Sheeba Singh

© The Tribune, May 1, 2010

The tradition of celebrating Vaisakhi in House of Commons started after the election of the first Sikh Turbaned Member of Parliament, Liberal Party; Gurbaksh Singh Malhi in 1993. Since then, every year, a function is held in the house of commons. No other country, including India has such celebrations inside the parliament.

On April 15th, 2010, members and supporters of the Indian and Sikh community gathered on Parliament hill to celebrate 311 years of Khalsa. A short note on behalf of the Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, and his admiration for the Indian community led way to the celebration. With over fifty-thousand Indian immigrants in the country, and emerging Indo-Canadian trade, Canada embraces its diversity and the coming together of different cultures. Hosted by Members of Parliament of the Conservative Party; Nina Grewal and Tim Uppal, the event shone light on the importance of building cooperation amongst Canadian citizens and was presided by dignitaries and diplomats from different parts of the world.

After over three hundred years of the inauguration of Khalsa, even today, over 161 countries participate in the celebration of Vaisakhi- including Canada. ‘Vaisakhi- Mela,’ as the event was called, also introduced its guests to Sikhism, its core values and beliefs. A religion premised around faith in one God, speaks of love for all other cultures, values and people despite their differences.

High Commissioner to India, Mr. Shashishekhar, spoke of the recognition of the Indian community in Canada and the contributions made by its members in the country. Indo-Canadians who have made significant contributions to both, their own community as well as the nation are symbolic of the multiculturalism in Canada. Honorable mention was also made of Mr. Tigerjeet Singh, the first Sikh in Canada to have a school named after him- as announced by the Mayor of Milton in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The Capital Bhangra Team took the room through the Punjabi folk dance, ‘bhangra’ with their diverse performance to snippets of music. They were also joined by melodious vocalist, Yuvraj Singh, providing a surreal atmosphere of the fields of Punjab through his words. A group of young women displayed their skills in ‘giddha,’ added to the jovial display of Punjabi culture.

The evening came to a close with member of Rajya Sabha, Sardar Tarlochan Singh- a commendable member of the Sikh community. His work for advocating rights of the Sikh community are evident from allocating recognition for Sardar Bhagat Singh in the Parliament in India as a historical figure to pushing forth and amending the Anand Marriage Act. His short, yet inspirational speech spoke of the values of Sikhism and how it lends hand to brining the community, at large, together. Sikhism has welcomed its members from varying cultures and communities of the world. Infact, he added, one of the first Sikhs came from the untouchable caste- and welcomed without hesitation. This is the message that stood out in the evening. To welcome everyone, with no caste and no bar. The spirit that brought Banda Bahadur, brought all the people together in the room to celebrate Vaisakhi.

Sardar Tarlochan Singh also emphasized the love and respect Canada has shown towards Indians. It is the same level of respect that has brought more Indians to the country, such as himself- even if for a visit. “People choose to come to this country because of its strength,” he continued, “The Prime Minister’s visit to India, to Amritsar shows the unity between the two countries.” Emphasizing the need for an everlasting faith in humanity, he claimed that God is neither divisible, nor can be monopolized. Vaisakhi is a day of rejoicing, and with his parting words, “Tuhadi khushboo saanu aawey,” (Let your scent-good deeds- reach us) the evening came to an end with an applause.

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