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| Message from Jassi... |
| The past month or so has been extremely varied with several days being spent in the UK on a family wedding, also attended by Sukh Dhaliwal, MP from Canada.
In India the heat has been incessant, the rainfall poor and unpredictable, although when it did rain it did cool down for 2 or 3 days.
There has been lots of activity for the planned USA and Canada tour. I am delighted to announce the final schedule below.
Chapaar mela is the biggest event in the political calendar of my constituency. It takes weeks of planning. This year we had a massive turnout and great coverage.
Visits to a home for the mentally challenged and a women’s organisation exposed me to fresh challenges.
A busy period !! |
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| Chapaar Mela from 3rd to 4th September 2009 |
| As always, this year’s Chapaar Mela was a great success, attended by senior Congress leaders including Bibi Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mohinder Singh Kaypee, and Manish Tewari, MP. We had been discussing current topics amongst leaders, workers and constituents with a view to ensuring the common man’s issues were brought to the fore at the conference, which they were.
The Congress leaders exposed the misdeeds, falsehoods, outright deception, criminality and all pervasive corruption of this failed Akali-BJP government. They voiced the anger we have been hearing from the people we meet daily at surgeries and in the villages and constituencies.
This was the 8th Chapaar mela since the Khangura family entered Indian politics. This year’s was by far the biggest crowd. Supporters came from all parts of the Qila Raipur constituency, as well as the new Dakha constituency. Many came from Ahmedgarh and the nearby Sangrur district villages.
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(Mela Chappar, 4 September 2009. S. Malkiat Singh Dakha, S.Bhupinder Sidhu, Shri Manish Tewari M.P, Bibi Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Shri Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Jassi Khangura MLA, S.Sukhdev Singh Libra M.P and others.) |
Other key leaders present were:
MP Ravneet Singh “Bittu”
MLAs Gurdeep Singh Bhaini, Ishar Singh Mehrbaan, Rana Sodhi and Bibi Harchand Kaur.
Ex-MLAs Malkeet Singh Dakha, Gurbrinder Singh Atwal and Harnam Das Johar. |
Click to view
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| PRESS RELEASES – Click here to read |
| As always, I have been regularly standing up publicly against what I perceive to be the incorrect and inefficient policies of an SAD government run by Sukhbir Singh Badal and S. Parkash Singh Badal. I must say that Sukhbir Badalfailed the people of Punjab with his visionless Independence Day speech. It not only lacked substance and conviction but also failed to address the core issues concerning the state, particularly those of unemployment and recession.
This month I also questioned the moral authority of the Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Badal in disputing the efficacy of the Electronic Voting Machines. |
Click to read
1. Why is S. Prakash Singh Badal afraid of a referendum on the proposed HGPC?
2. Sukhbir's questioning EVMs implies 2007 election results are null and void
3. SAD-BJP govt legalises lawlessness, says Khangura
4. Sukhbir lacks vision, fails Punjab: Khangura
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| CHKM Exclusive Girls Batch |
| The girls batch of the one-year Certificate in Hospitality Kitchen Management (CHKM) graduated recently. This was the fifth batch to succeed in adding vocational skills to their academic ones. The girls came from villages including Jurahan, Gopalpur, Qila Hans, Qila Raipur, Gujjarwal and Siarah.
With 30 students in each batch, mostly drawn from rural areas, this course provides rural youth with valuable exposure to assist them in achieving meaningful job placements. Many former students have now taken up appointments in leading hotels pan India.
The course is managed and sponsored by the Khangura family’s Babu Joginder Singh Benevolent Trust (BJSBT), which also runs other technical courses and welfare programmes in the area. |
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The course is affiliated and accredited to the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), which is the apex industry association at national level of all hotels and restaurants in India.
The CHKM course is yet another election promise on which the Khangura’s have delivered. |
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| Mr Sukh Dhaliwal MP joins Jassi in London to support UNITED SIKHS |
| Jassi Khangura and Sukh Dhaliwal, MP Newton North Delta, BC, Canada, on 30 August in London supported the cause of UNITED SIKHS, a charity fighting for Sikh rights, by promoting the campaign T-shirts and by fund raising. In all about GBP2,500 was raised. United Sikhs director in London, Mejinderpal Kaur, stated: “When I expressed my concerns that I had a £5000 bill to pay the next week for the French cases and that £6000 has been spent defending a Kirpan case in London, Jassi Khangura, MLA immediately invited me to the private events he was attending the next day to fundraise amongst his friends and family. This magnanimous gesture shows that Jassi is not only a MLA who fights for people's individual rights but that he is also selfless in helping the Sikh community's communal rights."
During the weekend event, Jassi Khangura, MLA and Sukh Dhaliwal MP, assured me that no stone will be left unturned to raise the issue of the Sikh Turban in the Canadian and Indian parliaments so that the French government is made fully aware of the concerns of the Sikhs globally," she added.
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Jassi Khangura and Sukh Dhaliwal supporting the Right to Turban campaign. Also in the picture Mejinderpal Kaur, Director, United Sikhs with Bhupindar Singh and Harmandir Singh, volunteers and Harbans Singh Kanwal. |
| Sukh Dhaliwal is actively involved in issues surrounding multiculturalism and immigration. He assured all present that he would work to resolve NRI issues at a policy level. It was a good opportunity to think further about the specific problems that the diaspora faces, and to discuss ways to resolve these with those who can take the voices of the NRIs to the places they need to be heard for change to be made for a brighter future |
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| Lydia and Matthew - Volunteers from UK |
| In keeping with my promise to bring an international standard education to Qila Raipur students, in 2007 we started a program under the Babu Joginder Singh Benevolent Trust to teach English as a foreign language to students in the Qila Raipur Constituency.
As in previous years, some volunteers joined us to help in this program. Lydia Davis and Matthew Emmott spent time with us in Punjab assisting us with spoken English for the rural youth on vocational training and college programs. The students involved would not normally have exposure to native English speakers and Lydia volunteered to help us out by giving classes along with Matt, who also spent time with us last year.
We currently have another volunteer, Steve, also from the UK, who is planning on being with us for several months which will give the students plenty of opportunity to really enhance their confidence levels. Steve has complete his Teaching English as a Foreign Language course in the UK and has clear objectives for his time in Punjab. | 
British english language teaching volunteers, Lydia and Matt, with CHKM (Certificate in Hotel Kitchen Management) students at Ludhiana. |
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| Distribution of School Uniforms to children from poor families at Aliwal village |
| On 9 August Jassi visited Aliwal Primary School. Jassi explained that school uniforms were critical as they are great levelers of society with kids from all income bracket families wearing the same ones. The children were most enthusiastic. Jassi also explained that the best remedy for poverty is education. He reconfirmed that the Khangura family would especially help poor families and looked forward to the day when some of those present rise to great positions in both the private and public sectors. Jassi requested the parents present to ensure that they received a newspaper daily at home which children would start – first viewing the pictures and in due course reading the text. Many research studies have confirmed that children from homes with newspapers and other reading material perform better at school.
In the picture -Jassi Khangura MLA, Halqa Qila Raipur distributed uniforms to primary school students at village Aliwal in the presence of Pargat Singh Aliwal, Lambardar Chuhar Singh, Shminder Singh Brar, Parkash Singh Panch, Kartar Singh , Hardev Singh, Gurpreet Khangura, Ranjit Singh Mangat and others. |
(9 August 09 - In the picture Jassi Khangura MLA, Halqa Qila Raipur, distributed uniforms to primary school students at village Aliwal in the presence of Lambardar Chuhar Singh, Shminder Singh Brar, Parkash Singh Panch, Kartar Singh , Hardev Singh and others on) |
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| Inner Wheel function |
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On 7 August Jassi was invited by Inner Wheel, the ladies wing of the local Rotary chapter, to the Satluj Club for a prestigious function to install of a new team of office bearers.
The Inner Wheel Club has put in 31 years of service for the cause of family welfare, upliftment of the girl child, care of senior citizens and campaigns against female foeticide etc.
Jassi thanked the outgoing office bearers including President Mrs Kitty Bakshi and Secretary Mrs Darshi Chhatwal And he welcomed the new officers including President Mrs Santosh Aggarwal and Secretary Mrs Navneet Kaur.
Jassi spoke about foeticide and the primary school system. He stated that there was a need for better prenatal care and monitoring, together with better counseling to improve the sex ratio. |
(7 August 09 -Unknown to Jassi, the ladies had also decided to dress in pink!! Inner Wheel function, Ludhiana,)
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| He stressed the need for better placement of unwanted baby girls in foster homes as well as the dire need for better orphanages. On the school system Jassi stressed the need for smaller local area education boards, which would recruit local teachers directly, and for consolidation of smaller unviable schools into larger common resource schools serving several villages and served by a government funded bussing system. |
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| Visit to Nirdosh School for the Mentally challenged |
| On 4 August, Jassi visited the Nirdosh School which operates at the rear of the Rotary Bhawan, Sarabhanagar.
He was delighted to meet the children and to see their work in progress , which varied from basic literacy and numeracy to creative writing and excellent craftwork. To cap it all was an excellent dance routine. Jassi was very impressed with the resolve of the children to overcome their difficulties.
Jassi was delighted to meet the management including, Mrs Sudarshan Khanna, Mrs Rekha Munjal, Mrs Poonam Bindra, Mrs Rippy Chatwal, Mrs Santosh Aggarwal, the Principal Surat Singh and about 60 children. Jassi received Rakhis from two girls and distributed sweets. |
8 August 2009 - Jassi Khangura with students and staff of Nirdosh School, Ludhiana |
| Jassi stated that the school facilities are superbly run and encouraged the management to seek more resources by lobbying Ludhiana industry for assistance (many of the management are wives of industrialists) and to consider holding fund raising events like charity dinners. He offered to host one such dinner at Hotel ParkPlaza, Ludhiana and also contributed Rs31,000 to their funds. |
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| Foundation Stone of soccer player’s house laid by Jassi Khangura MLA |
| The NRI Sports Club, founded and headed by Gurinder Goraya of Toronto, celebrated Independence Day at Buthari village by laying the foundation stone of a house for Jagdeep Kaur, who had won three gold medals in the All-India Inter-University Football Championship. Civic body members led by Mohinder Singh, sarpanch also felicitated Darshan Singh Khatra (coach), Jagdev Brar of Moga and Jasbir Singh of Patiala on the occasion.
This event saw her family start moving along the road away from poverty. Freedom for Jagdeep Kaur and other members of her family came as their dream of owning a house becomes reality thanks to contributions from NRIs. Jagdeep Kaur and Gurmit Kaur (both football players) and Lalli Buthari (Kabaddi player) put the village on the sporting map. |
17 August 09-Foundation stone laying ceremony |
| As India moves towards hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010 Jassi finds it tragic that local governments do not give support to those already achieving so much sporting success, usually against the odds.
The Club decided to support Jagdeep Kaur after she had decided to abandon her sport as authorities at the sports department refused to support her. Besides providing Rs10,000 per month to enable her to pursue her sporting career, the Club announced to
a donation of Rs3 lakhs towards the reconstruction her house. Tragically her father was killed by one of the walls of his house falling on him about three months ago. Kulwant Singh Langeri from England and Jaswinder Singh Kahlon from Holland were moved to contribute a very generous Rs 1 lakh each towards the construction of the house after hearing of the sports club’s gesture on the radio.
Jassi stated that he would work more closely with the NRI Sports Club to raise additional funds in order that more sports persons in Punjab can be supported with monthly income. Jassi too contributed Rs. ………. on this occasion. |
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| NORTH AMERICA TOUR DATES |
Jassi will be touring USA and Canada as follows:
30 SEP - 2 OCT – WASHINGTON
2 - 5 OCT - NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY
5 - 6 OCT- DETROIT
6 - 11 OCT – GREATER VANCOUVER
1 - 13 OCT – CALGARY
13 - 15 OCT – EDMONTON
15 OCT – TORONTO (few hours only en-route to LONDON. |
| A more detailed itinerary with function details and key organizers will be published on www.qilaraipur.org. Check the website regularly for updates.
Do you have a question that you would like Jassi to address on tour? Submit to Jassi at jk@qilaraipur.org
Jassi looks forward to meeting supporters, old and new. |
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Best regards,
Jassi Khangura MLA
Punjab's Most Responsive MLA
Read my CV Read My Communications Watch My Videos Go To My Website
Office: +91 161 301 1330
Mobile: +91 98761 97761
Fax: +91 161 277 1888
www.qilaraipur.org |
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