TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 15-21, 2022 2
‘HATE WILL NEVER HAVE A HOME IN QUEENS’
Elected officials, community leaders call for justice following attack against Sikh man in Richmond Hill
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Queens elected officials and
community leaders gathered outside
of the Sikh Cultural Society
in Richmond Hill on Sunday, April
10, to denounce the unprovoked attack
against a 70-year-old member
of the Sikh community.
State Assembly members Jenifer
Rajkumar and David Weprin
were joined by Queens Borough
President Donovan Richards,
Congresswoman Grace Meng, former
City Councilwoman Liz Crowley
and Senate Majority Leader
Chuck Schumer for a press conference
outside of the Sikh Cultural
Society, located at 95-30 118th St.
The lawmakers expressed sympathy
to Singh’s family and the
Sikh community at large.
“The Sikh community has endured
targeted discrimination for
many years, and the attack on Mr.
Singh is a reminder that we need
to act to ensure justice and security
in our communities,” said
Weprin, who also thanked the bystander
who witnessed the attack
and called the authorities. “An attack
on the Sikh community is an
attack on all of us. Hate will never
have a home in Queens, or anywhere
else in this city or state of
New York.”
The community gathering
comes a week after the victim,
Nirmal Singh, was attacked from
behind while taking an early
morning walk on April 3. Singh
was walking to the Sikh Cultural
Society nearby when a man approached
him and punched him in
the nose, causing him to fall to the
ground, according to authorities.
Following the incident, Singh
suffered a fractured nose, a swollen
black eye and an injured wrist,
community leader Japneet Singh
told QNS.
Singh was visiting New York
on a tourist visa for two weeks.
According to community leaders,
he has returned to India after his
family members were concerned
for his safety.
Recently, the NYPD has released
surveillance video of a
man who is suspected of attacking
Singh. The suspect is described as
an adult man with a dark complexion
and an average build. He was
last seen wearing black sneakers,
jeans and a blue hooded sweatshirt.
The investigation is ongoing
by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task
Force.
“The same person that did this
walked back in front of our Gurudwara
after the incident happened,”
Japneet said. “This community is
still not safe because this person is
not caught. We need drastic measures
to make sure this doesn’t
happen to anyone living in New
York state, as well as the rest of
the country.”
Jatinder Singh Boparai, president
of the Sikh Cultural Society,
called on elected representatives
to protect the community and seek
justice for Nirmal.
“If people aren’t safe in their
home, they are not safe anywhere.
We don’t have enough protection
and need more patrolling,” Singh
said. Gurdev Singh Kang, Human
Rights commissioner of New York
City, reiterated that there is no
place for hate crimes in Queens.
“Queens County is diverse
with different languages, different
religions and colorful people
living in this community. JFK
Airport is here and our Punjabi
people migrated from India when
our elders, who don’t speak English
and have a language barrier,
are now scared sitting in their
homes and feel anyone can be victimized,”
Kang said.
As the first Punjabi American
elected to New York State Office,
Rajkumar says she has spoken
to the NYPD and will do everything
in her power to ensure that
the perpetrator of the crime is
brought to justice. According to
Rajkumar, Sikh Americans are
among the nation’s most targeted
groups.
“There has been a 200% rise in
hate crimes against Sikh Americans
in the past couple of years.
Recently, four Sikh Americans
were fatally shot in the tragic
mass shooting in Indianapolis,
and once again, there was an assault
here at home, an attack
against Mr. Singh,” Rajkumar
said. “All of New York stands in
solidarity with my uncle, Nirmal
Singh. An attack on him is like an
attack on my own family. It is an
attack on all of us. The America
we left India for, is an America
built on bridges of love, not hate.”
While anti-Asian violence has
spiked during the past two years
amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,
Meng says she is grateful
that President Biden signed her
Hate Crimes Act into law, which
helps to combat hate and discrimination
against anyone in the country.
“
The legislation required better
and more effective data collection
of both hate crimes and biased
incidents — too many of which go
underreported or unreported in
this country. Sometimes, we only
know of these incidents if someone
reports it or a bystander and video
footage that goes viral,” Meng
said.
According to Schumer, people
will be prosecuted at the federal
level under the Hate Crimes Act.
“When a man is beaten and
hurt because of his background,
who he is, what his religion, his
nationality and ethnicity, it is
a dark day for America. That is
not what America is all about,”
Schumer said. “We have incidents
of bigotry and racism throughout
our history, but the lesson of our
history is that we must fight it and
speak out against it. If we shrug
our shoulders, and say this is how
it is, we will never overcome it.”
Richards says it is critical
for Queens, also known as the
“World’s Borough,” to stand united
against violence and hatred
directed toward the Sikh community
and all communities.
“We’ve seen how Asian and
South Asian hate has been on the
rise, and hate against the Black
community, and our Orthodox
brothers and sisters, and it’s
critical that we continue to stand
firm,” Richards said. “Queens
stands in solidarity with our Sikh
neighbors in support of their right
to walk freely and without fear
throughout our borough and city.”
Jatinder Singh Boparai (center), president of the Sikh Cultural Society, joins local elected officials and
community leaders in speaking out against an attack on a 70-year-old Sikh man in South Richmond Hill on
Sunday, April 10. Photo by Adrian Childress
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (third from left) with state
Assemblyman David Weprin and members of the Sikh community.
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