A peek into the first 'langar' on Capitol Hill

Members of the United States Congress break bread to celebrate the contributions of Sikh Americans. Rediff.com’s Aziz Haniffa reports

In a historic first, the interns in the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund’s SikhLEAD programme, organised the first-ever langar on Capitol Hill July 30 to share the Sikh way of life with members of the United States Congress and their staffers.

Langar is a 500-year-old tradition established by Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak, where a congregation meets over a simple meal aimed to eradicate segregation and classicism.

Gurchit Singh Chatha, SikhLEAD Class of 2014, in explaining the significance of holding the langar in the foyer of the Rayburn House Building, said, ‘Sikh Americans have a 120-year plus long history in the United States, and the reason why we have been able to thrive here is because Sikhism’s core tenants are so deeply reflected in the American way of life.

Langar is a tradition that reflects Sikhism’s core tenant belief -- equality amongst all, regardless of background, education, gender, or race. It is an honour to share this tradition, which started as a revolution against oppressive traditions, with those who work to better the lives of all Americans.’

Several lawmakers -- led by US Congressman Mike Honda, California Democrat and chairman emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and including US Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC chairwoman; US Congressmen Ami Bera and Mark Takano, all Democrats from California -- reflected on Sikh-American contributions, and spoke of their commitment to serve the community.

Congresswomen Grace Meng, New York Democrat, and Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Democrat, also visited the langar.

Chu, also the co-chair of the American Sikh Caucus, said the Caucus, along with the Republican co-chair Congressman David Valadao of California and 32 other co-sponsors, had introduced a resolution honouring the memory of the horrific attack on the Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek, Wisconsin two years ago. She accepted the Dalip Singh Saund Award in recognition of the Caucus’s support to the community.

Honda, whose office was responsible for arranging for the langar, in his keynote address quipped to much laughter and applause, ‘I just want to be clear that this is the Capitol Hill gurdwara and I just want everyone to understand that this is our very first ceremony at the Capitol Hill gurdwara. But we’re going to claim it, right? Possession is nine points of the law. This has been, I think, very historic.’

He lauded SALDEF, and the SikhLEAD internship programme -- which partners with Congressional offices, federal agencies, and DC-based host organisations to provide opportunities that allow Sikh American students to initiate careers of public service and community leadership -- before giving a brief history of the Sikh immigrant experience in the US.

‘The Central Valley of California, the Sikh Americans have been there for about 125 years, just creating a strong agricultural community there,’ he said. ‘I can think of no better way to celebrate the contributions of Sikh Americans than by breaking bread today.’

‘Over 700,000 Sikh-Americans in the US fuel our economy through entrepreneurship and by significantly contributing to our cultural and spiritual wealth. Sikh Americans have a long history of innovative engagement and leadership. From the Honorable Dilip Singh Saund, who was the very first great pioneer in Congress, to the advocates at SALDEF and the Sikh Coalition who work to build dialogue, they deepen our understanding, and uphold social justice for all Americans,’ he said.

Honda also spoke of the Sikhs serving the country as soldiers, fire fighters and cops: ‘We have one police officer in the city of Milpitas in my district, Jaskirat Singh, who is also a turban-wearing police officer. And one of the reasons that this is so important is that if we want people to understand, and recognise, and internalise, and be comfortable with those who are of Sikh backgrounds -- especially those who are traditional -- then we have to have them in public service, and the military, and wherever we see them in other functions.’

This presence, he said, was important to make the country realise that ‘they are part of this American scene, and they have been here, and they shall stay. And we shall have them stay with the traditional and religious practices.’

‘We have to keep asking that question of our military leaders, and of our leaders in the different aspects of this country: Why don’t we have fire fighters who have backgrounds that are Sikh, and why is it important that they take off their turbans to be a fire fighter or a law enforcement officer or a military person? From the country they come from, they do these duties, and do it well, without giving up any part of their background, history, or religion,’ he added.

Honda spoke of the effort some Congress members were making to push the Department of Defence to modernise their regulations to allow Sikh Americans to serve the US while adhering to the tenets of their own faith. He mentioned Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan, and Specialist Simran Preet Singh Lamba as the only three Sikh Americans in the US Army who maintain a beard and wear turbans, but rued that they are not ‘frontline military.’

‘When you really achieve acceptance is when every Sikh American who wants to wear a turban is able to do that as a frontline military person,’ he said.

The Congressman also brought up how turbans made ‘some youngsters’ a bullying target: ‘A report by the Sikh Coalition found that among more than 500 Sikh students interviewed across the nation, about 67 per cent of them -- of turbaned children -- had reported being bullied in school. Having been a teacher myself, that’s a staggering number, and really breaks my heart.’

He then segued into the importance of the langar, saying it ‘is revolutionary, in that it requires everyone to sit on the floor, regardless of social status, and share the meal with their fellow attendees. Langar feeds the body of those being served, and nurtures the soul of the one performing the service.’

It was arranged to have the remaining meals from the langar donated to the DC Central Kitchen, which supports shelters for the homeless across the DC metropolitan area.