FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM APRIL 15, 2022 • THE QUEENS COURIER 14
Elected offi cials, community leaders call for justice
following attack against Sikh man in Richmond Hill
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
CMOHAMED@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
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.
“Th e 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.”
Th e community gathering comes a week aft er
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 suff ered 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 aft er his family
members were concerned for his safety.
Jatinder Singh Boparai (center), president of the Sikh Cultural Society, local elected offi cials and community leaders gather to speak out against an attack on a 70-yearold
Recently, the NYPD has released surveillance
video of a man who is suspected of
attacking Singh. Th e 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.
Th e investigation is ongoing by the NYPD Hate
Crimes Task Force.
“Th e same person that did this walked back
in front of our Gurudwara aft er the incident
happened,” Japneet said. “Th is 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
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (third from left) with state Assemblyman David Weprin and members
of the Sikh community.
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 diff erent
languages, diff erent 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 fi rst Punjabi American elected to
New York State Offi ce, 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.
“Th ere 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. Th e America we
left India for, is an America built on bridges of
love, not hate.”
Photos by Adrian Childress
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.
“Th e legislation required better and more
eff ective 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. Th at 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
fi ght 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 fi rm,” 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.”
Sikh man in South Richmond Hill on Sunday, April 10.
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