STOCKTON,CA: Aug.21: The International Sikh Youth Federation which was founded on Aug.1,93 at Fremont, CA was felicitated at this historical Sikh Gurdwara. Rich tributes were paid to late Bhai Amreek Singh, who as President of the AISSF had visualized a worldwide organization of Sikh youth to add dynamism to Sikh culture and motivate them to continue the struggle for an Independent Sikh homeland.
Sardar Gurdial Singh and Sardar Gurmit Singh spoke of the present crisis is in the Sikh movement in Punjab and suggested ways to rejuvenate it.
Sardar Gurdial Singh stressed upon the need to carry the new generation of Sikhs from abroad who had no links with Punjab, They were leaders of tomorrow and if subjected to unnecessary constraints, there was a fear of their rejecting the Sikh ways of life. He impressed upon the com= munity to have broad based values which might help in keeping the younger generations within the fold of Sikhism. He lamented the ills which had crept into the ills of the movement for independence in Punjab and which had been the cause of the failure of our struggle for freedom.
Bhai Gurmit Singh said, “Never say die.” Now he said is the time to Start a fresh and hold high the flag of Guru and seek strength from God, We must fight on till the last ounce of blood. He struck an optimist note and said the arm of the International Sikh Youth Federation would be to first help the families of those who had lost their dear ones in the struggle and subsequently to revive the movement for independence by motivating our youth and forcing the leadership to come together.
Two young brothers, nine years old Jatinder Singh and seven years old Manjinder Singh regaled the congregation with ‘ballads’ on the deeds of Sikh martyrs of 1984 and Bhai Sukh and Jinda who laid the lives to punish the perpetrators of atrocities on Sikhs,
Bhat Ajit Singh delivered a forceful speech to the gathering in which he paid rich tributes to late Bhai Amreck Singh, “Whose dream of a Sikh Youth International Fed ¢ration had at last been realized,” he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 27, 1993
