Canadian Sikh poet also urged her followers to support a ceasefire
Our Bureau
New York, NY
Indo-Canadian Sikh poet Rupi Kaur has declined an invitation for a Diwali event on Wednesday from US President Joe Biden’s administration over its response to the situation in Gaza.
“I decline any invitation from an institution that supports the collective punishment of a trapped civilian population—50% of whom are children,” Kaur, 31, posted on X.
The Diwali event is being hosted by America’s Indian-origin Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I’m surprised this administration finds it acceptable to celebrate Diwali, when their support of the current atrocities against Palestinians represent the exact opposite of what this holiday means to many of us,” said the author of “Milk and Honey.”
“I implore my South Asian community to hold this administration accountable. As a Sikh woman, I will not allow my likeness to be used in whitewashing this administration’s actions.”
As per Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the Palestinian death toll has crossed 10,000, including 4,104 children, with no signs of a ceasefire in the besieged enclave.
According to the UN, more than 1.5 million people, more than half of Gaza’s population have been displaced since Hamas launched its war against Israel on October 7.
Kaur is known for her work on love, loss, trauma, healing, femininity, and migration while urging her followers to sign petitions, join boycotts, and attend protests in support of a ceasefire. Her collections have sold over 11 million copies and have been translated into over 43 languages, with “Milk and Honey” surpassing Homer’s “Odyssey” as the best-selling poetry of all time.
Earlier this year, her X account (formerly Twitter) was withheld in India over the Khalistan issue.
