After a deadly disaster

The trucks continue to roll on the highway 99 in California, the route came to life with the cargo movement through the central valley. And at the wheel is often the Sikh man, their cabin, decorated with religious symbols, portraits of Sikh guru, or posters of Punjabi singers.

Sikhs, a religious minority group from India, became a large part of the American vehicles, helping to deliver everything from the California strawberries to lumber across the country.

But the catastrophe in Florida and its consequences were directed by shivers through the Sikh -Georgians who can have economic consequences.

In America, approximately 750,000 Sikhs, and about 150,000 work in autotransia, mostly as drivers. The role they play in this basic area is expressed from the names on the door of their trucks – the singh tube, the Punjab -Transportation – to the punishment, which is served at the rest along the west coast, where approximately 40% of all truck drivers – Sikh, reports the North American Association.

Many have limited English skills, but years of car driving experience.

This put some drivers in an unstable position when the Trump administration moved to strengthen language requirements for commercial drivers. In response, many Sikh temples offer language classes to help drivers undergo their language tests.

“Many drivers remained at home because of the fear of new laws. We started classes in mid-July to help them return to work,” said Taipal Singh Bynival, who voluntarily works with the Sikh temple in Stocktone, California.

In the English language classes in the temple on Sunday, several drivers practiced dating and reviewed the highway and regulatory signs. Many drivers were ashamed of conversations but were motivated.

Narinder Singh, a 51-year-old driver who has been working in America for eight years, says he holds classes in the temple in Stocktone because he believes it is important to try to become a good citizen and comply with the law.

“Sometimes a person’s actions can cost the whole community,” he said, citing a fatal disaster on the other side of the country, which shone a rigid spotlight on Sikh drivers in California.

On August 12, Hardzinder Singh, a truck driver in India, made a turn on Florida TurnPike, crashing into a minibus and killing three people.

The Internal Security Department (DHS) claims that Harinder entered the US illegally with Mexico in 2018 and received a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in California, despite the fact that he had no legitimate right to be in the US and refused the English language exam.

However, California officials say the federal authorities have stated that it had a law work if the state issued a driver’s license.

Harjinder is now facing murder and accusation of murder in Florida and he was denied the gland. His statement is planned in late September.

The accident relied on Sikh truck drivers.

Two weeks after the Florida disaster, Secretary of State Mark Rubio focused on issuing working visas for foreigners seeking to become the drivers of commercial trucks in the US.

The pursuit of Sikh drivers also occurred, and the industry insiders say BBC.

Roman Singh Jilon, Chief Executive Director of the North American Pengabi motor vehicles, said many drivers are afraid to become goals.

“Sikh drivers are pursued at truck stops. In some cases, even local law enforcement agencies do not respond,” he says.

While it supports Trump’s calls for greater regulation of commercial licenses and English knowledge requirements, the novel is concerned that persecution and increasingly stringent immigration laws impede Sikh’s work in the field.

“Soon the cargo industry will face a serious disadvantage of the driver,” he said.

This is the concern shared by many.

Gurpratap Singh Sandhu, which manages the Sacramento motor vehicle, reveals his cousin, the driver of the US civil truck, was pursued last week in Florida only because of its ethnic affiliation.

“People who are in Sikh truckers or throw water bottles at truck stops. They are ridiculed and harassed. They are called racial suspensions, such as a” diaper “and a” towel-galova “, citing their turbans,” says Gurprotap. He is worried about the safety of his driver.

Persecution directly affects the GURPRATAP business.

“Sikh drivers in my campaign are afraid to go to Florida, Alabama and Arkansas from the immigration and customs raids after the Florida catastrophe,” Gurprotap said, adding that immigrants were once recognized as warriors during the pandemic.

Arjun Seti, Professor of Law Faculty at George Washington University, said the social media accounts in the US and India, and some politicians used this tragedy to orient the entire Sikh community.

“This episode should be regarded as the only, tragic event and not armed to focus on the entire Sikh community,” Arjun said.

He is also worried that rhetoric can lead to violence.

“For years, we have seen an inflammatory rhetoric could lead to violence against the same communities. Sikhs have already encountered this in 2012 mass mass shooting from the Wisconsin Temple, which killed six Sikhs,” Arjun added.

The annual statistical statistics of the 2024 hate crimes show that the Sikhs remain the third most oriented religious group behind the Jewish and Muslim communities. After the catastrophe, the special messenger in the United States Richard Grenell met with a group of Sikh representatives in Sacramento and went to social media to take verbal attacks on Sikhs as “non -American” behavior.

Roman Singh Jilon, Chief Executive Director of the North American Pengabi motor vehicles, says there should be a proper investigation into how states issue commercial driver’s licenses to people who do not meet English knowledge standards.

But so far, the teaching of English to the drivers remained largely a member of the Sikh community themselves, such as the language classes offered in temples across California.

“Nobody is interested in solving the main problem,” says Roman.

“That is why I believe that the car driving schools and the state agency should be regulated.”

Harinder Singh, senior employee of the Sikh Research Institute in the US, agrees. He says that English is as important for acclimatization and recommends that the federal and state government, as well as truckers’ associations to offer subsidized programs that help immigrants learn English as the second language.

Arswer Singh Singh teaches English to drivers in a guru Nanak Parkash for seven weeks as a volunteer. His course – “English4Truckers” – covers the main English language, communication with officers while checking, ordering restaurants such as Starbucks or Subway, calling in 911 and explaining mechanics problems.

Classes show positive results. Har Prime Singh, a 38-year-old Sikh truck driver, has been present since the start of the program.

“I have gained confidence in my thoughts in English. Now I understand that the highway signs are previously confused,” he said BBC.