 From the Press  |
President Clinton Speaks in Santa Fe, Acknowledges Importance of Sikh Community
For the first time in his 8 year term, President Clinton visited the capital of one of the most diverse states in the Union: Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Stumping for the Democratic Party, President Clinton used his time in Santa Fe to highlight the differences between Republican and Democratic policy, especially on such key issues as the economy, the environment and health-care.
At the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, which hosted a political event for President Clinton, the President took some time to speak with the Siri Singh Sahib, head of the Western Sikh community, and his wife, Dr. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, about US-Indian relations. Four other members of the Sikh Community attended the event.
International Sikh Leader Presents Indian Prime Minister with Symbol of Goodwill
In preparation for President Bill Clinton’s meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Washington issued a warm invitation to His Holiness, the Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, to participate in the Prime Minister’s visit. With this invitation, the Siri Singh Sahib, also known as Yogi Bhajan, and his party represented Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere at a range of official State events.
During the whirl-wind weekend, members of Yogi Bhajan’s party attended the Prime Minister’s address to the Joint Session of Congress. Yogi Bhajan’s wife, Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, and other Sikhs sat in the VIP section of the Speaker’s Gallery. On Friday, the Sikh Dharma delegation helped President Clinton welcome the Prime Minister during the Arrival Ceremony on the White House lawn. Later that afternoon, they joined the Prime Minister and Vice President Al Gore for lunch at the United States State Department.
On Saturday, the Indian Embassy hosted a reception on behalf of the Prime Minister at the Omni Shoreham Hotel where the India delegation was staying. Approximately 1000 people attended the event. During the reception, the Prime Minister approached the Siri Singh Sahib and the two exchanged a few words on the subject of religious tolerance and the importance of international peace. As a symbol of goodwill between India and Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere, the Siri Singh Sahib presented the Prime Minister with a gold and pearl prayer mala.
On Sunday night, 700 people participated in the State Dinner at the White House. Yogi Bhajan and his wife, Bibiji, were in attendance. Both President Clinton and Prime Minister Vajpayee spoke about the new strategic partnership between the United States and India. Yogi Bhajan enjoyed the speeches and said that the United States is on the right path in its relationship with India. He said that President Clinton was very kind in his words and that the White House excellently honored the Prime Minister.