US
Sikhs irked over turban burning
The
Sikh community in New Jersey has demanded a full
fledged inquiry into an incident in which a high
school student allegedly set afire the ''patka''
or small turban worn by a fellow Sikh student,
in an unprovoked attack.
The student suffered minor
burns but it has raised outrage in the Sikh community
which has also asked the school to do more to
combat discrimination.
The culprit, identified as
an 18-year-old Hightstown senior Garrett Green,
was arrested hours later and charged with arson
and criminal mischief. He has also been suspended
from the school.
Police is investigating the
incident which occurred on May 5 in Hightstown
High School in Mercer County in New Jersey during
a fire drill.
The Sikh student, who is
a teenager and would not like to be identified,
was chatting with a fellow student when Green,
whom he did not know, came up from behind and
set ''patka'' on fire using a lighter.
A teacher helped him to put
out the fire. The ''patka,'' shown by his relatives,
had at least two big burn holes.
''No mother should have to
worry that her child could be hurt at school because
of the way he looks,'' said Sukhjot Kaur, the
teenager's mother.
The Sikh Coalition, a community
organisation, urged the school to take immediate
steps to address the concerns of the community.
