Fairfax D.A: The Sikh foundation of Virginia held a diwan on the evening of Nov. 5 which was Organized by Sikh teenagers and youngsters who performed Kirtan, did the Ardas and took the Wak from the holy Guru Granth Sahib .
The program was designed to prepare the younger generation for its role in the Sikh society and to introduce them to the religious practices and to inculcate in them the Sikh values, according to Surinder Singh Manku the secretary.
This Gurdwara organizes such a function for the young Sikhs every month and this time the program ‘was organized by Dr. Kamaljeet Kaur Sethi, Manveer S. Kathuria, and Surinder S. Hansra. Today’s function was managed by Sanjay Lamba. The secretary of the day’s program was NishaLamba, a High school student. AmarJeet K. Manku, 13 was the food coordinator.
The Kirtan group comprised Ritu, Dipu K. Deo, Monica K. Singh, Naudeep Kaur Kathuria, Anu Kaist, Bela Deep, Preet-Hansra, Shireen, Isha, Nisha, Sahiba, Amarjeet K. Manku, Natasha K. Sethi and Samira Kaur
On the Tabla were Gobind S. Sethi, Sukhdeep S. Kaist and Ragi Multani. They learned the table from the Ragi jithas which visited the Gurdwara Sahib in 6 months.
Other who participated in the Kirtan was Gurmeet, Priya, Rubin, and Jyothi from the Guru Nanak Foundation of America, Monpreet Dillan, Savinder Saini, Amar Saini, and Gagandeep Saini from the Guru Gobing Singh Foundation, and Ramandeep and Harjot Singh from the Sikh temple of Washington.
This program on Saturday evening was from 7 PM to 10 PM. It is held once a month the next program will be on January 7. It starts with Path followed by Kirtan, translation of the Waq speeches and the Langar. The notable and commendable thing is that the whole program is organized and carried out by the children.
Children also performed the Kirtan and two of them, Hema Bhatia and Amarjit Kaur both 12, spoke on various aspects of the life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Harbhajan Singh Gill spoke about the activities of the World Sikh Organization and the trials and tribulations of the young Sikhs held in the Bhajan Lal and Vaidya cases. Jatinder Singh, a representative of the youth in New York, also spoke on the occasion.
Talking to the World Sikh News S. Labh Singh the President of the Gurdwara recounted how the organization was formed in 1969 by four Sikhs who worked at the IBM Corporation. The Gurdwara was bought last year in September and holds regular diwans from 10:30am to 12:30 pm every Sunday.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 9, 1988
