Eight years ago today, a neo-Nazi gunman murdered six Sikh Americans and permanently injured several more in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. We solemnly remember Paramjit Kaur Saini, Sita Singh, Ranjit Singh, Prakash Singh, Suveg Singh Khattra, and Satwant Singh Kaleka, who were killed in that horrific attack.
On March 2 of this year, Baba Punjab Singh, a beloved granthi, passed away due to complications related to the injuries he sustained in the Oak Creek attack. On this solemn day, we share our deepest condolences with his family. Despite being fully paralyzed, Baba Punjab Singh’s courage in the face of great adversity inspired us all. His life embodied the eternal Chardi Kala spirit, and he will forever remind us of perseverance--as do those who were also gravely injured during the attack: Bhai Santokh Singh and Lt. Brian Murphy.
While the Oak Creek sangat previously organized an annual Chardhi Kala 6K Memorial Walk and Run in the Sikh spirit of eternal optimism, they have since decided to host this event every five years. The next Chardhi Kala 6K is scheduled to take place in 2022 around the 10-year anniversary. The Sikh Coalition will renew our previous National Day of Seva project in conjunction with the Oak Creek 6K in 2022.
Today at 5:00 PM EDT, you can join the organization Not In Our Town for an important digital conversation about hate crimes--discussing both reporting and prosecution challenges, and the value of community action--with family members of hate crime victims from several different communities, including Pardeep Kaleka (the son of Satwant Singh Kaleka).
As a reminder, from 2012 to 2015, the Sikh Coalition and members of the Oak Creek sangat worked together to successfully convince federal law enforcement to track anti-Sikh hate crimes. We also continue to advocate for hate crime laws that better protect minority communities at the national and state levels, most recently this year in Pennsylvania. Finally, we forever remain committed to remembering those we lost from the Oak Creek tragedy--and to working to prevent further tragedies through education, outreach, and advocacy efforts.