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A Request By From Jakarta

Sep 21, 2009
4
5
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jakarta
Aman Singh wrties:

I got this in my email today: from our member balwant jakarta Can we do something about it? Surely, SPN would love to help him out in his endeavor... but how?

Quote:
Thank you for accepting me in your forum.FYI I am 65 years old and involve in Selatan Gurdwara in the South Of Jakarta.I had donated the land in 1992 and help built the gurdwara with the blessings of Almighty Waheguru and the holy sadh sanggat.

Last year I had a stroke that paralized my right side but thanks to Almight Waheguru is recuperating well.

There are two more gurdwaras one in Central Jakarta (Pasar Baru) and one in the North (tanjung Priok),Both are located in a limited space without any spae for a modern Sikh or Punjabi school,neither are the committees of te respected gurdwaras forsee any urgency of buliding one,although their financial status is very promising.

The selatan gurdwara has recenly been granted a government permit to build aa proper 4-storey gurdwara school, with hostell as well as multi-purpose hall.

We, due to old age and limited schooling lack the expertise of presenting a proper proposal to the local sangat as well international Sikh panth. We seek your forum and vast connection to prepare a good comprehensive proposal that may help us in this noble cause, especially for the marginalized n prejudiced children of Jakarta (Indonesia who were born of mixed parents (of Indonesian mothers) lest, we would lose them to other faiths.

Hoping to hear from you at your earliest convenience. Gurfateh.BS Rahal


Well it seems as if balwant ji is not talking about a private Khalsa/Punjabi school, but a gurmat/Khalsa School attached to the gurdwara. So this is more along the lines of what Tejwant has experience with, along the lines of the SikhRI sodhi curriculum. But balwant ji may not want a curriculum in English. So that narrows down the questions a lot. And not only Tejwant but Gyani and NamJap should have words of advice and direction that would be helpful.

The other question: Exactly what kind of help does balwant ji seek? Any kind of direction? Or is it more specific guidance? I noticed watching Who's Online that he was looking a a thread about Online Gurmat Learning. His needs may be about curriculum, materials, and teaching guides.

Thanks Aman ji
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Re: Seva Request by SPN Member from Jakarta

The langauge in Indonesia is a Malay variant..Bahasa Indonesia and most if not all "punjabis" there speak ONLY this. On a visit to jakarta my daughter attended a Gurdwara and saw that ONLY the Granthi form Punjab spoke in Punjabi...rest all business was carried out in bahasa Indoinesia..local dialect. The Hukmanma was translated..and the stage sec spoke in BI. The langgar sewadaars also spoke BI names for dishes...daal roti ..the Pails carried for other offerings...etc had to "looked" at to see what was offered !!
So it may not be that easy....English/Punjabi are both in the minority !!
I will do all i can and more...as Malay is also our national language but slightly different..akin to Punjabi/Hindi !!
 

spnadmin

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Re: Seva Request by SPN Member from Jakarta

Jios

balwant has clarified his request so now all involved know what he actually is aiming for. He posted this on my visitor's messages.

Thank you for your prompt response. We are planning for a Sunday school for the time being.Later we would use the shool premesis for summer camp or samelan etc. We wish our future children to be able to read write and speak Punjabi and learn Gurbani and also Sikh history.Besies the gurdwara Punjabi school in the future we are planning an Khalsa International school open to all nationalities (another two years time).Gurfateh. Balwant

This helps me. Hope it clarifies for everyone else -- or perhaps you understood already and I did not.
 

Astroboy

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Re: Seva Request by SPN Member from Jakarta

Here's is what I replied to Balwant.

Balwant Ji,

It is very common for previously stacked money to be stacked up by 'Trustees' and not get used for many 'insecure reasons'. But not all trustee money goes down the drain. Some of them do genuinely come forward if they are invited to be made to feel comfortable in the approach, no questions asked, etc.

These days, Gurdwaras in Malaysia don't show an excess of savings anymore. They simply use up 90% of the money in renovations and upgrading, and employing more staff.

It would be a good idea to start the school first where Punjabi, Gurbani and Kirtan become the focus point. By separating Gurdwara and Punjabi school premises, there would be more flexibility and less interefence in making the school project a success. This is my feedback. Rent out a house and start the Punjabi school. Employ a Gyani for running the Punjabi school. Building fund thus can become a different issue which will not stand in the way of educating the children.
 

Astroboy

ਨਾਮ ਤੇਰੇ ਕੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਲਗਾਈ (Previously namjap)
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Re: Seva Request by SPN Member from Jakarta

He replied back :-

Dear Namjap Ji,

Thank you for you kind feedback and I agree with you in regard to the gurdwara funds to be used for renovations,etc. . But in this particular case for your information the P.Baru gurdwara was built in 1955 and T.Priok started 75 years ago but no school has or will be built in the near future.We respect both of the gurdwaras committees and do not wish either to criticize or advise them,because we respect them very much(and have received their donations in the past and look forrward in the ,they are my elders and friends,have very good relations( we visit alll the gurdwara regularly).All the gurdwaras in Indonesia are under Hindu Parisadha and I am a member of the central board representing the Sikh community ( Indonesia only recognizes five religions-Islam,Buddhist,Protestan,Catholic,and Hinduism. To be short there are many different conditions and facts there you might be not yet be informed or lacking in knowledge. compared to Malaysia or Singapore.
You were asking my history and I had given you all the facts on the ground. All I need for your esteem SPN team is to come up in support of the gurdwara school and due to my lack of experince and knowhow,help compose a good,proper proffesional proposal in Punjabi and English wording that could be eye-catching and attractive to the hearts and minds of the Sadhsanggat. Please give your serious consideration for this specific request your expertise will do our cause a great favour.By thye Grace of God and Guru ki Kirpa the gurdwara school project is going to be launched as planned.
Looking forward to your most satisfactory reply. Gurfateh. Balwant
 

Astroboy

ਨਾਮ ਤੇਰੇ ਕੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਲਗਾਈ (Previously namjap)
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Re: Seva Request by SPN Member from Jakarta

I think we should help him in the wording. He's not asking us to raise funds.
 

Admin

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Re: A Nobel request by from Jakarta

Balwant Ji further writes:

Quote:
Thank you for your prompt response.Please let me write about my history:
I moved to Jakarta in 1978 worked in an American oil & gas company ARCO till '82.
Quit and started supplying this oil & gas industry from my newly opened Sports Plaza ..Regular visits to the Gurdwara Sahibs in Jakarta,with my familly.I got two sons(38 and 35 years,and four grand children).

My late brother Munder S. Rahal was a social worker and very religious Sikh.He was very saddened by the state of things and conditions of the Sikh community especially who came from Medan.There was a famous Khalsa school in our hometown and all us family of 109 brothers & sisters) studied in this school.My dad was involved in the GPC and later my elder brother.As you might have heard this school is now closed due to infighting of the Sikh there poisoned by the presence and interference of a notorious family.
In Jakarta the "Medanese" where prejudised and looked down by the rich Sikhs ,sport merchants from India for reasons difficult to explain might be due to the "Medanese" frankness and the usual punjabi /"pendu style from vllages,mostly from poor families hildren of mostly dairy or milk selling back-ground.
Tensions were high and due to misinformed elements that lead to a taking control of the Tanjung Priok Gurdwara Sahib by forcce in 1986.The Indonesian Director General for relious affairs had to interfere which cause a great deal of embarassment to the community at large.
These conditions ccoupled by the facts that both gurdwaras being controlled by families from particular parachoil minded Sikhs,who would ollect funds or "payta" but staced them in banks never to be utilized for the welfare or education of the marginalized community.
A few of us with the blessings of the committes of both the gurdwaras started rented an old house and launched anew Gurdwara in the South of Jakarta in 1992 (Yayasan Sosial Guru Nanak).
In 1993 my family bought a 6000 sq m plot for the future permanent gurdwara.

We built the new Gurdwara in 2000,two-storey on a 3000 sq m donated by my family and now after we acquired a permit from the government (blue-print available) 4 storey gurdwara school complete with hostel,classes and a multi-purpose hall with computer added facilities with Almight God's Kirpa and full participation of the Sadh-sanggat to be cot'd
Gurfateh
Balwant
YSGN
Jl.Merpati Raya 130.Ciputat,Tangerang Selatan.Banten tel 6221 74634688

Bus: Kedaton Interiors(1995)
and Sports Plaza(1982)
Jl. RS Fatmawati 9 CDE
Jaakarta Selatan
Tel: 6221 7396561/7222874/7396037 Fax:6221 7222763
hp. 0816953416
email :benrahal68@yahoo.com
Res:6221 7253975


Gurfateh.
BalwanT Singh Rahal
 

Admin

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Jun 1, 2004
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We would like to invite members to come forward if they have kind of expertise in writing such a proposal in Punjabi or English... Thank you.
 
Sep 21, 2009
4
5
79
jakarta
The Sikh and Punjabi culture amongst the Indonesian Sikh is on the brinks of extinction. It is the hope, desire and vision of the Sikh community leaders living in Jakarta to revive the basic fundamentals of our Sikh religion in our country that has almost lost about 70% of its youth who have lost touch with the spoken language as well as the Sikh /Punjabi culture.
As s result of this precarious situation where our next generation may wither away in Indonesia, the founding fathers of the gurudwara Yayasan Social Guru Nanak has taken up the initiative to attract our younger generation of Sikh to be brought back to our fold to take part in the study and culture of the Sikhs. In order to achieve our aim restoring the language and culture of our rich and prosperous Punjab, we have embarked on a crusade to seek funds from every corner where our members of the Sikh in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and other neighboring countries could merge/mix and share our common thoughts and to get to learn, speak and practice our culture on a common platform. To this end the founding fathers have spared no effort to enlist the support of eminent professors and artist as well as learned ‘parcarks’ to help us to run this proposed school.
We are very small community of Sikhs in Jakarta but its our ambitions and desire that we all shall make every efforts to make this dream of ours come true that is set up the Sikh Academy in Gurmat studies in Jakarta that shall become the focus and center point of the Sikh studies in South East Asia/Asean..
To this end, we are in dire need of funds and appeal to every individual of the Sikh Community to come forward and donate whatever small sum it may be, so that our vision and dream of saving our language, religion and culture will not be vain, donate genoursly to this cause so that our next generations will not point a finger at us that we did not do enough when we could have done. Your donations will help us to not only save our Community from extinction but to stand proud amongst all other races to be accounted for. Every cent donated for this worth cause will not only bring the cherished dreams of thousand who are trying to bring back the lost treasures of our community but a new world in a new world in a new beginning. In this fast moving world of ours.
Kindly forward your donations to for the first Gurmat School in Sikhism in Jakarta and with your help and assistance we are positive the slogan ‘RAAJ KARE GA KHALSA’ shall prevail and once again our youths who have now led astray will be brought back to our SIKH CAUSE/FOLD. Kindly donate to help us meet the RM 2 Million expected cost, when completed. Donation could be collected from the sanggat and handed to Sardar Balwant Singh,one of the founding fathers, who shall be present on most occasions when this announcement is made at your gurudwara or make out cheques/drafts/money orders made in favor of Yayasan Sosial Guru Nanak c/o Bank Permata cabang ITC Fatmawati,Jakarta Selatan Indonesia. Account number 0701351959, Swift code BBBAIDJA
For more info/inquires kindly contact the following: S.Daljit Singh +62811998667,S.Satnam Singh +62811195945/Sardani Iqbal Kaur +6281382111090/S.Balwant Singh +62816953416,Malaysia no 010 8877144,Singapore 90414642 email:
benrahal68@yahoo.com
May the blessings of Nanak be upon you and your families.
In the service of Nanak
 

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