US State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs on Sunday (January 9) said that they are “deeply disturbed” by the reports of an attack on a Sikh cab driver at John F Kennedy airport in New York City.
“We are deeply disturbed by reports of an attack on a Sikh cab driver at John F. Kennedy airport, captured on video last week. Our diversity makes the US stronger, and we condemn any form of hate-based violence,” the State Department said in a tweet.
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The video of the incident went viral on social media after it was first posted on January 5. However, more details are awaited to know when and why the incident exactly happened.
In the viral video, a man can be seen throwing punches at a Sikh cab driver; assaulting him and knocking off his turban. He was using abusive words against him. The video caused an uproar among the Indian communities based in the US.
State Department also stressed that the country has the responsibility to hold perpetrators of hate crimes accountable for their actions.
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1/2 We are deeply disturbed by reports of an apparent attack on a Sikh cab driver at J.F.K. airport, captured on video last week. Our diversity makes the U.S. stronger, & we condemn any form of hate-based violence.
— State_SCA (@State_SCA) January 9, 2022
The US reacted after the Indian Consulate General in New York raised the issue on Saturday (local time), terming the assault on a Sikh taxi driver as “deeply disturbing”.
“The assault against a Sikh taxi driver in New York is deeply disturbing. We have taken up the matter with US authorities and urged them to investigate this violent incident,” tweeted the Consulate General of India in New York.
“For those who aren’t Sikh, I can’t put into words what it means to have your turban knocked off — or to see someone else’s turban knocked off. It’s visceral and gut-wrenching and just so disheartening to witness,” Simran Jeet Singh, author and Director for the Aspen Institute’s Inclusive America Project, tweeted.
