Ex-MP Tarlochan Singh flags 'undue' backlash against Sikh truckers in US

Former Rajya Sabha MP Tarlochan Singh has written a letter to US Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor, pointing out that Sikh truck drivers in the US were facing an undue backlash after a recent accident.

Singh, a former Chairman of the National Minorities Commission, asked Gor to ensure immediate intervention by the US Government to stand by Sikhs, who are American citizens.

He was referring to a recent accident, where a truck driven by a Sikh youth, Jashanpreet Singh, led to an accident, killing three persons.

Blaming aggressive media reporting for the backlash, Singh said the road accident and resultant media reports had led to a scare among the Sikh truckers in the US.

Media in the US had been quoting the police authorities accusing the trucker of being under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. However, the family of the accused have claimed that the accused was a Baptized Sikh, who had vowed not to consume any drugs or alcohol.

Singh, in his letter to Sergio Gor, said there were 1 lakh Sikh truck drivers in the US who were now an indispensable component of the American supply chain.

“For decades, Sikhs have been in the profession of trucking and have never been singled out like this. Road accidents are a common occurrence. In America alone, more than 40,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes every year,” he added.

However, the former MP clarified that he was not seeking any pardon for the accused Sikh driver.

The former MP further said that Sikhs were living in America since the beginning of the last century and were declared the best farmers. He said that some of these people had even earned a place in the Guinness World Book of Record, while a few had made immense contributions to the Silicon Valley. Besides, it was Dalip Singh Saundh, a Sikh, who became the first Asian to be elected as a Member of Parliament in America in 1952, he added.