The Indian Panorama

Tag: American Sikhs

  • Sikh Americans Promised Strong Support by the Biden Campaign

    Sikh Americans Promised Strong Support by the Biden Campaign

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Biden campaign has launched an initiative to reach out to the Sikh community in the US and vowed to address the unique challenges, including xenophobia, being faced by the minority religious group in the country.

    The Biden campaign, which launched the ”Sikh Americans for Biden”, said it has plans for protecting Sikh-American youths in schools.

    Sikh-Americans experience bullying at rates twice the national average and have reported a spike in these encounters since 2017, the campaign said in a press release on Sunday.

    “The Biden campaign plans to highlight the specific plans and policies that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has outlined in his platform to address the unique challenges that the Sikh American community faces with regards to racism, xenophobia and discrimination,” it said.

    Kiran Kaur Gill, a prominent civil rights activist and member of the Sikh American National Leadership Council, alleged that President Donald Trump has not only turned a blind eye to bullying and discrimination, but has also encouraged it.

    The Sikh American National Leadership Council is an advisory council to the Sikh Americans for Biden.

    With Biden as the US president, Sikh-Americans can feel safer in schools and on the streets, Kiran Kaur Gill said in a statement.

    “(Former) Vice President Biden has a track record of taking stances against hate, discrimination and bullying, and his leadership on these issues matter to our community,” she said.

    The Biden campaign has said that if voted to power, the Biden administration would allocate additional federal funding for anti-bullying initiatives.

    According to civil rights activist Valarie Kaur, “This election is unlike any other. Everything our Sikh ancestors fought for — a world of dignity, equality, and justice — is at stake.”

    “A Biden presidency would give us a chance — to save our democracy, heal the earth, and begin to birth a world where we ‘see no stranger”. That’s why I am proud to join Sikhs for Biden — and do everything in power to get out the vote. Our lives depend on it,” she said in a statement issued by the South Asians for Biden on Sunday.

    Japjee Singh, an anti-bullying advocate, detailed the horrific bullying that took place at his high school in Georgia. In 2013, when he was 17-year-old, Singh was repeatedly targeted with verbal and physical harassment because of his Sikh faith. He was called a “terrorist” and fellow students used to target him for wearing turban. Singh’s bullying case led to the first US Department of Justice school bullying settlement on behalf of a Sikh student.

    “A lot of the systems in place prevent victims of bullying from being heard and validated. Often these victims are perceived as the aggressors; they are not. Biden is committed to change these systems, so we can provide survivors of bullying with the support that they need,” Singh said.

    In a joint statement, Josh Dickson, the National Faith Engagement Director for the Biden campaign, and Seema Sadanandan, a Policy Advisor for the campaign, said Biden has committed to a number of initiatives that garner strong support from the Sikh-American community.

    “For example, a Biden administration would allocate additional funding to the Department of Justice and the Department of Education for anti-bullying initiatives. Biden has also cited specific plans to re-establish the Obama-Biden White House AAPI Bullying Prevention Task Force, which would partner with community organizations, including Sikh non-profits,” they said.

  • Indian American Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal to be Honored

    Indian American Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal to be Honored

    HOUSTON (TIP): US House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bipartisan bill to rename a post office in Houston, Texas in honor of Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, an Indian American police officer killed in the line of duty last year.

    Passed last week, the bill moved by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher provides that the post office located at 315 Addicks Howell Road be named the “Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office.”

    The bill was co-sponsored by the entire Texas delegation.

    In 2015, Lt. Dhaliwal became the first Sikh American in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to serve while wearing his articles of faith, including his turban and beard.

    He was the first Sikh police officer to serve in the Harris County Sheriff’s Office and was a role model and a trailblazer for Sikh Americans and religious minorities that sought to serve in law enforcement.

    On Sept.  27, 2019, Deputy Dhaliwal was killed in the line of duty.

    “Deputy Dhaliwal represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others,” said Fletcher.

    “The Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office will serve as a permanent reminder of his service, his sacrifice, and his example for us all.”

    “I am very grateful to Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher and her commitment to honoring my husband’s memory.  He loved being a part of and serving his community,” said Harwinder Kaur Dhaliwal, Deputy Dhaliwal’s wife.

    “Naming a post office after him will honor his work and dedication, and I am happy that this bill has passed the House today.”

    “My son was beloved by all in his community, and performed his job and participated in seva (selfless service) with respect, dignity, and care,” said Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, Deputy Dhaliwal’s father.

    “He lived as a symbol of the strength that comes from diversity and unity, and this building will serve as another permanent reminder of how much he meant to our family and the people of Houston.

    “We are so thankful for this effort to honor his legacy and his commitment to our city.”

    “The recognition of Deputy Dhaliwal’s legacy by naming a federal building in his honor is a historic and deeply meaningful acknowledgement for the Dhaliwal family and Sikh community,” said Sim J. Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and Advocacy.

    “It is remarkably appropriate that the post office being renamed for Deputy Dhaliwal is in the very district he patrolled and protected,” said Harris County Commissioner R. Jack Cagle.

    “This renaming not only honors Deputy Dhaliwal and his family, but also honors the citizens who use it because it bears the name of such a fine public servant.”

    “Sandeep was no ordinary law enforcement officer,” said Commissioner Adrian Garcia, noting “Dhaliwal name and the distinction of being the first Sikh to serve in the uniform of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office will live on in perpetuity,”

    “Deputy Dhaliwal established deep, meaningful connections with the community he bravely served,” said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.