Assembly Resolution No. 325

BY: M. of A. Rajkumar

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
April 2023, as Punjabi Awareness Month in the State
of New York, in conjunction with the observance of
Vaisakhi to be celebrated April 14, 2023

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay just tribute to the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups which
comprise and contribute to the richness and diversity of the community
of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in keeping with its
time-honored traditions, it is the intent of this Legislative Body to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2023, as Punjabi
Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of Vaisakhi to be celebrated April 14, 2023; and

WHEREAS, Punjab is a diverse, vibrant state in northern India
replete with culture and history, known around the world as the
birthplace of Sikhism; and

WHEREAS, The first South Asians to immigrate to the United States
were Punjabis, overwhelmingly Sikhs, who arrived in large numbers in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth century to work as laborers in
California and the Pacific Northwest; and

WHEREAS, The Punjabi American community continued to flourish, now
numbering in the hundreds of thousands, including one of the largest
Sikh populations in the world, and Punjabi Americans contribute to all
facets of life; and

WHEREAS, Vaisakhi is one of the most important days of the year for
Punjabis, falling on the first day of Vaisakha, the first month of the
year in multiple South Asian calendars, which this year corresponds to
April 14; and

WHEREAS, The holiday is sacred to Sikhs and some Hindus, having
begun as a harvest festival in Punjab, and taking on profound spiritual
importance when, in 1699, the date marked the foundation of the Order of
the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, a defining moment in Sikhism that
established many of its customs and precepts; and

WHEREAS, The significance of Vaisakhi continued to evolve, becoming
the date of the coronation of Ranjit Singh as first Maharaja of the Sikh
Empire in 1801; and

WHEREAS, Celebration of Vaisakhi takes various local forms in South
Asia and around the world, with Sikh celebrations including social
gatherings, nagar kirtan processions with the singing of hymns, raising
of the Nishan Sahib flag, distribution of free food, and visits to
Gurdwaras, their houses of worship; and

WHEREAS, Many Hindus observe Vaisakhi with activities such as ritual
bathing in sacred rivers, festivals, charitable acts, and processions;
and

WHEREAS, New York City is home to festive annual celebrations to
observe Vaisakhi, including the Sikh Day Parade in Manhattan, the Turban
Day mass tying in Times Square, the Vaisakhi 5k Run in South Queens, and
celebrations at Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society, Inc. Sangat and Baba
Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center in Richmond Hill; and

WHEREAS, Richmond Hill is an epicenter of Sikhism in the Western
Hemisphere, home to one of the largest Sikh communities outside of
India, and often referred to as Little Punjab; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity
to recognize such events of significance which foster ethnic pride and
exemplify the cultural diversity that represents and strengthens the
fabric of the people and the State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 2023, as Punjabi
Awareness Month in the State of New York, in conjunction with the
observance of Vaisakhi to be celebrated April 14, 2023; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Consul General of India, and various Indian and Sikh
organizations in the State of New York.