Indian court opens doors to Indian citizenship for Tibetans

Dharamsala, August 27
With the Karnataka High Court ruling in favour of a Tibetan refugee born in McLeodganj, many Tibetans born in India can now apply for Indian citizenship. The decision is likely to have implications for Himachal Pradesh that has thousands of Tibetans staying there as refugees.
The Tibetans born here are issued green books as identity cards and are considered refugees. They have to get their registration reviewed periodically from the police authorities.
A Tibetan born at McLeodganj on November 11, 1985, had moved the Karnataka High Court after he was denied an Indian passport by the regional passport office, Koramangala. The passport was allegedly denied in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs.
As per information posted on the official website of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Justice A.S. Bopanna of the Karnataka High Court has directed the passport officials to consider the request of the petitioner for a passport as expeditiously as possible. The court also ordered that the process should not take more than two months from the date of submission of all necessary documents by the petitioner.
The petitioner had pleaded that all those born between January 26, 1950, and July 1, 1987, to Tibetan parents settled in India should automatically be treated as Indian citizens by birth in accordance with Section 3(1)(a) of the Citizenship Act. He also referred to an order of the Delhi High Court in a similar case.
“As the birth certificate of the petitioner indicates that he was born on November 18, 1985, he is eligible to be considered as an Indian citizen by birth,” the advocate argued.

NRI Amloh youth killed in US cremated

Amloh, August 24 The body of a youth named Manpreet, who was murdered in US, was brought and cremated at his native village, Majri Kishnew...

NRI Amloh youth killed in US cremated

Amloh, August 24 The body of a youth named Manpreet, who was murdered in US, was brought and cremated at his native village, Majri Kishnew...

120 shot dead by Egyptian security forces

Protesters killed in wee hours near pro-Mursi vigil
Violence after rival rallies across the country
Cairo, July 27
Egyptian security forces shot dead scores of supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi on Saturday, witnesses said, days after the army chief called for a popular mandate to wipe out "violence and terrorism".
Men in helmets and black police fatigues fired on crowds gathered before dawn on the fringes of a round-the-clock sit-in near a mosque in northeast Cairo, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood said.
"They are not shooting to wound, they are shooting to kill," said Brotherhood spokesman Gehad El-Haddad. "The bullet wounds are in the head and chest."
A Muslim Brotherhood website said 120 people had been killed and some 4,500 injured. A Reuters reporter counted 36 bodies at one morgue, while health officials said there were a further 21 corspes in two nearby hospitals.
Activists rushed blood-spattered casualties into a makeshift hospital, some were carried in on planks or blankets.
One ashen teenager was laid out on the floor, a bullet hole in his head. Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim told reporters only 21 had died and denied police had opened fire, accusing the Brotherhood of exaggerating for political ends.
Ibrahim said local residents living close to the Rabaa al-Adawia mosque vigil had clashed with protesters in the early hours after they had blocked off a major road bridge. He said that police had used teargas to try to break up the fighting.
Well over 200 people have been killed in violence since the army toppled Mursi on July 3, following huge protests against his year in power. The army denies accusations it staged a coup, saying it intervened to prevent national chaos.
The Arab world's most populous state is battling economic woes and struggling with the transition to democracy two years after Hosni Mubarak was swept from power in the Arab Spring.

Tension mounts

Men in helmets and black police fatigues fired on crowds gathered before dawn on the fringes of a round-the-clock sit-in near a mosque in northeast Cairo, Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood said.

A Muslim Brotherhood website said 120 people had been killed and some 4,500 injured.

Takht directs DSGMC ex-chief Sarna to do religious service

High priests ask him to withdraw plea filed against construction of ’84 riots memorial
Amritsar, July 26
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh today directed former Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjeet Singh Sarna and his aide Manjeet Singh Sarna to immediately withdraw the petition filed by them in the Delhi High Court opposing the construction of a memorial at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in New Delhi to remember those killed in the 1984 riots.
The duo has also been asked to hold an ‘Akhand Path’ in the memory of Sikhs killed in the riots at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj. They too have been told to listen to gurbani, organise ‘langar’, and perform ‘sewa’ and ‘ardaas’ for the “mistakes committed by them”.
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh announced the decision from the balcony of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs as Sarna and his aide stood outside. The Jathedar said the decision on Sarna was reached following deliberations among the Sikh high priests after the ex-DSGMC chief gave his clarification on the issue. While the Akal Takht Jathedar maintained that asking Sarna to organise an ‘Akhand Path’ was ‘Dharmik Sewa’ (religious service), Takht Patna Sahib Jathedar Giani Iqbal Singh said it could be termed as ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment).
Sarna said he will certainly obey the directions of Akal Takht. “Whether the decision is right or wrong, it has come from Akal Takht and I fully accept it,” he said. Saran even took a dig at Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. “I am not Badal. I follow all the directions of Akal Takht,” he said.
Sarna, however, clarified that he had not resorted to any religious defiance. “I clarified my position before the Sikh high priests too, but Akal Takht still chose to give these directions.”
Saran said the Sikh clergy told him that he had committed a ‘big blunder’ while referring to some “objectionable contents” in the petition filed by him in the Delhi High Court. “I told them the paragraphs in question were removed from the petition the very next day,” he said.
There was difference of opinion among the high priests on the decision regarding Sarna. While the Akal Takht Jathedar was in favour of seeking an apology from Sarna for his mistakes, Takht Patna Sahib Jathedar Giani Iqbal Singh differed with him. Earlier, Sarna, in his six-page clarification, said, “I had filed petition not to oppose the memorial but to remind the DSGMC that it could not be built on the premises of the gurdwara which is the epitome of the supreme sacrifice made by Guru Teg Bahadur.” He also gave various examples to support his argument. The Jathedar said a blueprint of the memorial had been sought from the DSGMC. “We will take a decision in this regard soon,” he said, adding that the affidavit filed by the DSGMC in the Delhi HC will also be examined.
SGPC member Navtej Singh Kauni, who was summoned for attending the congregation of Dera Sacha Sauda, could not make it to Amritsar as he was unwell. He has now been summoned in the next meeting. The Akal Takht Jathedar said he has issued directions to the SGPC for initiating legal action against those who tamper with Sikh Gurus’ photos on social networking sites.

Those who faced Takht’s wrath earlier

• Former President Giani Zail Singh
• Former Union Home Minister Buta Singh
• Former Punjab CM Surjeet Singh Barnala
• Budha Dal chief Baba Santa Singh
• Nanaksar Kaleran (Ludhiana) chief Baba Ghala Singh