Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 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

    'They Support Terrorists': Pakistanis Appalled At US Congressmen's Vicious Criticism

    'They Support Terrorists': Pakistanis Appalled At US Congressmen's Vicious Criticism
    Pakistan's denouncing the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir is an "indisputable" evidence of its support to terrorist outfits, US lawmakers have been told.

    'They Support Terrorists': Pakistanis Appalled At US Congressmen's Vicious Criticism

    Canadian Man Held In Thailand After Reportedly Robbing Bank In Singapore

    Canadian Man Held In Thailand After Reportedly Robbing Bank In Singapore
    Local media outlets say David James Roach was taken into custody at a hostel in Bangkok, after travelling to the Thai capital from Singapore.

    Canadian Man Held In Thailand After Reportedly Robbing Bank In Singapore

    Auschwitz Memorial Says Playing 'Pokemon Go' Not Allowed

    WARSAW, Poland — The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum says it does not allow people to play "Pokemon Go" on their smartphones during visits to the former German death camp because it is "disrespectful.”

    Auschwitz Memorial Says Playing 'Pokemon Go' Not Allowed

    Sikh Man Kicked Out Of Wimbledon Queue For 'Making People Uncomfortable'

    Sikh Man Kicked Out Of Wimbledon Queue For 'Making People Uncomfortable'
    Govindpal Kooner took to Facebook last week to voice his anger at being thrown out and claimed it was an act of racism, cases of which have reported a rise in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union 

    Sikh Man Kicked Out Of Wimbledon Queue For 'Making People Uncomfortable'

    Banners On Pak Roads Urge Gen Sharif To Impose Martial Law, Form Govt

    Banners On Pak Roads Urge Gen Sharif To Impose Martial Law, Form Govt
    Interestingly, the banners sprang up in the 13 cities, even in cantonment areas, despite the presence of several checkpoints and extra security.

    Banners On Pak Roads Urge Gen Sharif To Impose Martial Law, Form Govt

    Latvian Mission To Include A Frigate And 6 Cf-18 Aircraft: Justin Trudeau

    Latvian Mission To Include A Frigate And 6 Cf-18 Aircraft: Justin Trudeau
    Canada will command a 1,000-strong multinational force in Latvia, and Trudeau said it was important that Russia get the message from NATO about its actions in Ukraine.

    Latvian Mission To Include A Frigate And 6 Cf-18 Aircraft: Justin Trudeau