US Congress House Session starts with Sikh prayer for first time in history
First Published: 30th September, 2023 13:49 IST
A Sikh granthi offered prayers before the commencement of proceedings of the House on Friday (local time).
In a historic first, the session of the US House of Representatives began with a Sikh prayer.
A Sikh granthi offered prayers before the commencement of proceedings of the House on Friday (local time).
“Today we are here for a very historic event. Today for the first time ever in the history of US Congress, the House session started with a Sikh prayer. Giani Jaswinder Singh offered the prayer. So, this is a very, very happy occasion for the Sikh community, for the whole global Sikh community…” the media spokesman of Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast Harjinder Singh said.
“We prayed for the members of this Congress who are working for the protection of the free world and all the Americans over here. We wish and pray for the whole of humanity as one race. So this was the message that was given. And so that’s really the universal message of Sikhism” he said.
Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar had on Friday launched the formation of a new Congressional Caucus aimed at protecting the interests of Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains living in the US.
The Caucus aims at addressing cultural misunderstandings and promoting interfaith dialogue and harmony. It supports initiatives to promote Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain Americans’ well-being, education and empowerment.
The newly formed Caucus has bipartisan support from both, Republicans and Democrats, and more than 27 US lawmakers have supported it.
Addressing the event in Washington DC, Thanedar said, “I am profoundly honoured to stand before you at this pivotal juncture. We are not merely congregating to initiate another caucus, we are assembling to pioneer a movement, one that strives for understanding, inclusion, and affirmative policy actions. A movement that says every faith, every culture, and every community has a place in America, the land of free and the home of the brave”.
“My name is Shri Thanedar and I am a proof of America’s diversity in Congress,” he added.
The US Congressman further said that the launch of the Caucus is a commitment to stand against religious discrimination, and cultivate a nation where diversity is not just “tolerated, but celebrated”.
The developments come amid a diplomatic row between India and Canada over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. (ANI)
COMMENTS
TOPMOST STORY NOW
Live Manipur: Fresh Drone Bomb Attacks Reported from Kangchup Hills in Imphal West
15th January 2025
Live CM N. Biren Chairs High-Level Meeting to Address Loktak Lake’s Preservation Challenges
15th January 2025
Live Alliance Air Caps Fares to Manipur at Rs 5000 a Ticket, CM Biren Singh Hails Decision
15th January 2025
Live Guwahati Shocker: Man Killed by Friends After Party, 4 Arrested
15th January 2025
WE RECOMMEND
South Korea: Standoff at presidential residence as investigators try to arrest Yoon Suk Yeol
Meanwhile, police aired broadcasts warning that any attempt to resist the warrants' execution could lead to arrest.
15th January 2025
How Did the House of a Trash Tycoon Survive the Devastating Los Angeles Fire?
The house is now being referred to as the “miracle” house and the labelled as the ‘last house standing’
14th January 2025
Los Angeles Wildfires Day 8: Latest Updates Amid Red Flag Warnings, What Happens Next?
There is good news in Hurst as reports suggest that 97 per cent of the fires here have been contained.
14th January 2025
California wildfires claim 16 lives; Donald Trump calls it “One of the worst catastrophes” in US history
At least 35,000 acres of land have burned down, an area about two-and-a-half times the size of Manhattan.
12th January 2025
1.25 lakh lamps illuminate Nepal’s Janakpur to celebrate first anniversary of Ram Mandir’s ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony
In Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, Shri Ram Lalla's Mahabhishek was performed at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple to mark the first anniversary of 'Pran Pratishtha' on Saturday
12th January 2025