The 554th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was commemorated at the Parliament Hall in Wellington on 27 November.
Organised through the non-profit organisation Ekta NZ, the occasion included members of the Indian diaspora, officials from the Indian High Commission, the diplomatic corps, government officials, as well as National MPs Nicola Willis and Chris Bishop, who joined us after the swearing-in. At Government House, where Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s new coalition government was sworn in.
The program began with a welcome and karakia through Bhupinder and Alsantana Mauriri, which were followed by interfaith blessings bestowed through Maria Boyer-Blaikie of the Baha’i Faith, Buddhist Priyadarshini Pawar, Christians Rev Stephen King and Rev Jean Michael of the Jewish network. Rep. Harvey Livschitz, Hindus Vijeshni Rattan and Kiren Thakrar, and Muslims Mohamed Abdul Aziz and Mohand Madiwale.
Speakers included Ministry of Ethnic Communities Chief Executive Mervin Singham, High Commissioner of Australia to New Zealand Harinder Sidhu, Indian High Commission Charge d’affaires Mukesh Ghiya and Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner Imran Ulah Khan.
Ministry of Ethnic Communities CEO Mervin Singham recalled the exemplary role of the Sikh community in supporting other communities through the Covid 19 pandemic. “We watched with wonder and gratitude the way the Sikh community across the country do what they do so well – reach out and care for everyone, irrespective of their faith, culture or creed.”
He said the values of generosity, charity and equality preached through Guru Nanak “are still cherished by Sikhs in New Zealand and around the world. “
“The beautiful culture of langar, a concept influenced by Guru Nanak, has made a huge difference in the world for families across the country who have struggled to put food on the table in those difficult times,” Singham said.
Australia’s High Commissioner, Harinder Sidhu, traced Guru Nanak’s birth “to 1469 in a small village now known as Nankana Sahib in present-day Pakistan, [where] a baby was born to Kalyan Chand Bedi and his wife Tripti. They called him Nanak.
Calling Guru Nanak’s training “progressive,” Sidhu invoked the Guru’s famous saying, “There is no Hindu or Muslim. “He said it was a call to embrace all religions under one umbrella. Sidhu pointed out that “the Guru’s closest partner and disciple, Bhai Mardana, was a Muslim by birth. “
“Nanak reduced the practice of religion to the s, rejecting what we saw as an empty ritual. Instead, he proposed 3 pillars – naam japo, kirat karo, vand chhako – making the pursuit of enlightenment, righteous work and service to the network the pillars of religion,” he observed.
In particular, High Commissioner Sidhu highlighted that Guru Nanak advocated for women’s equality “in all facets and networked practice”.
“I often speak of the alignment in values between Australia and New Zealand. Who knew that those values are in many ways the same as those taught by Guru Nanak?”
Mukesh Ghiya, Chargé d’Affaires of the High Commissioner of India and Second Secretary (Consular), said: “Guru Nanak ji taught us that we can have a relationship with God through meditation and a pious lifestyle. It does not require monk status. Instead, he taught men and women how to attain salvation through a general way of life in society.
Second Secretary Ghiya, under pressure from Guru Nanak’s “compassion and respect for all human beings, irrespective of caste, creed, ethnicity and religion”, praised the Sikh community’s culture of service, symbolized by the distribution of food (the langar).
Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner to New Zealand, Imran Ulah Khan, recalled his recent “truly inspiring day in Kartarpur Sahib. . . in Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Devji spent [the] last 18 years of his life and [which marks] his final resting place.
Describing Guru Nanak’s teachings as “embodying wisdom, pragmatism, unity, hope, and nonviolent coexistence,” Khan noted that the holy sites of the Sikh faith in Pakistan attract “not only followers and followers of the Sikh faith, but also other people who belong to the Sikh faith. Different castes, creeds and ethnicities [visit] pay homage to Guru Nanak,” who symbolizes the values of “universal brotherhood, inclusion, ethical rectitude, justice and equality. “
The langar that followed opened up to the public and served a diversity of multi-ethnic dishes.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
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