🌸 In the Rain, We Rose: Richmond Hill Communities Gather for a Day of Solidarity and Service
Community Food Pantry with the amazing team from Suth Queens Women’s March
Saturday, June 14th wasn’t just another rainy morning in Queens—it was a reminder of what collective spirit looks like. Under gray skies and through a steady downpour, Richmond Hill’s Sikh and Hindu communities gathered for Phullan da Pul / Phoolon Ka Pul: A Day of Action and Togetherness. What could have been washed out by weather became something else entirely: powerful, grounded, joyful.
As the rain fell, neighbors arrived in rain ponchos and with umbrellas, filling the tent and surrounding area with conversation, laughter, and purpose. No one turned back. The day’s message—of dignity, solidarity, and shared struggle—carried on.
🎤 Performances That Pulled People In
Sonny Singh with Jonathan Goldberger on guitar and Roshni Samlal on tabla
Despite the storm, music filled the air. Passersby stopped in their tracks—some from across the park—drawn toward the tent by the soulful sounds of Sonny Singh, whose set included stirring renditions of compositions by Guru Nanak. The music, full of resistance and hope, transcended the weather. It moved people physically and emotionally.
Earlier in the day, Pandita Pratima Doobay offered a devotional performance that was both reverent and resonant, connecting the sacred to the everyday with grace and intention.
Later, Parijat Desai led her dance in the round, a moving metaphor for interdependence. Dancers, activists, and onlookers swayed and stepped together—a moment of celebration after a day spent learning, sharing, and showing up for each other.
🗣️ Words That Met the Moment
The program opened with remarks from Sunita Viswanath, Executive Director of Hindus for Human Rights, and Rucha Kaur, Managing Director at the Sikh Coalition, who welcomed everyone into a space of unity and purpose. Together they introduced Pandita Pratima, setting the tone for the day.
Later, Vrinda Jagota, Hindus for Human Rights’ NYC Organizer, spoke movingly about the political moment we find ourselves in—and the importance of grassroots spaces like this one to confront injustice with love, knowledge, and resolve.
City leaders Orlando Torres (Managing Director of Outreach & Racial Justice · New York City Commission on Human Rights) and Erica Ware (Deputy Executive Director, Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes) shared vital insight and practical trainings on discrimination protections and immigrant rights and personal reflections on how much we can learn about each others communities when we come together in supportive community. Their presence underscored the deep need for community-government partnerships rooted in education and equity.
🍛 Food, Care, and Community
The South Queens Women’s March showed up in full force, distributing food pantry packages with dedication and grace—even in the rain. Their energy, raincoats and all, brought a glow to the gathering, reminding everyone that mutual aid is a form of love. A hot, vegetarian meal was served to all, rooted in cultural traditions and community care. SAKHI for South Asian Women joined us under the tent, offering resources and support materials at their table (and candy!) —adding another layer of care and solidarity to the day.
In the end, we gathered in the rain not in spite of the weather, but because of what weather cannot stop: the will to come together, to support one another, and to reimagine our communities from the ground up.
Let this be a model for what solidarity can look like in every city, every neighborhood. Rain or shine.
