After fleeing New Delhi with his family to Punjab as an infant during the 1984 Sikh genocide where mobs murdered thousands of Sikhs, Swarnjit Singh learned and understood what it is like to be targeted for being different.
At the age of 20, Singh made the decision to come to the United States to pursue an education in New Jersey and since then he became a real estate developer in Connecticut, opened his own Shell gas station and served in the city council, Board of Education and numerous other boards in the city of Norwich.
Now, he has hit a new milestone becoming the first Sikh mayor in New England at the age of 40, serving Norwich.
Welcoming people of all faiths and cultures
Singh, who was inaugurated on Dec. 2, said he wants people of all faiths and cultures to be recognized in his city. The mayor also is touting an ambitious agenda to bring more workforce housing and manufacturing back to the city.
Asked what his message is in a country where immigrants have been targeted regularly, Singh said, “America belongs to all of us.
“This is a home for everyone,” he continued. “Keep the faith and keep moving forward. When I say faith, I am not referring to more of a religious aspect. I am talking about more of a feeling because all faiths try to bring us together and try to make us good human beings. We can’t lose hope and we need to keep moving forward with a positive attitude and be more optimistic. These tough times are the test and we can go through this if we stick by each other.”
The city’s website can now be translated into 100 different languages and the new mayor is working on the cultural calendar to include 53 different cultural days. with the list only growing.
In last month’s election, Singh received 3,978 votes, representing 1,152 more votes than his opponent, Stacy Gould, who received 2,826 votes. The petitioning candidate, Marcia K Wilbur received 145 votes.
State Sen. Saud Anwar, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, who became the first Muslim mayor of South Windsor in 2013, said Singh’s election was a statement made by the people.
“I don’t think people vote for mayor based on their religion or ethnicity,” he said. “They vote for mayor based on their ability to solve problems and Mayor Singh is just the person who has the empathy, the kindness and the leadership skills to address the immediate concerns and long-term management plan for Norwich.
Anwar said the vote also signified people recognizing Singh for his “ability to respect different cultures and backgrounds, which make our state beautiful.
“The people in the state of Connecticut in the recent election across the state have rejected the hate based activities that are happening,” Anwar said.
Singh said without the immigration community there is no America.
“Everybody has to contribute and everybody is here for a reason and they are good, patriotic people,” he said. “I think there should be room for everyone and we need to work together to move our city and country forward.”
Singh acknowledged that racism certainly exists in today’s society, adding that if you don’t acknowledge the problem you can’t work on a solution.
In the same vein, Singh said that he would like to focus on positivity and move the city forward.
“I hope we can create more opportunities for people to have a better cultural knowledge about different communities and invite other communities as well,” he said, adding that he hopes to host cultural chats in the city.
Gurpreet Singh, who owns the Royal Punjabi restaurant in Norwich and is a good friend of Singh, said if anyone in the community has an issue “regarding their beliefs or religion he is always there to protect their rights.”
He said the Sikh community is proud that he is mayor, with those in the Sikh community as far as the Philippines have texted to congratulate Singh.
Collaborating with the state
Singh said he spoke with Gov. Ned Lamont about working with the state to provide more workforce housing options, which will lead to more affordability.
“We have infrastructure here that we can revitalize into mixed use housing with retail at the bottom and housing at the top,” he said.
Gov. Ned Lamont said in an email that the state’s housing shortage is among the most severe in the country. He said he looked forward to collaborating with the mayor to build “greater economic opportunity and affordability in the Rose City.”
He said housing shortage “is driving up costs for working families, deterring businesses from investing or growing, and worsening homelessness.
“Simply put, the status quo is unsustainable,” the governor said. “Following our state’s new housing bill becoming law, we can work together with the support and collaboration of municipalities and address this challenge. Norwich Mayor Singh shares that vision and has prioritized working to make Norwich a more affordable city.”
Anwar said the state will not sustain a healthy future without enough housing and without enough affordable houses.
Swarnjit Singh, center, is the first Sikh mayor in New England. He was inaugurated on Dec. 2 as mayor of Norwich.
The pressing issues
“We need to bring back manufacturing and jobs to the Norwich area and revitalize our downtown with workforce housing and the commercial component which we have lost over the decade,” Singh said.
Singh also said the city needs better zoning regulations and he hopes to take the Occum Industrial Center to the finish line, bringing in manufacturing companies that will create jobs and help the commercial growth in the city.
“I look forward to working with manufacturing biotech companies and food processing companies and warehouses,” he said.
He hopes to revitalize Norwich into an urban area similar to Manhattan with coffee shops and different businesses.
Singh said he believes that bringing back manufacturing and providing more housing will cause a ripple effect over eastern Connecticut creating jobs.
Sikhism
Founded more than 500 years ago in the Punjab region in South Asia, Sikhism, a monotheistic religion, is the fifth largest religion with about 25 million followers, according to the Sikh Coalition.
The Sikh Coalition states that “meditation, service and justice are core aspects of the Sikh way of life.”
Singh explained that the dastar, the turban he wears everyday shows his commitment to the community.
He said his faith, which embodies the principles of working, meditating and sharing with others, inspires him in his life.
“Public service is kind of a way to share my knowledge with others and my experience,” he said.
Manmohan Singh Bharara, director of the Sikh Art Gallery in Norwich and the Guru Nanak Food Pantry said that he prayed for Singh’s success.
“Sikhs have been victims of mistaken identity,” he said, explaining people’s misunderstanding of the faith and its people.
“Sikhs believe in three principles: wake up and meditate on God, go to work and make an honest living and come home and take care of your family and serve the needy,” he said.
