By IANS,
New York : The annual Sikh Day Parade here attracted over 30,000 people and passed off without any untoward incident but for some people raising Khalistani slogans.
“The presence of Akal Takht jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti from Amritsar had a calming effect on the congregation,” Gurnam Singh, a spokesperson for the parade organisers, told IANS.
Vedanti as well as a couple of Khalistani votaries spoke at Saturday’s assembly in Madison Avenue Park where the parade culminated after moving down Broadway in Manhattan.
Among other speakers were Canadian MPs Ruby Dhalla and Gurbaksh Singh Mahli.
“The Khalistani movement in any case is no more destructive. People have realised that nothing can be achieved at gunpoint,” Gurnam Singh said.
The highlights of the parade included performance of Sikh martial arts like gatka and free food stalls.
The parade marked the 300th anniversary of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib as Guru.
The parade is held every year in New York by Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill, in association with gurdwaras in the Tri-State area and Sikh organisations in the US and Canada.