Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh
It is such a pleasure and privilege to join with you in Glenwood today at Gurdwara Sahib to mark Bandi Chhor Diwas.
I’m very pleased to be here with your outstanding local member, my friend Michelle Rowland.
What a day this is – a celebration more than four centuries in the making.
A celebration that sees millions of Sikhs uphold freedom and enlightenment, and joyfully embrace the triumph of freedom over oppression.
It’s a celebration born in 1619 when the sixth guru emerged from captivity in Gwalior Fort, along with 52 rescued Hindu kings.
Yet in all those years, the themes – and the truth – you celebrate haven’t aged a day, but have instead been made timeless by generation upon generation of Sikhs.
What a beautiful demonstration of the power of your faith and of the strength of your culture.
That this festival has become such an important fixture on the Australian calendar is something we can all take pride in.
As a nation, we find our greatest strength in the diversity and breadth of our society. We find unity in our national identity as Australians, and we take joy in our differences.
Australian Sikhs have been adding so many pages to the story of modern Australia that the story cannot be told without you. And it’s a story that’s growing.
The Sikh community in Australia has almost tripled from just over 72,000 in the 2011 census to 210,000 in the 2021 census.
And Punjabi is among our top five spoken languages.
I’d like to acknowledge our hosts, the Australian Sikh Association, and say thank you for all you do.
The ASA is the largest registered body representing Sikhs in Australia. Fittingly, the Gurdwara Sahib – which the ASA manages – serves as a great centre of religious, cultural and community activities.
Importantly, it brings together the Sikh community from across Greater Western and North-Western Sydney, strengthening the bonds of your community through programs that include weekend Punjabi language classes, scripture sessions at local schools, a free kitchen, and youth and senior citizen programs.
You stand tall through the good times, you become a pillar of strength in our challenging times – for all of us.
We are always at our best and strongest together, and you demonstrated that the truest way possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This place became a pop-up vaccination hub. You worked long hours to provide food hampers to locals.
And while the pressures of the pandemic have eased, there are still people in the community who are doing it tough – and you are there for them.
What you show through your actions every day is the strength of your devotion, and the generosity of your hearts. That is a profound way to contribute to this great nation we all call home.
And it’s one more reminder of what a wonderful celebration today is.
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