In memoriam A Unsolicited assault provokes anger

Sikh immigrant’s headwear (turban) was allegedly knocked off in an incident that took place in Blackburn station in Melbourne recently. Daljit Singh was changing from a bus to a train in Blackburn station when he was subjected to verbal and physical abuse by a young man of Caucasian appearance.

The incident took place in the tunnel that connects the two platforms on Blackburn station. A young man was seen with two girls, who were laughing and giggling when they saw Daljit. The girls then went ahead; however the boy allegedly hit Daljit hard and knocked his turban down. He then continued to verbally abuse Daljit and headed towards a bus that was waiting for passengers.

Daljit chased the boy and eventually caught him, and complained to the bus driver and Connex staff that were on duty. By this time a few passersby coming from the nearby Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) in Blackburn stopped to observe what was happening, and a crowd collected at the scene.

Bhupinder Singh Virdhi

26 March 1971 - 22 October 2009

The Virdi family mourn the loss of their beloved Bhupinder who passed away on 22 Oct. He was 38 years old.

Bhupinder leaves behind grief stricken parents Sardar Baldev Singh Virdhi and Nirmaljit Kaur, wife Arpit Virdhi, and children 11-yearold Jasleen and 4-year-old Tina. Also in mourning are Bhupinder’s brothers Harjit Singh (along with his wife Amrit and children Haran and Sahib) and Harinderpal Singh Virdhi.

The kind and gentle Bhupinder will remain fondly remembered forever.

Connex staff said that they were concerned that the situation may turn nasty so they kept the young man under supervision till the police arrived. Manpreet Singh who witnessed the whole incident said the police took more than 30 minutes to arrive from the Nunawading station. He claimed that the female police officer tried to threaten him with arrest, but apologized when she found out that he was a witness.

Daljit claims that the incident cannot be taken lightly, because this is the third time something like this has happened to him in a span of the two months that he has been in Australia. The other two incidents were of verbal abuse so he ignored them, however this physical assault should not go unchecked.

Daljit claims the young man who appeared to be 18-20 years old was definitely under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and his girlfriend also joined in to defend him when he was confronted by Daljit.

The perpetrator’s girlfriend kept insisting that it was an ‘accident’ rather than an offence. And it was just a matter of ‘putting his hat back on’; however Daljit says knocking off the turban is a deeply offensive act because of the religious importance of the hair and turban among Sikhs. He said that he was even more embarrassed that the incident took place in front of his wife and child.

Daljit who hails from a village near Chandigarh, says he does not feel safe in Australian public transport anymore because all these incidents took place in and around public transport. He said that at the first opportunity he will buy a vehicle so he can avoid the ‘unsafe’ environment.

Daljit did not sustain any injuries as a result of this incident other than a headache from being hit on the head with force. The victim Daljit Singh and his witness Manpreet Singh (they are not related and had never met before this incident) were asked to give a statement in Nunawading station on another date. The Nunawading Police informed Daljit last week that charges have been laid against the perpetrator.

The mild-mannered Daljit was in a state of shock when this reporter met him. He refused to be photographed for the newspaper.

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