Obama To Skip Amritsar, Sikhs Disappointed

[Azaad]

The news of Amritsar not featuring in the US President Barack Obama’s itinerary for his forthcoming India visit has caused disappointment among Sikhs in India and abroad, as the community was keenly looking forward to it.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said, “The entire Sikh community was enthused that the head of the world’s most powerful nation would be visiting their holiest shrine. It would have enhanced the community’s pride, while addressing the problem of mistaken identity being faced by it abroad.

Former SGPC general secretary Bibi Kiranjot Kaur said it was President Obama’s prerogative whether he wanted to visit Amritsar or not. “If it didn’t fit in his schedule, then it is okay, but the point raised earlier about covering his head should not be an issue,” she said. According to her, it would have been nice if Obama had visited the Golden Temple, as it would have spread awareness about Sikhs, a microscopic minority, at the international level. Former Akali Minister Manjeet Singh Calcutta said Obama’s visit would have gone a long way in helping Sikhs deal with the “identity crisis” with which they are grappling with post-9/11 attack in the US.

On the other hand, reports pouring in from the US suggest that the move has not gone down well with the Sikh community there, too. They feel that Obama is skipping the Golden Temple "out of fear" and not his tight schedule as is being stated by the US authorities. “I’m not really buying the excuse. I think the administration has been struggling with the false accusation that the President is a Muslim. It is not out of the realm of possibility that these fears drove the cancellation,” Sapreet Kaur, executive director of the Sikh Coalition, was quoted saying in the US media.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit Singh Sarna has shot off a missive to the US President, urging him to visit a Delhi gurdwara. Talking to this correspondent on phone from New Delhi, Sarna said they had first requested him not to cancel his visit to Amritsar and if it wasn’t possible, to visit a gurdwara in Delhi. “We cordially invite you to visit Gurdwara Bangla Sahib or Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, adjacent to the President’s House and Parliament of India,” stated Sarna in his letter to Obama. “As the national and international media is centred in Delhi, your visit will help remove the misconception about the Sikh identity, which has led to unfortunate incidents in the aftermath of 9/11,” read the letter. Obama was expected to visit Amritsar on November 7 and pay obeisance at the Golden Temple apart from visiting the Khalsa College.

[Kharkooartsy]

i think tis wrong for sikhs to keep asking him to visit harimandir sahib..its insulting to sikh community!!!

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said, “The entire Sikh community was enthused that the head of the world’s most powerful nation would be visiting their holiest shrine. It would have enhanced the community’s pride, while addressing the problem of mistaken identity being faced by it abroad.

why do people care so much about whether obama came or not..

everyones equal in harimandir sahib it doesnt matter whether you are a president of worlds more powerful nation or someone who noone knows we are all equal in vaheguroo jis eyes..

sikhs are making them look bad by keep asking obama to spread awareness about sikhs

i know we face discrimination here in america but obama cant stop it really people dont like him period because he hasnt done jack

another thing people that dont like musle, dont like anyone they dont care who you are they dont like you..if you dont look like them!!

we sikhs need to stop tryna take the easy way to spread awareness..

we all should help others, be kind and generous, always try to change society in a good way try to leave good impression on people...

that is the best way to change those who discriminate... if you open a door for a racist person and then another day give them a kind smile... in just doing these two things their racist nature will begin to change.

we ought to follow bhai knaiya jis example...

we have a great guru and we should be great sikhs..

never look down at others..

love everyone one then we will be able to love ourselves and only by loving your own self you could love Vaheguroo ji!