Sikh beaten unconscious on sidewalk in New York

In what is considered to be a hate crime, a Sikh limousine driver was beaten unconscious on a sidewalk in a New York suburb during the weekend by apparently drunken white youths.

At least one person has been arrested and police were on the look out for two others.

The incident occurred in the Richmond area of Queens, which has a large immigrant population on Saturday night.

The 54-year old Rajinder Singh Khalsa suffered multiple cuts, bruises and a broken nose.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Khalsa said he along with his cousin Gurcharan Singh were confronted by the youths who ridiculed their turbans calling them “dirty curtain” and asking them to take them off.

Gurcharan Singh, who owns a restaurant ‘Tandoori Express,’ said they had left the car on the street and were walking towards the restaurant where they intended to have tea.

But as they were passing by an Italian catering hall, the men, who appeared to be drunk, started using abusive language.

“I told them that it is not a curtain, but my turban and a religious symbol,” Gurcharan Singh said.

Khalsa said he tried to explain to them that they were not Muslims, but covered their heads because of respect for God.

According to Gurcharan Singh, the verbal insults turned into violence when he said he would call 911, the police emergency telephone number.

He called the police anyway but by the time, ambulance and police arrived, Khalsa had been beaten into unconsciousness.

Khalsa had migrated from India with his family in mid 1990s. Since Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, Sikhs have suffered several attacks and verbal abuses as they are mistaken for Muslims because of their beard and turban.

Sikh organisations had launched a major media campaign to correct the impression. Some even wore a button saying, “I am a Sikh.”

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