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Nothing hunky-dory at the Indian
consulates in US
Satnam Singh Khalsa
 San
Francisco:
A large number of the members of the Sikh community have been facing
massive problems at the Indian consulates in San Francisco
and New
York
where they are berated for backing and participating in protests on
the issue of denial of justice to victims of 1984 genocide, and
often made to pay bribes for legitimate errands.
A number of
Sikhs have brought it to the notice of World Sikh News media group
that Sikh men and women approaching these consulates are chided for
protesting against Indian establishment, and they are asked to
pressurize their gurdwara managements not to stage any protests.
They, complain
the people, are told that such protests bring bad name to India,
forgetting that it is actually the lack and denial of justice that
shows India in poor light.
It has often
come to light that those paying $4,000-$5,000 can get their
passports etc overnight while others are made to suffer. Very often,
people who have lost their near and dear ones back in India fail to
make that most important visit to even mourn their loved.
But all this
happens even as certain self-styled pro-establishment individuals,
aptly named among the Diaspora as the photo-mafia, sing praises for
the consulate staff but never take up the issue of the suffering
fellow community members.
It is high time
that such elements in the consulate are warned and asked to desist
from running riot of the law and norms and a full stop is put to the
sheer exploitation of the hapless immigrants or other Diaspora
members.
29
July 2009
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