Sikhs Celebrate Vaisakhi with New Jersey Governor

April 30, 2006

Source: The Panthic Weekly

http://www.panthic.org/news/123/ARTICLE/2437/2006-04-30.html

On April 30, 2006 The Panthic Weekly reported, "The [Sikh new year festival] Vaisakhi of 2006 will leave an indelible mark in the dynamic history of Sikhs in New Jersey. Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula organized the celebration of Vaisakhi on 25th April at the State Assembly house with representatives of New Jersey Gurdwaras and Sikh organizations. Present along with the Governor Jon S. Corzine were Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts, assemblyman Upendra J Chivukula and many other state officials. The celebration served as a platform to educate the participants and visitors on Sikhism. Ever since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the Sikh community has been doubly victimized first as fellow Americans who feel the tragic loss of life and second as victims of hate crimes that have remained sadly persistent since that tragic day... The issue of Sikh prisoners being denied their religious rights was also raised at the meeting, with the Sikh representatives looking to the state officials to secure the Sikh prisoners' basic rights such as the right to wear their articles of faith and the right to pray. Overall, the Governor and the state officials remained receptive to the concerns of Sikhs and pledged further collaboration with the Sikh community in an effort to raise awareness of Sikhs not only among its own agencies, but in New Jersey as a whole."