Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate Vaisakhi, the first time the Sikhs were baptized.
One of the important aspects of this day is the reaffirmation of the equality of the sexes, as proclaimed by the first guru. When the 10th guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, created the holy baptismal nectar, a woman was also involved. He called her jagat mata, the mother of all humanity. Her equal contribution underscored for the guru the importance of treating everyone equally. Both men and women prepare the holy nectar.
The guru then asked all men to bear the name Singh, which means lion, and women to bear the name Kaur, which means princess. This meant that the men had to respect every woman as they would a princess and revere women because without women there would not be any men. Guruji declared that all women are individuals and free to lead their own lives and do as they wish, such as become warriors or priestesses, if that is what they choose, and that all women are kaur.
[Member spoke in Punjabi as follows:]
So kio manda aakheeyai jit jamaai raajaan.