Yorkshire Sikhs gather at the event to celebrate Vaisakhi

SIKHS from across Yorkshire gathered for an annual event to celebrate Vaisakhi.

The Yorkshire Sikh Forum (YSF) event was attended by dignitaries from across Yorkshire to mark the occasion.

A number of dignitaries attended the Yorkshire Sikh Forum (Image: UGC)

Bradford man Simmy Singh Sekhon, YSF spokesperson, spoke to T&A about Vaisakhi and the event.

“Vaisakhi is quite personal for Sikhs,” he said. “It is the harvest festival of India.”

Speaking at the event, which was held at the Sheepscar Bar and Grill in Leeds, he said: “What a great pleasure it is once again to celebrate this colorful and lavish annual event of Vaisakhi, hosted by our Chairman Mr. Nirmal. Singh, MBE, and our General Secretary Mr. Hardev Singh Sidhu and our members.

One of the highlights from the Yorkshire Sikh Forum (Image: UGC)

“When preparing for this event, I carefully selected the word ‘abundant’ in association with tonight’s Vaisakhi celebrations.

“This special event represents abundance at the harvest festival, and I can truly say that we are all lucky tonight to have such an abundance of food, drink, good company, and an abundant guest list of such caliber.”

He also addressed the hard work of the YSF.

One of the highlights from the Yorkshire Sikh Forum (Image: UGC)

Mr Singh Sekhon said: “YSF was established in 1989 by the then Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe and Kenneth Clark with the assistance of the Government to ensure that the Government had connectivity with influential Sikh leadership groups that they could call for support. .

“They have worked for over 35 years in which they have participated selflessly and voluntarily, without involving politics or religious concerns and mostly from their own pockets and assistance from worthy sponsors.

“I would like to say that the Yorkshire Sikh Forum and the Sikh community are truly outstanding.”

Mr. Singh Sekhon explained that the YSF was among several Sikh forums established across the country in 1984.

He said: “It was meant to act as a local point, as an information exchange, following the government’s concerns about the attack on the Golden Temple in 1984.”

Operation Blue Star was an operation by the Indian Armed Forces in June 1984, conducted at the Golden Temple in Amritsar – one of the holiest sites of Sikhism.

“It was quite a disturbing and horrific incident,” Mr Singh Sekhon said.

“The government wanted to reassure people to remain calm and the Yorkshire Sikh Forum was one of the forums set up. It has stood the fullness of time.”