In its first public act, the newly-formed American Sikh Congressional Caucus, has strongly condemned an alleged hate crime attack against an 82-year-old Sikh man in California.
Such events, its co-chairs said make it all the more important for the FBI to begin tracking hate crimes against the Sikhs in the US.
The two Co-Chairs of the Caucus are Judy Chu and David Valadao.
"My heart broke when I heard about suspected hate crime on Piara Singh, an elderly Sikh man dedicated to his faith and his community," Chu said in a statement.
Piara Singh, 82, volunteer of Gurdwara Nanaksar in Southwest Fresno, was brutally attacked and beaten with an iron bar last Sunday.
He sustained head wounds, a punctured lung, and broken bones and ribs during the assault.
"In the wake of Oak Creek and Elk Grove, it is clear that hysteria and stereotyping are still far too common. We must combat the growing wave of violence and intolerance that threatens the safety and civil liberties of all Americans, including the Sikh American community," she said.
"That is why I have pushed the FBI to finally begin tracking hate crimes against the American Sikh community. This will help law enforcement officers in every locality to do all they can to prevent violence against this, and all, communities. We cannot wait any longer," Chu said.
Singh's is the most recent attack in a string of violence against Sikh Americans that were on the rise following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
In another statement, Valadao said he is deeply saddened to learn of the recent attack on Piara Singh outside the Southwest Fresno temple, Gurdwara Nanaksar, on Sunday morning.
"Heartbreaking events such as this, highlight deep societal problems, specifically what I believe is a general disregard for human life that has unfortunately become prevalent in our society," he said.
The announcement for the formation of the Caucus was made on April 24 at the Capitol Hill in the office of Chu.
