US Senate passes resolution honouring Sikh community

Washington, November 16

The United States Senate has unanimously passed a resolution recognising the historical, cultural and religious significance of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, besides the Sikhs’ contributions to the US growth.

Introduced by Republican Senator Todd Young from Indiana and Democratic Senator Ben Cardin from Maryland, the first-of-its-kind resolution on Sikhism was passed by the US Senate on Thursday.

The resolution said Sikhs in the US and around the world lived as per the values and ideals of equality, service, and devotion to God, first preached by Guru Nanak.

The Senate resolution also mentioned four eminent Sikhs for their contribution to the US.

The Sikhs figured in the resolution are Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian-American Congressman, elected to the office in 1957; Dr Narinder Kapany, the inventor of fibre optics; Dinar Singh Bains, the largest peach grower in the United States; and Gurinder Singh Khalsa, the recipient of the prestigious Rosa Parks Trailblazer Award.

The resolution also recognised the contribution of Sikh women--Grammy-winning artist Snatam Kaur; New York Police Department police officer Gursoach Kaur; and University of California, Berkeley professor Supreet Kaur.

Indiana-based Khalsa welcomed the passage of the resolution.

“This is a historic moment for the global Sikh community. We Sikhs of America are grateful to the United States Senate and Senator Young for introducing the resolution,” he said. PTI