Palatine, IL, May 18, 2021 (Yes Punjab News)
The Illinois State Senator Ann Gillespie of the 27th district and the past president and now commissioner of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) visited the Sikh Religious Society Gurdwara in Palatine, Illinois to present the proclamations to the members of Sikh community honoring the month of April as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month in the State of Illinois, and 18 April as the “Guru Teg Bahadur Day” in the State of Illinois to honor the 400th birth anniversary of Sikh’s ninth Guru.
The month of April was designated as “Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month” by the Illinois General Assembly. State of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Bill HB 2832 into a law on August 3, 2019 at Sikh Religious Society, Palatine Gurdwara premises, designating “April as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month” in the state of Illinois, effective January 1, 2020.
The State Commemorative Dates Act was amended by adding Section 8 which states –
“Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month. The month of April of each year is designated as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation month to be observed throughout the State as a month to recognize the many ways that Sikh Americans have influenced American history, achievement, culture, and innovation.”
The month of April was chosen because of its significance to the Sikh community. It includes “Khalsa Saajna Divas” (birth of the Khalsa order) on April 14, 1699, and also birth of the founder of Sikh faith Guru Nanak Dev ji on April 14, 1469. The Punjabi cultural harvest festival of “Vaisakhi” also falls on April 14. The second Sikh Guru Angad Dev ji was born on April 18, 1504, and the ninth Guru Teg Bahadur ji was born on April 18, 1621.
State Representative Michelle Mussman had sponsored the bill which was co-sponsored in the House by State Representatives, Fred Crespo, Stephanie Kifowit, Tom Morrison, Karina Villa and Jonathan Carroll and supported by many others including Mark Walker, Mark Kalish, Theresa Mah, and Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz.
The bill was filed in the Senate by the then Senate president John Cullerton and supported by Illinois Senators Ann Gillespie, Laura Murphy, Laura Ellman, Ram Villivalam among many others. The bill passed in both houses. The governor’s signatures on August 3, 2019 at the Palatine Gurdwara premises made it into a law effective January 1, 2020.
Due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, the events to celebrate in April 2020 were cancelled except Covid 19 relief activities like food pantry, providing free food to the needy, weekly lunches at Salvation Army, food and shelter to a few international families stuck in the Chicago area due to travel ban.
But in April of 2021 several activities were organized by the Outreach Committee of Sikh Religious Society Palatine Illinois and volunteers from Wheaton Illinois Gurdwara to celebrate the month of April to create awareness about Sikh Americans and appreciate their contributions to America.
A blood drive at Palatine Gurdwara was organized, Dinner at a homeless shelter in the city of Aurora Illinois was provided, cleaning of a road in Palatine under “Adopt a Highway” program was done by the young Sikh volunteers. Several books displays were set up at local libraries for example Ela Library, Plainfield Library, Gail Borden Library, and several others like Urbana Illinois, Lake Forest library participated virtually through their websites.
Sikh Soldiers of world wars I & II were displayed at the village halls of Hoffman Estates, Naperville and Palatine Townships. Webinars and panel discussions with Sikh Scholars were organized by University of Chicago South Asian Studies and Benedictine University, Lisle Illinois. A movie on the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji, the founder of Sikh faith was also screened.
Seminars for local High School teachers and students on the subjects of “Who are the Sikhs?” were conducted. More than a dozen proclamations including State of Illinois, City of Chicago,, Cook County, DuPage County, Lake County, Villages of Palatine, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, Naperville, Aurora, Hanover Park, Lake Forest, Palatine Township, Schaumburg Township, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) etc. Several city council meetings including that of Aurora and of DuPage County started with a Sikh invocation. In the city of Aurora Dr. Baljinder Singh was honored as the Health Hero and an eighth grader youth Anmol Singh led the pledge of allegiance.
“We are happy with the progress we made this year and hope to broaden the scope of the activities next year by involving more regions of the state of Illinois,” said Sikh Religious Society Palatine President Amardev Singh.
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