NEW YORK: The Prakash Gurpurb of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was celebrated as a large number of Sikh Sangats all over the United States gathered to commemorate the occasion.
Thousands of Sikhs gathered at the Sikh Cultural Society in Richmond Hill on January 7 where they spent a day of quiet devotion and piety at the Gurdwara Sahib. The Jatha of Bhai Darshan Singh Kawal the Hazuri Ragi of Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Delhi, rendered the Kirtan, the singing of the holy rhymes from the Guru Granth Sapib, Giani Gurdeep Singh the Head Granthi of the Gurdwara Sahib did Katha, the interpretation and explanation of the Bani in the Guru Granth Sahib, children who performed the kirtan included Ramandeep Kaur, Ravinder Kaur, Ravinder Kaur (Simi), Navdeep Singh, Mohinder Kaur, Amarpreet Kaur, and Jagprect Kaur. Jatinder Singh Sabharwal, a young child of 5 years spoke to the gathering on Guru Gobind Singh Ji in Punjabi.
Addressing the congregation BaIdev Singh said that Guru Gobind Singh Ji made the Guru Granth Sahib written in a common rather than any esoteric language, as the Guru of the Sikhs so that there would be no possibility of confusion or misinterpretation of the teachings of the Gurus. He also gave the Sikh Panth the Panj Piaras, the five beloved ones, to guard, the Sikh traditions. The philosophy of Guru Gobind Singh Ji was added. Referring to contemporary events, he said that the US had regarded the sanctity of the embassy of the Vatican in Nicaragua, but the Indian army violated the sanctity of the Harimandir Sahib in 1984 and desecrated it. “Zail Singh and Indira Gandhi trampled on the blood of the Sikhs,” he said adding that the problem in Punjab was not a material question of water or electricity but more of the genocide of the Sikhs.
He said that just as the Gadhri Babas had, through their newspaper increased the awareness of the British colonialism in India so that the US entered the World War II with a precondition of British withdrawal from India after the war, the Sikhs in US could, through the World Sikh News, further increase the awareness of the atrocities of the India government on the Sikhs. An appeal for the subscriptions of the World Sikhs News met with an enthusiastic response form the Sangat.
The Mid-Hudson Sikh Cultural Society commemorated the Gurpurb on January 14 with Kirtan by Surjit Singh. The Sangat was addressed by Shingara Singh Bath president of the Gurdwara and Parminder Singh the Secretary.
Children who had written or spoken on the life of Guru Gobind Singh Ji were given awards. They included Manvir Bhangu, Parminder Bhangu, Ravinder Bhangu, Banjot Kaur, Milan Kaur, Tejpreet, Jasminder, Manpreet, Barjinder Bath, Amarjeet, Hirdaypreet, Jaspreet Singh, Sarleen Kaur, Harleen Kaur and Manjot Kaur.
A new magazine “Sikh Generations” published by the children of the tri-state area was introduced at the function. A donation of $101.00 was also given for the endeavor.
The Singh Sabha of New York held a function to mark the Avtar divas of Guru Gobind Singh Ji on January 14 at the Bowne Street Gurdwara here. Bhai Darshan Singh Kawal the Hazuri Ragi of Gurdwara Sis Ganj in Delhi, rendered the Kirtan, the singing of the holy hymns from the Guru Grant Sahib, Bhai Nashatar Singh dic Katha, the interpretation and explanation of the Bani in the Guru Granth Sahib, Swinder Singh Joshan, spoke on the death of SSP Gobind Ram who he said was the modern day Mir Manu.
The Sikh Center of New York in Flushing marked the Gurpurb on January 7. Kirtan was rendered by Giani Amrit Pal Singh and Giani Raghbir Singh.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 19, 1990
