[Assam] my case 1 hr back - Sikhs in India ? Racial Discrimination by American Police

[umesh sharma]

That guy was a fool. He should never have purchased a camera or camera phone in the first place. HAven't Sikhs been stopped and interrogated in Delhi and acros India during 1980s and 1990s?  I too have been stopped in Delhi , in trains etc many times - any tough looking character will be searched if some trouble is possible - as in festive season in US or during Independence celebrations in India.


 He should learn from my experience just 40 minutes back (about 3:20pm EST) when I was stopped by a policeman who had stepped out of the car after parking it on the side walk on which I was walking from work to home (like every other day but today in daytime since work got over early due to holiday season). The policeman asked if I had photographed some factory/gasoline storage next to my workplace - which is on the way home. I said I don't have a camera even, never bought one, not even a camera on cellphone - just anticipating such suspicion (my roommate who takes a lot of photos had been trying to persuade me to buy one - I think two days back - but now I have a good point). He asked for my ID - I showed him my US state govt issued ID showing my old address in College Park, Maryland . Told him I walk like this everyday. He gave my ID details on walkie talkie to someone and I offered to have my bag and clothes searched. Another police car came up and parked on the road and
 that officer offered to search my bag - ofcourse he found nothing more technical than my graphing calculator TI 84. I gave my cellphone to the first officer - he found no camera phone. All very polite. He asked if I could pose for a picture - using his camera (maybe Sony powershot!!). 

The road slightly blocked due to the police car standing on the side lights flashing - just outside the Army Navy Golf Course. Traffic and city bus etc were piled up. I opened my overcoat buttons and took off the woolen cap -got my picture taken. Police officer asked if I mind putting the cap back on - and I did  (maybe the  round woolen cap looks like a turban to someone) and got another picture taken for the benefit of the person who had aired his fears to the police. The police were very courteous and somewaht surprised that I had come to Harvard to do masters and now teaching students in the area. A student had given me a Santa Claus style gift in a festive bag which I showed to them and they wished me Merry Christmas and left.

Moral: don't carry cameras or camera on cellphones unless in completely natural surroundings - like Niagara Falls or on Hill tops. 

Umesh

PS: While walking home , I had been thinking about my childhood -as a kite flying kid with my brother as a kite runner (after seeing the movie Kite Runner yesterday near my workplace) and this incident reminded me that I have become different - no longer a kid. Ofcourse In India you have to show you are a grown up - just to get anything done. Who listens to kids (except near and dear ones)?

Krishnendu Chakraborty <krish_gau at yahoo.com> wrote: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=4fe8b577-e3fb-4f8a-82fe-15a24ba87171&&Headline=Indian+American+sues+NY+police


This is however not isolated incident.  I have heard
about such incidents in Boston too.  


      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?  
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.  http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping

_______________________________________________
assam mailing list
assam at assamnet.org
http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org



Umesh Sharma

Washington D.C. 

1-202-215-4328 [Cell]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)




www.gse.harvard.edu/iep  (where the above 2 are used )
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/



http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
       
---------------------------------
 Sent from Yahoo! - a smarter inbox.