World Sikh News welcomes Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his family, his cabinet colleagues, members of Parliament, Canadian media team including Punjabi media persons to the Punjab.

Jee Aayan Nu! Welcome!! Bienvenue!!!

The World Sikh News welcomes:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Pierre James Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, ten-year-old son Xavier James Trudeau, nine-year-old Ella-Grace Margaret and three-year-old Hadrien;

Members of the Canadian Cabinet: Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, Minister for National Defence Harjit Singh Sajjan, Science and Economic Development Minister Navdeep Singh Bains, Science and Sports Minister Kirsty Duncan, Infrastructure Minister Amarjit Singh Sohi and Small Business and Tourism Minister Bardish Kaur Chagger;

18 Members of Parliament including Raj Singh Grewal, Ruby Sahota and others

35-member media delegation including 5 Punjabi journalists Satpal Singh Johal, Jagdish Grewal, Bill Sandhu, Ranjit Sidhu and Rishar Nagar.

When you will all set foot in Amritsar, you will touch the soul of the Sikh people. The joy and glory that you bring with your bubbling smile, the cheering photograph of your cabinet colleagues and parliamentarians, your obeisance at Darbar Sahib will stay embedded in Sikh hearts!

WELCOME TO THE PUNJAB!!

Welcome to the Punjab.
Welcome to the land of five rivers -Punj-ab.
Welcome to the land of the Gurus, Pirs and Fakirs.
Welcome to the homeland of the Sikh nation.
Welcome to Amritsar -the spiritual capital of the Sikh people.
Welcome to Amritsar -the land of Darbar Sahib, also known as The Golden Temple.
Welcome to Akal Takht Sahib -the religio-political high seat of the Sikh nation.
Welcome to the land of faith, tolerance and equality.
Welcome to the Punjab -the first home of the Sikhs, the second being Canada.
Welcome to the Punjab -the cradle of Sikh civilisation.
Welcome to the Punjab -once an independent country, whose borders extended from Jamraudh in Afghanistan to Delhi in the Indian sub-continent and was annexed by the British in 1849.

Welcome to Punjab where 468,670 Sikh Canadians identify with their roots.
Welcome to Punjab from where four ministers of your cabinet and 17 parliamentarians hail from.
Welcome to Punjab which has an immense sense of belonging for jurists selected for Canadian Supreme Courts and other courts.

THANK YOU, CANADA

Thank you, Canada for the immense trust reposed in Sikhs in various vocations and high political life.
Thank you, Canada, for your country’s practical multiculturalism, justice and fair play.
Thank you, Canada and Canadians, for accepting Sikh Canadians into all walks of life.
Thank you, Canada, for permitting Sikhs to wear their Kirpan in internal flights.
Thank you, Canada, for allowing Sikh players to participate in many sports with all of their Sikh gear.
Thank you, Canada, for your wholehearted apology for what should not have happened nearly a 100 years ago.
Thank you, Canada, for electing a Sikh as the Prime Ministerial candidate.
Thank you, Canada, for building parks and gardens in memory of Sikh human rights activists and Sikh stalwarts in Canadian public life.

Thank you, Canada, for affording the full right to freedom of speech to all including resisting the pressures of many countries including India who like to interfere in the affairs of other countries but cannot tolerate the same when returned in the same coin.

As Canada welcomes thousands of Sikhs -educated and the less educated in various spheres and professions, as it makes a living in far-flung areas of Canada more conducive for immigrants, as a sizeable number of Sikhs continue to leave the shores of their homeland and settle in Canada, history has a lot in store for Sikhs in Canada. I have no doubt that Sikh Canadians will set the benchmark for other Diaspora Sikhs to follow in the UK, USA, the Pacific countries and elsewhere. If the path of the last 100 years is any indication, Canada will be prouder of Sikh Canadians more than ever before in the times to come.

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Sikhs are known for their love, service to humankind, religiosity, allegiance and answerability to God Almighty and no earthly power, tolerance, hard work, fair play and valour.

Just as Canada has trusted the Sikhs, surely Canada can always count on the Sikhs! Rab Rakha!!