Freemont: The American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC), a conglomeration of 65 Gurdwara managements in the United States, has welcomed the visit of US First Lady Michelle Obama to Oak Creek in Wisconsin to commiserate with the Sikh community in the wake of the recent killing of six Sikhs at a Gurdwara by a former Army soldier.
Michelle is visiting to Oak Creek on Thursday and would address the community at the Sikh shrine. The AGPC said in its statement that the visit would heal wounds inflicted on the Sikh community.
AGPC president JS Hothi and coordinator Dr Pritpal Singh said Michelle Michelle’s visit would be seen as an act of solidarity.
“She is lady of human touch, and her visit would definitely be an act of solidarity being expressed by the whole of the US towards the community,” Dr Pritpal Singh said.
It said that Sikhs have contributed immensely in the development, democratic traditions and harmony of the United States and was shocked over the incident where six people were killed and more than four injured in the act of violence inflicted by a lone gunner.
They said that the Sikhs had been a peace-loving community that had been doing a lot for the progress of the United States.
“While we welcome her visit, we also want the community’s contributions to the US’s progress recognised on all fronts,” said Dr Pritpal.
Hothi said the AGPC is hoping that President Barack Obama visits the area sooner than later, while understanding that he has a busy election campaign-related schedule.
ANI
First Published: Thursday, August 23, 2012, 15:06