The Sikh Coalition Newsletter

Justice for All - The Weekly Newsletter
Vaisaakh 7, Nanakshahi Samvat 534
April 19, 2002
Volume 7

SIKH COALITION ATTENDS U.S. WHITE HOUSE MEETING
The Sikh Coalition was invited to attend a briefing at White House by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The meeting was convened by John Duong, Executive Director of the Initiative. The purpose of the meeting was to brief Asian Pacific American organizations and community leaders on the Initiative’s progress on “increasing opportunities and improving the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders through participation in federal programs where they may be underserved” such as health, human services, education, housing, labor, transportation. Gurpreet Singh (Dhillon) represented the Coalition at the meeting. The Coalition thanks Christine Chen of the Organization of Chinese Americans and Kristine Menami of the Japanese American Citizens League for extending the meeting invitation. To find out more about the Initiative, go to: http://www.aapi.gov/.

COALITION MEETS WITH TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION OF DOT
The Coalition today met with the Deputy Under Secretary of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA was created post-9/11 and has been directed by Congress to: “protect the Nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.” Of particular interest to the Sikh community, the TSA is responsible for training the nation’s airline screeners to comply with civil rights obligations. Gurpreet Singh (Dhillon) represented the Coalition at the meeting to discuss the Coalition’s ongoing concerns regarding the training of airport security screeners and processing of discrimination complaints.

ATLANTA AND DETROIT GURDWARAS JOIN NYPD TURBAN FIGHT
The Coalition this week received petitions to the NYPD from Gurdwara sangats in the Atlanta and Detroit metropolitan areas. The Coalition commends these sangats for joining collecting the signatures and encourages the sangats of Gurdwaras around the world to do the same. To view the Atlanta and Detroit petitions, go to: www.sikhcoalition.org/amricsingh.asp. To print a copy of the Coalition petition to have signed by your local sangat, please go to:
http://www.petitiononline.com/SikhNYPD/petition.html

CONFERENCE ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN PUNJAB AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
A multi-national group of human rights scholars, lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders will join together at Columbia University, New York City, on April 27, 2002, to examine a variety of past and present human rights issues in Punjab, including disappearances, judicial impunity, proposals for police amnesty, and pending litigation before India's National Human Rights Commission. Conference speakers include Sardar Gurtej Singh, National Professor of Sikhism; Professor Cynthia Mahmood of the Kroc Institute of Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame; Ram Narayan Kumar, Convenor, Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab; and Ashok Aggarwal, Attorney for the families of the disappeared before the Indian Human Rights Commission. In addition, the conference shall screen a new documentary film on human rights in Punjab. To attend the conference, you must pre-register by going to: http://www.sikhcoalition.org/upcoming.asp.


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