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Portrait of Hon. Congressman
Dalip Singh Saund Unveiled in the U.S. Capitol
Occasion gave many an opportunity to learn about Sikhs and
Sikhism
WSN Network
 Washington: Under the dome of the capitol building, this son of
Punjab was honored in the Rayburn Room of the US Capitol. The
official portrait of the late Dalip Singh Saund, the first
Indian-American and also the first Asian-American congressman was
unveiled. Nearly 200 Indian-Americans from across the country,
including several Sikhs in colorful turbans, along with several US
lawmakers packed the room during the unveiling ceremony. Saund was
elected to House of Representatives in 1956 from California and
represented 29th district in California from 1957 to 1963.
In addition, Saund’s daughter, Ellie Saund Ford, five grandchildren,
including the eldest grandson Eric Saund and several
great-grandchildren participated in the ceremony.
Jon Friedman, a portraitist, landscape painter and sculptor who
sketched this official potrait of Congressman Dalip Singh Saund,
said that “it a great honor."
Friedman acknowledged that he had "never heard of Dalip Singh Saund
and so I knew nothing about his extraordinary life." He said that in
the process he also educated himself about the Indian-American
community, the immigrant experience of the Sikhs who came to the US
over 100 years ago and the struggle Saund had waged to stave off
discrimination. The artist has painted many miniature figures on the
side panel to detail the progression of journey of his life. With
the Sikh symbol of Khanda, from his farming family in Punjab, young
Dr. Saund in turban, Gandhi, Lincoln who had influenced his
thinking, Judge Saund for Congress and his distinguished service
culminating as a Congressman in the magnificent dome of the Capitol
Hill are painted with great finesse.
Hon. Mike Honda, the Congressman from California, who himself is of
Japanese origin, was the Master of Ceremonies. He started this
historical moment with Sikh slogan ‘WaheGuru ji ka Khalsa and
WaheGuru ji ki Fateh, welcomed the audience and introduced members
of the Saund family.
Congressman Jim McDemott, Washington Democrat, and co-chair of the
Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans, who kicked off
the celebration, kicked off the celebration by saying Sat Shri Akal
and said “We stand before the portrait of a man who stood the test
of time and his portrait will inspire people to achieve their
dreams. Hon. Saund, a man of humble beginning rose to fame. He
nurtured equality and justice. He was a trail blazer and his sense
of purpose flowered when he became the Congressman. His power to
make the difference regardless of whether you have turban or brown
skin was amazing.”
Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina, the Republican co-chair of
the India Caucus, had waged a campaign over three years for the
placing of Saund's portrait on Capitol Hill, declared, "What a
wonderful person he was, what a pioneer, what a great American hero
he is."
 He
proudly declared that it was not Democratic or Republican move to
install the portrait of Hon. Saund. It was a bi- partisan effort.
The seed sown by Hon. Saund is showing result today as Bobby Jindal,
another son of Punjab, has become Governor of Louisiana. He said
that “Hon: Saund made profound difference in the political process
of the country. He fought tirelessly for the rights of immigrants.
We have come a long way since but we have a long way to go.”
Eric Saund, the oldest grandson of Hon. Dalip Singh Saund, who has
launched a website also for his illustrious grandfather, spoke very
eloquently about him.
Hon. Mike Honda declared that it was a moment when history was made.
Hon: Saund was the first Asian to be elected to the House but should
not be the last. He implored the Sikhs to continue to educate the
wider American public about them. Although Sikhs are in this country
for over 100 years and are no strangers but it is recently that
issued concerning them have been highlighted. The sacred 5ks of the
Sikhs should be recognized, the challenges after 9/11 have to be
addressed and onus is on the Sikh community to let Americans know
about them selves.
Closing remarks were paid by Congressman Hon. Robert Brady who
underscored many similarities between his life and that of Hon:
Saund and concluded that the portrait of Hon: Saund would be a
beacon of hope and inspiration for the generations to come.
Commenting on this grand occasion, Amrit Kaur, Secretary of Guru
Gobind Singh Foundation, said, “This is a moment of pride for all
the immigrants in general and for the Sikhs in particular. A son of
the soil of Punjab rose to so much imminence and grandeur which is
to this day unparallel in history. The portrait of Honorable Dalip
Singh Saund will be a fountain head of inspiration and optimism for
the future generations to come. Congressman Saund believed in
American ideals of equality and justice because his personal
moorings were embedded in his Sikh faith which taught him the same
values from early childhood.”
“We thank the U.S. Congress for honoring the true hero of America.
This is a great gift to the community. Honor to Mr. Saund is a
matter of special pride for Sikh s in the U.S. His life, struggle
and success continue to inspire the American Sikh s to work hard to
create a place of respect and admiration for their community. He is
not only a symbol of hope and inspiration for all South Asians but
he is the most loved and remembered leader in California” said Dr.
Rajwant Singh, Chairman of the Washington based Sikh Council on
Religion and Education.
Speaker Pelosi released a statement which also described it as
"truly a historic day. It is my pleasure to welcome to the Capitol
of the United States, the People's House, the portrait of the first
Asian-American member of Congress, the Honorable Dalip Singh Saund."
Pelosi also described Saund's life as "the American dream" and said
here was "an immigrant from India, he came to this country to
further his education and worked hard to build his life and care for
his family, despite the discrimination that many Asians faced during
the 1920s."
14
November, 2007
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