New Delhi: The number of incidents of hate and discrimination against Sikhs in the US after 9/11 has increased significantly, with over 300 such cases reported so far, which range from verbal harassment in public to bias in schools and even physical attacks.

Sikh Coalition, a US based advocacy group, which has been documenting these cases since 9/11 says, "In the last two years, Sikh Americans have endured a significant increase in acts of hate and discrimination. Over 30 such incidents were reported from New Jersey alone.

"Bias against Sikhs has increased this year. We want our Government to help us stop it," says a report from Sikh Coalition quoting Amardeep Singh, its legal director.

This year has seen a significant increase in discrimination against Sikhs in New Jersey and across the country. I believe this increase is a result of the heightened hostilities in West Asia and a result of misguided animosity against American of Arab descent or of the Muslim faith, says Singh.

However, to combat these hate crimes, Sikh leaders across the US got together recently and chalked out a plan. According to the letter, which the group is circulating to Government officials, Sikh leaders want to see more cooperation between them and State officials in tracking and prosecuting these hate crimes.

Public misinformation is the main cause of all the incidents, says Singh. "Ninety-nine per cent of the people you see with a turban and beard in this country are Sikh...but people in the country (the US) associate the beard and turban with terrorists."