Gurinder Kaur is the new president of the Whittlesea Interfaith Network, a group comprised of people from different faiths coming together to “foster harmony”. She spoke to Michaela Meade about what brought her to the group, and what she wants to accomplish in the role.
What’s your connection to Whittlesea?
When I first landed in Australia, I stayed in Lalor for a few weeks. Then after moving to a couple of suburbs outside the City of Whittlesea, we bought our first home in Epping in February, 2009. I have been living in Epping with my husband now for more than 12 years. Since then, I have been getting more active with local community projects and events. I also enjoy the nature, park and creeks within our municipality. I really feel very much connected to the City of Whittlesea, its places and the people.
What are some of your favourite memories?
The first and foremost memory is my daughter’s birth at the Northern Hospital in Epping. Some of the other favourite memories include organising a Sikh Diwali event at Galada Community Centre and undertaking my radio broadcasting course with 88.6 Plenty Valley FM. Another favourite memory is winning the 2019 Westfield Plenty Valley Local Hero Award for taking interfaith tolerance to the next level.
How did you get involved in the Whittlesea Interfaith Network?
Back in 2016, one of my friends who was previously representing the Sikh community within the Whittlesea Interfaith Network contacted me, and asked if I could replace him and I agreed. At that time, I didn’t know much about Whittlesea Interfaith Network but I found the team very welcoming and liked the important work they do. Since then, I started being actively involved in Whittlesea Interfaith Network projects and being part of the network.
What do you hope to accomplish over your time as president?
I would like to get more youth involved from various faiths in the interfaith and partner with more organisations to deliver interfaith projects and events to promote peace and harmony. I also hope to showcase Whittlesea Interfaith Network’s work by enhancing our online presence, especially in this unprecedented time the world is passing through.
Why did you join the Whittlesea Interfaith Network?
I joined to represent Sikh faith and to develop my interfaith understanding of diverse faiths within the City of Whittlesea. I believe dialogue is the key to restoring harmony and social cohesion and it’s important to be part of such an organisation where you can share your faith perspective and understand others’ perspectives, and learn about the faiths of others.
What’s your favourite local cafe/restaurant and why?
While I enjoy food at many local cafes/restaurants in the City of Whittlesea, one of my favourites is Anand’s Bakery Café in Lalor. One reason for that is that I am vegetarian and this café bakes eggless cakes and pastries. I also love their spicy sandwiches and coffee.
What’s something people would be surprised to know about you?
Being a Sikh baptised woman, I do wear a turban as part of my faith identity. Today I do visit schools, workplaces and many community events sharing awareness about this identity and advocating for others who wear it. But something that surprises others is knowing that I was not actually confident to wear the turban myself when I was in India, and I gained that confidence actually being in Australia. The reason for having that confidence in Australia was the acceptance and appreciation to follow one’s faith without discrimination.
