Waris Ahluwalia Day to honor Sikh actor

NEW YORK, NY — In a rare honor, New York City has declared October 19 as ‘Waris Ahluwalia Day’ in recognition of the Sikh Indian American actor and designer for his “powerful” message of countering ignorance and advocating religious understanding and tolerance.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio honored Ahluwalia at a special reception at his official residence Gracie Mansion here on October 19 to celebrate Diwali. Blasio presented Ahluwalia a proclamation that declared October 19 in New York City as ‘Waris Ahluwalia Day’.

Lauding Ahluwalia’s talents of being a fashion designer, writer, actor and model, Blasio said as a Sikh, Ahluwalia “proudly wears his dastar (turban) wherever he goes and sends a powerful message to our city and country of countering ignorance, celebrating inclusion and advocating for religious understanding and tolerance in everything he does.”

Addressing a gathering of over 300-400 Indian Americans and other people from the South Asian community, Blasio extended a special greeting to his Sikh brothers and sisters and underscored that an attack on any community and individual because of their faith was an “attack on all of us.”

 

Ahluwalia thanked the mayor for the “incredible honor” and said while Diwali has been celebrated for centuries, this year its message of triumph of good over evil is “more important and relevant than ever.”

 

He said while he has called New York City home ever since he moved here from India as a child, after the 9/11 terror attacks, “people would glare at me with anger and hate as I walked down my own streets, in my own hometown. That was very confusing for me,” he said, adding that six months after the 9/11 attacks, he was assaulted and nearly lost vision in his right eye.