Trenton (New Jersey), Oct 9 (IANS): The state of New Jersey will mark November 12, the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, as World Equality Day.

The Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey passed a joint legislative resolution regarding the same.

In the resolution, it said that on November 12, the Sikh community will celebrate the "550th birthday of Guru Nanak, the esteemed founder of Sikhism, which counts nearly 30 million adherents throughout the world and roughly one million devotees in the US."

It said the "Sikh community, began immigrating to the US more than a 100 years ago, and since then Sikhs have played a vital role in the growth and vitality of the nation and in its prosperity and success".

"A holistic understanding of peace, supported by the ideas of equality and fraternity, is an integral part of the Sikh tradition, a movement that strives to conquer communal hatred and division by following the sacred teachings of Guru Nanak and his tenets of honest work, charity and reverence to God,"

"A spiritual thinker and religious innovator, Guru Nanak denounced the caste system and instead preached about the common bonds shared by all humanity, and his timeless message of equality among all men and women, regardless of class, creed and gender, is to be remembered not only on the anniversary of his birth but for all the days to come." it said.

It said the legislature recognises November 12, 2019, the birthday of Guru Nanak as World Equality Day and urges all New Jerseyans to participate fittingly in the observations.

The resolution was signed by Stephen M Sweeney, president of the Senate, and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin.