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Sikhs celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak at the White House in 2010 (source: SikhNet)

White House to commemorate birth anniversary of Guru Nanak tomorrow

December 6, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

As in 2009 and in 2010, the White House will be holding a special ceremony on Friday to commemorate the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, born in 1469. Manmeet Singh Grewal, from Modesto, California, is among 150 Sikhs who have been invited to attend: “For me, it’s an honor,” Grewal said Wednesday morning. “Furthermore, it’s a honor for the entire Sikh community.” …What will he say if he has a chance to speak to the […]

Categories: Events, Politics • Tags: Barack Obama, California, Guru Nanak, Manmeet Singh Grewal, Modesto, White House

Sikhs in US petition White House to recognize 1984 genocide

November 29, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The group Sikhs for Justice is currently collecting signatures to petition the President of the United States to recognize the organized pogroms against Sikhs in India in 1984 as a genocide: During November 1984 the Congress Party of India organized and perpetrated violence with intent to destroy the Sikh community, resulting in more than 30,000 killed; women raped; Gurudwaras burnt and more than 300,000 displaced. The systematic violence against Sikhs was concealed and portrayed by the Indian governments as Anti-Sikh […]

Categories: 1984, Politics • Tags: Amu, Barack Obama, November 1984, President of the United States, Shonali Bose, Sikh genocide, Sikh genocide petition, Sikhs for Justice, WikiLeaks

President Obama’s statement on birth anniversary of Guru Nanak

November 28, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Sikhs around the world are celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith who was born in 1469. As he has done in his previous years in office (2010, 2011), President Barack Obama has offered his felicitations on the birth anniversary. In his remarks, the President also made mention of the victims of the shooting at the Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in August. It was this President who was the first to celebrate the […]

Categories: Events, Politics • Tags: Barack Obama, Guru Nanak Dev, White House

Ricky Gill makes a speech during his campaign to represent California's 9th Congressional District in Congress(source: IndiaWest)

When a Sikh runs: a recap of the Ricky Gill campaign

November 15, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

It was just over a week ago that we learned of the results of the elections in the United States, including that to represent California’s 9th Congressional District in the House of Representatives. In that race, a Sikh American named Ricky Gill challenged incumbent Representative Jerry McNerney to represent the district in Congress. Rep. McNerney would win this election by receiving almost 55% of the vote. As a Sikh American, I followed the Ricky Gill campaign on this blog. His […]

Categories: Politics, Reflections • Tags: 2012 elections, California, California 9th Congressional District, Jerry McNerney, Ricky Gill, Stockton, Tom McClintock

Representative Tom McClintock honors Stockton, CA, Gurdwara centennial

November 13, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Yesterday, Representative Tom McClintock, of California’s 4th Congressional District, formally acknowledged in the Congressional Record the centennial of the Gurdwara (Sikh house of worship) in Stockton, California: In his statement, Rep Tom McClintock (R-Granite Bay) compared members of the world’s fifth-largest religion to the Pilgrims who crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the Mayflower in 1620 “seeking a better future in a free land for their descendants. “It is the very same story of pilgrims like Baba Vasakha Singh and Baba […]

Categories: Events, Politics • Tags: California, Jerry McNerney, Stockton, Stockton Gurdwara Centennial Celebration, Stockton Gurdwara Sahib, Tom McClintock

Statement by President Obama on the observance of Diwali

November 13, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

President Obama offered his felicitations today on the celebration of Diwali: The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release November 13, 2012 Statement by the President on the Observance of Diwali Today, here at home and across the globe, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists will celebrate the holiday of Diwali – the festival of lights. Diwali is a time for gathering with family and friends, often marked with good food and dancing. It is also a […]

Categories: Events, Politics • Tags: Bandi Chhorh Divas, Barack Obama, Diwali

US DoJ investigating CA Department of Corrections over beard ban

November 8, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Earlier last year, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reached a settlement with Trilochan Singh Oberoi in his employment discrimination case against their refusal to hire him as a correctional officer unless he shaved his uncut beard, a Sikh article of faith. Despite reaching a settlement and offering Trilochan Singh a position elsewhere in the organization, the CDCR still would not change its policy. Where the discrimination lies is in that the CDCR had made medical exemptions for […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: AB1964, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, CDCR, DOJ, Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, Jerry Brown, Mariko Yamada, Trilochan Singh Oberoi, United States Justice Department, Workplace Religious Freedom Act

City of Lathrop, CA, elects Sikh American for mayor

November 7, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Continuing the tally of Sikh Americans who ran for office in this 2012 election cycle, the city of Lathrop, California, has elected City Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal as Mayor: LATHROP – Veteran City Councilman Sonny Dhaliwal appeared headed toward a landslide victory Tuesday night in the highly contentious race to unseat Mayor J. “Chaka” Santos after one two-year term in office. With three precincts reporting, Dhaliwal, 52 – a Lathrop council member since 2006 and a former planning commissioner – was […]

Categories: Politics • Tags: 2012 elections, California, Lathrop, Sunny Dhaliwal

Taking a tally of the Sikh American candidates of 2012

November 7, 2012 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

As discussed previously, the 2012 election cycle involved several Sikh candidates at federal, state and local levels. Interestingly, to my knowledge, the Sikh candidates that were running were all in the state of California. After last night’s election results, below is a tally of how each Sikh American candidate fared after the voting closed last night. Representative Jerry McNerney versus Ricky Gill California’s 9th Congressional District Ricky Gill’s campaign has been a regular topic on this blog, particularly around his […]

Categories: Politics • Tags: 2012 elections, California 9th Congressional District, California State Senate District 11, Harmeet Dhillon, Jerry McNerney, Kash Gill, Mark Leno, Ricky Gill, San Francisco, Stockton, Yuba City, Yuba City City Council

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Category Archives: Politics

White House to commemorate birth anniversary of Guru Nanak tomorrow

Sikhs in US petition White House to recognize 1984 genocide

President Obama’s statement on birth anniversary of Guru Nanak

When a Sikh runs: a recap of the Ricky Gill campaign

Representative Tom McClintock honors Stockton, CA, Gurdwara centennial

Statement by President Obama on the observance of Diwali

US DoJ investigating CA Department of Corrections over beard ban

City of Lathrop, CA, elects Sikh American for mayor

Taking a tally of the Sikh American candidates of 2012