From News Dispatches
olorful parades, reli-
gious discourses and
cultural presentations
markedVaisakhi cele-
brations across the
country. The harvest festival also
marks the beginning of the New
Year for the Punjabi and the Sikh
community. The festival is espe-
cially important for
the Sikh community as it marks
the establishment of the Khalsa.
Sixteen lawmakers led by
Democrat John Garamendi
introduced a resolution in the
U.S. House of Representatives,
honoring Vaisakhi. The biparti-
san resolution was co-sponsored
among others by the lone
Indian-American Congressman
Ami Bera, Democratic co-chair
of the Congressional Caucus on
India and Indian Americans, one
of the largest in Congress with
more than 180 members, the
Indo Asian News Service report-
ed.
“America’s founding ideals of
freedom of worship, equality,
and justice are reflected in the
Sikh American community’s cel-
ebration of Vaisakhi,” said
Garamendi, co-chair of the
American Sikh Congressional
Caucus. “I am proud to repre-
sent one of the largest Sikh com-
munities in the country. I have
partnered with the community
on many issues, including civil
liberties, education, and busi-
ness development,” he said.
There are approximately 500,000
Indian-Americans of Sikh faith
in this country.
Meanwhile, at the Indian
Embassy inWashington, D.C.,
visiting Indian Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley and Environment
Minister Prakash Javadekar
attendedVaisakhi celebrations
April 18. More than three hun-
dred guests including prominent
Indian American community
leaders, doctors, engineers,
lawyers, bankers, scientists, and
other professionals cam, accord-
ing to the Embassy Facebook
page said. “You are far away
from India, but you carry the
spirit here,” Jaitley said.
The Sikh community also
honored U.S. Attorney General
Eric Holder with a siropa, a cere-
monial robe of honor, and a
Sewa Service Award at a ceremo-
ny at the Justice Department
April 20. A special prayer to bless
the Attorney General and the
nation was performed in a room
that was once the office of late
Attorney General Robert
Kennedy, IANS reported. A robe
was placed around Holder’s neck
and he was presented an hon-
orary plaque, a phulkari
(embroidered shawl) and a
book on Sikhs at the ceremony.
In California, members of the
Sikh and Punjabi community
came in large numbers to attend
festivities as it made its way
down Highland Avenue in
Selma, following several large
parade floats, the Fresno Bee
reported. The parade began at
Sahib Sikh Center of the Pacific
Coast.
– that’s all you need to know
11
News India Times
May 1, 2015
Community
C
Parades, Cultural Programs Mark Vaisakhi Celebrations
Above, Giddha dance performance by a
team of students from the University of
Maryland perform at the Vaisakhi
celebrations hosted at the Indian
Embassy in Washington, D.C., April 18.
Left, Arun Jaitley speaks at the embassy
event. Far left, guests in attendance.
By a Staff Writer
– NEWYORK
F
irst Lady Chirlane McCray
and Public Advocate
Letitia James jointly host-
ed aVaisakhi celebration in col-
laboration with South Asian 4
Better Choice (SA4BC) at City
Hall April 16. The event was
organized by SA4BC Founder
PamKwatra and Co- founder
Eric Kumar, along with Flora
Parekh, D. P. Singh, Dr. Raj
Bhayani, Kulwant Singh Deol,
Raja Sajid, Kirpal Singh Billing
and Kamlesh Mehta.
Ritu Nanda, chief executive
officer of the Mumbai-based
Ritu Nanda Insurance Services,
was honored as part of the “Year
ofWomen Empowerment” for
entering the Guinness Book of
World Records for selling 17,000
pension policies in a single day.
First Lady McGray, who pre-
sented the award to Nanda,
congratulated all the honorees
and exchanged greetings from
the mayor’s office. Public
Advocate James exchanged
greetings, and honored Nanda
as well as several prominent
leaders of the Sikh community.
Julissa Gutierrez, deputy
director of Constituency Affairs
in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office;
Mina Malik, executive director
of the Civilian Complaint
Review Board; Mohammad
Hack fromQueens Borough
President Melinda Katz’s Office,;
Dev Awasthi fromNYC
Comptroller Scott M. Stringer’s
Office, and Kamlesh Mehta
fromNassau County Executive
Ed Mangano’s Office, were pres-
ent to show their support.
More than 150 guests includ-
ing prominent members of the
Sikh community like Raghubir
Singh, Gurdev Singh Kang,
Raghbir Singh, Himmat Singh
Sarpanch, Shudh Prakash
Singh, Ashok Sapra, Manjit
Singh, Malini Shah, Mazeda
Uddin, and Kirpal Singh,
attended the event.
Highlights included tradi-
tional Bhangra dance byVirsa
Group and the unveiling of a
souvenir book.
New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray at the Vaisakhi celebration at City Hall April 16.
Seen from left are, Rima Jain, Ritu Nanda, McCray and Pam Kwatra.
New York First Lady, Public Advocate
Host Vaisakhi Event at City Hall
