Donald Norcross: “Today, I rise in solidarity with the south Jersey Sikh community. This month marks 38 years since anti-Sikh rioters in…”

“Today, I rise in solidarity with the south Jersey Sikh community. This month marks 38 years since anti-Sikh rioters in India massacred Sikhs over 3 days. The massacre was retaliation for the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. There were mass rapes and lynchings. Sikhs' homes and their businesses were destroyed, senselessly slaughtered for nothing more than their beliefs and their religion. Following the slaughter, some of the Sikhs chose to flee India. Today, many of them call south Jersey home. They built lives for themselves, contributing to the education, economic, religious, and cultural richness of our region. They also carry the knowledge of those dark days. They keep the names and the memories of those who were lost in those days very much alive. In memory of those Sikhs lost to this senseless violence between November 1 and 3 of 1984, and with respect to those who carry on their legacy in south Jersey today, I stand here in solidarity with my Sikh brothers and sisters. ____________________”