Campaign to Raise Funds for Guru Nanak Documentary
The supporters of the Guru Nanak Documentary at the fundraiser on May 10.
BY JAWAHAR MALHOTRA
HOUSTON: In commemoration of the 550th Birthday Anniversary of Guru Nanak, the National Sikh Campaign has launched a nationwide effort to raise funds for the production of a documentary about the founder of Sikhism, his life and his philosophy of equality and tolerance for all people. The documentary will be aired on over 200 public television stations across the country.
The campaign is being led by Dr. Rajwant Singh a practicing dentist from Maryland, outside of Washington, DC, who is a co-founder of NSC and is its Secretary. He is also the Secretary of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation in Rockville, Maryland and founder of EcoSikh which deals with climate change and environmental causes as well as being active in a number of other organizations.
Singh was in town last month to participate in the Houston fundraising efforts at all the Sikh gurdwaras in the area. “There is a dire need to create awareness about Guru Nanak and his message in America and in the world,” Singh told the audience. “According to our polls and survey in 2014, 0 percent of Americans know about Guru Nanak and a vast majority of the people in world has no clue
Dr. Rajwant Singh, Harjit Singh Galhotra and Mangat Singh of Hotel Preet at the fundraiser.
about his life and important contribution he made 500 years ago. We are hoping to change that with this community supported effort.”
According to Harjit Singh Galhotra, Secretary of the Sikh National Center in Houston who is active in the local efforts, over $100,000 was collected, with $42,000 of that coming from the SNC, of which Dr. Hardam Singh Azad gave the highest amount of $25,000.
The Houston fundraiser was held on Friday, May 10 at Hotel Preet off 290 West and featured representatives of eight area-wide gurdwaras. The event was emceed by radio personality and dance and fashion show choreographer Jasmeeta Singh and featured the King of comedy, Tarlok Singh Chug who flew in from Calgary, Canada and has been part of the fundraising efforts in Queens and Long Island, New York City. Other fundraisers have been held Cerritos outside of Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, Fort Lauderdale and Dallas. According to Singh, they NSC has raised $500,000 already.
The documentary is being produced by the father-son team of Gerald and Adam Krell of Auter Productions of Washington, DC. It will be released for broadcast on 200 PBS stations in November 2019, coinciding with Guru Nanak’s birthday celebrated on November12.
For more information or to donate, contact Dr. Rajwant Singh at rajwant@aol.com or at 202-460-0630 or visit www.sikhcampaign.nationbuilder.com/guru_nanak