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Bay Area Sikhs’ strong protests drown FIA parade charm
Not a single Sikh participated in the Indian I-Day parade
WSN Network

FREMONT: In keeping with the convention, the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) carried out a parade to mark the Indian Independence Day in Fremont city but not only was the attendance and participation much poorer than earlier years but it faced a massive and loud protest from the Bay Area Sikhs who wanted to underscore how Sikhs have never felt a glow of freedom in India and the country's establishment is infamous for denigrating the minorities.

The FIA parade could boast of just 4-5 floats while it had to fall back on a minor Bollywood starlet Neha Dhupia as its chief guest. Except for a float representing Kashmir, no other float was named after any Indian province.

The focus of attention was rather the enthusiastic and enraged protests by the Sikhs who make it a point to every year underline the way India treats the Sikh Nation. Except for a hired drummer, no Sikh participated in the FIA parade.

Sikh sangat was inspired to participate with gusto in the protests, thanks to inspiration from the Bay Area panthic forums and managing committee of Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont.

The Sikh sangat that was protesting was particularly critical of the FIA for allowing a float of Ashutosh Noormehlia in the parade and said the FIA was deliberately trying to stoke a quarrel between the Sikhs and the Noormehlias in the US. Sikh Youth of America's vice president Manjit Singh Brar said inviting those who use objectionable language about the Sikh Gurus to participate in the parade smelt of a deliberate effort to create bitterness.

Another highly objectionable incident occurred when those accompanying a float of the Sankara Eye Foundation raised provocative slogans when they passed by the Sikh protesters. It was rather surprising because the same organization is trying to get help from Sikhs for raising its center in Ludhiana in Punjab but harbors such ill will towards the community. Bhai Jaswinder Singh Jandi, the Supreme Council member of the Fremont Gurdwara Sahib, has appealed to the sangat not to extend any cooperation to the Foundation.

In another noticeable development, no member of the San Jose Gurdwara Sahib committee participated in the protests by the Sikhs. In the past, the Jaswant Singh Hothhi group participates enthusiastically in the protests. When a member of the committee was contacted to seek reasons for their absence, he said, "Those who are known as panthic in Fremont and protest against Hindutva forces behave differently in San Jose where they make votes of Hindus. It is better to stay away from the double mouthed."

The women and children participating in the protests kept the energy levels high with continuous slogans and jaikaras. The FIA parade faced slogans of Khalistan Zindabad, Down Down India and India Kills Minorities. Bhai Gurbhalinder Singh Bhinda of SYA's executive appealed to all the sangat to always prepare in advance for such a venture in order to ensure that the voice of the Sikh community is heard loudly and clearly.

It became clear that the rumors about the SYA opposing the protests were also spread by vested political interests. Bhai Kulwant Singh Khaira of SYA thanked the sangat.

19 August 2009
 

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