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Advocacy
The democracy of the United States guarantees many freedoms for its citizens and others living within its borders. Yet navigating various government agencies, law enforcement and the media is a complex endeavor. To do so requires an understanding of your rights, what facets of national, state or local government are relevant to an individual situation and how government or media attention can be used to resolve a situation. The Sikh Coalition guides people through this process in a way that helps the individual and sets an example for the society at large.
2004 Advocacy Highlights
Coalition Helps Victim and Perpetrator Heal Together
 Gurpreet and his assailant address the sangat together
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In the summer of 2003, the Coalition helped Gurpreet Singh after he was accosted on the Long Island Railroad to make sure that the man who harassed him was charged with a hate crime.
The perpetrator himself had been through difficult times. He had lost people close to him in the World Trade Center attacks and had turned to alcohol instead of facing his problems. Inspired by the history of Sikhs focusing on forgiveness rather than revenge, the Coalition and Gurpreet Singh decided that instead of blindly punishing the perpetrator, there was a better way to help him understand the consequences of his actions. We requested that the judge sentence the perpetrator to perform community service with the Sikh Coalition so that he could learn about Sikhs and join the Coalition in working to end discrimination.
In the spring of 2004, Gurpeet’s assailant began his community service by attending several sessions at the Coalition’s office to learn about Sikhism. In addition, he created a bias incident reporting form that would be used to collect information from Sikhs who had been assaulted.
The next stage of his service was to go to local gurdwaras with Gurpreet and to explain what happened and what he was doing, and to collect incidents of bias against Sikhs. Through the spring, he visited three gurdwaras in the New York Area: Makhan Shah Lubana Gurdwara, Mata Sahib Kaur Gurdwara and Sikh Forum Gurdwara.
 By learning about Sikhs and Sikh practices such as langar, Gurpreet’s assailant learned to see Sikhs as people |
At Makhan Shah Lubana Gurdwara, he explained his actions to the sangat and apologized. He described what he learned about Sikhism through his community service with the Coalition. He told the sangat, "I have learned so much about your community, religion and culture. Everything I have seen has been warm and beautiful."
The man who had harassed Gurpreet on the train now understands the people behind the turbans. Rather than being penalized, the experience allowed him to see the world from a broader perspective. For Sikhs, it showed that how in a true democracy the system can support the rights of every minority.
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Helps Rajinder Singh and the Sikh Community Gain Justice Against Attackers
 On July 12, 2004, a respected, elderly, religious teacher, Rajinder Singh Khalsa, was beaten in Richmond Hill, NY by five men who yelled “get out of this country” while kicking and punching him. The assault began with the men mocking Rajinder Singh’s turban and intimidating Gurcharan Singh, another Sikh living in Richmond Hill. When Rajinder Singh stepped in and tried to explain the significance of the turban and that New York was their home as well, the savage attack began.
Rajinder Singh days after the attack
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Initially, the police performed a cursory investigation, charged only one man (who turned himself in) with a simple assault rather than a hate crime. This occurred despite the fact that Gurcharan Singh recorded the license plates of both cars in which the men sped away, and even retrieved the cell phone of one of the perpetrators.
After the attacks, the Coalition assisted Rajinder Singh and Gurcharan Singh with understanding the legal process and addressing the media’s questions. In addition, we helped Rajinder Singh in obtaining medical assistance to ensure there was no permanent damage to his cornea from the attack. The Coalition also reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice, the New York City Council, US congressmen and the New York City Public Advocate to demand the police conduct a thorough investigation.
The Coalition and the Sikh community organize a demonstration outside of the Queens 102nd precinct
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The Sikh Coalition and the community also decided to hold a rally outside the 102 nd precinct in Richmond Hill to protest the NYPD’s indifference to hate crimes against Gurcharan Singh and Rajinder Singh Khalsa. All of the city’s major television and print media agencies covered the more than 100 protestors demanding the police thoroughly investigate the case.
As a result of the collaboration between the local community and Coalition, eventually all five men were arrested and charged with hate crimes.
The Coalition would like to thank the Sikh community of Richmond Hill, including the leaders of the Makhan Shah Lubana Gurdwara, Sikh Cultural Society and American Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee. By working together, the Sikh community in New York can be a powerful force for justice.
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Coalition volunteers help make sure ‘Every Voice Counts’ |
The Sikh Coalition – Making Sure ‘Every Voice Counts’
The Coalition has always stressed the importance of Sikhs becoming more involved in the society around them. One of the fundamental components of a democracy is exercising the right to vote to select the government. Therefore, the Coalition planned to independently, or with the help of partners, run voter registration drives in the Sikh community. Although important, this strategy missed an crucial part of the Sikh perspective. Much of the community has immigrated to the U.S. in the past several years and is not yet eligible to vote. Members in this situation require outreach and education so that they can become more aware of the unique features of American democracy and how it can support them.
 The Coalition therefore decided to create a broader campaign that would serve the entire community, ‘Every Voice Counts’ (EVC). EVC addressed the community through three segments:
Those already registered to vote – For those already registered, the Coalition simply collected their registration information. In this manner, we gain an important resource when interacting with government. We will be able to improve education and advocacy campaigns by making sure Congressmen are contacted by voters in their district.
Those eligible to vote, but not yet registered – For this segment of Sikhs we provided several means of voter registration. We collected forms at several gurdwaras throughout the country, at major events like the Sikh Day Parade in New York City, and through a unique online registration form available at the Coalition’s website.
Those not yet eligible to vote – For recent immigrants, the Coalition collected demographic information. In this way, the Coalition would be able to provide these individuals with information educating them on their rights and other key features of the democratic system. In addition, it helped provide us with information needed to better educate local, state and national government about Sikhs and what kinds of needs they might have.
Through this program, the Coalition registered thousands of Sikhs to vote. In the future, we will look to launch similar programs to help provide the community and government with a better understanding of Sikh needs in different parts of the country.
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Coalition Helps a Sikh Student Participate in High School Graduation
Harbakshish and a friend celebrate a well-earned trip to graduation |
Officials at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California, told eighteen-year-old Harbakshish Singh that he could not wear his turban to his graduation ceremony. Citing a school district policy, administrators refused to issue him a graduation gown until he agreed to wear a cap to the ceremony.
Despite pressure, Harbakshish refused to agree to remove his turban. Instead, just two days before the ceremony, a family member contacted the Sikh Coalition requesting its assistance.
The Coalition contacted school officials the same day Harbakshish requested assistance. Speaking with the school's vice-principal, the Coalition explained the significance of the turban and how prohibiting Harbakshish from wearing it constituted a violation of his civil rights. The school maintained its position.
The next day, the Coalition’s Legal Director sent a detailed letter to the school explaining the ways in which the school's policy violated federal and California state law. The letter contained several types of supporting information, including legal precedent on the religious headdress in schools, photographic evidence that a neighboring high school within the same school district allowed a Sikh to attend his graduation ceremony while wearing his turban and a letter from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department welcoming turbaned Sikhs to serve as police officers.
The Coalition also coordinated its efforts with local Sikh activists, including Natasha Kaur, a Sikh attorney in Los Angeles who also contacted the school district's attorneys and requested that they inform the school that their policy would violate the law.
"I would like to thank the Sikh Coalition for helping me. Without its help, I might not have been able to take part in my graduation ceremony."
–Harbakshish Singh
The day before graduation, still without word on whether he would be allowed to take part in the official ceremony, Harbakshish boldly decided to try to participate in a graduation ceremony practice. As he arrived at school to begin practice, his school principal approached him and informed him that he would be allowed to wear his turban to the ceremony. The next day, Harbakshish celebrated the completion of his high school career at his graduation, proudly wearing his turban.
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Coalition and Partners Host Asian Pacific American Community Summit
 The Sikh Coalition along with other community partners organized an "Asian Pacific American (APA) Community Summit" at the Tacoma Dome on May 29, 2004 to promote greater unity and civic involvement among the state's APA communities through a venue that integrated cross-cultural exchange and collaboration, civic education, and political empowerment.
Asian Pacific Americans (APA's) in the State of Washington have a political voice that is unique in the nation for its focus on pan-Asian unity and multi-cultural collaboration. Cultural exchange is essential to effective APA political activism in the state. The diversity within the APA community alone speaks to the importance of cultural exchange, for the APA "community" includes everyone from Pacific Islanders to South Asians, fourth-generation Japanese Americans to SouthEast Asian refugees, young professionals to new immigrants, American-born children to limited English elders.
The event brought together cultural performance from different communities, political dialogue with government leaders and educational workshops on how the APA communities could improve their ability to interact with state and local governments.
One of the many highlights from the event was a gubernatorial candidates' forum featuring all the major candidates for Governor discussing issues related to Asian Pacific Americans. In addition, many political leaders ranging from state assemblyman to members from the U.S. House of Representatives participated in the event.
Amongst the many educational workshops included sessions on how to start a Political Action Committee (PAC), campaigning for elected office, leveraging your legislator, and non profit advocacy.
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