Sundri: The Brave Kaur

Incredible is happened in PERTH, Australia

2009-11-18T07:15:00.001-08:00

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Singh Harpreet
To: gurpal.singh@accenture.com; singhkmldp@hotmail.com
Cc: Jagjit.Singh2@ato.gov.au
Sent: Sun, November 15, 2009 9:55:00 PM
Subject: Re: Canberra and Melbourne Shows - Bhai Taru Singh Ji - MOVIE

Waheguru ji ka khalsa,

Waheguru ji ki fateh.

Kamaldeep Veerji.

As veer Gurpal Singh has mentioned the experience from the movie is just beyond words and doesn’t matter what adjectives I use here to describe my feelings for this movie, I won't be able to do the justice with this masterpiece. More than 70% of Sangat was in tears and it created the mood of high postiveness amongst the viewers. All of those who opposed this concept of screening the movie and de motivated us from doing anything like this were themselves in tears and came to bless all the sewadars and patted their backs for their effort to screen this movie in Perth.

We gave feedback forms to sangat after the movie to get their views and I wish I could type the comments from all the sangat in this email but I would love to share the feedback from one viewer which I loved the most:

"I don't have word to tell you what I feel. I can write whatever but it’s hard for me to describe. I think this page is not enough but all I can say is I AM A HINDU and I try to be as religious as I can. I am also deeply involved in GURSIKHI but bottom line is I want to ARDAAS SATGURU ji, if I ever born again as human, I want and will be born as Gursikh and I will live my life with KESH and UNDER GURSIKHI. WAHEGURU JI bless you. I think you are a ray of hope in this KALYUG. Please keep doing this because people like you will bring us back to where we need to be. Please dont step back. You are a TRUE SIKH and we will be a GURSIKH someday" -- Gursikh GURUKA Pyara

Veerji, see the name my hindu brother has used for these comments. It's just a tip of an iceberg. The biggest thing achieved in this show was that all the people who can't stand each other and have been fighting in past were crying together after the show. Both the Gurudwara SAHIBS of Perth who have historically, never worked together on any project came closer because of this movie and they shared the tears together, once they saw a life of a TRUE GURSIKH. My writing is not strong enough to share the passion of kids, youth and older people had after the movie and emotions that were created when few Laals of GURU SAHIB were inspired through the movie and agreed not to cut their hair in future.

In today's diwan at Gurudwara SAHIB I was told by committee that they could see the calmness and positivity in the SANGAT who have been involved in petty fights for last 1.5 year. All I can do is just give you some examples of how Perth's SANGAT has moved after this movie but if you ask about experience, then it’s beyond my SAMRATHA and if I try to write for that experience will be just wastage of my time and effort. I feel truly blessed to initiate this thing in Perth with amount of Blessings sangat came with today at Gurudwara Sahib and number of jaikaaras that were raised after reading the above comments from hindu brother at the end of congregation.

Veerji, I can assure you that if movie is shown at same time to SARBAT KHALSA around the world, it can create the connections among all SIKHS at the level of soul and establish the KHALISTAN of Sikh spirit.

Let me know if I can be of help to you guys to arrange the screening of these shows in Melbourne

GURU Rakha,

Harpreet Singh (0421 527 904)

"The outer conditions of physical life remain unequal all the same, but the heart of man has, in the rich intoxication of the inner abundance of the Guru, become limitless in its givings and forgivings." - Prof. Puran Singh on Love

History Shaheed Ganj Bhai Taru Singh Ji

2009-08-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Marked culmination of the tussle between Sikh and Muslim communities in the Punjab for the possession of a sacred site in Lahore upon which stood Gurdwara Shahidganj (shahid = martyr, ganj = hoard, treasure) in memory of Sikh martyrs of the eighteenth century and which the Muslims claimed as having been the location of an historic Islamic site. The Gurdwara is located in Landa Bazar midway between the Lahore railway station and the Delhi Gate at the site known earlier as Nakhas (Persian nakhkhas, meaning a marketplace for the sale of captives, horses and cattle taken as war prize). This was the place where thousands of Sikhs, including the celebrated Bhai Taru Singh, and about 3,000 captives of the Chhota Ghallughara campaign (1746) were executed or tortured to death. Here Mu'in ul-Mulk (Mir Mannu, in Sikh chronicles), governor of Lahore during 1748-53, raised a building shaped like a mosque sitting where the muftis, Muslim judges, gave their summary judgements after giving their victims a straight choice between conversion to Islam and death. Almost invariably the victims chose the latter. Close by was the place where Sikh women and children were kept in narrow cells to meet slow death through hard labour and starvation.

The Nakhas, long soaked with the blood of martyrs, became for the Sikhs a sacred spot and, after they came into power in Punjab during the 1760's, they established a gurdwara there which they named Shahidganj. Since then it had remained in the possession of the Sikhs as a sacred place. Soon after the annexation of the Punjab to the British empire, one Nur Muhammad filed a case in 1850 for the reversion of the mosque to him as its rightful owner, but it was turned down as the court was not convinced of the genuineness of the claim. Similar claims raised in 1854 and 1883 were also dismissed on the ground that the place was no longer a mosque but a gurdwara. According to the Punjab Government Gazette Notification No 275, dated 22 December 1927, the shrine was listed as Gurdwara Shahidganj Bhai Taru Singh. The Muslims again contested the Sikhs' claim to their mosque but the Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal, established under the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, in its judgement dated 20 January 1930 determined that the place was the property of Gurdwara Bhai Taru Singh.

The Muslims went in appeal, but the Lahore High Court in 1934 upheld the verdict of the Gurdwara Tribunal. The local Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Lahore, got possession of the Shahidganj in March 1935 and decided to replace the old mosque-like building with a new one. The bulk of the clearing work having been completed by 7 June 1935, the demolition of the old building was taken in hand on 8 June. It continued uninterrupted for 20 days, but on 29 June a Muslim mob tried to enter the premises and, although they were successfully checked by the inmates, the Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, Mr S. Pratab, stayed further demolition. The political climate in the country was already charged with communal passions aroused by the Communal Award of 1932. The Sikhs, considering that, after the decision of the courts in their favour, the reconstruction of the Gurdwara was their natural and legal right, resumed the demolition on 8 July despite the stay order. This was resented by the Muslims, but the government did not use force to prevent the demolition, for the reason that the Sikhs in taking this action were not committing any criminal offence. In fact Sikh leaders had asked many Akalis to leave the city and sent out instructions to different centres not to send any more volunteers to Lahore. The tension did mount, but Lahore remained free from any communal incidents. On 2 December the government passed a general restrictive order under Arms Act, 1878, banning the carrying of swords and kirpan. The Sikhs resented the restriction on kirpan which was, one of their religious symbols, and launched an agitation against the ban on 1 January 1936. The ban was withdrawn on 31 January 1936.

Meanwhile, the Muslims had filed, on 30 October 1935, a fresh suit for the possession of the Shahidganj Mosque. Though the suit was dismissed on 25 May 1936, an appeal was filed in the High Court. The Shahidganj issue temporarily receded into the background partly owing to the impending elections to the Punjab Legislative Assembly under the Government of India Act, 1935. In April 1937 the Unionist party representing sections of Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs formed the ministry under Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, who claiming his ministry to be neutral in character, made it clear to the Muslims that their claim in the Shahidganj case could not be accepted arbitrarily. He promised to strive for an amicable settlement of the problem and appealed to the parties to the dispute not to do anything which might worsen the communal situation in the Punjab. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, an elected body representing the Sikh people, unanimously passed a resolution at its meeting held on 10-11 March 1938 affirming that no compromise was possible on what it considered a vital religious issue. Meanwhile, the legal battle continued. The Muslims' appeal filed in the High Court was dismissed on 26 January 1938, and a further appeal to the judicial Committee of the Privy Council met with the same fate on 2 May 1940. This virtually ended the dispute.

Source: Encyclopaedia of Sikhism - Harbans Singh

Sundri show attracts over 5000 people in Toronto

2008-05-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday, 11-May-08 became a landmark day in history of Sikh Movies. “Sundri: The Brave Kaur” produced by Vismaad opened a record weekend. This was first time any movie on Sikh subject was presented as mainstream movie through ticketed shows on big screen. The Sunday showings were culmination of a relentless work during past month by highly motivated team of over 40 Sikh youths lead by Suneet Singh, CEO Datawind Inc. The whole effort including financial contribution by Suneet Singh and team of volunteers was purely with seva motive, and not for profit.

Imposing Sundri Billboard near Dixie Gurughar, Toronto

The Sikh populace in attendance at 19^th April Toronto Sikh Parade had a pleasant surprise when Nagar Kirtan passed by a majestic Bill Board of Sundri. Never before was any movie on Sikh subject promoted on such a grand scale. The flamboyant graphics of Sundri overwhelmed the emotions and left an indelible mark on every mind.

The local TV and Radio programs, always hungry for bytes, suddenly had something which caught their imagination. Sundri was being discussed on every channel. Harmeet Singh had a run of special features on “Beyond Belief” which is broadcast across Canada on Vision Television (Channel 60). Sursagar TV called movie Director Sukhwinder Singh thrice on its live talk shows. Mr. Dilbag Chawla featured Sundri folk song by Joginder Singh Jogi on his immensely popular show “Rangla Punjab” apart from interviewing Sukhwinder Singh.

The end result was constantly ringing movie hotline manned by five volunteers till the very last moment. In the last week Movie tickets were fast vanishing from stalls put up at Dixie Gurughar. When organizers announced to home deliver family packs it caught like a wild fire and took everybody unawares. It took such proportions that ultimately home delivery of tickets had to be stopped and instead online reservations were made with provision to collect tickets at gate.

Chinguacousy Auditorium was packed to capacity

Over 5000 people watched the 8 screenings of the movie on 11-May and 18-May with most of the shows packed to capacity. The audience across the board was highly impressed and included people from all walks of life. Mr. Bicky Dhillon MPP, Family of Hon. Navdeep Bains MP, Tiger Junior s/o Tigerjit Singh, Dr. Tejinderpal Singh (Doola Ji) and many other personalities graced the occasion.

Sukhwinder Singh, Dr. Tajinderpal Singh (Doola ji) and Suneet Singh

Movie hotline 647-722-3496 is still ringing with people calling to reserve tickets for 18th May showings. Many youth have volunteered to deliver tickets during the week and later

Today “Sundri: The Brave Kaur” is the most recognizable phrase in Greater Toronto Area. It has every reason to aptly become a global phenomenon very soon considering the immense popularity of “Sundri”, the novel by legendary Bhai Vir Singh ji, on which the movie is based. The fame of movie could be judged by demands of similar showings pouring in from Hamilton, Ottawa, Cambridge, Rochester (NY), Windsor, Detroit, Calgary, Surrey (BC), Seattle, Kamloops, etc.