Folsom Council honors Sikh community

The Folsom, Roseville and Rocklin city councils recently honored the local Sikh community by proclaiming November Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month at last week's council meeting. Folsom City Council Member YK Chalamchalera presented the official city proclamation at the City Council meeting Dec. 14. The Sikhs were also recognized by both the Roseville and Rocklin city councils last month. "It shows diversity, inclusion, unity of communities of color, etc., all beyond Yuba City in Sutter County where we have our parade, of course," said Kulvinder Singh. For 42 years, thousands have attended the annual Nagar Kirtan Sikh Festival and Parade held in Yuba City in early November. Local area Sikh leaders attending the city ceremonies included Parmjit Khaira, Kuljit Sidhu, Manjit Singh and Baldev Singh. The city proclamations read as a brief history of Sikh culture and contributions in America. The proclamation reads: "Whereas, Sikhs arrived in the United States more than 125 years ago. Sikhs worked in many capacities, including farms, and lumber mills, and for the Western Pacific and Pacific Eastern railroads on the Pacific Coast and on the Panama Canal. Whereas, Sikhs are the sixth largest religious group with more than 25 million around the world. An estimated 500,000 Americans are of Sikh origin and more than a third reside in California. Whereas, Sikh Americans pursue diverse professions and walks of life, making rich contributions to the social, cultural and economic vibrancy of the United States, including service as members of the United States Armed Forces. They have made and continue to make significant contributions to our great nation in public service, agriculture, medicine, trucking, science and technology, and distinguish themselves by fostering great respect among people through faith and service. Whereas, the month of November is significant for the Sikh celebrations of Diwali, the birth of the first Guru and founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanack, in 1469, and installation of the Sikh Scriptures as the final, eternal Guru in 1708. Whereas, the City seeks to further the diversity of its community and afford all residents the opportunity to better understand, recognize and appreciate the rich history and shared experiences of Sikh Americans." "Folsom has a lot of IT (Information Technology) people and Hindus and Sikhs work there, since Intel and other companies are there," said Singh.