Dal Khalsa feels elated at the recognition of Vaisakhi by the US Congress and the acceptance of 1984 killings of Sikhs as “genocide” by Ontario State Parliament.

Dal Khalsa has greeted Sikh Americans for success in their endeavour to gain official state recognition in the US Congress of Vaisakhi -the Khalsa Sajna Diwas as the festival of the Sikh people.

Dal Khalsa President Harpal Singh Cheema hopes that this acceptance will help in stopping the continuing harassment and killings of Sikhs in hate crimes across the US.

Congratulating the 100-plus Gurdwaras and institutions led by the Sikh Coordination Committee, the American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the US Sikh Caucus, the leader said that, “This was a landmark in the Sikh journey towards official acceptance of the distinctiveness of the Sikh people.”

The passing of a motion in the Ontario state parliament calling the mass killings of Sikhs in 1984 as genocide is an overdue welcome step, he said.  “I see it as a beginning of acceptance that there is some serious conflict between the Sikhs and India.”

Hailing the efforts made by MPP Harinder Kaur Malhi and MPP Jagmeet Singh, they said the adoption of motion and acceptance of mass killings as genocide finally nails the lie that the mass killings were “riots”.

Dal Khalsa strongly condemned India-sponsored NGO namely ‘Canada India Foundation’ that unsuccessfully attempted to create hurdles in moving the above motion by dubbing the motion as “ill-conceived and divisive”.