Sir,

Recently I read two letters from what has come to be known as American Sikhs. Both of these letters merit serious consideration. The first letter was from Sardar Guru John Singh Khalsa of West Hartford Connecticut. The second was from Sardar Vikram Singh Khalsa of San Diego California. Needless to say they both have a message for the Asian Sikh Community settled in North America. Most particularly I am personally indebted to Sardar Guru John Singh Khalsa whom I have known since the early 1970’s when I moved to Connecticut.

My son was a student of third grade in Vernon Connecticut. He went to the same school in the first and second grades. His classmates knew him well and he had no problems of any kind. In the third grade he had some new students who didn’t know him. Since he was the only Asian child in the class and school I was aware of the probability of the problems I would often check with him about it. He mentioned to me one day that a new kid was teasing him. This incident triggered my thought process and I started groping for the best way to resolve the problem. I mentioned this to Sardar Guru John Singh Khalsa. He suggested that the class should be given exposure about the Sikhs I suggested that no one can do it better than him. He promptly agreed and I on my part talked to the class teacher who was more than willing and ready to learn about Sikhism also.

Needless to say we both went there and he of course fielded all the questions Today I feel proud to say that my son will probably be the first Connecticut born Connecticut raised and Connecticut educated Keshadhari Sikh boy graduating from a Connecticut High School in June 1991.

I firmly believe that Sikhs like Guru John Singh Khalsa Vikram Singh Khalsa Rasamrit Singh Khalsa from Wisconsin and the like can be helpful and both groups of Sikhs of Guru march hand in hand and enrich our communities we live in and leave the society richer with our contributions based upon guru’s teaching.

Amarjit Singh Buttar

Vernon. CT

Article extracted from this publication >> April 12, 1991