Source: The Mercury News
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7205246.htm
On November 7, 2003 The Mercury News reported that "an influential Sikh organization is calling on Sikh children to ask their teachers today if they can read a short explanation about the birthday of their religion's founder, Guru Nanak... But while Bay Area school officials say they support teaching students the region's multiculturalism, they are also concerned the request could cross the boundaries between church and state... Fremont school officials are also concerned the classrooms could become a forum for the various factions within the Indo-American community... For example, the Fremont Sikh temple has been the scene of bitter internal conflicts and there have also been bitter disputes over control of the Festival of India. The classroom talks are intended to come one day before the 25 million Sikhs around the world will celebrate the birth of Guru Nanak, whose teachings started the monotheistic religion in India 534 years ago. 'I feel that the other holidays, like Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Christmas and Ramadan are mentioned in schools,' said Dr. Rajwant Singh, the national chairman for the Sikh Council on Religion and Education in Washington, D.C. 'People ought to know that not everyone is Christians and Jews. We're trying to take out the mystery about Sikhs and demystify the religion. We're just passing out information. Nothing more than that.'"