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Ravi Bhalla hails Sikh contributions in House address
He joined his colleagues in the Assembly and community members across New Jersey to honor Sikh Awareness and Heritage Month on the floor of the New Jersey Assembly.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Thu, 04, Jun 2026
- 02:58 EDT
- 38
Ravi S Bhalla addressing the House / Ravi Bhalla via X
New Jersey Assemblymember Ravinder S. Bhalla highlighted the contributions of Sikh Americans as part of the Sikh Awareness and Heritage Month celebrations on the floor of the New Jersey Assembly.
New Jersey officially recognizes April as "Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month," a designation intended to promote awareness of the Sikh faith and combat anti-Sikh bigotry.
Bhalla, in his address in the House, spotlighted the "profound contributions" made by the community in New Jersey. He noted that Sikh Americans embody values like service, compassion, equality and resilience, values he believes strengthen New Jersey every day.
Bhalla has long been a prominent Sikh public official in New Jersey, and his election to statewide office as the first Sikh member of the New Jersey General Assembly has itself been viewed as a milestone for Sikh representation.
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He remarked, "New Jersey is home to one of the largest and most vibrant Sikh populations in the country. Sikh service members, educators, small-business owners, health care professionals, first responders, veterans and public servants enrich every corner of our community."
It was an honor to recognize the contributions of Sikh New Jerseyans for Sikh Heritage Month on the floor of the General Assembly last week.
— Ravinder S. Bhalla (@RaviBhalla) May 27, 2026
I am grateful every day that the voters of LD-32 entrusted me to be one of the only Sikh Americans to serve in a state legislature… pic.twitter.com/F0ZMCRVMba
A Sikh New Jersey resident himself, Bhalla highlighted his own experience and added, "I, as someone who was born in Passaic, New Jersey, in 1973, can say that when I first was born and I was a young boy, there were no Sikh houses of worship in the state of New Jersey, and today there are actually 15. So we've certainly grown and hopefully enriched the state."
Bhalla acknowledged that Heritage Month is an opportunity to foster greater understanding about the Sikh faith and heritage, including the significance of the turban and the core belief of Sikhism in equality for all people, regardless of race, religion, gender or background.
He also urged members of the House and other attendees to recommit themselves to "building a New Jersey where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is strengthened, and every community feels seen, respected, and valued."
Bhalla is an Indian American attorney and Democratic politician serving in the New Jersey General Assembly who, before becoming an assemblymember, served as mayor of Hoboken from 2018 to 2024, becoming the city's first Sikh mayor.
Bhalla is known for his advocacy on public transportation, affordable housing, civil rights and community development issues.
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