Milpitas(California)The North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has urged the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs, Dr S. Jaishankar, to intervene on humanitarian grounds in the case of Harjinder Singh, a Punjabi truck driver who recently met with a fatal accident in Florida, USA.
In a letter addressed to the External Affairs Minister, NAPA’s Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal stated that while Harjinder Singh should face due legal proceedings as per American law, his case must be treated on par with other drivers involved in such accidents, without subjecting the wider Punjabi trucking community to blanket punitive actions.
Chahal expressed deep concern over the US authorities’ decision to freeze work visas of foreign truck drivers following the accident, terming it a step that could have catastrophic effects on thousands of Punjabi families who form the backbone of the trucking industry in North America.
“NAPA strongly believes in justice and fairness. Collective punishment of immigrant drivers is unjust and discriminatory. We appeal to the Indian government to take up this matter urgently with the United States so that Harjinder Singh receives a fair trial, and Punjabi truck drivers are not unfairly targeted,” Chahal added. NAPA has assured the affected Punjabi families that it will continue to pursue this case until a just and humanitarian solution is achieved.