8/04/2019 ~ June 1968 saw the opening in Woolgoolga, NSW, of the first Sikh temple in Australia. In his opening address, Liberal government, Senator Reg Wright quoted a line from a Rudyard Kipling poem:
Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet…
Some people questioned the appropriateness of the line given the combined Sikh and non-Sikh effort that had gone into the building and opening of the temple.
Dr Amarjit More, who worked tirelessly with his committee towards the successful opening of its replacement, April 5-7, 2019, and whose father worked on the opening of the first temple in 1968, recalled Senator Wright's quote in his address and completed it to give the meaning Kipling intended:
But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face,
tho' they come from the ends of the earth!
The new temple is a product of people who have come from the ends of the earth. It has arisen from a community of Sikhs and non-Sikhs and the united efforts and dreams of its people.
This Gurdwara is foremost a place of worship for Sikhs, but it has brought together individuals, communities, and faiths for the improved understanding between us all.
Though deeply symbolic and prayerful, the celebrations were joyous and colourful; the welcome to all, both generous and genuine.
Amarjit concluded his address by acknowledging the number of people who had come to share and to witness the opening and indulge in the bountiful hospitality of the Sikhs:
As I am sure you have seen over the past three days, we like all the other Sikh Gurdwaras in Australia and the world, welcome everyone with open arms irrespective of colour, or creed, to share our hospitality, stories, culture, and religion.
[MP Bob Katter has affirmed his stand on reducing immigration to "virtually nil",
except for people in some persecuted minority groups including Sikhs,
Jews and the Christians in the Middle East…]
-------------------------------------------
Related article: