Bill Text: TX HCR97 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Designating April 14 as Sikh Day for a 10-year period ending in 2035.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-03-11 - Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism [HCR97 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HCR97-Introduced.html
| 89R17019 KRT-D | ||
| By: Bhojani | H.C.R. No. 97 | |
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| WHEREAS, For more than a century, members of the Sikh faith | ||
| have benefited the Lone Star State in countless ways, and their | ||
| achievements are indeed deserving of special recognition; and | ||
| WHEREAS, First arriving in the U.S. and Texas in the early | ||
| 1900s, the initial Sikh immigrants often worked as farmers, | ||
| laborers, and entrepreneurs; though they often experienced | ||
| discrimination and other hardships, these industrious individuals | ||
| persevered; through the years, Sikhs have made notable | ||
| contributions in such fields as medicine, law enforcement, | ||
| business, and agriculture, and their efforts have helped advance | ||
| the economic well-being of the entire state; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Numerous Sikh Americans have emerged as prominent | ||
| figures; notable examples at the national level include civic | ||
| leader and philanthropist Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah, U.S. | ||
| Representative Dalip Singh Saund, and scholar and author Simran | ||
| Jeet Singh; moreover, Harris County Deputy Sheriff Sandeep Dhaliwal | ||
| became the first officer in Texas to serve with traditional | ||
| articles of the Sikh faith, including a turban and beard, and he | ||
| distinguished himself in his work until he was tragically shot and | ||
| killed in the line of duty in 2019; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Today, there are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the | ||
| U.S., with thousands residing in Texas, and Sikh communities have | ||
| flourished in such cities as Houston, Dallas, and Austin; in | ||
| addition, the state is home to several prominent gurdwaras, or | ||
| places of worship, among them, the Gurdwara Sahib of Houston and the | ||
| Sikh Center of San Antonio; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Members of the Sikh community play a vital role in | ||
| myriad social and humanitarian initiatives, with Sikh | ||
| organizations proving especially valuable in providing disaster | ||
| relief to those affected by Hurricane Harvey in 2017; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Each year, the Sikh holiday of Vaisakhi takes place | ||
| on April 13 or 14; originally established to commemorate the | ||
| beginning of the spring harvest in the Indian state of Punjab, the | ||
| festival gained religious significance in 1699 when the last living | ||
| guru for Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, chose the occasion to found the | ||
| Khalsa order of Sikhism; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The passage of this important observance provides a | ||
| welcome opportunity to recognize Texas' Sikh community, which has | ||
| become an integral part of the Lone Star State's vibrant and diverse | ||
| mix of cultures; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby designate April 14 as Sikh Day; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That, in accordance with the provisions of Section | ||
| 391.004(d), Government Code, this designation remain in effect | ||
| until the 10th anniversary of the date this resolution is finally | ||
| passed by the legislature. | ||
