NEW YORK: Hundreds of People ignored the rain to turn out for the First International Immigrants Parade that began a three day celebrations of the Centennial of the Statue of Liberty in New York. The Statue completed its hundredth anniversary on October 28, 1986.
Besides enthusiastic Chinese, Taiwanese, Lebanese, Irish, Turks, Greeks, Arabs and over forty other nationalities, Sikhs were present in large numbers from Tri-States; the effort of Sikh participation was sponsored by World Sikh Organization in close coordination with various other Sikh organizations. Among various ethnic groups, Sikh contingent, numbering about 1000, was the largest. Sikhs gathered at the Leonard Street and Broadway, Downtown in pouring rain and were prominently covered by the New York Times in a photoflash.
Displaying their characteristic narrow mindedness, the Hindus from India boycotted the parade at the last moment. Indian Consulate of New York’s representative present at the reviewing stand remarked that the boycott was a protest against the decision to admit Sikhs as a separate ethnic group ‘under their own banner among the participating ethnic groups
The parade symbolized the gratitude of the immigrants to Miss Liberty for providing them the ‘opportunity to share the glory of freedom that permeats this great country like the all-embracing salubrious sunshine. Crowds in thousands cheered the parade.
The boycott action of the Hindus from India was generally disapproved and considered a unnecessary politicization of a purely nonpolitical event. Sikhs showed remarkable discipline and ‘cool and refused to be provoked. Sikh contribution in almost all important spheres of the United States Was appreciatively commended, Dr. Naunihal Singh, Director Administration, World Sikh Organization thanked the Tri-State ‘Sangat and all the participating
‘Sikh Organizations for their courage and commitment and said that WSS.O. Salutes each Sikh young or old, man or woman for his/her dedicated participation. Sikhs have demonstrated to the World that they area peace loving people and they are grateful to the Statue of Liberty for the great gilt of practicing their religion in total freedom, In a show of democratic zeal organizers of the parade declared each participant as a grand marshal, however, the leader of the Indian contingent, Mr. Shetty who is also on the Board of Directors of the International Immigrants Foundation maintained that “Sikhs have no separate enation her than Indians and are trying to participate as representatives of Khalistan”. Mr. Shetty did not pause to remember that Sikh immigrants in the United States are not necessarily from India, but they have come here from African continent, Afghanistan, Pakistan.
England It is learnt from reliable sources that the Indians tried to persuade some Sikhs to walk under their flag but failed. They could not recruit a Barnala or a Balwant from among the U.S. Sikhs.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 31, 1986
