Shakti Parwha Kaur about Premka

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW MEXICO

S. PREMKA KAUR KHALSA

Plaintiff,

vs.

No. CIV 86-0838 M

HARBHAJAN SINGH KHALSA

YOGIJI, et al.,

Defendants.

AFFIDAVIT OF MUKHIA SARDARNI

SAHIBA SHAKTI PARWHA KAUR KHALSA

(COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES STATE OF CALIFORNIA )

MUKHIA SARDARNI SAHIBA SHAKTI PARWHA KAUR KHALSA, having been first duly sworn, deposes and states:

1. I have been a member of the Sikh religion since 1972.

2. I am an ordained minister of the Sikh religion and hold the title of Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba, which designation is that of an administrative minister.

3. I am the Executive Financial Secretary (equivalent of Treasurer) of Defendant Sikh Dharma Brotherhood.

4. I am Secretary Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of Defendant 3H0 Foundation.

5. I have known the Plaintiff in this action, Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba Sardarni Premka Kaur Khalsa, now known as Pamela Dyson ( Premka ), since 1969.

6. My relationship with Premka over the years has been one of close personal friendship, as well as that of a business asso­ciate dealing in the management of the corporations that admin­ister the affairs of the Sikh religion in the Western Hemisphere.

7. Premka became involved in the Sikh faith in 1969 and took her vows to become a member of the Sikh religion in 1971 in India.

8. Premka ceased to be actively involved in the corporations that administer the affairs of the Sikh religion in January of 1985.

9. From 1976 until 1985, Premka held the title of Secretary-General (equivalent of President) with Defendant Sikh Dharma Brotherhood.

10. From 1974 to 1984, Premka was Vice President, Administrative Director, and member of the Board of Directors of Defendant 3H0 Foundation.

11. Over the years I have known Premka, she and I exchanged hundreds of letters and other documents, of both a personal and business nature, so that I am very familiar with Premkas handwriting and signature.

12. I recognize and identify Premkas signature on the documents attached hereto as Exhibits 14, 18, 19, 2124, 28, 29, 31, 3436, 3840, 4244, and 46, which Exhibits are incorporated herein by reference.

13. Like myself, Premka was ordained as an administrative minister of the Sikh religion and bore the title of Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba.

14. From 1972 until the end of 1984, Premka was editor-in-chief of Beads of Truth magazine and also authored numerous articles for it.

15. I identify and incorporate herein by reference Exhibits 15, 16, 20, 26, 27, 32, 33 and 45, which are copies of articles personally known by me to have been authored by Premka and pub­lished in Beads of Truth.

16. While actively involved in the Sikh religion, Premka also compiled and rendered into American English Sikh writings and authored other works on matters relating to the Sikh religion.

17. While actively involved in the Sikh religion, Premka compiled and edited articles and pictures for a commemorative publication dedicated to Yogi Bhajan and entitled A Man Called Siri Singh Sahib, which was published by Sikh Dharma in 1979.

18. I identify and incorporate herein by reference Exhibit 25, which is a Glossary of Indian terms commonly used by Sikhs in the practice of our religion. This Glossary was compiled and edited by Premka as part of The Man Called Siri Singh Sahib, and the definitions given therein are those personally known to me to have been the definitions and meanings of the words as used by Premka in her writings which are attached as Exhibits to this Affidavit.

19. In addition to editing A Man Called Siri Singh Sahib, Premka also authored articles for this volume, copies of some of which are attached hereto as Exhibits 48 and 49 and incorporated herein by reference.

20. While actively involved in the Sikh religion, Premka also wrote numerous articles and letters for other publications. I identify and incorporate herein by reference Exhibits 17, 30 and 37, which are examples of such articles, personally known by me to have been authored by Premka.

21. During the years that Premka was actively involved in the Sikh religion, she toured extensively all over the world, often but not always, in the company of Yogi Bhajan. In her travels, she acted as a personal envoy and good will ambassador for Sikhs in the Western Hemisphere. The more significant of these tours by Premka were the following:

    a) Late 1970 and early 1971: India

    b) March, 1972: England

    c) Summer, 1972: Europe, Far East

    d) Summer, 1973: Europe

    e) Early 1974: India, London

    f) November, 1974: India, Europe

    g) August, 1977: India

    h) Early 1978: Europe

    i) January, 1979: Mexico

    j) February, 1979: Seattle, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon

    k) July, 1979: Europe

    1) January, 1980: India

    m) Fall, 1980: India

    n) Early 1981: India, Europe

    o) Summer, 1981: Europe

    p) Late 1982 and early 1983: Europe, India, and Burma

    q) May and June 1983: Oregon and Alaska

    r) Summer, 1983: Europe, India, and Thailand

    s) Fall, 1983: Various cities in U.S.

    t) June 1984: Alaska

    u) August, 1984: Europe, Orient

    v) October, 1984: Seattle

22. I identify and incorporate herein by reference Exhibits 40 through 52, which are photographs of Premka taken on some of her good will tours:
    • Premka with His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Rome 1983 (Exhibit 1).
    • Premka with His Holiness Pope John Paul II in Rome 1984 (Exhibit 2).
    • Premka with His Holiness Pope Paul VI in Rome 1972 (Exhibit 3).
    • Premka with Senator Pete Domenici at President Carters 1976 inauguration in Washington D.C. (Exhibit 4).
    • Premka with Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India in New Delhi 1984 (Exhibit 5).
    • Premka with the Israeli Ambassador at the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles, California May 18 1982 (Exhibit 6).
    • Premka with the Archbishop of Canterbury at the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles, California, May 5, 1981 (Exhibit 7).
    • Premka with Senator Mark Hatfield at President Carters 1976 inauguration in Washington, D.C. (Exhibit 8).
    • Premka at a 1978 conference in London addressed by Lord Mountbatten (where as minister and international spokesperson for the Sikh religion Premka gave the invocation) (Exhibit 9).
    • Premka with a group of international leaders of the Sikh faith in Paris in 1978 (Exhibit 10).
    • Premka with the President and former Parliament of India in New Delhi in 1983 (Exhibit 11).
    • Premka in the front row of a crowd gathered for a ceremony honoring international dignitaries on India's Independ­ence Day, New Delhi, 1984 (Exhibit 12).
    • Premka with other religious leaders at a reception in honor of International Religions Freedom Week, in Los Angeles, California in 1983 (Exhibit 13).

23. Premka remained in close contact with her family over the years and often talked with me about them. She took the opportunity on trips to Seattle and Alaska to spend time with her family.

24. When Premka ceased to be involved with the Defendant corporations in January, 1985, I mailed to Premka, at her request, a check for $2,008.75, which she claimed was due her from the Defendant corporations. I asked that she sign a release on the back of the check, releasing all claims against 3H0 Foun­dation, Sikh Dharma Brotherhood, and Sin Singh Sahib corpora­tions, which she did sign. Copies of my letter, the check and the Release are attached hereto as Exhibit 29 and are incorpor­ated herein by reference.

25. In all the years I was close to Premka, I found her to have a sharp intellect, a creative mind, and I had no reason t question her mental competency in any way.