Mr. Speaker, happy Gurpurab to Sikhs across the world. This important day marks the 551st anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birth, the first guru and founder of Sikhism. Today, we commemorate Guru Nanak Dev Ji's legacy of truth, compassion and justice. He promoted a life of hard work and sharing one's wealth and food. These values stemmed from the fact that he, himself, was a farmer.
As we celebrate Gurpurab, we cannot ignore the deplorable violence and police brutality that the Indian farmers' protest has been met with. All people have the right to peacefully protest, as this is a fundamental right in any democracy.
As the world watches the barrage of tear gas shells and water cannons faced by farmers, we also see images of protesters serving water and food to the very authority that is trying to oppress them.
Today, on Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday, I urge the Indian authorities to show compassion and respect to the women and men who feed the world.