Close X
Monday, November 25, 2024
ADVT 
International

Sikh-American Delegate Harmeet Dhillon Begins Republican Party Convention 2nd Day With 'Ardaas'

Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jul, 2016 12:12 PM
    In a first for the Republican Party, a Sikh-American woman opened the second day of the national convention here with the 'Ardaas'- a Sikh prayer.
     
    Harmeet Dhillon, vice chairwoman of the California Republican Party, delivered the Sikh prayer on the national stage here in Punjabi and then translated it into English.
     
     
    It was the first such instance for the Republican National Convention but it was not the first time the 47-year-old San Francisco lawyer upended expectations, the Los Angeles Times reported.
     
    Born in Chandigarh, she emigrated with her parents to England and then to the Bronx, New York.
     
    Her father, an orthopedic surgeon, soon moved the family to rural Smithfield in central North Carolina.
     
    Taking the stage minutes before Donald Trump was officially nominated as the party's candidate for president, Dhillon led the convention in the Sikh prayer yesterday.
     
    After the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem, Dhillon took the stage and explained that it was Sikh custom to wear a headscarf for the traditional prayer.
     
    Dhillon, a delegate from San Francisco, covered her head with a shawl after stepping up to the podium.
     
    "I've said this prayer before I could walk," she said.
     
     
    The prayer- called Ardaas- is a Sikh prayer that is recited before performing or after undertaking any significant task. And Dhillon hoped her reading it would show that the Republican Party truly does have a big tent.
     
    "I think this is an inclusive party. I've never felt anything but included since Day One," Dhillon was quoted as saying by The Mercury News.
     
    Trump today clinched the Republican Party's presidential nomination to run against Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November polls, a stunning rise for an outsider after months of controversial campaigning that saw him crushing 16 well-established party rivals.
     
    Diversity was showcased by the party in Cleveland as when California's Republicans formally proclaimed their support for Trump, the state party turned to Shirley Husar, who is black, to make the announcement.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Suspect In Killing Of UK Lawmaker To Face Trial In Autumn

    LONDON — The man charged with murdering British lawmaker Jo Cox is expected to face trial in the autumn.

    Suspect In Killing Of UK Lawmaker To Face Trial In Autumn

    Abortion Pill Requests Spike In Zika Outbreak Countries

    Abortion Pill Requests Spike In Zika Outbreak Countries
     Online requests for abortion pills spiked dramatically this year in Brazil, Ecuador and some other Latin American countries that ban abortions, an indication that women may be choosing to end pregnancies 

    Abortion Pill Requests Spike In Zika Outbreak Countries

    Hindu Man In Pakistan Kills Wife Over Cup Of Tea

    Hindu Man In Pakistan Kills Wife Over Cup Of Tea
    A mother of two minor girls in Pakistan's Sindh province was axed to death by her husband on Thursday for allegedly delaying his tea.

    Hindu Man In Pakistan Kills Wife Over Cup Of Tea

    No NSG Consensus Over India's Membership Bid

    No NSG Consensus Over India's Membership Bid
    The Indian application for membership to the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group was taken up at a post-dinner special session in the South Korean capital where heads of delegation of NSG are holding a plenary, highly informed sources in Seoul told

    No NSG Consensus Over India's Membership Bid

    Germany Shooting: Several Wounded As Man 'Opens Fire In Cinema Complex' In Viernheim

    Germany Shooting: Several Wounded As Man 'Opens Fire In Cinema Complex' In Viernheim
    Police spokeswoman Christiane Kobus said she couldn't give further details of what was happening at the Kinopolis movie theater in the town of Viernheim.

    Germany Shooting: Several Wounded As Man 'Opens Fire In Cinema Complex' In Viernheim

    Projects Abroad launches Refugee Project in Italy

    Projects Abroad launches Refugee Project in Italy
    Volunteer organization partners with local NGOs, including Red Cross, to aid refugees and migrants

    Projects Abroad launches Refugee Project in Italy