SGPC to honour US state’s first Sikh attorney general

AMRITSAR

: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (

SGPC

) will honour Gurbir Singh Grewal for his nomination as first

Sikh attorney general

of the northeastern US state of New Jersey, hoping that it will help promote the distinct identity of Sikhs in the West and save them from being targets of hate crime.

SGPC president

Gobind Singh Longowal

stated here on Wednesday that the elevation of Grewal had made the global Sikh community proud and it would help the other US communities understand Sikhism. Despite being constant targets of hate crime in the US and other countries where there isn’t much propagation of Sikhism, sabat surat (with unshorn hair) Sikhs have made to the top positions over there. “We will honour Grewal during his visit to the Golden Temple,” Longowal said.

New Jersey governor-elect Phil Murphy will announce the appointment of Bergen County prosecutor Grewal as next attorney general of the state. For six years, Grewal was assistant attorney in the criminal division of the US attorney’s office for the district of New Jersey, prosecuting the major white color crimes, cases of securities fraud, cybercrimes, and Ponzi schemes.

Manwinder Singh of American civil rights non-profit organisation

United Sikhs

says that as prosecutor and chief law enforcement officer of New Jersey’s most populous county, Grewal will oversee a staff of more than 250 personnel and supervise 3,000-odd law-enforcement officials. He said: “Today we see an increase in hate crime in the West but we also see that people are recognising the proponents of civil rights work and are able to make a decision.”

National Sikh Campaign

founder Rajwant Singh said Grewal’s nomination was a moment of pride for Sikhs. He also recalled the participation of American Sikh riders in the Christmas parade at Bakersfield, California. His organisation promotes a better understanding of the Sikh community in America and other Western countries.