is sentenced April 18. Vazquez was drunk and had been kicked out of the Apple Cup football game at Husky Stadium when officers spotted Singh's cab and asked him to give the man a ride home on Nov. 24, according to court documents.  Vazquez attacked Singh as they headed south on Interstate 5, prompting Singh to pull over in the car pool lane. Police say Vazquez punched and bit Singh, pulling out tufts of his hair as he threatened him and called him a terrorist.
In case you don't remember this story - it was on Thanksgiving(!) last year, here is an interesting account from The Stranger, which bills itself as 'Seattle's Only Newspaper.'
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 The week continues with a galling saga from the streets of Seattle. The instigator: Luis Arturo Vazquez, the 20-year-old Kent man who first attracted the attention of law enforcement on Saturday night, after he was ejected from Husky Stadium during the Apple Cup. Following his ejection, Vazquez reportedly tried to force his way onto a Metro bus, at which point state troopers arrived and were nearly driven to subdue the aggressively belligerent Vazquez with Taser stun guns. Instead, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, cops opted to place Vazquez in the taxicab driven by Sukhvir Singh, a 48-year-old Seattle man and observant Sikh. As the P-I reports, "Sikhism is the fifth-largest world religion, with about 10,000 followers in Seattle. As part of their faith, Sikhs do not trim their body hair and wrap hair on their heads under a turban." Perhaps the turban is what set off Vazquez. According to police reports, as Singh was driving Vazquez home, the latter launched into a tirade of epithets and allegedly began punching, choking, and biting Singh, whom Vazquez reportedly called an "Iraqi terrorist" before knocking off his turban and tearing out clumps of his hair. When Singh tried to flee, the beating continued in the road, with numerous eyewitnesses on a nearby Metro bus calling 911 to report the attack. Today, Vazquez was charged with third-degree assault and malicious harassment—the state's hate-crime charge—for which he faces up to a year in jail. As for Singh: He was briefly hospitalized for injuries including a concussion and bite marks on his head; according to friends, he has not been able to stop vomiting since the assault. He's not alone.
WHY TRY TO FIT IN?
YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
I really don't have much to say here. Next year, 2005, it will be a quarter century. As of yet, nothing, absolutely nothing has been done to show us that anything like justice will ever be done. Jagdish, Sajjan, et. al. are still out there enjoying themselves while we survivors are told to 'get over it.' I'll write no more right now. Anger is to be overcome, not nursed. For Your Information, from IBN Live. (The Title Is Missing The Story: Where Was The Media In 1984? I'm leaving it below as a jumbled mess because I think it is appropriate.): Missing the story: where was the media in 1984?Nidhi Bhardwaj / CNN-IBN  Published on Sat, Mar 22, 2008 at 22:18, Updated at Sat, Mar 22, 2008 in Nation » India section
WHO STARTED THE FIRE? The media followed the official line on riots in 1984. People who read this also read: One man is willing to testify, Sikh groups he will inspire others. Babu Singh Dukhiya is the president of a 1984 riots victims' society and he is getting cynical. "A thousand years will pass but we still won't get justice. It took months and years in filing cases, recording statements and other such court work. Now it is almost 24 years since the riots," says Dukhiya. This veteran of countless protest marches says he never got attention to his demands. Mohan Singh, a riot victim, the media didn't pay attention during the 1984 riots. "In those days it was just Doordarshan for TV but now there are so many news channels. It is because of the media that there is hope of justice in the post-Godhra riots," says Mohan Singh. Senior journalist Manoj Mitta, who along with lawyer H S Phoolka has written a book called When a Tree Shook Delhi on the riots, feels that the media in 1984 focused on Indira Gandhi's assassination and not the riots that followed "The media by and large went by the official line on the carnage. It focused on the happenings at Teen Murti Bhawan, where Indira Gandhi's body lay in state and where from people around the world had come to pay respect. So photographers were flocking to that place and the killings that were simultaneously going on in the capital did not get recorded at all. It's bizarre but true," he says. The 2002 Gujarat riots in contrast got extensive media coverage, which helped human rights activists to prod both the judiciary as well as public conscience. "At the time of Gujarat riots all these TV channels played a very important role in bringing out the magnitude of the violence that was going on and the dubious role played by state authorities. As a result, the National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court had to take cognizance of high profile cases," says Mitta. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005 stood in Parliament to issue an apology on behalf of the Congress, admitting that the anti-Sikh riots were a shameful episode in India's history. "On behalf of our government, on behalf of the entire people of our country, I bow my head in shame that such a thing took place," he said. Congress leader Jagdish Tytler did resign from the Union Cabinet hours after the PM's apology, but no prominent politician or government official has been ever found guilty of involvement in the 1984 riots. "In all big cases involving major political leaders and involving large-scale killings, there have been absolutely no convictions at all. So, that contrast is there to see between what happened in 1984 and what happened in 2002," says Mitta. Lawyer H S Phoolka, who has represented 1984 riot victims for almost 24 years, admits he has not achieved much for his clients. The reason he alleges is sustained political pressure. "Some the judges were doing their duty very diligently and were giving orders of conviction, but the government manipulated in such a way that those judges were transferred. The cases then went to judges who looked pliable. Like we have mentioned one particular judge who was acquitting everybody. He decided 123 cases, out of which he acquitted 121," says Phoolka. India didn't pay attention to the riots in 1984 and now the danger is that it may forget them, say victims. http://www.ibnlive.com/news/missing-the-story-where-was-the-media-in-1984/61753-3-1.html -- WHY TRY TO FIT IN? YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
UPDATE: I received the following reply from Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa: Kanwarpal Singh wrote:
Harinder Kaur ji, Guru Fateh. She has been sent to judicial custody (jail) yesterday. We have been pursuing her case through media, organizing public functions and protests but unfortunately our efforts have not yielded any positive result so far. Some of us have talked to Haryana CM for his personal intervention but he has only assured nothing more.....
This isn't very cheerful, I'm afraid. I have e-mailed back, asking if there is anything we can do or anyone we can e-mail. I hate this feeling of helpless impotence. I'm not very good, I'm afraid, of doing nothing and waiting...
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I have been asked, 'What can we do?' I have contacted Dal Khalsa and am awaiting a reply from them. I have also written in IHRO, but it has not been sent out to the membership yet. You know, moderators.
Here is an article I read today from The Panthic Weekly:
Police Take Revenge on Relative of Ex-Cop Turned Freedom Fighter
Thursday 20th of March 2008
Panthic Weekly News Bureau
Karnal, Haryana (KP) – It has been over a week and Bibi Parveen Kaur is still lodged behind the bars. Several Panthic and Human Rights Organizations have come out to support her, but when and how she will be released remains a mystery to be solved. Ever since her arrest, the Bibi has had to face severe torture and access to her lawyer and family has also been somewhat limited.
Who Bibi Parveen Kaur is and on what grounds was she arrested? She is an innocent Sikh woman in her youth and comes from a middle class family. Quite oddly, while many perceive this simply as the cause of her harassment, it is not entirely true. The story of Parveen Kaur is not merely few weeks old, it is a legacy.
Two decades ago, her parents and relatives were targeted by the most ruthless and corrupt police force in the world, and now she and the rest of her family are under the authorities’ crosshairs. The police forces of Punjab and Haryana Police are notoriously known on record for eliminating thousands of innocent Sikh youths using conjured up charges and staged encounters. Now, these dishonest forces are targeting the next generation of Sikhs, and using similar age-old Indian police tactics.
Falsified Charges
Bibi Parveen Kaur was arrested on falsified charges of taking part in the supposed assassination attempt on Gurmeet Ram Rahim last month. Shortly after the blasts took place, the police named several suspects. Despite failing to provide credible evidence to support the arrests, the Haryana and Punjab Police have continued to use this as an opportunity to harass innocent Sikhs.
According to revelations made by police officials, Bibi Parveen Kaur was supposed to be used as a human bomb and she allegedly kept the 'explosives' in her custody for at least two weeks. While Parveen had refused to partake in the actual implementation of the action, the Police alleged that she remained faithful to the cause.
Sikh organizations, however, rejected such allegations against Parveen Kaur, and demanded her release from police custody. The Shiromani Akali Dal (A), Mata Gujri Sahara Trust, and Dal Khalsa leadership have shown particular interest in the case and have organized rallies in large scale to express their dissent with the Police. They state Parveen Kaur is completely innocent, and is being unfairly targeted by the Police due to her family’s background.
Family, friends, and neighbors have also totally rejected claims by the Police and state that Parveen has been falsely implicated in this case by the police to fulfill their self-interests. Parveen Kaur, who comes from a Muslim family, had converted to the Sikh religion years ago during the turbulent 1980s.
History of Police Persecution
As details of her family’s background emerge, the actual motives of the Haryana and Punjab Police behind her arrest become clearer. Parveen’s family has long suffered under the persecution of the Police forces of both states. Parveen’s father, Mohammed Sadiqque, was killed by the Punjab Police during the freedom uprising of the last two decades. His only fault was that he was married to the sister of Bashir Mohammed, an ex-Police officer who quit his Government job after observing human rights abuses at the hands of the Punjab Police.
Bashir Mohammed was set up as a spy against the Babbar Khalsa organization by DSP Sukhdevn Chahal and was sent to provide confidential news from the training camps. There, not only did he realize the reality of the Indian Government and Punjab Police, the jeevan of Babbar Khalsa Singhs deeply influenced Bashir Mohammed that he took up the Sikh baptism and became Lachman Singh.
Bhai Lachman Singh soon stopped proving reports to DSP Chahal which hurt many of his projects badly. In addition, he provided valuable information that helped safeguard many Sikh families. Eventually he crossed the border and settled in Calcutta with his pregnant wife Bibi Rani Kaur. The DSP was stunned by the conversion of Bashir Mohammed and saught revenge at all costs.
Massacre by Police
It was during 1993, when operatives of the Punjab Police led by DSP Sukhdev Chahal found out the whereabouts of Bhai Lachman Singh and came to Calcutta to assassinate them. Late at night on May 17th, the cowardice police officers entered the house of Bhai Lachman Singh and gunned him and his wife down while they were asleep. The unborn child of Bhai Lachman Singh also became the target of police brutality. There was huge uproar in the State of West Bengal and surrounding areas after the murder of Lachman Singh and his wife.
Supreme Court charged Punjab Police Officers
A case was filed by Bhai Lachman Singh’s mother-in-law (mother of Bibi Parveen Kaur) against the Punjab Police. The Supreme Court of India found very credible evidence against five Punjab Police Officers, all of them who were later sentenced. SP Operations SK Sinh (Bathinda), Sukhdev Chahal (Bathinda), Hawaldar Ramdayal, Sukhjiwan and Darshan Sipahi were found guilty of murder, abduction and forgery of evidence.
After collecting evidence from the State of West Bengal, the Supreme Court issued orders to summon the accused immediately so that they could not forge evidence any further. The evidence collected by the Court suggested that the Police officers involved in this case were wearing Police uniforms, were armed with Sten assault rifles, held walkie talkies, and spoke the Punjabi language. After killing the couple, they took the bodies in two blue Maruti cars. No report of the incident was filed with the local Police.
Retaliation and Torture
This past week, Bibi Parveen Kaur was presented to a local court after being arrested and a remand was issued to the Police. Ever since being in police custody, Bibi Parveen has been brutally tortured for her one and only crime of being related to Bhai Lachman Singh.
The Police officials who hold personal rivalry against Bhai Lachman Singh are using Parveen’s arrest as revenge against her family. The Sikh organzations are demanding a higher level inquiry into this case by national and international human rights organizations as well as by an independent CBI counsel directly under the supervision of the honorable Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India.
Statement by Bibi Sohanjeet Kaur
Bibi Sohanjeet Kaur alleged that the arrest of Parveen Kaur is no different from hundreds of arrests that were made of innocent Sikhs during the 80’s and 90’s. Bibi Sohanjeet Kaur, who was widowed during the years of State organized oppression, is a key witness to many such arrests. She now runs the Mata Gujri Charitable Trust which provides housing to wards of Shaheeds and Bibi Parveen Kaur is one of them.
Bibi Sohanjeet Kaur held that she was arrested by the Haryana Police without any warrant. According to her statements to the press, the policemen first took away Bibi Parveen Kaur for some investigations at the Patiala Sadar Police Station. Later it was found that the police presented her in the court and received her remand.
Support by Human Rights Activists
Surprisingly not only the Sikh organizations have come up to support Bibi Parveen Kaur, she has won support of many non-Sikh organizations as well. The CPI ML Liberation also lashed out on the Haryana and the Punjab Police for arresting Bibi Parveen Kaur under false allegations. Rajvinder Singh Rana held that the arguments presented by the police were baseless and that it was clear that the police was preplanned her arrest. On behalf of his organization, he demanded the release of the Bibi and held that the Government should punish the police officials who arrested her without first registering the case.
SGPC President Alleges His Support
The SGPC President Avtar Makkar has also alleged his support for Bibi Parveen Kaur. At a meeting held at Fatehgarh Sahib, Avtar Makkar and several other SGPC members announced to provide support to the Bibi. He has however not raised this concern with the State Government, for which he remains most loyal to.
The type of support Bibi Parveen Kaur needs cannot be provided merely by using fancy words, if Avtar Makkar really wishes her well, he should use the resources of the SGPC and his self influence to provide her with good lawyers and proper media coverage. However, it will be interesting to note if Avtar Makkar does decide to take any part in the current issue as the counterpart of Makkar’s title-holder – Parkash Badal, Rajinder Bhandri has already released statements critical to the release of Bibi Parveen Kaur.
WHY TRY TO FIT IN?
YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!
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