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In a first, a Sikh Granthi from New Jersey offered prayers to start the proceedings of the US House of Representatives. Granthi Giani Jaswinder Singh from Pine Hill Gurdwara in New Jersey started the day's proceedings at the House on Friday. The prayers before the proceedings are normally offered by a Christian priest.

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00:00 In a first, a Sikh grantee from New Jersey offered prayers to start the proceedings of
00:10 the US House of Representatives.
00:12 Grantee Gyani Jaswinder Singh from Pine Hill Gurdwara in New Jersey started the day's proceedings
00:18 at the House on Friday.
00:20 The prayers before the proceedings are normally offered by a Christian priest.
00:24 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that Singh would start the proceedings.
00:29 Taking up the floor soon after the prayers, Congressman Donald Norcross described this
00:35 as a historic occasion.
00:37 He is the first Sikh chaplain to make prayers in the US House of Representatives.
00:43 The history made today is a reminder that the US welcomes and values and will remain
00:48 committed to free expression of religion.
00:51 Gyani Singh has made South Jersey proud today and it is an honour to be a part of this moment
00:57 with him.
00:58 Norcross said.
00:59 Harjinder Singh, media spokesperson of Sikh Coordination Committee East Coast, said that
01:04 today for the first time in the history of the United States Parliament, the session
01:09 of the House started with Sikh prayer.
01:12 This is an occasion of great joy for the Sikh community, for the entire global Sikh community.
01:17 He said, "We pray for the members of this House who are working to protect the free
01:21 world and all Americans here.
01:23 We wish and pray for the entire humanity as a race."
01:27 Notably, the inclusion of Gyani Jaswinder Singh as the first Sikh Granthi to offer prayers
01:33 or Ardas in the US House of Representatives signifies a step towards recognizing and celebrating
01:40 diversity in religious practices within the American democratic framework.
01:45 Today, for the first time ever in the history of US Congress, the House session started
01:54 with a Sikh prayer.
01:59 Gyani Jaswinder Singh, who is standing on my left, he is the head priest of Sikh Gurdwara
02:06 Pine Hill in New Jersey.
02:09 He is the one who offered the prayer.
02:13 Though the Sikhs have been here in this country for more than 100 years, it took us that long
02:19 to get this prayer event.
02:21 So this is a very, very happy occasion for the Sikh community, for the whole global Sikh
02:26 community.
02:28 And I want to congratulate all the Sikhs and all the congressmen and the congressional
02:34 staff, especially Donald Norcross, who is my congressman from South Jersey, to make
02:43 it happen.
02:44 The other congressmen from US Congressional Sikh Caucus, Brendan Boyle, Valadio from California,
02:53 and Mary Gay Scanlon from Delaware County, and many other congressmen, Jim Costa, he's
03:00 also part of Sikh Caucus.
03:02 They all supported and helped us to make this happen.
03:07 So we are very thankful to all of these people.
03:13 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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