(KP) - Christmas Eve was a day of love and affirmation for a majority of Californians in Richmond on December 25, 2005. But for 58 year old cab driver Gurpartap Singh, it was a doomsday; bullets penetrated through his cab's fragile windscreen to end his lifespan when he was the least apprehensive about the incident. His last thoughts must have been how ignorant the killer was to do it on an auspicious day. His broad daylight murder was a rude shock to his wife and son who lived in an apartment in El Sobrante. Naturalized as an American Citizen in 2003, Gurpartap Singh refused to be on welfare. For the Sikh community to subsist on doles from the government coffers is almost unthinkable.
A believer in the happiness of the entire humanity and faith in the teaching of Sikh Gurus to earn livelihood through honest means, Gurpartap strived to make a living for his family. He supported a widow's family and some senior men of his village in India. He would give money for their monthly allowance during his visits to India. Navjot Singh, his son, told me that he used to supply fruits and a few bucks daily to a homeless African American at the Bart Station . Navjot explained: The African Americans looked to my father like a fakir. A fakir may accept alms, but will never beg though he may die. His customers were mostly known to him. He was on good terms with everyone.
Deeply shocked at another cab drivers' murder in 2003, Gurpartap had expressed his resolve to carry on his work unafraid of attacks on his community. He apprehended the danger round the corner but like a soldier he had to negotiate it as a part of his duty. He became a martyr on the cross of his resolve to toil in spite of being disabled in his left leg and right arm after an accident. He had unflinching trust in the goodness of others regardless of their backgrounds. He never argued with others on anything. As a Sikh, he believed in other faiths as different paths to the same destination. Contra Costa students preferred a ride with him as he wouldn't mind if they were out of money. Navjot Singh was terribly shaken when he spoke with me on Saturday morning. Born on 28th July 1947, a couple of weeks before India's freedom, Gurpartap Singh ended his journey on Christmas of 2005 after leaving a trail of memories for his diverse group of customers who loved him as a finest specimen of human beings.
Though it all started after 9/11/2001 with the death of Balbir Singh Sodhi in Arizona, however, signs of deep-rooted prejudice against Sikhs has been the trait of a certain section of the society ever since Sikh pioneers started coming in 1899. Misrepresented as "Hindus" in early 1920's, and Muslims or Arabs after attack on World Trade Centers, Sikhs have never been able to get the recognition due to them on the basis of their unique heritage. The imaginary identities imposed on their personas have been affecting their life as citizens dedicated to promote values of liberty, patriotism and democracy. In the absence of any information about Sikhs in school textbooks, and the appropriate representation of Sikhs in the media, the community has become a target of hatred, robbery and intimidation.
It is very shocking that in an age of information revolution, some of the media groups have been showing ignorance of people and their ethnicities. According to the Washington Post poll conducted on September 13, 2001, 43% Americans viewed people appearing to be of Arab descent as dangerous. The indirect appeal to the "herd mentality" erroneously presents 'terrorists' as representatives of all look-alikes.
NBC on September 12, 2001 telecast the arrest of Sher Singh from Amtrak as that of an Arab. NBC's criminal ignorance was passed off as a common lapse. News 10, a local channel of ABC, in May 2004 telecast a video of members of Bradshaw Sikh Temple, Sacramento who were shown as Muslims. On being informed about the misrepresentation, the official refused to correct its position by telecasting an apology, however, they expressed their deep regret at the faux pas. It was highly inflammatory for Sikhs as they had already been at the receiving end because of their imaginary and stereotypical identity publicized by the media.
Navjot Singh didn't think anybody would kill his father out of hatred. However, it can't be ruled out without a full investigation of the case. The police officials' preconceived assumption that it was an incident of robbery point to the efforts on their part to dismiss it as one of many incidents that happen in that area every other day. Gurpartap Singh's case is altogether different as he was not a member of any gang, club, illegal business and drug deals. The broad daylight assassination requires more efforts on the part of law enforcement officials to study the pattern of the criminal activity. Gurpreet Singh's murder earlier in 2003 had created a widespread concern at all levels, yet again within two days another Sikh Cab driver was shot, though he survived. It appears as if some hate mongers, cowards, and enemies of humanity want to scare them out of their business.
Gurpartap Singh's case requires a high level investigation in view of the past incidences. Latent tendencies surface at different phases of history. Echoes of Freedom published by University of California Berkeley records the activities of organizations like "Asian Exclusion League" that carried out attack on Sikh colonies contemptuously mirrored as "Hindu colonies" in 1907. It was followed by similar attacks in Marysville, California. The earlier investigation had traced the problems to stereotyping of Sikhs as "terrible with their turbans." The racist cartoons appeared in newspapers as new problems for Uncle Sam. The increase in incidents against Sikhs demands attention of the law makers. They need protection of the law as they have been working hard, paying their taxes, respecting others' freedom, participating in National Parades and contributing liberally to victims of disasters and thus sharing the tragedies with their American counterparts.
Criminals who indulge in such crimes are always in small number. Hard core ones try to legitimize their criminality through racial allegiance. It is time for other communities to break their silence so that the right message goes across. These hatreds can destroy any society. Social evils like drug addiction, racism and homelessness need to be eradicated by strengthening the voice of right-minded people. School children show early signs of depression, bipolar, autism, visual and auditory processing disorders. Most of them are living in foster care, juvenile centers and with their relatives because one or both of their parents either in jail or on the run. Youths lack emotional support; if it is provided, it can promote responsible behavior. When they have easy access to guns, they find soft targets little knowing that it can devastate not only the family but the entire community struggling to survive amid threats.
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