Vaisakhi was celebrated at NSW Parliament on 8 May 2014. This is the ninth year that Vaisakhi was celebrated at the NSW Parliament House.
The program officially started at 6 p.m. with traditional Shabad singing by Guru Singh Sabha Revesby, youth group. Dr Moninder Singh, Coordinator, Punjabi Council of Australia, started the proceedings and welcomed the dignitaries including John Robertson MP, Kevin Conolly MP, Nathan Reese MP, and Sunjay Sudhir Consul General, Indian Consulate Sydney, Consul AS Ranga, and John Kennedy, UIA president. Other parliamentarians and members of the Indian and Pakistani community were also present.
Environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal Ji was also present on the occasion. Also present were Resham Singh, the first Sikh to raise awareness about his right to wear the turban in Australia while on duty in ambulance services in Queensland, and Lakhwinder Dhillon, a cab driver from Melbourne who returned a large sum of money left in his cab by a passenger. These guests received Pride of Punjabis Awards.
This year is also the silver jubilee of kabaddi in Australia, which is the main event of the Annual Sikh Games in Australia. Members of the first Kabaddi team of Australia were also awarded at the event.
The Vaisakhi Celebrations at the Parliament house was open to the public and the organisers say they were overwhelmed by the response of the larger community.
Published in The Indian Sun/ For More information on Punjabis in Australia, read The Indian Sun
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