E-Paper
Sikhs in US mark toned-down Baisakhi celebrations amid coronavirus concerns
For the second year in a row, outdoor festivities at the Midwest Sikh Gurdwara and the traditional parade in the city of Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, have been cancelled. But in an improvement over 2020, some events will be held at the temple and via social media
Sikhs across the United States are holding toned-down Baisakhi celebrations this week, joining people of other faiths in observing major holidays cautiously this spring as Covid-19 keeps an uneven hold on the country.
While the pandemic has many people celebrating remotely this year just as in 2020, some, especially in the United States, are joining in masked, socially distant Baisakhi gatherings.
“Sikh community members, especially those who faced hardships and loss during the pandemic, view Baisakhi as a fresh start and a sign of hope that things will be better once again,” said Sahej Preet Singh, community development manager at the Sikh Coalition, a national organsation based in New York. “The Sikh worldview embraces resilience and chardi kala (relentless optimism).”
For the second year in a row, outdoor festivities at the Midwest Sikh Gurdwara and the traditional parade in the city of Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, have been cancelled. But in an improvement over 2020, some events will be held at the temple and via social media.
Komalpreet Kaur, a 16-year-old high school student in nearby Olathe, Kansas, said the parade is “the one big event of the year where everyone gets together, and we welcome other members of the community to participate. ... This is like our Christmas, and it’s something we look forward to so much. But we are going to find alternatives this year to celebrate,” she added.
Kaur has been lobbying officials in several area cities trying to get them to declare April Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month, so far winning one such proclamation from Lenexa, Kansas. Kaur, who was raised in New York City before moving with her family to Kansas in 2017, said she wants to make others more familiar with her faith.
In California’s San Joaquin Valley, the Stockton Gurdwara organised a Tuesday evening service of prayers, readings from the Guru Granth Sahib while following health guidelines, said Tejpaul Singh Bainwal, a gurdwara member and student of early Sikh American history. A more involved celebration, including a vaccination clinic, will be held this weekend, also under masking and social distancing rules.
At Guru Nanak Darbar of Long Island, in Hicksville, New York, normally there’s a giant tent set up in the parking lot to accommodate crowds of up to 2,000 people at a time coming for festivities and treats. This year, the celebrations were marked by temperature monitors, social distancing and bagged meals to take home. Gurdwara members set a more restrictive attendance level than required, allowing about 150 into prayer services that can normally accommodate 600.
