On the 28 July 2001, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, in association with the UK Punjabi Heritage Association, held a day-long conference entitled ‘Preserving Sikh Heritage’. The Sikh material heritage encompasses a wide range of objects produced in homage to the Sikh Gurus to fine objets d’art produced at royal courts. Extant objects include paintings, fine jewellery, gilded arms and armour, and lavish manuscripts, as well as simpler objects intended for everyday use. Experts estimate that a large proportion of the Sikh material heritage has already been destroyed, or allowed to decay through neglect, and warn that existing objects are often in grave danger.

The V&A conference was a day-long program of presentations and discussions highlighting the current state of the Sikh material heritage and the challenges facing its preservation for future generations. It featured presentations by Jeevan Singh Deol, Fellow of St. John’s College, Cambridge and Gurmeet Rai, conservation architect and director of the Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative, New Delhi. Deol is a recognised expert in the field of Punjabi manuscriptology and Sikh heritage issues, and Rai has conserved a number of important heritage buildings and spearheaded important cultural initiatives in Punjab. There was also presentation by experts from London institutions on the technology of heritage preservation and the ways in which existing skills can usefully be applied to Sikh objects.

[Courtesy: Amandeep Singh Madra]

Calcutta: The dismissal from service of a senior IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre has raised hackles. A 1976 batch officer, Sher Singh was placed under suspension in 1995 and the clearance from the Centre to dismiss him from service was received here this week.

While the state government has lost no time to cite this as one more example of a government that means business, the charges against the officer have raised eyebrows in bureaucratic and political circles. According to highly place sources in the state government, Singh was suspended because he apparently wrote a book `Babur, the secular emperor’, without obtaining permission from the government; he had allegedly ‘lied’ about his book winning the King Faisal Award worth $ 40 million and, finally he addressed public meetings in which he ridiculed and castigated a political party (read BJP).

Singh wrote the book in the eighties, long before Ayodhya or the Babri Mosque came to occupy the eye of the storm. He and his book shot to prominent after the mosque was demolished by the karsevaks in 1992. In several meetings thereafter, Singh is alleged to have debunked the theory that Babur had destroyed the Ram temple.

Obviously, Singh’s line of reasoning was in consonance with historians of the Left and it was the BJP and Sangh Parivar which may have had a grouse against the officer. That the Home minister under L.K. Advani finally cleared the decks for his dismissal could possibly be a coincidence, but the active interest shown by the Left Front government to get rid of him has surprised many. Could there be more than meets the eye?

Even as sources close to the dismissed officer claimed that the High Court had specifically asked the government to take a decision on his service by April, 2000, bureaucrats wondered if Singh is the first IAS officer to be dismissed for ‘lying’. How many more would lost their job for lying, wondered one of them flippantly.

Singh himself stubbornly refused to speak on the issue. Meanwhile, there was mixed reaction in the bureaucracy. While some IAS officers firmly believed that Singh had paid the penalty for being outspoken and forthright, while other suggested that he lacked tact, a sense of balance and may have been guilty of insubordination. Both sides agreed though that the ‘fighting Sardar’ would not give up so easily and that he was certain to challenge it.

"I had a talk with Sher a few days ago. He was confident of a favourable judgment at the Calcutta High Court," said a senior state government official.

Singh had filed a petition in the court against his suspension order, which was passed when he was director (evaluation) in the planning and development department. "The judgement was almost due. This must be shocking to him," said the official. "The government did not even have the courtesyto reply to his letters. This way, he lost two publishers, and at that point he wrote his last letter to the government that if they do not respond he will take their silence as a positive response and publish his work, which was what finally happened," said a batchmate of Singh.

Many officers were at pains to realise how the book could have been so offensive to the public. "Is our secularism so frail that a 150-page book upset it? wondered a senior bureaucrat. "Every one has a right to express his or her opinion is a democracy. Singh’s book was not a threat in any way, but now, with the publicity that the whole issue is goint to get, there is a distinct possiblity of trouble brewing," suggested another.

[Courtesy: Times of India]

Kuwait’s human rights association blasted "deliberate campaign" by some Kuwait MPs to seek the closure of a Sikh Gurdwara operating in the Emirate since 1985. "Kuwait society was known for its tolerance towards other religions and sects even before the constitutions and laws," it said.

Kuwait’s Municipal Council reacted by promising to seek a court order to close the Gurdwara in a private house in a Kuwait suburb, but no action has so far been taken. Sikh priest Arjun Singh said the Gurdwara was service the 13,000-strong Sikh community in Kuwait and urged Kuwaiti authorities to grant a license to the Sikhs to build a bigger Darbar Hall.

[Courtesy: Daljit Singh]

Eminent scholar and writer, Dr. Sarup Singh Alag was honoured at a function held in London attended by elite Punjabi society, hosted by Sardar Gurcharan Singh Chatwal. Dr. Alag who is the Chairman of Alag-Shabad-Yug writes soul uplifting books, distributes free of cost, through donations from generous people throughout the world.

In his speech Sardar Alag mentioned of nine important historical centenaries connected with Sikhism coming in next 8 years, and enlightened with his programme of writing appropriate literature, publishing and distributing in great quantity, free of cost, with the help of donations. He also mentioned that the year 2001 is the 4th centenary of Harimandar Sahib, Amritsar and Alag-Shabad-Yug has celebrated it by publishing 41 editions (45000 copies ) of ‘Harimandar Darshan’. Further 10 editions are in the pipe line to be published by the end of the year. Among those present VIPs, Sardar Gurdeep Singh Gujral, CBE and Gurnam Singh Sahni. ex Editor, PunjabTimes.

On this occasion a newly written Punjabi book Palle Tendey Lagi authored by Dr. Sarup Singh Alag was released by S. Chatwal and the first copy was presented to Sardarni Chatwal concerning ideal marriage system.

A meeting of representatives from almost all gurdwaras of Gujarat was held on 8.7.2001 at Ahmedabad to discuss about the formation of Gujarat Sikh Pratinidhi Board. S. Mohinder Singh, Hony. Gen. Secry of Guru Nanak Public School, who is its Principal, also explained its aims and objects and presented a short blue-print. After listening to the views of many member, it was unanimously approved the formation of Gujarat Sikh Pratinidhi Board. It’s aims & object will be to safeguard religious, cultural and social rights of the Sikhs who form a minority with a population of one lac of Sikhs in Gujarat.

It was further decided that S. Balwant, IAS (Retd.) and S. Mohinder Singh will frame its constitution and bylaws which shall be discussed and after its approval - office bearers will be selected or elected.