Sikh News

2 NEW VICE CHAIRPERSONS ON BRITISH SIKH CONSULTATIVE FORUM
The BSCF executive is pleased to announce the selection and appointment of two further Vice Chairpersons to the executive of British Sikh Consultative Forum. They are Sardar Pawinder Singh Sabharwal an accountant and consultant for Infosys, from Ramgharia Sikh Gurdwara, East London, Neville Road and Sardar Kashmir Singh Rajput, a senior education officer and chair Bradford Districts Faith Forum, nominated by Board of Representative of Bradford Gurdwaras. We welcome them to the executive board. There are now three Vice Chairpersons, including Dr Sadhu Singh from Nanaksar That Isher Darbar from Wolverhampton.
British Sikh Consultative Forum. The national forum of Sikhs with representation on the UK Government’s Faith Communities Consultative Council.

CASTE RESEARCH PUBLISHED
The research commissioned by the Government’s Equalities Office has been finished and the findings as well as recommendations are now available on the Government’s Equalities Office website at   . The research was conducted by  National Institute of Economic and Social Research . BSCF gave evidence to this. The Sikh Human Rights Group held a one day seminar in Coventry. The report from the seminar has yet to be published. The BSCF will be formally giving its response to the document within four weeks.
http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_act_2010/faqs_on_commencement_of_the_eq/caste.aspx

BSCF TO EMBARK ON CONSULTATIONS ON BIG SOCIETY AND SIKHS
The coalition Government has been promoting its Big Society agenda. The Secretary of State at the Department of Communities and Local Government introduced the Localism Bill on 13th December 2010. The Bill can be read at http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/localism.html

BSCF feels that this will have significant implications for Sikh charitable sector and Gurdwaras across the country. As a result it is embarking on a 2 month long consultation across the country. The consultation will result in a report which will be handed to the Government.
Questions for the consultation can be seen on ( questions attached). These were developed in association with the Department for Communities and Local Government.

CONSULTATIONS WILL BE HELD AT:

West London
East London
West Midlands
Handsworth
East Midlands
Yorkshire-Manchester
Bristol-Wales
Glasgow

Please contact the BSCF office or email for further information;

info@bscf.org
Phones: 020 8574 5089 / 07932 735 467