CHANDIGARH: The US state of California saw two incidents of Sikhs being targeted in the span of a week, but the reaction to the developments that followed the August 6 assault on Sahib Singh Natt (71) has been very different. Natt was kicked, abused and spat at in a residential street in Manteca, California , by two teenaged boys, with an intention to rob him, leaving people aghast.

Acting swiftly, two days later, California police arrested a 16-year-old, whose name was withheld because of his age, and Tyrone McAllister (18), the estranged son of Darryl McAllister, the chief of the union city police department, south of Oakland, California. The latter was charged on Saturday.

Following his son’s arrest, Darryl posted an apology on his department’s Facebook page. "A 71-year old Sikh man was accosted by two young men as he innocently walked down a Manteca sidewalk next to a park. The greater Sikh community is devastated (by the incident). Violence and hatred is not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values," Darryl said in his apology to the Sikh community.

In the true spirit values of Sikhism , the Punjabis in California have come out in support for Darryl and taken this apology from a distraught father in a very supportive manner.

"If he (accused) did that crime, he will pay for it. My prayers are with your (Darryl’s) family and Sikh man Sahib Singh Natt … Once again thanks for being transparent and sharing the post," wrote Makhan Singh Bains, president of Raja Sweets & Indian Cuisine and a resident of Fermont, California.

Bains also urged some members of the Sikh community, who are giving threats to Darryl and his family, to refrain from such activities.

Harjot Hundal, owner of Gabroo TV that promotes Sikh and Punjabi culture in the US, said, "This post is re-assuring and heartfelt. Though I despise your (Darryl’s) son for what he did, but I hope you, and we (the Sikh community) show him love and compassion to help bring him back on the right path."

Jaswinder Singh Jandi, in his post, offered prayers and support to Darryl McAllister on behalf of the Sikh community of the Bay Area and Union City, saing that Darryl has always been there to stand with the Sikh community, especially in matters of hate crime and discrimination.

Hundreds of people thanked the police chief for the apology. "Sometimes the actions of our kids are inevitable. I am proud of chief McAllister for being upfront and forthright. I request the Sikh community to put themselves in the chief’s shoes and support him for making the right decision," said Rana Kahlon, a resident of Turlock, a city in stanislaus county in California.

Manteca city council member Gary Singh said Sikh community of the area has come together against this horrendous crime. Police have also reacted fast, adding that the incident has hit all people in Manteca hard.

Frequent targets

Though the Manteca police did not brand the attack as a hate crime, Sikhs have frequently been targets of racial assaults in the US, especially after the September 11 attacks. According to available figures, there are more than 25 million Sikhs globally, with around 500,000 based in different parts of the US.

