Culture
HOUSTON: Houston Post Office Named After Sikh Cop Who Was Shot Dead
HOUSTON: A post office in west Houston has been renamed after Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, in a fitting tribute to the trailblazing Indian-American Sikh police officer who died after being shot multiple times from behind while on duty in the US state of Texas in 2019.
Dhaliwal, the beloved 42-year-old Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy and a father of three, was gunned down during a traffic stop on September 27. Dhaliwal made national headlines in 2015 when he became the first police officer in Texas to serve while keeping his Sikh articles of faith, including a turban and beard.
“Our fallen brother Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was honoured by renaming a postal office in west Harris County in his memory. We are grateful to the Texas delegation, Harris County Commissioners Court, United States Postal Office, & the Sikh community for honoring him,” Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) said in a tweet on Wednesday.
Houston’s Sikh community and local elected officials and members of law enforcement gathered on Tuesday at a ceremony at 315 Addicks-Howell Road to dedicate the “Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office.”
“I am honoured to play a role in commemorating Deputy Dhaliwal’s remarkable life of selfless service,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, who brought the renaming legislation to the US House of Representatives.
“He represented the very best of our community: he worked for equality, connection, and community through his life of service to others. I was glad to work with a bipartisan delegation, our community partners, and those in the Sikh community, to pass legislation to rename this building the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office,” Fletcher said.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the “remarkable commemoration” serves as a permanent reminder of Dhaliwal’s “lasting contributions to our community”.
“This will serve as a permanent reminder of Deputy Dhaliwal’s service, sacrifice, and example to us all. We are thankful to Congresswoman Fletcher and the entire Texas delegation for honouring a committed public servant who touched countless lives and served as a trailblazer. He was a true hero who inspired everyone to love their neighbours,” Gonzalez said.
According to the sheriff, Dhaliwal joined the agency as a detention officer in 2009 after feeling compelled to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the Sikh community.
He later became a patrol deputy, leading the way for other Sikhs to serve with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
“I’m thankful that visitors to the newly renamed post office will see his name and be encouraged to learn how special he was,” said Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who originally hired Dhaliwal in his capacity as the previous sheriff of Harris County.
“Deputy Dhaliwal made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us, and he will never be forgotten. I am thankful to Representative Fletcher and the United States Postal Service for this important recognition.
Sandeep lived his life with the purpose to spread dignity and respect to all he came in contact with, and I am hopeful that the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office will inspire all who visit to follow in Sandeep’s example,” Garcia said.
Father of the slain police officer Pyara Singh Dhaliwal expressed gratitude to the people of Houston for their support.
“Since my son was taken from our family in a senseless act of violence, we have received an outpouring of support and love from the greater Houston community. We are so grateful and so honoured that Sandeep is being memorialised in this way-forever becoming a part of the city that he served faithfully both in and out of uniform,” he said.
US Postal Service District Director Julie Wilbert, however, said getting a post office renamed was not a common occasion and is reserved for a select group of individuals.
“To put it in its proper perspective, the postal service has over 31,000 retail and post offices. There are less than 900 that have been dedicated in honour of an individual,” Wilbert said.
Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) Southwest Regional Director Bobby Singh said: “Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal did not set out to be a trailblazer, he simply approached life with a caring heart, a generous spirit, and a warmth that brought people together.”
“Along with the many friends here today, our community has been forever changed by his death but this building will forever serve as a recognition of his life. He lived the true American-and Houstonian-life,” he added.
In the wake of Dhaliwal’s death, Fletcher led the entire Houston delegation in introducing a resolution to honour the life and mourn the loss of the police officer and spoke on the House floor about his remarkable life and tragic death.
In 2020, the Congresswoman’s bill, H.R. 5317, the Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal Post Office Act, was passed and signed into law by then US President Donald Trump.
This isn’t the first dedication for Deputy Dhaliwal. A year after his death, a portion of Beltway 8 near Highway 249 was renamed in his honour.
Since 2015, Dhaliwal was the “history-making” police officer in Texas to serve while keeping his Sikh articles of faith. He was allowed to wear the turban and beard while patrolling the streets in order to bolster cultural diversity.
With this policy, one of the largest sheriff’s offices in the country had affirmed that a person does not have to choose between their faith and a career of service. Since 9/11, misperceptions about Sikhs’ religiously-mandated turbans and beards have led an uptick to incidents of discrimination against the community.
Policy changes like that at the Harris County Sheriff Office and other law enforcement agencies across the country aimed to combat this stigma while also giving qualified men and women a chance to serve the community.
Dhaliwal worked with United Sikhs, a global humanitarian relief and advocacy nonprofit, to help organise the donation of truckloads of supplies for first responders post-Harvey Hurricane that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017.
NEW YORK: Celebrations sparkled up the Times Square in New York City yesterday as the Indian community and several US citizens gathered to observe the Hindu festival of lights.
The event featured performances from various cultural groups. Among the notable attendees were Mayor Eric Adams, New York State Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar, Senator Chuck Schumer and Consul General of India in New York, Binaya Pradhan. Ms Rajkumar has been a key advocate for recognizing Diwali as a school holiday in the USA throughout.
Mayor Adams took to social media platform X (formerly, Twitter) to address the event.
“Proud to be with our Hindu brothers and sisters today for the annual Diwali at Times Square celebration as we push away the darkness and welcome in light all across our city,” he wrote.
What better place to celebrate the festival of lights than in the Crossroads of the World?
Proud to be with our Hindu brothers and sisters today for the annual Diwali at Times Square celebration as we push away the darkness and welcome in light all across our city. pic.twitter.com/VauEgY14IO
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) October 20, 2024
The official Twitter account of the Consulate General of India, New York also shared pictures of the glamourous celebrations on social media.
Diwali @ TimesSquare : Indian American Community & American Friends join together at Times Square to celebrate Diwali.@narendramodi @PMOIndia @MEAIndia @IndianEmbassyUS @IndianDiplomacy @diaspora_india @binaysrikant76 pic.twitter.com/kylTXrtbni
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) October 20, 2024
Neeta Bhasin, founder of Diwali at Times Square, also played an instrumental role during the celebration. The festivities culminated in a ceremonial lighting of diyas (lamps), symbolizing hope and renewal.
Diwali has been celebrated in the heart of New York City since 2013. As attendees gathered to witness this moment, they were reminded of the festival’s core values and its ability to unite diverse communities.
CG @binaysrikant76 joined friends from Indian-American Community & American friends to celebrate Diwali; Spl thanks to Senate Majority Leader Senator @SenSchumer , Mayor Eric Adams @NYCMayor , Assemblywoman @JeniferRajkumar for joining & to main organiser of the event Ms. Neeta… pic.twitter.com/Ul7gsLoiYb
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) October 20, 2024
Diwali has also been officially recognized as a school holiday in New York City last year. About 4.4 million Indian origin people reside in the US with persons of Indian origin constituting the third largest Asian ethnic group in the US, according to ANI. New York, San Francisco and Chicago metropolitan areas are places in the USA which have the highest population of the Indian community in the country.
Another event to commemorate Diwali was organised by the Indian Consulate in Pennsylvania.
Deputy Consul General @varunjeph joined the Diwali celebrations by Khalsa Asian American Association in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania along with members of the Indian diaspora and Asian American community.
Thank you @UpperDarbyPA Mayor Ed Brown and PA State Senator Tim Kearny… pic.twitter.com/6LzwVJ3FR1
— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) October 20, 2024
Deputy Consul General Varun Jeph joined the Diwali celebrations by the Khalsa Asian American Association along with members of the Indian and Asian American community.
While the festive spirit, through such events and recognitions, continues to exhibit an attempt at endeavours towards fostering a spirit of unity and equality, the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI)’s recent report showed another side of South Asian experiences. As reported by Reuters, the AAPI study shows that South Asian people in the US have been facing alarmingly high levels of hate ahead of the 2024 elections, which transcends not just to the common people but also to heavyweights such as Kamala Harris, and Usha Vance. Such celebrations of South Asian festivities thus do their bit in bringing together the diverse communities in a dazzling show of vibrant unity across the globe.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a video message to ‘the attendees, emphasizing the festival’s role in promoting unity and goodwill. He stated that Diwali serves as a reminder of the victory of good over evil and the importance of knowledge over ignorance. He has also highlighted the importance of the Indian community in the US and referred to them as a ‘living bridge’ connecting the two places. Diwali falls on November 1st this year.
NEW YORK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed tens of thousands of Indian-Americans in a grand community event at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island. The chants of “Modi, Modi” filled the stadium as the prime minister walked on stage to address people of Indian origin.
The Prime Minister started his speech with the chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai!”. He began by saying that even the ‘Namaste’ has gone from being local to global, and credited the Indians settled overseas for it.
A series of cultural performances entertained the people gathered at the stadium, who were enthused as they waited for the Prime Minister’s arrival.
During his speech, Prime Minister fondly recalled his previous community events in the United States – 2014 at the Madison Square Garden, 2016 in San Jose, California, 2018 in Houston, Texas, 2023 in Washington and now in Long Island.
He credited the Indians settled in the United States. He said that they have been the bridge between the two nations and have helped strengthen the India-US relationship. He said “you all have come seven seas apart, but nothing can ever take the love of India away from your hearts and souls.”
He said that people from different parts of India may have settled overseas – here in the US too and have become US citizens, but “the sentiment that brings us all together is, ‘Bharat Mata ki…(Jai! chanted the spectators)’.”
“This sentiment is what keeps us united, and this is our biggest strength, no matter where we go in the world,” he said, adding that “It is this sentiment that helps us be peaceful, law abiding global citizens – what makes India proud of its children – and makes the world realise that India is the world’s ‘Vishwa-Bandhu’.”
Calling the Indians settled in the United States ‘Rashtradoot’ (Ambassadors), the prime minister thanked the Indian community in the United States for the respect India has earned in that country, adding that “It is our Indian values and culture that makes us One.”
WASHINGTON: Dhruvi Patel, a Computer Information System student from the USA, has been declared the winner of Miss India Worldwide 2024, the longest running Indian pageant outside of India.
Dhruvi aspires to be a Bollywood actor and UNICEF Ambassador.
“Winning Miss India Worldwide is such an incredible honour. It’s more than a crown – it represents my heritage, my values, and the opportunity to inspire others on a global scale,” Dhruvi said after her crowning in Edison, New Jersey.
Lisa Abdoelhak from Suriname was declared the first runner-up, while Malvika Sharma from the Netherlands was adjudged the second runner-up in the same race.
In the Mrs category, SuAnn Mouttet from Trinidad and Tobago was the winner, with Sneha Nambiar the first and Pawandip Kaur from the United Kingdom the second-runner up.
In the Teen category, Sierra Suret from Guadeloupe was crowned Miss Teen India Worldwide.
Shreya Singh from the Netherlands and Shradha Tedjoe from Suriname were declared the first and second runners-up.
The beauty pageant is organised by New York-based India Festival Committee and is headed by Indian-Americans Neelam and Dharmatma Saran.
The crown is celebrating its 31st anniversary this year.
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