Community Events
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C o m m u n i t y --E v e n t s . . .
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From Srinagar (India)
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Janmashtami procession in Srinagar, Kashmir after 18 yrs
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It was after more than 18 years that Kashmiri Pandits took out a Shobha Yatra on the eve of Janamashtami in the summer capital of the State. The Shobha Yatra procession started and culminated at Ganesh (Sidhi Vinayak) temple at Ganpatyar in Habba Kadal area after passing through various lanes and bylanes of the downtown and uptown city. The procession was taken under the auspices of the Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) on the eve of Janamashtami. As the procession passed through congested areas of the city, a large number of Muslims were seen lined up on the roadside while others, including women, watched it from the windows of their houses. In a statement, KPSS expressed gratitude to the district administration for providing all facilities such as security, sanitation, power supply, healthcare, ambulance and much more during the procession. "Our special thanks goes to our Muslim brethern, who made our yatra very successful and extended all sorts of facilities besides offering greetings at several places enroute the procession," KPSS president Sanjay K Tickoo said.
Mr. Kuldeep Khoda, Director General of Police, J&K was the Chief Guest on the occasion.Jyotshi Omkar Nath Ji, Castro Chairman Pt. Prem Shastri, Sanscritic shodh sanasthan, conducted religious/ vedic proceedings of the Hawan & installation of the statue of Lord Ganesha. |
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From Jammu (India)
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Kp's visiting 'vitasta' verinag for piligrimage
September, 25, 2007 |
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In its extra ordinary meeting held at Jammu on yesterday ,the Vitasta Devsathan Prabandak Committee (VDPC) Verinag Kashmir chaired by Shri Moti Lal Kaul has decided to celebrate the birthday of Vitasta at its original place Veth-Vitru Verinag on Veth Truwah falling on 25th September’ 2007, for the first time after migration. And efforts to make it realize have already started. The Vitasta it may be added is the holy source of the river of Kashmir Vitasta , which is also alternately called as Jehlum also. The Hindus believe the holy twin springs at Vitasta to be the virgin roopa (kumari roopa) of mata parvati and the Hindus also believe that the Parvati after her marriage to lord shiva came in the form of a water sprout at Verinag which is at one kilometer distance from the Veth-Vitru springs.
Gen. Secretary Sh. R. K. Bhat said that “there is a considerable response to the program and as such the yatries are requested to register themselves at VDPC office, Kailashpati mandir Durganagar-1, Jammu to make suitable arrangements for the Yatra. The Yatra will proceed from Muthi Jammu on 23rd Sept, 07 at 7a.m sharp.” It will be the really a new world for me when I will visit my village Chinigund-Verinag after about eighteen years where I was born” said Rockey Pandita an engineer in Delhi and media coordinator for the programme The people of Dooru-Verinag area are eagerly waiting to see their pandit brothern after so many years .added Rockey Pandita. Those who are interested can speak to Sh.R.K.BHAT on his mobile no: 094191-03838 Those who spoke in the meeting were Sh.J.L.Pandita (Retired DIG J K Police ), Shri. B.N.Pandita Advocate (High Court Jammu ), Gen. Secretary Sh. R.K.Bhat,Shri. M.K.Raina Advocate ( High Court), Sh. Bansi Lal, Sh. B.K.Bhat & Sh. A.K.Koul (Organizers), Dr.Kuldeep Pandita, Sh. M.L.Bhat Courtesey: Rocky Pandiita, Jammu, India Vitasta Devsathan Prabandak Committee (VDPC) Verinag Kashmir has decided to celebrate the birthday of Vitasta at its original place Veth-Vitru on Veth Truwah. "The Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir believe the holy twin springs at Vitasta to be the virgin Roopa (Kumari Roopa) of Mata Parvati and the Hindus also believe that the Parvati after her marriage to Lord Shiva came in the form of a water spring at Verinag which is at one kilometer distance from the Veth-Vitru springs", said B.N.Pandita. "It will be the really a new world for me when I will visit my village Chinigund-Verinag after about eighteen years where I was born" said Rockey Pandita a resident of Chinigund now in Delhi "The people of Dooru-Verinag area are eagerly waiting to see their Pandit brothern after one and a half decade", said Mohammad Sharief Peer of Shahbad Youth Development Forum who is busy in making arrangements for the comfortable stay of Kashmiri Pandits at Ommoh while talking to NAK. He said that Pandits shall be given a grand welcome by the locals who are waiting eagerly for their visit. Ali Mohd. Mantoo, president Muncipal Committee, Dooru while talking to News Agency of Kashmir said that locals are very enthusiastic about the visit of Kashmiri Pandit brothers after about 18 years and have been making all the arrangements on their own for their comfortable stay. He said that all the corporators are overlooking the arrangements for the celebrations of Vet-truah by KPs and shall be joining in large numbers to celebrate the occasion in traditional way as was the practice during old days. The Shahbad Youth Development Forum has been in continuance touch with Kashmiri pandits particularly who belong to Dooru-Shahbad and its adjoining villages for celebrating the Birthday of river Vitasta, says Farooq Ahmed Ganai, chairman of the Forum adding that the Forum is thankful to the district administration for providing men and material for making the function a success. He said that Kashmiri pandits are part and parcel of Kashmir and can never be ignored even at time when people of Kashmir are passingthrough a difficult phase. Mr. Ganai also extended his thanks to the concerned MLA for extending his help for organizing the function.(NAK) Courtesy: Nagarjuna Ganju, Ghaziabad, India |
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| From Hong Kong |
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| 15th August The Flag Hoisting Ceremony |
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(Bharat Bhawan - Indian Consul General’s residence)
 A recently formed group “Sanskriti”, was invited to sing the National Anthem
In the group, the two singers who played a major part in the successful rendition of both the songs are a Kashmiri brother-sister team, Karan and Tanya Dhar. For all the children, it was a privilege as it was the first time they had witnessed the unfurling and realized the importance of Independence Day of India. Sanskriti, is going on in major International Schools of Hong Kong. Courtesey Manoj Dhar, HongKong, HK |
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| From Akhnoor & Jammu (India) |
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| Tribute to Martyrs September, 14 2007 |
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Holding of public meetings, demonstrations, photo exhibitions and performing of havans marked the observance of 18th Martyrs Day by the Kashmiri Pandits today. The day is observed in memory of veteran KP leader Tika Lal Taploo who attained martyrdom on this day in 1989 in Kashmir Valley. Panun Kashmir led by Dr Ajay Chrangoo held a convention at Abhinav Theatre to observe the day. Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM) held a public demonstration in support of the demands of exiled community whereas JK Vichar Manch (JKVM) organised a Kavi Samelan in the memory of martyrs. Amarbalidan Trust organised a Maha Yagya and held a Photo exhibition to observe the day. PK convention held in Abhinav Theatre adopted a resolution condemning measures aimed at taking J&K a step away from India, and ignoring genocide of Kashmiri Pandits. The PK resolved that it will consistently oppose Dixon plan and its variants Musharraf plan, Kathwari formula, Wajahat Habibullah model, greater autonomy and self rule. It said the PK will relentlessly pursue the goal of creation of homeland to the North East of river Jehlum with a Union Territory status. Picture Courtesey: Sanjay Moza, Jammu, India |
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From Freemont, CA (USA)
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| Indo-American Community meets California state Lt. Governor September, 13 2007 |
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 Talat Hassan (ICC Tustee), Lt Governor John Garamendi, Kamil Hassan (ICC TRustee), Naren Bakshi (India Community Center, ICC, President), Jeevan Zutshi, Gopi and Anil Godhwani (Founders of ICC) |
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Amongst prominent leaders supporting the meeting were Dr. Romesh Japra, the President of FIA, Yogi Chugh, the Spokesperson of FIA , Dr. Bhupinder Bhandari and other executive members of FIA like Chandru Bhambra and Dhaval Brahmbhatt. Also, in attendance were County Supervisor Scott Haggerty, Former Mayor Gus Morrison, School Board member Lara York and Vice-Mayor of Fremont Bob Wiekowski. The Lieutenant Governor was given a tour of India Community Center in Milpitas (the largest Indian Center in the U.S). Later a dinner was hosted by Dr. Jacob Eapen, Member of Washington Hospital Board at his Fremont residence. Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi began by talking about 9-11 and said 'six years ago, our nation experienced the horror of a terror attack now forever etched in our memories. Our homeland came under attack from fanatics who loathe America's commitment to liberty, freedom and justice for all. "September 11, 2001, was perhaps the greatest assault the soil and psyche of America has ever experienced. It was a horror that took the lives of thousands of men, women, and children and savaged our nation. |
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| From Ghaziabad (India) |
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| NOSTALGIC MEMORIES OF JANMASHTAMI REKINDLED |
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As every Kashmiri Pandit knows, Janmashtami is celebrated in Kashmir region as Zarmae-Satam, one day earlier on the seventh day of lunar month of Bhadra. The day is marked with observance of fast that is broken in the midnight. During the day Bhagwadgita is recited by the elders of the household interspersed with consumption of fruits and pakoras of chestnut flour. In between, children of the household borrow best of the sarees from their mothers and make a jhoola on which an idol of Bhagwaan Shri Krishna is placed and decorated with flowers and ornaments. There is an undeclared competition of having the best of jhoolas that would draw appreciation from elders.
If we dig deep in to our memory, we are reminded of the various jhankis (exhibits) used to be part of the long winding procession that was taken out through the streets of Srinagar and other cities to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. Here again, various temple committees, mandals and mohallas would compete to have best of jhankis depicting “Veed-Bhagwaan” in a novel way and in the best of attire. Bands from different private schools, mainly having Hindu managements, would accompany the procession playing melodious tunes. Winding through the lanes and by- lanes of interior city, people from the majority community used extend all support to the people. It was against this back-drop that Kashmiri Pandit Welfare Association, Dilshad Garden, Dilshad Colony; G.T.B. Enclave associated with Shri Akhand Paramdham Mandir, Dilshad Garden and Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Samiti,  Srinagar (KPSS) and took out a procession called Kalash Yatra in Dilshad Garden on Sunday, Sept. 2, 2007. The yatra started from Shri Gauri Shankar Sanatan Dharm Mandir and after passing through the length and breadth of the area, culminated in Akhand Paramdham premises. Accompanying band and slogans in praise of Bhagwaan Shri Krishna reminded us of the blissful days we spent in the valley. People from all walks of life joined the procession that mainly comprised of Kashmiri men, women and children. Along the way, our association served cold drinks to the pad-yatris who braved the scorching heat and humidity to make the yatra a success. Concurrent processions in Srinagar and East Delhi in two successive days would not have been possible without
Our association held a Bhajan-Kirtan evening in the Shri Akhand Paramdham Mandir premises on Monday, Sept. 3, 2007. Shri T. N. Koul, an eminent scholar of the area led the proceedings by singing melodious bhajans interspersed with words of wisdom that glorified importance of Bhakti. Then followed the collective singing of Kashmiri bhajans by local residents, hitherto unprecedented, signifying the emergence of Self-Help attitude in this area. The endeavour impromptu resulted in forming of a mandli that will assemble on weekends to hone the talent further. Not to be outdone, children of the area, particularly Sheen Saraf and Samarth Razdan, recited Kashmiri bhajans that drew spontaneous applause from the assembled people. Swami Ji was so impressed by Samarth Razdan’s singing that he took out the garland and put it around the neck of this eight year old wonder kid. Swami Ji laid emphasis on preserving the socio-cultural fabric of our community and appreciated our association’s efforts in this direction. The KPWA – DG under the dynamic leadership of Sh Nagarjuna Ganju and the entire executive body helped Shri Akhand Paramdham Mandir in smooth conduct of Janmashtami proceedings on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2007 by regulating and maintaining the flow of thousands of devotees who thronged the Ashram premises to have darshan of the beautifully decorated deities and captivating jhankis till the midnight. Kashmiri Pandit Welfare Association is committed to hold similar activities in future also and will always strive to work towards preserving our distinct culture, language and legacy. Surander Razdan, General Secretary, KPWA - DG Courtesy: Nagarjuna Ganju, Ghaziabad, India |
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| From NewYork (USA) |
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Art of Kashmir Exhibition
October 3, 2007 through January 6, 2008 |
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 ASIA SOCIETY PRESENTS LANDMARK EXHIBITION CELEBRATING THE RICH ARTISTIC TRADITION OF KASHMIR The Exhibition will open on October 3rd for the general public. Details are provided on the Asia Society Website http://asiasociety.org/pressroom/07_kashmir.html. There are four ways in which KPs can participate. Rakesh Kaul, Chairman, SPHERENOMICS Courtesy: Rakesh Kaul & Ashtosh Ganjoo, USA |
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From New Delhi (India)
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| Protest against release of Bitta Karate-by RIK September, 9 2007 |
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More than 200 activists assembled under the banner of "Roots in Kashmir" and demanded justice for the victims of Bitta Karate. Among the protestors were relatives of those who were mercilessly killed by this dreaded remorseless serial killer.RIK resolves to bring Bitta Karate to justice. A merciless,killer should go to his rightful place.Of course the courts can decide what that is.But let the prosecution first make a chargesheet,something they have failed to do f or 17 long years. As Bitta roams free we as ordinary citizens of this nation feel ashamed of our criminal justice delivery system. In hope that Satish Tiku will get justice and the ordinary citizens of this nation will feel secure.
The protest was well covered by the national media in the backdrop of the expose done by AAJTAK and RIK. Almost all national dailies and a lot of vernacular news papers covered pictures of the protest and carried features and news item. A column written by a Kashmiri Muslims journalist in a national daily shamed the criminal justice system of India and re-iterated that Bitta was criminal on loose. Courtesey Rashneek Kher, Delhi, India |
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| From Delhi (India) |
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International KP Economic Summit
International KP Economic Summit, the first of its kind ever is being organized in the capital during the month of September this year, by a group of young Kashmiri Pandit youth who have migrated from Kashmir during exodus and are still living in exile for the last seventeen years. Despite leaving their homes, these young brave hearts have burnt mid night oil and remained focused under extreme and harsh environments, studied on streets, even lived in tents, and yet are determined to excel in life. Most of them are now successful entrepreneurs, industrialists, executives in MNC's, scientists and scholars. "We are now capable and determined to change the face of our own mother state i.e. J&K, with the core competencies we have built during the last seventeen years, in our endeavor to survive and succeed. We are coming back with policies and objectives that are aimed at raising the economic profile of the state with an emphasis on opportunity creation for the younger generations" said Vikram Bhat form equestinnovations.com an IT entrepreneur and one of the organizers of this Summit. "The summit will be attended by state and central luminaries and will focus on the necessity to strengthen the business to people partnership and to seek solutions for the future in which development, prosperity, opportunities and social security will play a central role" said in a press release issued to the media. The organizers of this summit call for reform-driven private-public partnership and stronger economic engagement in the region to reduce the socio-economic gaps. They solicit the state to use all their acquired experiences to make citizens of the state realize that organized civil society is the primordial tool for sustainable development and growth. Further, organizers will stress the crucial role of education, specifically for young people who are the harbingers of the progressive change and will propose new growth oriented education policies compiled by eminent researchers and scholars under the leadership of Dr. Rajesh Bhat, a world renowned computer scientist. One of the other organizers, Mr. Surinder Gautam Ambardar eminent social activist and journalist points out that the work for lasting peace in the region would not be successful without another important policy track; i.e. the betterment of the living conditions of the entire population, sustainable development of the State and though that most importantly the reversal of exodus with honor and dignity. Ms. Annu Mattoo, CEO of publishing house elaborates that the message to be conveyed through this summit is to address the need for a strong, enriching and pluralistic contribution by the civil society for the greater cause of the state. Organizers also propose to promote inter-cultural and inter-civilization dialogue. Summit participants will examine four essential elements for the development of the State: Combating poverty, Supporting young people through value added education, Economic revival and opportunity creation: in eight working sessions. "Entrepreneurs, Industrialists, Executives in MNCs, Scientists and Scholars from all over the world are expected to attend this Summit." said Vikram Bhat one of the organizers of the summit. He further added that "Participants who are geographically distant and are unable to attend the summit physically will be participating through Web Casts and Video conferencing": as also reiterated by Sanjiv Khushu from Silicon Graphics (SGI) – one of world's largest High Performance Computing Companies. CEO's, business tycoons, industry executives and self-employed professionals who are attending the summit believe that the Summit offers tremendous opportunity for business networking, understanding the opportunities that the state has to offer to the industry and the state too will get the opportunity to understand what it takes to involve industry for its economic development, to reflect and to plan for what can be a very exciting future for the State. They believe that by establishing the proposed Enterprise Network, this conference can be the beginning of a new era of confidence building and co-operation. Sh. S. K. Bhat, a social planner with class and an advisor with difference, believes that "with the success of this Courtesy: Rocky Pandita, Delhi (India) |
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| From London (UK) |
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Diwali Celebrations in UK
17 Nov-2007 |
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 Kashmiri Pandit Association of Europe will be celebrating Anual Diwali function in Kingsbury, London.Date: Saturday, 17 November, 2007 Time: From 2pm-10pm Place: Holy Innocents, Kingsbury Parish Church, Bacon Lane, Kingsbury, London NW9s. RSVP Ram Tikuji respected President of KPAE to confirm to ensure for catering at ramtiku47@hotmail.com Courtesy: Ashish Raina, London, UK |
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| From Bangalore (India) |
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National Annual Convention of the Computer Society of India
28-Nov-2007 - 01-Dec-2007 |
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 CSI is the largest and most professionally managed association of and for IT professionals in India. The purposes of the Society are scientific and educational directed towards the advancement of the theory and practice of computer science & IT. In a span of less than 4 decades, the organisation has grown to an evitable size of 30,000 strong members consisting of professionals with varied backgrounds including Software developers, Scientists, Academicians, Project Managers, CIO's, CTO's & IT vendors to just name a few. It has spread its branches all over the country. Currently rooted firmly at 62 different locations, CSI has plans of opening many more chapters & activity centers in smaller towns and cities of the country.
Under the theme “GenNext India-Harnessing the Power of IT”, The CSI is organizing its 42nd National Annual Convention of the Computer Society of India. The event comprises of pre-conference tutorials, plenary sessions, panel discussions, and invited lectures by renowned speakers of national and international repute. To discuss about future management and changing role of CIOs in organizations, a concurrent CIO/CTO summit will also be held. This four day mega event also features an exhibition that would showcase latest IT products and services.
The CSI conference features following parallel tracks:
Start Date: 28-Nov-2007, End Date: 01-Dec-2007 Courtesy: Computer Society of India, Bangalore, India |
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Please email details of events in your area with pictures to be published in Shehjar.
Email at: editor.shehjar@gmail.com |
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members Bharat and Savita Wakhlu, Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, Sharda Cherwoo, Sushma Kaul, Sundip Bhan and finally Pradman Kaul and we will give you guidance on what it will require to attend. It is our intention to have a private dinner following the Exhibition on Oct 1 and perhaps Oct 2 for the KPS who attend and certainly we will provide more guidance for the KP day that is planned at the Asia Society. Both nights can be fun as many of us are planning on wearing some traditional KP outfits.This should be the cultural event of 2007 that we should line up with.