Vaisakhi Celebrated With Parades Sikhs March in Washington DC, New York,London, Around World

  Last month, Sikhs celebrated Vaisakhi Day with paradesin Washington DC, New York, London, Vancouver, France, Belgium, Australia,India, and other locations around the world. Vaisakhi Day is the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa Panth, oneof the most significant days in the Sikh calendar.  It is the national day of the Sikh Nation. Vaisakhi Day isone of the most joyous days in the Sikh calendar, celebrating the emergence ofthe Khalsa Panth as a distinct people. Sikhs have been celebrating with devotion and reverence.  Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed the sovereigntyof the Sikh Nation; “In grieb Sikhin ko deon patshahi.”  Every morning and evening Sikhs recite “RajKare Ga Khalsa,” meaning “the Khalsa shall rule,” and “Khalsa Bagi YanBadshah,” meaning “either the Khalsa is in rebellion or the ruler.”  Sovereignty is the birthright of all people,and it is the heritage of the Sikh Nation.

Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council ofKhalistan, which leads the struggle to liberate Khalistan, was Chief Guest atthe parade in Carteret, New Jersey and at the Sikh Day Parade in New York.  He spoke about the need for a sovereign, independentKhalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its independence on October 7,1987.  He raised five slogans of “Khalsitan Zindabad.” “We must remind ourselves ofour heritage by raising slogans of ‘KhalistanZindabad’ and beginning a Shantmai Morcha to liberate our homeland,Khalistan,” said Dr. Aulakh.

The New York parade, held on April 27, was the biggest on the EastCoast, attended by over 70,000 people. It was organized by the Sikhs Cultural Society of New York, Sikhorganizations, and the Sikh Sangat of the Tri-State area.  We commend the president of the Sikh CulturalSociety, Sardar Kang, Chairman Sardar Khatra, Sardar Harbans Singh Dhillon, andSecretary Sardar Dhillon for their excellent arrangement and organization ofthe New York parade.  There were 13floats in the parade, including one from the Akali Dal (Amritsar).  It was a beautiful day and the street was filledwith saffron.

A Hindu New Jersey State Assemblyman, Upendra J. Chivukula, attendedthe Carteret parade.  When Dr. Aulakhbegan to talk about the killings of Sikhs by the Hindu majority regime, Mr.Chivukula left.  “Sikhs should learn from this.  We should not invite people like AssemblymanChivukula who cannot listen to the truth about the oppression of the Sikhs bythe Hindu majority to Sikh events,” said Dr. Aulakh.

A report issued by the Movement Against State Repression(MASR) quotes the Punjab Civil Magistracy as writing “if we add up the figuresof the last few years the number of innocent persons killed would run intolakhs [hundreds of thousands.]”  According to formerMember of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann, the Indian government has murderedover a million Sikhs since 1982.  SardarInderjit Singh Jaijee, author of ThePolitics of Genocide, and Bibi Baljit Kaur of the Movement Against StateRepression (MASR) told Dr. Aulakh that if it were not for the efforts of theCouncil of Khalistan, that number might be ten times as high.  Indiahas also killed more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 100,000 Muslimsin Kashmir, andtens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits (the aboriginal peopleof the subcontinent), and others.  TheIndian Supreme Court called the Indian government’s murders of Sikhs “worsethan a genocide.”

Dr. Aulakh said that it is time for the entire Sikh Nationand the whole Sikh leadership to support Khalistan. “This would be the best wayto show the true Sikh spirit,’” said Dr. Aulakh.  “A committed Sikh will not back down in theface of repression.  I urge all Sikhs tosupport those leaders who stand strong for a sovereign, independent Khalistan.  It is our birthright,” he said.  “This officehas worked unwaveringly for a sovereign Khalistan for over 28 years,” he noted. Indiais a multinational state thrown together by the British colonialists for theiradministrative convenience.  As anexcellent Forbes magazine article“India, Meet Austria-Hungary,” pointed out, history shows that such countriescollapse, from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the Soviet Union toCzechoslovakia to Yugoslavia.  Thebreakup of India is inevitable.

“If the Akali Dal (Badal) really wants to serve the Sikh Nation, theyshould support Khalistan,” Dr. Aulakh said. “Khalistan is the only solution for Sikh survival.  As Professor DarshanSingh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, ‘If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, heis not a Sikh’.  We must continueto pray for and work for our God-given birthright of freedom,” he said.  “Without political power, religions cannotflourish, repression continues, and nations perish.”