[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 53 (Thursday, April 15, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   SIKH RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 15, 2010

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Madam Speaker, it is with great honor and pleasure 
that I stand before you today to recognize the Sikh Religious Society 
of Indiana and its Board of Directors as they celebrate one of their 
most significant religious and historical events, Vaisakhi. The day 
will be commemorated on Sunday, April 18, 2010, at the Sikh Temple in 
Crown Point, Indiana.
  The Sikh Religious Society is a non-profit religious and social 
organization that has served the Sikh community of Northwest Indiana 
since 1994. Each year the Sikh people celebrate Vaisakhi, a festival 
that commemorates the establishment of the ``Order of the Kahlsa'' or 
``Pure Servants of God.'' In 1699, Sahib-E-Kamaal, Guru Gobind Singh 
Ji, the tenth guru, initiated the process of the conversion of the 
people of India into a morally receptive and disciplined army of the 
pure and courageous, whose main purpose was to overcome religious 
oppression and considerable human rights violations that were occurring 
in India at that time. He empowered the people of India by giving them 
a choice to control their own destiny, teaching them to stand 
unyielding to confront the forces of intolerance that had been placed 
upon them by the bigoted and cruel leaders of the time. Guru Gobind 
Singh Ji, in his courage to act, willingness to meet challenges, and 
ability to achieve, embodied all that is good and true in the battle 
for liberty. On Vaisakhi day, Guru Gobind Singh Ji assigned a specific 
code of conduct to the Sikh followers--belief in one God, brotherhood 
of mankind, equality among all human beings, justice, peace, and truth. 
Sikh followers are encouraged to work hard, earn an honest living, and 
live a life of service to people in need. Today, the Sikh community 
holds high the beliefs that were brought forth on that day. The true 
meaning of Vaisakhi lives on in the Sikh people as they continue to 
pass on their peaceful beliefs and messages of equality through their 
unwavering strength and determination.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that you and my distinguished colleagues join me 
in honoring the Sikh Religious Society of Indiana, its Board of 
Directors, and congregation, as well as Sikh followers throughout the 
world, as they celebrate and observe the religious and historic event 
of Vaisakhi. Through their words and teachings, these honorable 
individuals and organizations remind us all of the struggles and 
accomplishments of the Sikh people throughout the world.

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