WASHINGTON, D.C.—On July 6th, 2016, SALDEF’s largest SikhLEAD class made history by hosting the largest
The SikhLEAD event was sponsored by Senator Minority Leader Harry Reid in conjunction with Congressman Mike Honda. Over 500 people from varied professions, political backgrounds and spiritual paths gathered to learn about Sikh values and the Sikh American contributions to society. They all shared in a Sikh tradition, langar, at the third annual Langar on the Hill. This year’s Langar once again became the largest Congressional and community gathering on Capitol Hill in Sikh American history, and reached thousands more through social and traditional media.
Dal Makhani, whole black lentils and red kidney beans in a butter cream, was served, as well as Aloo Gobi, potatoes and cauliflower, cooked in a blend of spices. Attendees also got to sample roti (round flat bread), dahi (yogurt) and kheer (rice pudding). Once attendees filled their plates, everyone sat in rows on the floor and listened to the speakers. Because of the huge turnout, volunteers asked people to shuffle out once they were done eating.
“Sikh Americans have made great contributions to this country — from their history
“Not only are we inviting Congressional representatives, colleagues, neighbors, and community members to break bread with us in the Sikh tradition of langar, but we are also teaching people about the history of this 500-year-old anti-segregation movement,” SALDEF communications director Sumeet Kaur Bal told NBC News. “By coming together in this tradition, langar establishes that all are equal and deserving of the same love and respect.”
“One of the saddest prayers, I think one of the things that goes to the nobility of this community, was: What more could we have done as Sikhs to teach that man (the gunman) more about us, so he wouldn’t have shot us? It is hard for me to think of any other faith community that would ask themselves what more could we have done to stop a hate crime from happening, and feeling a sense of obligation to tell people about what they believe. It was a very noble prayer and I believe it is emblematic of this community,” said Director Paul Monteiro.
Langar, which is sharing a simple vegetarian meal, is a 500-year-old Sikh tradition that seeks to eradicate segregation by bringing together communities without regard to caste, class, gender, or religion. Everyone sits together on the floor, at the same level, and no one is turned away. Langar was established by the founder of Sikhism (the first Sikh Guru), Guru Nanak Dev Ji, to promote equality. Langar is prepared and served through seva (selfless service) by the community. In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness and oneness of all humankind.