NM. Legislature and Lunch with the Sikhs

Every year for 3-4 months the New Mexico Legislature gets together and makes decisions on different bills and operations for the state. The opening session is normally a big event and many people come to participate in the opening ceremonies and speech by the Governor. After the opening ceremonies the Sikh community hosted many of the local government officials to a Luncheon at India Palace (down the street) in downtown Santa Fe. This has been a tradition since 1995 that Yogi Bhajan started. There were sooo many people there and I felt like a pinball bouncing around trying to dodge the waiters bring dishes/food and people walking by. I think there were about 150 guests that came (mostly politicians from the capitol). It was a great event and people really felt the hospitality of the Sikhs. We were all hosting everyone, serving and doing everything we could to serve them. In New Mexico we have established very good personal relations with the leaders of the state so it helps when there are issues like hate Crimes, or general issues related to Sikhs. Anyways…it was a great event.

[photopress:IMG_2134.JPG,full,centered]

The Governor Bill Richardson with Bhai Sahiba Bibiji Inderjit Kaur (Yogiji’s wife), Siri Sikhdhar Sahiba Guru Amrit Kaur and Hari Jiwan Singh at the lunch.

[photopress:IMG_2117.JPG,full,centered]

Bill Richardson has known Yogi Bhajan and the Sikhs here for something like 30 years. In this picture he is talking about "Yogi" (as he calls him) and showing a picture that someone had given to him as a gift. I’m not normally in pictures with the celebrities….but this time…one of my pictures was. I took this picture (the one he is holding) back in 2001.

I am looking forward to seeing what happens in 2008 in relation to the US Presidency. For the democratic party there are some interesting candidates. I heard that our own Governor Bill Richardson will be running for the United States Presidency. I also heard that Sen. Hillary Clinton might be running also. I’m don’t normally spend much time in politics, but things have gotten so bad here with our current administration that I am hoping for some good options of people that can create change in America and elsewhere. We’ll see what happens.

4 Responses to “NM. Legislature and Lunch with the Sikhs”

1. Sikh Japanese says:

   January 17, 2007 at 6:45 pm

   wjkk
   wjkf

   Gurmustak Singh ji.. I came to know about an event (some inter-religious event or something on the same lines) in Japan where Sikhs of white background came from America to attend that meeting and they all were stopped outside the entrance as they were wearing the Kirpans. These Sikhs also refused to remove their Kirpans and finally when the then Prime Minister of Japan (Koizumi Junichiro) came to know about this, he immediately interfered and told security ppl that this is the identity of Sikhs & there are one is a Sikh only if he / she is wearing Kirpan.

   This was recorded by Sikhs that time and was sent to an Amrit dhari Sikh here in Japan.

   If you can get hold of that document, kindly forward it to me so that I shall pblish the same on blog:

   http://sikhjapanese.blogspot.com/

   It is going to be great help to Amrit dhari Singhs n Singhnies visiting Japan.

   wjkk
   wjkf

2. Gurkirpal says:

   January 19, 2007 at 9:05 am

   Wow thats to see that gov. bill richardon has great ties and communication with sikhs… I hope we have a good candidate that we can vote for 08. i hope he or she is pro life and anti gay marriage. i vote on this issue..in my humble opinion as sikhs we should be conservative. this november the democratz won its because they put pro life candicate. i only worry about democratz pro choice pro abortion pro gay marriage. and pro stem cell research that killing embroys… i hate that.. im sorry if someone got was offended

3. Gobinde Kaur says:

   January 20, 2007 at 10:25 am

   Gurkirpal Ji,

   Does the Guru Granth Sahib actually speak against gay-marriage? Or why should ALL Sikhs vote a candidate, who is – as you put it – “anti gay marriage”?

   And…hmm…as for Sikhs being conservative…what about Guru Nanak – he certainly wasn’t a conservative in his teachings and wasn’t afraid to “rock the boat” so to speak.

   Only the Guru can guide ALL Sikhs to do something…opinions are just that…opinions.

   Sat Nam.

4. Hari Singh Khalsa says:

   January 22, 2007 at 12:12 pm

   Oh man Gurkirpal, you really need to examine the SGGS and see if your viewpoints are supported in there. I’m completely “pro-life” which is why I’m pro-choice. There are so many suffering people on this planet, why do you want more who we already know are unwanted, to be added to that misery by taking away Women’s rights to choose?
   If you don’t believe in abortion, then you are morally-obligated to adopt as many chidren (not just infants) as you can and create for them a life you would give your own children. Despite this obligation, I would venture to say that most people that adopt support abortion, at least all the people I know who have adopted.
   Also, where in Gurmat does it ever prescribe us to be “anti” anybody. “Anti-gay” sentiment is something that irks me like nothing else. Do you know any gay people? If you did you would understand that it is not a choice. Homosexuality occurs in nature, not just the human species. By nature gay people will only ever be a minority. Therefore it’s a strong indictment against humanity today, to see how we openly persecute them. How as a Sikh can you advocate discrimination against any minority in this country?

   I’m sorry if this is too personal, but with your “anti-gay” sentiments and my assumption that your household is devoid of adopted children, I must say that I find you morally reprehensible, and certainly a terrible example of the egalitarianism of the Guru’s Message.