Guru Nanak's stamp released in Parliament commemorating his 550th birthday
Parliamentarians, community leaders, High Commissioners and Diplomatic Corps of different countries and interfaith representatives gathered at the Parliament in Wellington on Wednesday, March 11 for the premier or the first screening of Guru Nanak’s documentary in New Zealand.
The event was organised to mark the 550th birthday of Sikh guru, Guru Nanak Dev ji, and a commemorative stamp on Guru Nanak was also released at the occasion.
The event was organised by National List MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi who could not be present at the event due to family event back in India. Fellow parliamentarian Melissa Lee gave a brief speech on behalf of Mr Bakshi at the event which was attended by over 100 people on a special invite, some of whom travelled from different parts of the country including Hastings, Napier and, Auckland.
The special screening of the 45-minute long documentary was done to reiterate the message of Guru Nanak through the video of his journey and teachings on the big screen.
The documentary ‘Guru Nanak Life & Legacy’ was made by Dr Rajwant Singh, an eminent public figure from the United States of America.
Navtej Randhawa from New Zealand Punjabi Multimedia Trust was the driving force behind getting the stamp made and gone through the approval process with New Zealand Post.
Speaking at the event, Hon Consul of India, Bhav Dhillon conveyed the message of brotherhood and inclusiveness, the same relayed in the documentary, saying the time to dispel hate and spread the love for all communities is now.
“We cannot give in to hate, Guru Nanak believed in togetherness and this is what he told his disciples es to follow in order for humanity to prosper and live harmoniously,” Mr Dhillon said.
Speaking for MP Kanwaljit Bakshi, Melissa Lee thanked the diplomats, community leaders and guests present at the movie-screening and lauded the efforts for getting the Guru Nanak stamp published and to be used in New Zealand.
