BY A STAFF REPORTER
CERRITOS, CA - “The world is waiting to know more about Guru Nanak and it is about time that we as a community spread awareness about him and his message”, said, Dr. Surinder Dargan, one of the main organizer of the National Sikh Campaign’s gala dinner event to support a documentary on the founder of Sikhism in her opening...
CERRITOS, CA - “The world is waiting to know more about Guru Nanak and it is about time that we as a community spread awareness about him and his message”, said, Dr. Surinder Dargan, one of the main organizer of the National Sikh Campaign’s gala dinner event to support a documentary on the founder of Sikhism in her opening...
and welcoming remarks. Over 300 members of the Sikh community from all over Los Angeles had gathered at the Sheraton Hotel here on Oct 21 to raise funds to support a documentary on Guru Nanak. Sikh community worldwide will be celebrating the 550th birth-anniversary of Guru Nanak in 2019. National Sikh Campaign is working with Auteur Productions to produce an hour long film focused on Guru Nanak’s life and his message and it will be broadcast on 250 public TV stations all across America. Connecticut Public TV Station will host this and will make it available nationwide and on the World Channel.
This inspirational event had speeches interspersed with musical presentations and an entertainment. Raginder “Violinder” opened the evening with a soothing violin rendition of Raag Dhanasari and Sorath.
“Even though we all have done well as individuals and as a community, there is still much ignorance about our faith and especially about the founder of our religion. It is about time that we fulfill this task by taking much needed steps. We are lucky that Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary will be celebrated in our life times.” said, Dargan. She along with a group of Sikh activist in the Southern California put together this event to support NSC’s initiative.
Dr. Rajwant Singh, Co-founder of National Sikh Campaign and its Senior Advisor, while speaking at the event, said, “There is a dire need to create awareness about Guru Nanak and his message in America and in the world. According to our polls and survey in 2014, 0 percent of Americans know about Guru Nanak and a vast majority of the people in world has no clue about his life and important contribution he made 500 years ago. We are hoping to change that with this community supported effort.”
“Guru Nanak is a towering personality arising out of the Indian sub-continent and his thought process changed the course of history in the region and the world and yet no body knows about him. There is no respectable material to be shown on TV or on social media and hence the need for a well-produced high level documentary. We feel that it is critical that the younger generation gets connected to Guru Nanak’s practical philosophy.” Sarabjit Singh, an active member of the community, said, “This is the first of its own kind endeavor to introduce Guru Nanak and his message on the world stage and I congratulate NSC for fulfilling this gap and creating an important teaching tool for the entire community.”
Deepinder Singh, Co-organizer of the event, said, “By making a well-produced documentary to spread awareness, we are laying a foundation for our future generations. Thanks to all the gurdwaras of Southern California and individuals who have come forward to support this cause and have shown their commitment.”
Aman Batra, a poet from Artesia, spoke and presented poems related to the theme of woman empowerment. She said, “It is important for me to speak today as we see so much of Guru Nanak’s legacy is for women and is advocacy for women.” . A graduate from UCLA, she has built her career in written and performance poetry and is now a teaching artist in Los Angeles and Long Beach County and her work has been featured on Vibe and The Huffington Post.
JJ Kapur, a Stanford University freshman, who was named the 2017 National Champion in Original Oratory, spoke at the event as a keynote speaker . He said, “Guru Nanak was a revolutionary and we have reached a point where our divisions have become so strong and now more than ever, we must learn about Guru Nanak Dev ji and the world must know his message of unity. He added, “There is no better medium to accomplish this unprecedented goal of filming of a documentary on his life.”
Kaaya Batra presented a very well-liked dance presentation on a song by Jagjit and Chitra Singh and GOT Bhangra presented an energetic performance. Sumita Batra, Ritu Chugh, Kirtan Singh, and Dr. Ravneet Kaur had taken turns to introduce various presenters throughout the evening and the program was well-choreographed and organized to keep the attention of the audience. Dinner was served to all while DJ Jass kept everyone entertained. Raginder had guests join in celebrations with his fast Punjabi numbers at the end of event. After an appeal was made for donations, guests opened their hearts and wallets. A group of young Sikh professionals were at hand to accept online donations and many wrote checks to support NSC’s endeavor.
This inspirational event had speeches interspersed with musical presentations and an entertainment. Raginder “Violinder” opened the evening with a soothing violin rendition of Raag Dhanasari and Sorath.
“Even though we all have done well as individuals and as a community, there is still much ignorance about our faith and especially about the founder of our religion. It is about time that we fulfill this task by taking much needed steps. We are lucky that Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary will be celebrated in our life times.” said, Dargan. She along with a group of Sikh activist in the Southern California put together this event to support NSC’s initiative.
Dr. Rajwant Singh, Co-founder of National Sikh Campaign and its Senior Advisor, while speaking at the event, said, “There is a dire need to create awareness about Guru Nanak and his message in America and in the world. According to our polls and survey in 2014, 0 percent of Americans know about Guru Nanak and a vast majority of the people in world has no clue about his life and important contribution he made 500 years ago. We are hoping to change that with this community supported effort.”
“Guru Nanak is a towering personality arising out of the Indian sub-continent and his thought process changed the course of history in the region and the world and yet no body knows about him. There is no respectable material to be shown on TV or on social media and hence the need for a well-produced high level documentary. We feel that it is critical that the younger generation gets connected to Guru Nanak’s practical philosophy.” Sarabjit Singh, an active member of the community, said, “This is the first of its own kind endeavor to introduce Guru Nanak and his message on the world stage and I congratulate NSC for fulfilling this gap and creating an important teaching tool for the entire community.”
Deepinder Singh, Co-organizer of the event, said, “By making a well-produced documentary to spread awareness, we are laying a foundation for our future generations. Thanks to all the gurdwaras of Southern California and individuals who have come forward to support this cause and have shown their commitment.”
Aman Batra, a poet from Artesia, spoke and presented poems related to the theme of woman empowerment. She said, “It is important for me to speak today as we see so much of Guru Nanak’s legacy is for women and is advocacy for women.” . A graduate from UCLA, she has built her career in written and performance poetry and is now a teaching artist in Los Angeles and Long Beach County and her work has been featured on Vibe and The Huffington Post.
JJ Kapur, a Stanford University freshman, who was named the 2017 National Champion in Original Oratory, spoke at the event as a keynote speaker . He said, “Guru Nanak was a revolutionary and we have reached a point where our divisions have become so strong and now more than ever, we must learn about Guru Nanak Dev ji and the world must know his message of unity. He added, “There is no better medium to accomplish this unprecedented goal of filming of a documentary on his life.”
Kaaya Batra presented a very well-liked dance presentation on a song by Jagjit and Chitra Singh and GOT Bhangra presented an energetic performance. Sumita Batra, Ritu Chugh, Kirtan Singh, and Dr. Ravneet Kaur had taken turns to introduce various presenters throughout the evening and the program was well-choreographed and organized to keep the attention of the audience. Dinner was served to all while DJ Jass kept everyone entertained. Raginder had guests join in celebrations with his fast Punjabi numbers at the end of event. After an appeal was made for donations, guests opened their hearts and wallets. A group of young Sikh professionals were at hand to accept online donations and many wrote checks to support NSC’s endeavor.
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