WASHINGTON – Joginder Jaswant Singh, governor of Arunachal Pradesh and former Chief of Army Staff of India, came to the National Gurdwara on Sunday to thank Waheguru for all his successes, to promote his state and to encourage the Sikh community to grow economic relations between the United States and India.

Standing at the podium near the Guru Granth Sahib, Singh praised the Guru many times for giving him the strength and good fortune to be the best at all of his endeavors, which landed him in the top post at the world’s second largest army.

“Rab dee blessing hai,” said Singh, donning a multi-saffron turban and trimmed beard. “The Gurus gave shakti to never accept defeat, not to accept anything but success.”

But after all the praises for Rab and Guru, he said he was Indian first, and then a Maratha and a Sikh. His comment made some of the 100 people in the divaan hall uncomfortable.

A representative from the Sikh Foundation of Virginia remarked at the end of the presentation in Punjabi: “You may say you’re something else first, but we are proud of you because you’re a Sikh.”

J. J. Singh was invited to the United State to be chief guest at the fifth annual Sikh Gala held on Wall Street on Friday, which he attended with his wife Anupama Singh. The couple came to the Washington region last weekend, where he had several speaking engagements.

Sikhs from several local gurdwaras made introductions to J. J. Singh, including Surinder Singh, head keertanaya at the National Gurdwara, who praised him for starting a mission to educate the tribal people of his state.

The gift of education brings the “highest blessings” from the Guru, he said.

The state of Arunachal Pradesh is in dire need of education. Most of its people are tribal. About 90 percent of the state is still living in the nineteenth century, J. J. Singh said.

Bordered by Bhutan, Tibet, China and Myanmar, this very large northeastern-most state can fit about two countries the size of Switzerland. And it’s beauty and alpine climate rivals that of Switzerland. The land is pristine and untouched, as if it has been left just the way God first created it, J. J. Singh said.

But development is coming. He has secured an historical development package for the state that involves a massive infrastructure initiative to link it to the capital in New Delhi. It includes a new airport, a new railway system and a 1,700 km superhighway, he said.

The state will also require 5,000 megawatts of electricity, one-third that of the entire country, he said. He has 40 to 50 memorandums of understanding with public sector, national and international companies to develop its power source.

The governor is banking on creating new jobs by developing industries in tourism and organic farming. “I hope to put them in this path of success,” he said.

J. J. Singh became governor of Arunachal Pradesh on January 24, and has the highest authority in the state. Most of the time he is “a father figure” who gives guidance, he said. But as governor, he has constitutional powers at his disposal.

Before his speech to the Washington sangat, he joked and chatted with a few people in a small room off the langar hall. Dressed in khaki pants and a golf shirt, he made everyone feel at ease.

J. J. Singh urged Sikhs in America to continue to build economic and political bridges between the United States and India, his first interest.


Note: By Anju Kaur
Sikh News Network staff journalist
anjukaur@sikhnn.com