Dasmeshians win top positions in UK -Folk Dance, Music Competition

Dasmesh Girls College of Education, Badal, has won two top positions in the folk dance and music competitions held in the UK, bringing laurels to the nation and Punjab.

The competition was the world famous Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod of North Wales in the UK. The prestigious festival has Prince Charles as its chief patron and over 50 countries participate in it every year.

The festival was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for working toward harmony among the nations which was the dream of its founders in 1947, when they started it after seeing the havoc wreaked by the Second World War. In folk dance, artists from Punjab won the first position while France and South Africa came second and third, respectively.

In the cultural showcase competition, the Indian team got the second position after North Korea. The heritage team was led by its creative director Prof. Rajpal Singh, while Dr SS Sangha, Principal of Dasmesh Girls College of Education, played the role of manager of the team. Famous 'sarangi' player Randhir Singh, veteran folk singer SS Baath, Prof. Vanita, Prof Lakhbir Dhillon, Sunny Kumar drummer and Prof. Harpreet Kaur Randhawa played supporting roles.

Eminent dancers included Rajbir Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Amritpal Kaur, Ripneet Kaur, Rimplejit Kaur, Veerpal Kaur, Raminderjit Kaur, Deepanjot Kaur, Sushpinder Kaur, Sharanveer Kaur, Manpreet Kaur, Sandeep Kaur, Navneet Kaur and Ramandeep Kaur.

Punjab Chief Minister honoured Prof Rajpal Singh, Dr SS Sangha and Randhir Singh by presenting ‘siropas’ and Sri Sahib to them. The Department of Higher Education, Punjab, awarded commendation certificates and trophies to all the members of the Team.

Artical source:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110822/bathinda.htm#11

Indian couple challenges UK immigration law

An Indian couple has sought a judicial review of Britain immigration rule requiring immigrants to be able to speak English before they can move to Britain to join their spouse, saying the rule is a breach of human rights, a High court has heard.

Rashida Chapti (54) - a British citizen - wants the law scrapped so that her 57-year-old husband Vali, an Indian national who cannot speak English, can join her. The couple is married for 37 years and has six children. Chapti has reportedly been travelling between India and England for 15 years and has now asked for her husband to join her.

Under immigration rules which came into force last November, he cannot do so due to an English language requirement, thought to be part of the government’s pledge to reduce net migration.

The Chaptis and two other couples have begun proceedings to contest the rule. Speaking from her home in Leicester, Chapti told the Daily Telegraph her husband was too old to learn English.

READ MORE:http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110729/world.htm#2

European Parliament passes resoultion against India and in support of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar

The Sikh Federation (UK) which is recognised as the leading lobbying Sikh organisation in the UK and Europe is delighted to report that on Thursday 7 July a resolution was passed and adopted in the European Parliament in Strasbourg in support of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar.

This followed the earlier success on 1 June when the Vice President of the European Commission, Baroness Catherine Ashton was convinced by MEPs, mainly from the UK and Germany, to write to the Indian authorities expressing the opposition of European Member States to the decision of the President of India to give the go ahead to execute Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar.

The text of the resolution that has been obtained by the Sikh Federation (UK) makes reference to United Nations General Assembly Resolutions and EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

In passing the resolution the European Parliament has also questioned India’s ability to remain on 47-nation UN Human Rights Council as India before being elected in May 2011 pledged to uphold the highest standards in terms of promoting and protecting human rights.

What will be extremely worrying to India in terms of economic ties with the EU is that the resolution specifically refers to the 1994 Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and India that made respect for human rights an essential element of the Agreement.

The resolution also refers to the circumstances surrounding the return of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar to India from Germany.

The resolution that has been passed ‘expresses grave concern’ at the decision on the death penalty by the Government of India and refers to this ‘bucking the worldwide trend towards the abolition of capital punishment’.

The European Parliament ha urgently appealed to the Government of India not to execute Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar and to deal with his ‘case in a . . . . transparent manner’.

The Parliament has instructed its President to forward the resolution to the President, Government and Parliament of India, India’s Minister for Law and Justice, India’s Home Minister, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commission, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said

‘this a fantastic achievement for Sikhs lobbying not only for the removal of the threat of the death penalty against Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar, but also for his release as he is in his 17th year of confinement.

India would be mad to ignore European Member States and the United Nations.

We have already seen obtaining justice for Sikhs killed in November 1984 is proving impossible because the Indian authorities and the judicial system are masters at delay Our challenge is for India not to be allowed to delay making decisions on th release of Professor Davinderpal Singh Bhullar’.

SRC.http://punjabnewsline.com/content/european-parliament-passes-resoultion-against-india-and-support-professor-davinderpal-singh-