00:00 In a first, a Sikh grantee from New Jersey offered prayers to start the proceedings of
00:10 the US House of Representatives.
00:12 Grantee Gyani Jaswinder Singh from Pine Hill Gurdwara in New Jersey started the day's proceedings
00:18 at the House on Friday.
00:20 The prayers before the proceedings are normally offered by a Christian priest.
00:24 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that Singh would start the proceedings.
00:29 Taking up the floor soon after the prayers, Congressman Donald Norcross described this
00:35 as a historic occasion.
00:37 He is the first Sikh chaplain to make prayers in the US House of Representatives.
00:43 The history made today is a reminder that the US welcomes and values and will remain
00:48 committed to free expression of religion.
00:51 Gyani Singh has made South Jersey proud today and it is an honour to be a part of this moment
00:57 with him.
00:58 Norcross said.
00:59 Harjinder Singh, media spokesperson of Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast, said that
01:04 today for the first time in the history of the United States Parliament, the session
01:09 of the House started with Sikh prayer.
01:12 This is an occasion of great joy for the Sikh community, for the entire global Sikh community.
01:17 He said, "We pray for the members of this House who are working to protect the free
01:21 world and all Americans here.
01:23 We wish and pray for the entire humanity as a race."
01:27 Notably, the inclusion of Gyani Jaswinder Singh as the first Sikh Granthi to offer prayers
01:33 or Ardas in the US House of Representatives signifies a step towards recognizing and celebrating
01:40 diversity in religious practices within the American democratic framework.
01:45 Today, for the first time ever in the history of US Congress, the House session started
01:54 with a Sikh prayer.
01:59 Gyani Jaswinder Singh, who is standing on my left, he is the head priest of Sikh Gurdwara
02:06 Pine Hill in New Jersey.
02:09 He is the one who offered the prayer.
02:13 Though the Sikhs have been here in this country for more than 100 years, it took us that long
02:19 to get this prayer event.
02:21 So this is a very, very happy occasion for the Sikh community, for the whole global Sikh
02:26 community.
02:28 And I want to congratulate all the Sikhs and all the congressmen and the congressional
02:34 staff, especially Donald Norcross, who is my congressman from South Jersey, to make
02:43 it happen.
02:44 The other congressmen from US Congressional Sikh Caucus, Brendan Boyle, Valadio from California,
02:53 and Mary Gay Scanlon from Delaware County, and many other congressmen, Jim Costa, he's
03:00 also part of Sikh Caucus.
03:02 They all supported and helped us to make this happen.
03:07 So we are very thankful to all of these people.
03:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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