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Montgomery: In a tragic turn of events that has reignited discussions about racial violence and hate crimes in the United States, a 29-year-old Sikh musician named Raj Singh was shot dead outside a gurudwara in Selma city of Alabama, US, on Saturday night, leaving his family members to question whether the homicide was based on his race or religion, according to local media reports. This is the second case of a deadly incident in Alabama targeting the Indian diaspora in less than a month.
The incident, suspected to be a hate crime, comes on the heels of the murder of a 76-year-old Gujarati-origin hotelier earlier this month, raising concerns over the safety of ethnic minorities in the area. The Council on American-Islamic Relations called on law enforcement “to investigate a possible bias motive” on Thursday.
The murder of Raj Singh, a member of a Sikh kirtan group, has shocked the community, especially since he was in the US for only a year and a half. Goldy was standing outside the gurdwara when unidentified assailants shot him in the abdomen. His family received the news of his death on Sunday.
This latest incident is not alone. Earlier in the month, an American hotelier of Gujarati origin was murdered in a similar manner, with the perpetrator seeking accommodation before committing the crime. These incidents have raised concerns about patterns of targeted violence against individuals based on their ethnic background, leading to calls for stronger protective measures and policies to prevent hate crimes.
Community leaders and activists are urging law enforcement agencies to take decisive action to ensure the safety of ethnic minorities and address the underlying issues of racism and xenophobia that fuel such violence.
“We were informed about the incident by relatives. It has been five days, and his postmortem is yet to be done. We have reached out to the gurdwara committee for more information, and they are helping us. We have also appealed to our government for justice and the arrest of the killers,” Gurdeep Singh, the deceased’s brother-in-law, was quoted as saying by sources.
In response to these tragic events, there has been an outpouring of grief and solidarity across the country. Vigils and community meetings have been held to honor the victims and stand against hate. These gatherings serve not only as a tribute to those lost but also as a platform to advocate for change while emphasizing the need for unity in the face of hatred and violence.
