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Vaisakhi reverberates around the globe
WSN Network
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From Surrey to Paris to Fremont to
Talwandi Sabo, religiosity and Khalsa spirit marked the Vaisakhi
celebrations. |
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Hundreds
of thousands turned out across the globe to celebrate Vaisakhi and
the events in different countries meant to mark the occasion also
flagged the importance of the Sikh community, otherwise a tiny
minority but a throbbing, thriving ethnic nationality that has
marched in step with the other communities, partnering in
development and welfare of the humankind.
In
Surrey,
Vancouver,
the crowds were unbelievably huge. B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell was
out of town but New Democrat MP Penny Priddy, Surrey Mayor Diane
Watts, Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal and many others were at hand,
partaking of the Khalsa spirit and watching a community on the move.
As expected, a
few remarks and statements were flung around about the display of
photos of some Sikh martyrs, including Beant Singh, Satwant Singh,
Harjinder Singh Jinda, Sukhdev Singh etc. Perspectives of other
communities are often different because they developments from a
long distance and are often not aware of the ground realities. Each
community celebrates its heroes and history often takes long to
certify who was a hero and who was an aberration.
In
Fremont,
the Jewish mayor and a Catholic state assemblyman strutted around
proudly displaying their turbans. They were part of the celebrations
of the day as Sikh Turban Day, something that will go a long way in
telling the world who the Sikhs are.
In
Stockton,
thousands flocked to the parade. The city, that boasts of America's
first gurdwara, watched the two standard bearers carrying U.S. and
California flags as part of the parade which was a sea of color with
rich blues, oranges and yellows crested everywhere. A float broudly
carried a banner with "Proud to be American Sikh" emblazoned on it.
From south
Stockton
gurdwara across the Crosstown Freeway into downtown before looping
back to gurdwara, the parade was marked by Sikh volunteers handing
out bowls of cooked food, chopped fruit, tea and cold drinks to
everyone. Thousands paraded in Los Angeles on April 6.
In
London,
Prime Minister Gordon Brown attended Sikh Vaisakhi celebrations at
an east London gurdwara alongwith London Mayor Ken Livingstone and
promised to reflect the values of the Sikh community. In remarks
that will gladden the hearts of Sikhs across the world, Brown said
his new rule was to reflect the Sikh values of “tolerance, equality,
justice, and treating people with fairness, values that uphold our
religious and spiritual views.”
In Bradford,
Birmingham, London, ceremonial Sikhs on parade from babies in prams
to school-age youngsters, teenagers to adults and pensioners
thronged together as they all made their way from one Gurdwara to
the next on a seven-mile route round the city. The administration
helped in ensuring that the parade takes place on a weekday as
normally such parades are carried on weekends. Bradford Council and
West Yorkshire Police helped a lot. Lord Mayor of Bradford,
Councillor Robin Owens, was among the attendees.
St James Street
reverberated with kirtan. Sikh residents are currently trying to
raise funds for the refurbishment of the St James Street gurdwara.
In Gravesend, Kent, several streets in the town were closed for the
Sikh procession which started from Parrock Street and finished at
the Gurdwara in Clarence Place. Kent Sikhs are building a new
Gurdwara, one of the biggest in the UK.
Some 10,000
people walked the streets of a
Berkshire town
while in Slough the carnival was a razzmatazz of colour and
religiosity.
In
Paris,
residents were pleasantly impressed watching the smartly turned out
Sikhs cleaning the streets before barefoot Panj Payaras followed
accompanying the Guru Granth Sahib in in Bobigny, Paris.
In
Pakistan, more
than 20,000 Sikh pilgrims from all over the world participated in
the Vaisakhi celebrations.
16
April 2008
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