NRI Sikh Expelled from North Carolina Food Bank

Indianapolis, Indiana, Nov. 21, 2008
Kanwal Prakash "KP" Singh

Dear Respected Faith and Community Leaders:

Let me begin by saying, how blessed I and members of the Hoosier Sikh community feel to be always warmly embraced and welcomed at so many Interfaith Celebrations, events, media discussions, and service projects. It is a special honor for us to be a small part of the Interfaith Hunger Initiative spearheaded by a spiritual-enlightened teacher, Rev. Kent Millard and a distinguished Hoosier, Mr. James Morris.
Indianapolis has
been a welcoming place to immigrants as was evidenced by the beautiful articles in The Indianapolis Star, November 16, 2008 and by a few hundred positive stories that appear in our community activities and festivals throughout the year. I pray that we keep this Hoosier window to faiths, cultures, ethnic communities open where all of has may be respected, are encouraged to serve in causes bigger than ourselves.

Ignorance, racial profiling, negative stereotyping and hostility as displayed in the story attached below must never have a place in our beloved City and State, especially in humanitarian causes that are, and should be, our collective moral and civic responsibility to honorably serve and advance with all our gifts. Feeding the hungry is an equal-opportunity blessing and is a sacred act of our moral accountability to our Creator who is a Father and Mother to us all and we are all his children and each human being is a part of our extended family.

However, instead of the sadness that I feel about this incident (below) and countless other sad and hurtful incidents since 9/11, Sikh Americans believe that most Americans are outraged with such sad testimonies of mis-guided bigotry. This type of treatment of a fellow American who had come in peace and to contribute to the Thanksgiving effort can only have a negative outcome. Yet, I sincerely hope and pray that not too many among the Sikh Americans and other faith communities will step back from service projects that are so vital to our communities and our world.

With the leadership that each of you represent and many others provide to us to lead us forward, we feel we will continue to be vigilant to intolerance, positive and all-embracing, race and community relations, and as people of faith where we will continue to nurture and strengthen our commitment to ideals that make us who we are: proud Hoosiers and blessed Americans working in solidarity to do good things and make a difference. Hoosier Sikh Americans are proud to continue their partnership with special community projects and services in these times of great need. Thank you for your individual and collective kindness to immigrant communities.

With affectionate regards and Thanksgiving blessings from a proud American, Kanwal Prakash "KP" Singh Indianapolis, Indiana USA