In the wake of two consecutive attacks on Sikhs, leaders and community members came together in New York to denounce hate and call for increased protection against the rising wave of crimes targeting them in the United States. The first attack claimed the life of 66-year-old Jasmer Singh, who was beaten to death during a road rage incident on October 19. Just four days later, Mani Sandhu, a Sikh teenager, was repeatedly punched for wearing a turban while on a bus in New York City.
In a display of solidarity, the Sikh community gathered at Gurdwara Sikh Cultural Society in South Richmond Hill on Wednesday, deeply affected and troubled by these attacks.
Japneet Singh, an activist and the event’s organizer, expressed their frustration, stating, “Time and time again, we’ve seen the Sikh community become the target of senseless hate. Due to this hate, we have now lost a beloved community member.”
Jasmer Singh’s son, Subeg Multani, shared his distress, explaining that his father had been violently struck, resulting in the loss of his two front teeth. He expressed anger at the police categorizing the incident as a road rage case when it should be considered a hate crime. Multani asserted, “This is the NYPD’s (New York Police Department) job to protect us. They failed to do so.”
Gilbert Augustin was arrested and charged with manslaughter for the attack on Jasmer Singh, while Christopher Philippeaux, who targeted Sandhu, faced charges of hate crime assault.
Mani Sandhu, who had come to the United States just ten months prior, shared his feeling of insecurity when stepping outside his home after the incident.
Following Jasmer Singh’s tragic killing, New York Mayor Eric Adams pledged to meet with Sikh leaders to address the needs of the community in light of these events.
New York Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, the first Punjabi ever elected to state office, vowed to persist in her efforts to combat hate, stating, “When a crime occurs against any of us, it is a crime against all of us, and we come together in solidarity. Sikhs are our protectors… Every practitioner of this beautiful faith deserves our unyielding respect.”
Local activists revealed their plans to raise funds for starting a patrol group, citing recent police data that suggests crimes decrease in areas where civilian patrols are active.
In their annual report of hate crime statistics for 2022, the FBI recorded 198 cases of hate crimes against Sikhs, affirming that the Sikh community remains the second-most targeted group in the nation. Japneet Singh emphasized that hate crimes against Sikhs are on the rise, with many incidents going unreported, rendering the statistics incomplete.