Friday 11th, Oct. 1985 was really a red lettered day for the Sikhs of Dallas, as S. Ganga Singh Dhillon, WSO Chairman of USA, paid the Sikhs of Dallas, his long overdue visit. He was received at the DFW Airport at 3:02 PM by S. Darshan Singh Virk and party and then was driven straightway to downtown Dallas for a reception arranged in his honor at Commerce Club of Dallas. Mr. Ike Sekhon played the host to the distinguished visitor at the tea patty. A lively discussion ensued thereafter. The aims and objectives of the WSO were discussed ‘in this meeting.
After that there was a program at the Local Sikh Gurdwara from 7:30 P.M. to 10:00 P.M. Shabad Kirtan was done by S. Grewal. Thereafter S. Darshan Singh Virk welcomed the honorable guest. S. Ganga Singh Dhillon spoke before the sizable Sangat for about one hour and’ was listened with rapt attention. He underlined the importance of Ardas before the Sangat and quoted effusively from Sikh history and scripture. He stressed that the Sikh nation was passing through a revolution. The humiliation and atrocities suffered by the Sikhs at the hands of barbaric Indian Govt will neither be forgotten nor forgiven. The formation of present Punjabi Akali Govt. is a passing phase in the struggle of the Sikhs in their struggle for self-determination, he further pointed out. Akalis won elections only with the tacit support of Rajiv Gandhi’s Govt. He elaborated three plans for the Sikhs to enhance their image build up for being peace loving, and not as terrorists, as was labeled by the Indian Govt. They are:
1) To greet the Senators and Congressmen whenever they are on a visit to their Constituencies, by the local Sikhs and support them in their fund raising drive. Also share voluntary work with the Senator offices.
2) To invite the clergy off and on to the local Gurdwaras and let them participate in the Sunday Services.
3) Let the Sikhs make plans to visit local churches on Sundays and disseminate Sikh literature to acquaint their heritage to the congregations there.
During the course of his speech, S. Dhillon divulged one very important piece of information to the Sikh Sangat in which during the fag end of the Ottoman Empire the British ordered the attack of holy Mecca, to flush out combatants, under the command of S. Darbara Singh, a Sikh. When he came to know of this, he refused to comply with the orders. According to army tradition S. Darbara Singh was court martialed and jailed. On the contrary Indian Govt. ordered its army to attack Golden Temple on Flimsy grounds. S. Dhillon further emphasized that carrying of weapons is a tradition of the Sikhs since the days of Guru Hargobind Ji’s, when he had started wearing two swords one of spiritual and the other one of temporal symbol.
- Dhillon made it clear that no amount of false propaganda by the Indian Govt against the Sikhs would stop them from their path of self-determination or would hide their (Indian Govt’s) heinous crimes committed against the Sikhs, to the world at large one day. Krah Parshad and Langar was served after the Bhog Ceremony. Sikhs felt happy and rejuvenated after S. Dhillon’s visit to Dallas.
Report Compiled by
Raminder Singh (Dr)
3925, Brookhaven Club Dr.
Apt. 1162, Addison, TX 75244.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 25, 1985
