In the wake of the recent hate crimes being committed in the US against Indians, the federal administration led by Donald Trump has vowed that it would continue to fight against hate crimes. It has been seen that mainly Hindus and Sikhs are now being targeted over there. US Government has also said that it has set up a task force to analyze the acts of hate crime and would act on the basis of the recommendations made by same. According to the Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination, Civil Rights division, Department of Justice, Eric Treene, Jeff Sessions – the Attorney General – will be looking into the problem.
What is happening in India?
The rising spate of hate crimes has led to Captain Amarinder Singh, the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab, to ask help from the central government on Twitter. He has received assurance from Sushma Swaraj, the Union External Affairs Minister, that the national administration remains committed to helping and protecting all the Indian citizens who are living outside the country at the moment. She has also stated that she has spoken to Navtej S Sarna, the Indian Ambassador in Washington DC, regarding the issue. Raveen Thukral, the Media Advisor to the CM of Punjab, is seriously worried at the way Indians are becoming the victims of hate crime all over the world.
A Sikh driver assaulted
Recently in New York City, a Sikh cab driver was beaten up and his turban was taken off forcibly from his head. It was perpetrated by four inebriated passengers – including a lady – and police are now looking at it as an instance of hate crime. The incident took place during the wee hours on May 7, a few hours after Times Square was flocked by thousands of Sikhs who were celebrating Turban Day. This was a part of Baisakhi (Punjabi New Year) festivities.
It is said that during the incident racial slurs and invectives such as ‘Ali Baba’ were also leveled at the victim. The gentleman on the receiving end was named Harkirat Singh, an immigrant from India who came to the US three years back. He had picked up the assailants from Madison Square Garden and was supposed to drop them off at a certain location at Bronx. However, even before the journey was completed the four passengers started to complain that they were being dropped off at the wrong place. In fact, Singh too was confused as to where those people wished to go.
Sikh man killed over cigarettes
In what is being suspected as another incident of hate crime, a 32-year-old man named Jagjeet Singh from Nadala was stabbed and murdered by some yet-to-be-identified people. This happened outside a grocery store at Modesto, California. Singh was an employee at a commercial establishment. As may be expected, this incident brought unmitigated pain in the entire area. Also known affectionately as Jagga, Jagjeet had been living at Modesto with his sister and brother-in-law for more than a year. He has left behind his wife Kuljeet Kaur and two sons, Ishmeet and Dilpreet.
