Sikh bodies condemn attack on elderly UK man
AMRITSAR: Sikh organizations are up in arms against the maltreatment meted out to an octogenarian UK-based Sikh by a young white girl. The shocking footage of young girl thrashing an 80-year-old Sikh man has gone viral on the net and have been severely condemned.
While Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has demanded from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up the issue with his UK counterpart, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has announced to invite all the foreign ambassadors in Delhi and apprise them of Sikh's unique identity with an aim to avert such incidents in future.
According to reports, a teenage girl who was accompanied by three men had attacked an elderly Sikh man in the British city of Coventry. According to reports, the teenage girl knocked down the elderly Sikh man who hailed from Cnely, the neighborhood city.
Reacting to the incident, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar told TOI over phone from Srinagar on Sunday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should take up the issue on priority with his UK counterpart. "The incident has shaken the community as how could such an old person could be attacked by a teenager that too without any provocation," said Makkar.
He said SGPC would also lodge its protest with the UK high commissioner in India.
While condemning the incident, DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK said they had decided to hold a seminar and invite all the foreign ambassadors in national capital so they could be told about the unique Sikh identity.
"The incident is nothing but a hate crime which should be stopped, since Sikhs are recognized with their turban and considered ambassadors of India so they become easy prey," he said.
Chief of Sikh's prominent seminary Damdami Taksal, Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said, "Anyone targeting an elderly Sikh is beyond my imagination". He said the government should take cognizance of the incident and take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
Meanwhile UK-based right activist and advocate Jas Uppal told TOI, "This unprovoked and brutal attack on an elderly Sikh man by a mindless brute is beyond comprehension. Thanks to the West Midlands Police, the alleged perpetrator was swiftly arrested, charged with assault and remanded in custody following an immediate investigation by the police. It is now for the criminal justice to dispose of the case in court and determine the appropriate sentence upon conviction."
Jas informed that Coventry was a diverse and multicultural city with a strong, established and a fully-integrated Sikh community. "The city has a history of tolerance and community cohesion," she said.
Sikh bodies condemn attack on elderly UK man - The Times of India
