ASSOCIATION SKA news January - March 2014 MCI (P) 011/11/2013

PATRONS Kartar Singh Thakral Naranjan Singh Bhrampura President’s Message

TRUSTEES Chairman Update on Building Renovation Health talk on prevention of heart Gurdip Singh Usma disease Vice Chairman There has been a slight change in the closure LTC (Retd) Jaswant Singh Gill Secretary date of the SKA building from July 2014 to As part of our effort to create awareness on Ajit Singh September 2014 for the proposed renovation heart disease amongst the community, I am Members COL (Retd) Gurcharan Singh works. It will be from 1st September 2014 to pleased to announce that Dr Rohit Kurana, a Jagjit Singh Sekhon 31st July 2015. The change in closure date is cardiologist at Gleneagles Hospital will deliver Balbeer Singh Mangat Param Ajeet Singh Bal to provide more time for planning and building a talk entitled “Heart Disease in Indians: the Art approval submissions to the authorities, of Risk assessment - Awareness, Reduction IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT tender-related activities that include tender and Treatment”. The half-an-hour talk which Balbeer Singh Mangat document preparation, tender period, tender will be followed by a question and answer rd 67th MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE clarification and tender evaluation. session will be held on Saturday, 3 May President 2014 from 4.00 – 5.00p.m. Tea will be served LTC (Retd) Charanjit Singh Survey and soil investigation works have been after the talk. All members and their friends/ Vice-President Mohinder Singh completed. Submission of the renovation family members are encouraged to attend to Vice-President plans and consultation with the URA is in become aware of cardiac risk and prevention Gurrinder Singh Johal progress, and the SKA Building Committee of heart disease. Kindly call the SKA Office by General Secretary Manminder Singh expects response from URA by the end of 1st May 2014 to register your attendance. Assistant Secretary March 2014. (Admin & Security) Kuldip Singh Assistant Secretary Punjabi TV Channel (Membership) Darshan Singh The ethnic package group, including the General Treasurer Gopal Singh Punjabi TV Channel, has been put “on hold” Assistant General Treasurer by Sony TV. Hence, it has been decided to Sukhbir Singh CONTENTS keep this matter in abeyance for the time Chairman Sports Sarjit Singh Sona being. President’s Message...... 1 Chairperson Cultural Jaswant Kaur Vesakhi Mela 2014 Chairman Education Lohri 2014...... 2 Sarban Singh This year’s Vesakhi Mela will be held at the Chairman Publication th Khalsa Kindergarten...... 2 Jagjit Singh Sandhu SKA grounds on Sunday, 27 April 2014. The Chairman Building & Facilities theme of the Mela is “One Dream, One Hope, Surindar Singh Dialogue Session with One Community”. Based on the theme, the Chairman House University Youth...... 2 Manmohan Singh activities for the day will be planned and Chairman Young Khalsa organised to enhance community cohesion Santokh Singh Hockey...... 3 through culture and sports, and to reinforce Committee Members Sarjit Singh SKA’s efforts to integrate people of different SRC Soccer Quadrangular Gurdev Singh Gurvinder Sidhu ages and ethnicities. A lively programme 2014...... 3 Bal Sherly Kaur Sidhu is also being developed by the Organising Committee. The Guest-of-Honour for the Our Pioneer Series (Part 1) SINGAPORE KHALSA ASSOCIATION Opening Hours 10am – 10pm event is Mr S. Iswaran, Minister, Prime Pioneering Stalwart: LTC (Retd) Monday to Sunday Tel: 62981230 / 62986206 Fax: 62924782 Minister’s Office & Second Minister for Home Jaswant Singh Gill...... 4 Email: [email protected] Website: www.singaporekhalsa.org.sg Affairs and Trade & Industry. and a mono-acting performance by Sukhdeep Kaur contributed to the Lohri 2014 vibrant programme of the day. Jessie, our SKA Management Committee ohri is usually celebrated by families together for the occasion. The event member, kept everyone enthralled with Lwhose children have been recently was full of joy and merriment. Ladies her wit and humour. married or they have been blessed sang folk songs, played games and with grandchildren. It also signifies the also performed the traditional dance A bonfire was lit around 5 p.m. for end of the winter season in Punjab, of Gidda. Ladies, who had contributed the ladies to sing and dance around it . At SKA, Lohri was celebrated on towards the Lohri, engaged in the while sesame seeds were thrown into Saturday, 4th January 2014. activities with their daughters-in-law it. Sumptuous tea was served at the and grandchildren. beginning of the celebration, and dinner The Ladies’ Wing Committee warmly at the close of the event. The event welcomed more than six hundred ladies A performance by the young ladies was telecast by the Mediacorp’s Indian of multi-tier generations who came from the Raunak Trinjna Di group, Beat on Wednesday, 8th January 2014. Khalsa Kindergarten

halsa Kindergarten welcomed children from KSessions One and Two on 2nd January 2014 and 3rd January 2014 respectively. There was a lot of excitement and anxiety. Nursery children were accompanied by parents on the first day. However, it did not take them long to settle down. Separation anxiety was overcome by the love and care of their teachers. Various games and activities were organised in classes to make learning fun and exciting. attended swimming classes on 14th January 2014 at the Jalan Besar Sports Council Pool. They were accompanied by their class Conversational Mandarin classes for the Nursery, K1 teachers and parent-volunteers, who provided assistance. and K2 started on 8th January 2014. Children learn common vocabulary, greetings, rhymes and songs The enrolment for Term 1 in 2014 is 290 children, which is higher during the Mandarin class. K1 and K2 children also than the 270 children enrolled in Term 1 in 2013.

Dialogue Session with University Youth

he year kicked off with a meeting activity to be held later this year is the Tbetween the SKA Management Sikh University Games. SKA agreed to Committee members and about organise a sports carnival for games twenty-five student representatives such as Futsal soccer, cricket sixes from our three public universities. and netball. In addition, an inter-varsity Bhangra competition is also in the It was a fruitful meeting with the pipeline. committee members of the respective Based on the students’ request, the Sikh Societies from NUS, NTU and The University students have also SKA agreed to host an annual tea SMU turning up for an informal tea requested SKA to organise the “Top of reception for the handover among session on Friday, 31st January 2014 at the Job” talk in one of their university the incoming/outgoing universities SKA premises. campuses, promising support for the committees to ensure a continued event. They felt that the SKA venue partnership between the universities The youth were very forthcoming in was a bit out of the way for them to and the SKA. suggesting activities to involve their attend such talks. peers with the SKA. One definite Look out for further developments in the Young Khalsa Wing of the SKA!

2 HOCKEY

he SKA Hockey Committee aims Singapore Hockey Federation as well Tto provide a platform for Sikhs in as other organisations. Singapore to learn and grow as players and individuals while fostering strong We have participated in the 2014 bonds within the community. The core National Junior League U-19 Division vision of our newly formed committee Two category. Presently, our players is to ensure the progression of Khalsa are representing Khalsa in the National hockey locally and internationally with Hockey Division Two League and continued learning through sharing, the Annual Hockey Liga. We train on training, competing and building a Tuesday and Thursday in the evening at strong and healthy team by continued the Singapore Khalsa Association. The Those who are keen in joining our promotion of the sport through activities are meant to gear our players hockey team or are willing to assist us outreach programmes. for the upcoming Cup 2014, in any way can contact our convener, which would be held in Johor Bahru. Mr.Gurvinder Singh Sidhu @ 94564405 It provides numerous avenues for or our Head Coach, Mr.Paramjit Singh our players to develop and grow The committee will be starting satellite @ 98231570. We look forward to your as individuals by participating in clinics in the future to provide exposure journey with us. tournaments sanctioned by the towards the game. SRC Soccer Quadrangular 2014 ingapore Khalsa Association NFL Steam was invited by the Singapore Recreation Club to participate in a quadrangular tournament in February 2014. The games were held on each Saturday for the month of February, with 3/4th placing and finals held on 8th March 2014.

After picking up draws against SRC and NFA and with a victory against Balestier, the finals was eventually between Khalsa and SRC. After a tense final, SRC emerged as overall champions beating Khalsa by 2 goals to 1.

Even though the Khalsa team missed out on becoming overall champions, the quadrangular was a great opportunity to test the team’s credentials to compete in the NFL Division 1, 2014 and provide a starting platform for the team to improve in this year’s league.

3 Our Pioneer Series (Part 1) Pioneering Stalwart: LTC (Retd) Jaswant Singh Gill

LTC (Retd) Jaswant Singh Gill, son of Mr Rangoon on the deck of a plain cargo Chanan Singh was a founding member ship as there were hardly any passenger of the Singapore Khalsa Association ships plying the route. They had to bring which he spear-headed from 1966 to along their own rations and cookware to 1981. Since then he has been a trustee survive on board. He recalls “...if it rained, of the association, which was set up by a it’s too bad…”. They stayed there for small group of Sikh youths who gathered a few days before coming to Penang. together to play football, hockey and When a ship was available they came to cricket. This series will highlight some of St George’s Island, Singapore, where they their experiences and contributions to the were quarantined for about two weeks. SKA. On being given a medical clearance, they were put on a “tongkang” headed for Although the series should rightfully start Singapore harbour, from where some Sikh with the key founder of the SKA, the Late friends took them to the Silat Road Sikh Justice Choor Singh, the initial issue will Temple. be dedicated to LTC (Retd) Jaswant Singh Gill as he is the last surviving founding Early School Days member. At the temple they stayed in a rented School at Towner Road, adjacent to the room. In those days the temple was the present Central Sikh Temple. Journey to Singapore Police Gurudwara and was a sort of Jaswant Singh Gill was born in Moga, transit area for Sikhs coming to work from Just before his Standard Five School Punjab in 1923. It was quite an important Punjab as policemen in British Borneo, Leaving Examination, he recalls his elders place, with a railway station and transport Hong Kong and even Shanghai. His family returning to India to visit their families, and network. He began studying at the Khalsa stayed there for some years, and as the he putting up in cow-sheds and helping School, Moga which was established by Radin Mas School was close by, he spent out Mall Singh, the father of Col (Retd) the British and financed by the Maharaja his early primary school days there. He did Gurcharan Singh at MacPherson Road of Patiala. It was one of the few schools well in English and had a double promotion where they had a thriving cattle trading that taught English. from Standard One to Standard Three. business. When the families returned, Mr Jaswant’s family moved to Rangoon Road, He came to Singapore in 1929 with his The family then moved on to 24 Race which was beside the then Rangoon Road uncle. As it was the tradition in those days, Course Road – so named because of Primary School. his father had helped his uncle, Thaman the horse- racing course at what is now Singh, to be educated and settled in an open field in Farrer Park. Besides his The principals of schools those days Singapore, and consequently this was a parents, and uncle, there was also the were always Europeans, and his form of repaying that favour. His uncle was family of Gulzar Singh – each family living principal even used to teach English. His then working as a clerk in the Singapore in a single room of the house to make English improved, and he did well in the Police Force. it more affordable to rent. The families examination to qualify for a place in Raffles shared the ground floor and kitchen. Institution at about the same time when Mr He recounts the arduous journey by train Jaswant spent the rest of his primary studied there, he believes, with his parents to Calcutta and then to school days attending the nearby McNair although the two never met.

The tougher secondary school environment up-coming events at , where students were no longer spoon-fed impacted his studies, 6 Vesakhi Pool especially mathematics and science. He APRIL 25 Vesakhi Golf attributes his eventual ability to clear the Senior Cambridge Examination to his 27 Vesakhi Mela mentor, Mr K. M. R. Menon, an Indian BA and LLB graduate. It was rare to have a 3 Health talk on Prevention of Heart Disease degree those days, however Mr Menon MAY 16 Vesakhi Mela Thank you Dinner distinguished himself by having two degrees.

4 - 7 63rd Gurdwara Cup Look out for the next article on Mr Jaswant JUNE 27 Gurdwara Cup Appreciation Dinner on how he secured a job and his early links with SKA.

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