OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate passed a resolution Wednesday honoring the contributions of Sikh Americans to the culture and history of Washington state and the United States.
The measure was sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), the first Sikh American elected to a state legislature in American history, who spoke about how Sikh values have inspired her and many others to public service.
“Every year, this resolution is a joyful opportunity for the Sikh community of Washington to gather in Olympia, and for this body to remember the contributions of so many Sikh Americans to our state,” said Dhingra.
“We are a community that is deeply rooted in the ideas of truth and service to community. And that all that we do is done with humility. This is a religion that was talking about equality among humans back in the 15th century, especially gender equality.”
The Senate also recognized members of the Sikh community in attendance, including Hira Singh, Sunny Singh, Puneet Kaur, and staff of the Sikh Coalition and the Washington Sikh Community
The session was opened with a prayer by Sikh youth leader Sharn Kaur of the Khalsa Gurmat Center.
The video can be viewed and downloaded here.
