Dharam Shourie

New York: The Sikh community in New Jersey has demanded a full fledged inquiry into an incident in which a high school student allegedly set afire the "patka" or small turban worn by a fellow Sikh student, in an unprovoked attack.

The student suffered minor burns but it has raised outrage in the Sikh community which has also asked the school to do more to combat discrimination.
The culprit, identified as an 18-year-old Hightstown senior Garrett Green, was arrested hours later and charged with arson and criminal mischief. He has also been suspended from the school.

Police is investigating the incident which occurred on May 5 in Hightstown High School in Mercer County in New Jersey during a fire drill.

The Sikh student, who is a teenager and would not like to be identified, was chatting with a fellow student when Green, whom he did not know, came up from behind and set "patka" on fire using a lighter.

A teacher helped him to put out the fire. The "patka," shown by his relatives, had at least two big burn holes.

"No mother should have to worry that her child could be hurt at school because of the way he looks," said Sukhjot Kaur, the teenager's mother.

The Sikh Coalition, a community organisation, urged the School to take immediate steps to address the concerns of the community.

It specifically, recommended that Hightstown School conduct a school assembly to explain what had happened and why the attacker's behaviour was atrocious, publish an article about the incident in the School newsletter, mandate teacher-led discussions and do its utmost to ensure the attacker is held accountable, it said.

It also urged the prosecutors to charge Green with hate crime if evidence supports that charge.

"Hightstown High School has an obligation not only to ensure the safety of its pupils, but also to foster students' appreciation for their community's religious diversity," said Harsimran Kaur, Staff Attorney, Sikh Coalition.

"We call on the school and local police to take immediate action to ensure this does not happen again," she said.

The Coalition said it will work with the local community and police to address this matter and urged Sikhs to fearlessly practice their faith and stand up for their rights.

Source : PTI