Ravinder Bhalla has become the first ever Sikh mayor of New Jersey’s Hoboken city after a stiff competition that turned ugly when he was labeled a terrorist in slanderous flyers.

He is the first Sikh to hold elected office in New Jersey.

Bhalla, who has been on the city council for more than seven years.

Ravi started his public service activity as a student leader at UC Berkeley, and along with his colleagues was instrumental in convincing the university administration to introduce the teaching of Punjabi into its South Asian curriculum, the first initiative of its kind in the UC system. After graduating from there, he worked hard and came up the ladder of leadership step by step.

We pray for his success as the mayor of his hometown and look forward to his move to the state and then the national capital in the years ahead.