Never Forget Bow '09 / Official Website

Bhog Sri Sehj Paat Sahib for 11 Saroop of Guru Maharaj Ji

UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

More important that life itself, is the respect for DHAN SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI!
Bhog Sri Sehj Paat for the 11 Saroops of Guru Maharaj

The Pavitar ashes of the 11 Guru Maharaj Saropps will be present before going to the Thames for the final ceremony.

WHERE: Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Park Avenue, Southall, London UB1 3AG
DATE: 24th May 2009
TIME: 12PM

Please attend and show your love and devotion for Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

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Pass it on, Hand it out and get everyone to sign one.

Dear MP __________________

RE: Community Attack - Serious Action Required

I am writing to you in concern with Sikh Gurdwara that was set alight and burnt to the ground on 16th March 2009 in Bow, East London. This attack has left the Sikh community across the country in deep shock and I want the authorities to carry out a thorough investigation to catch the culprits.

According to eyewitnesses inside the Gurdwara during the attack, they saw a black/mixed-raced unidentified person running through the Gurdwara building just before the congregation realised that the building has been set alight. The fire was a direct attack on the Sikh community which has been ignored by the main stream media and handled poorly by the police. The attacker(s) burnt eleven copies of the Sikhs’ Sacred Scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, which the Sikhs revere as the Living Guru, the Living Voice of eternal wisdom that guides the community and teaches a humanitarian embracing message. The burning of one copy of Guru Granth Sahib is considered the most sacrilegious of all acts; however the burning of eleven copies of Guru Granth Sahib has scared the UK Sikh community.

No arrests have been made by the Police and this has brought about feelings of frustration, anxiety and anger amongst the Sikh Community which is bent upon ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice. Failure of finding the culprits motivates the individual or gang and others to do a similar attack on other Gurdwaras.

There is a strong feeling amongst the Sikh Community that the Police do not understand the gravity of the crime or that the Police do not care. The community feels that this crime is low on the list of Police priorities. This is illustrated by the fact that they interpreted the crime as being a criminal act to "property", thereby treating the incident only as one of arson.

I urge you to bring forward this matter to the police and government, as the growing feeling of resentment towards the Police needs to be taken seriously.

I await a response from you.

Regards,

_________________

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Latest Reply from George Galloway's office

15th April

My apologies again for the delay in writing to you again about the terrible fire at the Gurdwara and the ensuing investigation of the fire. As I said before, I am limited in what I can say to you about the police investigation for fear of compromising its success and any future prosecution. I can say that we were given a very thorough and convincing rundown of the very considerable measures that have been taken to identify the exact causes and to track down any suspects. To give one example, three different sets of forensic experts were brought in to examine the source and the causes of the fire at a very early stage and to identify any evidence and clues which could then be used in the enquiry.

George Galloway remains in regular contact with the police and Respect councillors have also tabled a motion for the Tower Hamlets full council meeting on 22nd April which we are sure all councillors would support. I reproduce the motion below.

BOW GURDWARA FIRE
Moved by Councillor Fozol Miah, seconded by Councillor Abjol Miah
This council notes

a) the terrible fire which destroyed the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat, Harley Grove, Bow on 16th March 2009
b) the anguish, upset and anger this has caused in the Sikh community
c) the efforts of council officers to ensure that facilities are found for the members of the Gurdwara to continue their worship
d) that the police are giving the investigation of the causes of the fire and the identification of any perpetrator a very high priority
e) that the concerns for and sympathy with the Bow Gurdwara members and the Sikh Community extends across people of all faiths and none in Tower Hamlets

This council urges

a) anyone who knows anything about the fire to contact the police and to co-operate fully in their investigation
b) the police and other authorities including the council to continue to give this issue a very high priority and to provie all teh help and support they can to the members of the Bow Gurdwara

This council expresses the utmost sympathy and solidarity with the members of the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat and the wider Sikh community for this terrible fire which has destroyed a holy place revered across all faith communities and residents of Tower Hamlets.

Should I get any further information about progress in the enquiry, I will of course let you know. I am also aware there have been attempts by Tower Hamlets council to ensure that alternative facilities for events that would have taken place in the Gurdwara are provided to the members fo the Gurdwara. There were some problems about this but there were asssurances that everything was being done to ensure that every support was being given. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if we can be of further assistance.

With best wishes,

Rob Hoveman, on behalf of George Galloway MP

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Reply from George Galloway's office

07th April

"Dear Baljinder,

My name is Rob Hoveman, one of George Galloway's staff. I attended the briefing meeting last week. I will send you a longer email asap but I am having to rush off to a meeting about a serious local assault that recently took place. When I email later or tomorrow morning, I will give you all the information I am permitted to provide. Although this may not explain all of the lack of communication of which you complain, the police did make a very strong case that they could not divulge details of their enquiries for fear of compromising the investigation and thereby reducing the chances of catching anyculprit, and also of jeopardising any possible future prosecution.Defence barristers will be very quick to cite grounds for dismissal ifinformation which could compromise the court's impartiality were to get into the public domain. I appreciate this is extremely frustrating for the members of the Gurdwara and the wider Sikh Community but the case was made very powerfully that limiting public information was an absolute necessity for both reasons. It was also clear to me that the police had giventhe investigation a very high priority and the briefing itself was conducted by the most senior police officer in Tower Hamlets, the borough commander. This would not have been the case were the case not being given the highest priority. I will email later or tomorrow morning as time permits.

With best wishes, Rob"

New Images of Inside & Outside the Gurdwara

06th April

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The Wake Up Call

A must read!

 “All of you Sikhs, living in the villages and the cities, youngsters, those who call themselves Sikhs, why have you fallen asleep? If someone has set fire to our beloved Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and his son just talks and doesn’t do anything, does he have the right to call himself a son of that Guru?”
(Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhinderawale)

The Tragedy

• On Monday 16th of March 2009 there was a women’s congregation at Gurdwara Sikh Sangat, Harley Grove in Bow (East London).
• One woman noticed someone enter the Gurdwara Sahib.
• Then a fire broke out in the Sachkhand room.
• Over 10 fire engines and 50 firefighters battled for over 6 hours to bring the fire under control.
• The fire destroyed over 75% of the Gurdwara Sahib complex; the Gurdwara’s roof completely caved in.
• 11 blessed Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were burnt due to the fire.
• Sevadars from across the country worked day and night on the daunting Seva of preparing Satguru Ji’s saroops for the Sanskaar (cremation) ceremony.
• It brought tears to the eyes of all to see how the Angs (limbs) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were burnt and blackened because of the fire, and dripping wet and ice cold due to the water damage.
• Under the guidance of Akaal Takhat Sahib an Akhand Paath was carried out and the Sanskaar Seva took place at Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College Chigwell.
• Sangat from across the country came to pay their respects and witness Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s Sanskaar.
• Sadly out of 750,000 Sikhs that live across the UK, only 1,000 – 2,000 people gathered for the Sanskaar.

Take a moment Saadh Sangat Ji, think... our beloved Satguru Ji’s Saroops were burnt in fire and doused in water – do we feel no pain?

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Has the Sikh Nation woken up?

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If we did not feel any pain it is because we are far from Gurbani. We need to do ardas for Guru Ji to up our jeevans. You will see from the Picture that out of all the UK not many people were there. There is more people in a mela or a Keertan programme.

This was a sad day and a even sadder day when very few people came to pay thier respects to Guru Ji. We would all go running to see our kid across the country if they had a crash and was in hospital. This was our Guru, i guess to most Guru Ji is just a mere book.