ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>UP SIKH PRAT&#298NIDHI BOARD</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279U.P. SIKH PRAT&#298NIDHI BOARD, formed on 19 July 1947 at Lucknow, is, as the name indicates, a representative body of the Sikhs of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The Board came into being in consequence of a ban imposed, in 1946, by the government of the state known as the United Provinces of &#256gr&#257 and Oudh in British times, on the possession and carrying by Sikhs of <i>kirp&#257n</i> or sword, one of the five symbols of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. A meeting of the representatives of Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257s of the province called at Lucknow in January 1947 to protest against the ban led to the constitution of a common platform which went by the name of the U.P. Sikh Prat&#299nidhi Board. Bh&#257&#299 Amar Si&#7749gh <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 was elected president and Ajmer Si&#7749gh secretary. The aims of the Board included protection of the rights and interests of the Sikhs, dissemination of the Sikh thought and culture and establishment of institutions for popularizing Punjabi language and literature. The Board has one hundred odd Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257s and other Sikh societies and organizations affiliated to it. The general committee of the Board, comprising representatives of the constituent institutions, elects the president every third year. The Board functions from a modest two-storeyed building on the Gurdw&#257r&#257 Road at Lucknow. It has its own printing press and publishes in Punjabi a weekly paper called the U.P. Sikh Gazette started in 1948. Besides its annual conferences, the activities of the Board vary from running educational institutions to setting up <i>prach&#257r</i> (missionary) camps for the Sikh youth.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurbhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>