[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5583]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       SIKH FESTIVAL OF VAISAKHI

  (Mr. MEEHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and to raise 
national awareness of the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi. Next Friday, 
hundreds of thousands of Sikhs living across the United States will 
take part in the festival to celebrate these significant elements of 
their religion: the Sikh New Year, the spring harvest, and the creation 
of Khalsa, the fellowship of devout Sikhs created in 1699.
  This year, on April 8, the East Coast Sikh Coordination Committee has 
organized a National Sikh Day Parade to mark this occasion.
  Mr. Speaker, I, along with my fellow chairs on the Sikh Congressional 
Caucus, introduced H. Res. 189, which recognizes Vaisakhi's historic, 
cultural, and religious significance and its importance to the Sikh 
communities across the United States. Additionally, it expresses this 
body's respect for all communities and religions who celebrate the 
festival.
  I encourage all of my colleagues to support this measure in honor of 
Vaisakhi.

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