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US Dept. of Justice vs. California – protecting a Sikh’s rights in prison

March 17, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Should practicing Sikhs be allowed to pursue their faith while in prison? This debate is occuring not only among Sikhs and non-Sikhs, but also between the federal and state governments. The United States Department of Justice has filed a legal suit against the State of California for violating the civil rights of Sikh inmate Sukhjinder Singh Basra: The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the state of California, Governor Jerry Brown and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation […]

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: California, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Jagmohan Singh Ahuja, Jerry Brown, Kamala Harris, prison, Rastafarian, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, Sukhjinder Singh Basra, Trilochan Singh Oberoi, United States Department of Justice

Cab driver’s attackers admit to hate crime

March 7, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Back in November, Harbhajan Singh, a 56-year-old cab driver in Sacramento, California, was attacked and beaten by two men who were later apprehended by the police. The men were charged with assault and hate crime offenses. Today, the two men pleaded guilty: 41-year-old Pedro Ramirez and 33-year-old Johnny Morales were in court Monday to enter the plea agreement and admit their guilt. In exchange, Morales will be sentenced to a year in jail, and Ramirez will get 13 years. On the […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Johnny Morales, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Two elderly Sikhs shot in suburban Sacramento

March 6, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Shocking news has come out of Elk Grove, California (a suburb of Sacramento), where two elderly Sikh men were shot on the street while out on an afternoon walk: Police said Saturday that they don’t know why someone gunned down two men – frail from heart attacks and advancing years – as they slowly ambled through a quiet Elk Grove neighborhood during their daily afternoon walk. Surinder Singh, 67, died Friday afternoon on the sidewalk along East Stockton Boulevard near […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Elk Grove, Gurmej Atwal, hate crime, Sacramento, Surinder Singh, Valarie Kaur

Bring your Sikhs, we’re open for business

February 8, 2011 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

One of the greatest challenges for any Sikh family is preservation and protection of our religious rights, and our practices. Sikhs have come a long way in this country to do both of these things, but in many ways, our people are preyed upon by missionary activities of other faiths. In the Yuba City, California area, home of one of the largest Sikh populations in the United States, such activities are being celebrated: The Rev. Masih, 36, was born a Christian […]

Categories: Interfaith, News Bits • Tags: Aamir Masih, California, Hosanna Punjabi Christian Church, Suhag A. Shukla, Yuba City

TSA, USA cont’d

December 24, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

The TSA is finding itself under increasing scrutiny. When not even a Sikh diplomat was spared from the demand to remove his turban at a US airport, the SGPC (the Sikhs’ representative body that manages Sikh shrines in India) held a demonstration outside the US Embassy in New Delhi to protest to the alleged targeting of Sikh turbans by the TSA. However, the TSA is receiving heat not just from abroad, but also from home.

Categories: Civil Rights, News Bits • Tags: Air travel, Airport security, AIT machines, California, Federal Flight Deck Officer, FFDO, Sacramento, SGPC, Transportation Security Administration, TSA, whistleblower

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 7, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

There have been a few updates over the past few days on this story: California Assemblywoman Marika Yamada out of West Sacramento has been supportive since Harbhajan Singh’s attack. Last Sunday, she addressed Sikhs at the Sacramento Sikh Temple: “More than 60 years ago, the Japanese were being discriminated against. The Chinese were wearing buttons that read, ‘I am Chinese’ so they wouldn’t be mistaken as Japanese,” said Yamada. “After September 11th, we’re seeing a similar situation with Sikhs and Muslims. […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Marika Yamada, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 2, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

No sooner did I write this that great news came through that two men have been arrested in the attack on Harbhajan Singh, a cab driver in Sacramento: …West Sacramento Police Lt. Tod Sockman announced the 41-year-old suspect [Pedro Antonio Ramirez] along with 33-year-old Johnny Morales turned themselves in to police. …The suspects were arrested on charges of felony assault with a deadly weapon and commission of a hate crime. Both men are now in Yolo County Jail. Let us […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Johnny Morales, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

December 2, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

West Sacramento Police have named a suspect in the attack of Sacramento cab driver Harbhajan Singh: Lt. Tod Sockman said detectives and Sacramento police SWAT officers served arrest and search warrants at the Sacramento, Binghampton Drive residence of 41-year-old Pedro Antonio Ramirez Thursday morning. Sockman said Ramirez is wanted for assault with a deadly weapon and commission of a hate crime in the attack on Herbhejan Singh. However, Ramirez is still at large and may be hiding from police: The […]

Categories: Hate Crimes, News Bits • Tags: California, FBI, Harbhajan Singh, hate crime, Mariko Yamada, Pedro Antonio Ramirez, robbery, Sacramento, taxicab

California, put your legislation where your money is, cont’d

December 2, 2010 by Rupinder Mohan Singh

Kamala Harris, who just claimed victory in the State of California’s Attorney General race, intends to look into the Trilochan Singh Oberoi case: Harris also said she would “absolutely” look into the case of Trilochan Singh Oberoi, a former Indian naval officer who is being denied a job as a security guard at Folsom State Prison because he refuses to shave off his beard. Harris, who is part Indian (her mother is a surgeon from Tamil Nadu in India) and part […]

Categories: Civil Rights, Politics • Tags: California, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Folsom Prison, Jerry Brown, Kamala Harris, Nikki Haley, Trilochan Singh Oberoi

Considering the experience of Sikhs in America.

Tag: California

US Dept. of Justice vs. California – protecting a Sikh’s rights in prison

Cab driver’s attackers admit to hate crime

Two elderly Sikhs shot in suburban Sacramento

Bring your Sikhs, we’re open for business

TSA, USA cont’d

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

Sacramento cab driver attacked, cont’d

California, put your legislation where your money is, cont’d