B. Gulbag Singh, B. Davinder Singh & B. Iqbal Singh

Renowned Sikh Classical Religious Musicians Face Public Harassment and Discrimination

Sacramento, California, USA:  In a disturbing incident reminiscent of widespread discrimination in 2001, three eminent Sikh classical religious musicians, Gulbag Singh, Davinder Singh, and Iqbal Singh were ‘kicked off’ a US Airways flight, and were told that the US Airways pilot for the plane was refusing to fly with them on board. UNITED SIKHS has written to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and US Airways, warning legal recourse against US Airways unless prompt action is taken to redress the incident.

UNITED SIKHS urges you to report any and all incidents of discrimination.

• During the Thanksgiving Holidays, you may face improper or discriminatory conduct while traveling.

• Familiarize yourself with your rights: Download the Guide & Bill of Rights for Sikh Air Travelers in the USA

•Contact UNITED SIKHS immediately to report your incident, by clicking here or by telephone at 1-888-243-1690

The incident occurred after Gulbag, Davinder, and Iqbal Singh cleared Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security and boarded US Airways flight no. 0493 on November 15th in Sacramento, California, on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah. The three were sitting together in the rear of the plane, in their assigned seats. After having been on the plane for approximately ten minutes, they were approached by one of the ticket-reception desk workers and asked to exit the plane. While none of the three adequately comprehend or speak English, the group complied and exited the aircraft. When it became apparent that the group was unable to converse with US Airways representatives, a Panjabi interpreter was called to assist.

The Panjabi interpreter informed Iqbal Singh, on behalf of the US Airways representatives, that the US Airways pilot for the plane was refusing to fly if they were onboard the aircraft. When Iqbal Singh asked why, the US Airways representatives were unable to give a clear answer, and the interpreter went on to persuade the three not to raise any objection because it could lead to more problems. The group, having become concerned, fearful, and worried about what had happened, took the only option they were given, which was to stay the night in a hotel and depart on a Delta Airlines flight the following morning to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Commenting on the discriminatory and publicly humiliating treatment, Gulbag Singh commented, “I would like to ask the average American to think about how they would feel if they were cleared by security, were sitting on their plane, and then were asked to leave for no good reason. It is ridiculous that a person should be submitted to such second class treatment.” (Translated from Panjabi)

In the formal complaint letter to US Airways, UNITED SIKHS stressed the severity of the racial profiling and discriminatory treatment, asked for an apology and compensation for the three Sikhs, and offered training for US Airways staff. “Sikhs will not stand to be discriminated against. There is no satisfactory justification for US Airways to treat people in this way. This is a clear violation of civil rights and they must take immediate actions to address this issue,” stated Harpreet Singh, Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS.

In a separate incident on November 17, 2008 at Logan International airport in Boston Massachusetts, a Sikh man, Jaspal Singh, was sent to secondary screening where he was subjected to humiliating treatment when a Transportation Security Officer ( TSO) roughly searched his turban, almost untying it, after threatening him with arrest. UNITED SIKHS has written to and spoken with the TSA which is currently reviewing video footage of the incident.

(Issued By: Jaspreet Singh International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy, UNITED SIKHS)

(Express News Service) 

Chandigarh, November 12 : Officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) visited Burail Jail on Wednesday and questioned Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit Singh Bheora of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in connection with the mid-air bombing of Air India’s Kanishka flight on June 23, 1985.

The extensive interrogation of the two terrorists convicted for assassinating former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995 continued for around six hours. The two are facing a death penalty. They were questioned separately.

The names of Hawara and Bheora are among the dozen witnesses on the list prepared by the Canadian police, who reopened the Kanishka bombing case even after a March 2005 verdict by the Supreme Court of British Columbia acquitting two suspects, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri.

The two-member Canadian team accompanied by a CBI official reached the Burail Jail around 10.45 am. Jail officials said the team first interrogated Hawara for more than two hours. Bheora was questioned till 4 pm post lunch. The Canadian officers refused to divulge any details regarding the questioning to the media. The jail officials, however, said Hawara was questioned regarding the foreign links of BKI and its members who were active in the UK, USA, Canada and Germany.

According to information, the entire interrogation was videographed.

The bombing of the Toronto-London flight has been widely blamed on Sikh separatists who used British Columbia as a base for their independence campaign.

Members of the RCMP team also met the director-general of the Punjab Police. They had earlier met top officers of the Punjab Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Chandigarh Police to seek their help in interviewing certain terrorists who are currently lodged in prisons in Chandigarh and Punjab.

In January this year, the RCMP had sought help from the Indian security agencies to interview the 12 “witnesses”, who it said could have information regarding the Kanishka bombing that killed all 329 passengers, most of them Canadian citizens of Indian origin.