Amric Singh on the Police Beat!  Sikh Police Officer Begins Working for NYPD
Three years after he was fired by the New York City Department (NYPD), Amric Singh began working for the NYPD during second week of October.  Amric is directing traffic near the busy Manhattan Bridge entrance leading into Brooklyn.  

Amric reports that he is thrilled to be on the force and that his new colleagues at the NYPD are treating him well.  He says that he already feels a sense of community with his fellow officers.  He looks forward to a long career, serving the city in which he was born and raised.

Amric Singh tells his story and why you should support the Sikh Defense Fund.
Windows Media [ Broadband] [Modem]
Real [ Broadband] [Modem]
 

MTA Proposes Turban Policy - Sikh Coalition Representing SatHari Singh
SatHari Singh along with his attorney from the Sikh Coalition were given a proposed turban policy for Sikh workers at New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) during the last week of October.    At present the Sikh Coalition is working with SatHari to bring a resolution to the matter.  The Coalition will notify the community as soon as any relevant information becomes available.

View video of SatHari Singh talking about his fight to allow Sikhs to wear turbans at the MTA.

Kirpan Prosecution Against Gurpal Singh Dropped
Prosecutors in Roseberg, Oregon declined to file criminal charges against Gurpal Singh (Gill) in early October.  Gurpal, a truck driver, was issued a criminal citation for carrying his kirpan in September.   A combined effort by the Punjabi American Society, United Sikhs, American Civil Liberties Union, U.S. Justice Department, and the local sangat of Oregon and Yuba City led to the charges being dropped. 

The Sikh Coalition has now successfully defended seventeen Sikhs from criminal prosecution for carrying the kirpan.

Read a news article about the dismissal and Coalition's role in helping Gurpal Singh.

Sikh Coalition Voter Registration Drive Registers Hundreds of New Sikh Voters
Over a thousand new Sikh Americans were eligible to vote this year thanks to the Sikh Coalition's Every Voice Counts campaign.  Thus far the campaign has registered hundreds of new Sikh voters in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, Washington, Florida, New Jersey and other states. The nation's political parties regularly monitor whether registered voters actually exercise their right to vote.    It is therefore important that Sikh Americans not only register to vote, but actually vote when registered.

The Every Voice Counts campaign is an ongoing effort to encourage Sikhs to be a part of the political process.  It does not end with this election.   If you are a U.S. citizen and are not registered to vote yet,  you can vote in future elections by registering to vote here.    Make the Sikh voice heard! Register to vote!
 

Coalition Participates in APAVA Press Conference
The Asian Pacific American Voter Alliance (APAVA) held a press conference on October 28, 2004 to announce that it had registered over 7,000 new Asian American voters in New York City during the last four months.  The Sikh Coalition participated in the press conference as a member of APAVA.  Rallying under the slogan, "No Vote = No Voice = No Power," the press conference speakers emphasized the importance of not only registering to vote, but actually voting as well.  

The Coalition congratulates APAVA and its member organizations for their successful efforts to engage Asian Americans in the political process.
 

Coalition Participates in Atlanta Sikh Festival
The Coalition participated in the annual Atlanta Sikh Festival on October 17.  The festival is an opportunity for the general public and non-Sikhs to visit the gurdwara, view exhibits on Sikhs and the Sikh way of life and learn more about their fellow Sikh Americans.  

The Coalition participated in the festival by organizing a community resource table.  Festival participants and local members of the Sikh community were able to learn about the civil rights concerns of Sikh Americans.  Amandeep Singh, the Sikh Coalition's Regional Director, represented the Sikh Coalition at the event.    The Coalition congratulates the Sikh sangat of Atlanta for its initiative in organizing the festival.  The Coalition would also like to thank Navneet Singh for his assistance organizing the Coalition's participation in the festival.


Delta Lawsuit Settled by Sikh American Passenger
Sikh airline passenger, Hansdip Singh, settled a lawsuit alleging that Delta Airlines and one of its regional carriers discriminated against him on the basis of his perceived ethnic origin.  Specifically, Hansdip Singh asserted that he was told by a flight attendant during a short commercial flight to remain seated and "keep a low profile" because he is from the "Middle East."

While the terms of the settlement agreement remain confidential, Hansdip Singh is satisfied with the agreement.  Hansdip Singh retained a private attorney, Ravinder Singh (Bhalla), to represent him in the matter.  Hansdip Singh's attorney was able to successfully defend his lawsuit from multiple motions to dismiss the matter filed by Delta.

The Coalition participated in the press conference announcing Hansdip Singh's lawsuit.  To view the Coalition's statement at the press conference, click here.

Deadline For Diversity Essay Passes: Winner to Be Announced Next Month
The deadline to submit essays in the Sikh Coalition's Diversity Essay competition passed on October 31.   Over twenty persons submitted essays from countries as varied as Russia, Canada, and India.

 Entrants were required to submit an essay discussing the importance of religious pluralism.  The essay winner and the second and third place finishers will be announced next month.

The Sikh Coalition thanks those community members and volunteers who helped promote the competition and its message of respect for diversity.
 

Sikh College Students Participate in Sikh Coalition's 1984 Remembrance Program
The Sikh Coalition and Sikh Student Associations (SSA) around North America partnered this past month to organize 1984 Remembrance and Awareness Programs. The aim of the programs was for Sikh students and the general university body to learn about and remember the events of 1984.   The Coalition provided SSAs with a "ready to go" kits containing Powerpoint presentations, videos, and guidelines on carrying out remembrance programs. 

The SSAs participating in the program include Columbia University, Northwestern University, Rutgers University, University of Chicago, University of California at Riverside, Wayne State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Stony Brook University, Babson College, and George Washington University.

Sikh Workers Allege Discriminatory Harassment and Termination at Workplace - Coalition to Investigate
Sikhs workers at a department store in New York are alleging that they were continually harassed and eventually terminated by their supervisor.  One the workers alleges that her supervisor told her to take off her dastaar so that she would look more attractive and that he would continually call Sikhs and all South Asians "dirty people."  Another Sikh woman who works at the store also states that the same supervisor asked her to take her dastaar off.

The Sikh Coalition takes these allegations of discrimination very seriously. The Sikh Coalition is presently working with the workers to uphold their rights. If you have been a victim of discrimination, please report it to:  www.sikhcoalition.org/ListReports.asp.

Coalition at Hunter College Class
The Coalition's Legal Director participated as a guest lecturer at a Hunter College class on Asian American identity on October 20.  The Coalition provided its perspective on the challenges Sikh Americans have faced since September 11, 2001 and the Sikh community's response.   The Coalition thanks instructor Deepa Iyer for the opportunity to speak to her class

Community News:  New Website Launched on Impunity in India
The Sikh Genocide Project launched its website on October 30, the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of the anti-Sikh massacres in India.  The website includes three movie clips on human rights abuses in India, links to academic and professional studies, and an extensive bibliography on political history of the Sikhs during the past twenty years.  

To view the website, please visit: www.sikhgenocide.org.