Sikh Family In Texas Victims Of Police Brutality

UPDATE: If you are outraged by this incident, please CALL THE HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE (TEXAS) @ (713-755-6044) and let Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas know how you feel. These Officers need to be reprimanded and we as a community need to push the Sheriff’s Office to act.  You can also contact Houston Mayor Bill White at (832-393-1000) or mayor@cityofhouston.net.

The night before Thanksgiving you are robbed of your sense of security and $15,000 of your home belongings AND THEN you are robbed of your humanity by Sheriff’s Officers who promise to protect you.  All this happens in your own home …

The Tagore family in Texas were criminalized and terrorized because of their Sikh articles of faith after calling in to report a burglary in their home.

Ramandeep Singh Tagore says,

“That night we were actually robbed twice … Once by the actual burglars, who we don’t know who they were, and secondly by the Sheriff’s Department, who we knew who they were.”

Once the Sheriff’s Officers had arrived in their home they started focusing on Kawaljeet Kaur’s kirpan and told her: “You can’t wear that”, she felt like she was being treated “ … like a criminal in my own home … “.  Kawaljeet Kaur [Ramandeep Singh Tagore’s sister] told the Houston News that “I didn’t appreciate the way that I was treated that day …  I’m a human and I would have expected to be treated like a human.”  Kawaljeet verbalized her feelings and constitutional right to practice her faith to the Officers.  Their response was pushing her out of her house, having her sit in the middle of the street, and handcuffing her.

Ramandeep said to Harpreet Kaur of Sach Productions (watch the video below for more in-depth reporting)

“first we are calm and then the aggression … brutality type of thing … pushing and shoving is starting when the cops get here I mean their acting like thugs … if we are civilizingly dealing with them then why do you have to come push me and shove me when we’re trying to talk to you … is it because I look different or something.”

Manjit Kaur, Ramandeep’s mother, felt: “Dekhoo ik taan saade ghar robbery hoyi hai ..tusi lok saadi help karan aaye aan k saanu arrest karan aaye aan” (Look there has been a robbery in our house … have you people [Sheriff’s Officers] come to help us or arrest us?)

Soon after this conversation with the Sheriff’s officers, Ramandeep, his mother, sister, and cousin are handcuffed.

The officers put Ramandeep and his mother in separate patrol cars and driveaway, while his sister sits in the middle of the street handcuffed and his cousin is standing handcuffed in the middle of the driveway.

One of the things that upset Ramandeep the most is:

“ … I am a young guy, I can take it … I have bruises on my hand because of the handcuff and all that … I can take it … but for them to do that to my sister … to my mother who you know is in her 60s … I mean how far do you want to go … they are coming into our house and terrorizing now and using this kind of language …”

Ultimately, he asks: “What does religion have to do with the burglary that I have called in?”

It seems as though religion had everything to do with it.  He remembers one poignant moment when he saw the “face of racism” in its most hurtful and discriminatory form:

“ … I was sitting in the back of the patrol car and there is a cop standing outside of that and I could still hear them and they brought my sister in with handcuffs and they put her on the floor in the middle of the street … one of them asks her did you hear about the bombings in Bombay … wow this is how the mind-process of individuals who are doing this stuff works …”

Police brutality based on racial/religious profiling is unfortunately common police.  We know of horrible cases of police profiling Black men.  It also happens often with Punjabi and Latino males along with turbaned Sikh men.  A lot of these cases happen when they are pulled over when driving. But now we see it happening in Sikhs own homes where mothers and sisters are also being attacked for practicing Sikhi.

A new-blog has been created to document and take action against Police Brutality On Sikhs across the world.  Check it out and report incidents of these crimes.

The Sheriff’s Department needs to take action on this issue immediately.  An apology would just be the beginning. Honestly, how threatening can a 60-something year old Auntie be to Sheriff’s Officers that they need to handcuff her and put her in a SEPARATE patrol car.  It’s not her; it’s their perception of her family’s faith.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9143120838984511550
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has anything happened to the police officers that were involved in this?
Nice post. Thank you for the info. Keep it up.
Harnek,

I don't know if anything happened to the Officers yet.

I do know that there is a push among concerned Sikhs for all of us to "Call The Cops" in Harris County (Texas) tomorrow morning (Monday). You will find below the message that was sent out.

Call Harris County Sheriff's Office @ 713-221-6000 [or 713-755-6044] and let them know how you feel.

about their department handcuffing your innocent 60 year old Mothers, harassing your sisters and your brothers. Police officers like these should be fired immediately and sent back to college for an education on world religions and cultures to say the least. If we as a people stay quite this has happened and its bound to happen again and again.

Especially you Texas folks should be calling as residents of the county and state, even better go there and let them know!

Call Harris County Police Sheriff's Office @ 713-221-6000 and let them know how you feel!

Pass this message on to your friends and family.

Tim ... :) ... we hope you continue to visit us!
Nothing has been done to reprimand these officers of their duty. I live in the Houston area and know the Tagore family very well.

As sad as it is to say - we as Sikhs need to come together and call the proper authorities in the Houston area so that justice is served. You can visit http://policebrutalityonsikhs.blogspot.com to get information as to what authorities need to be contacted.

I did get a call back from the Harris County Sheriff-elect, Adrian Garcia about an hour ago. He actually called me directly from his cell phone to apologize and insisted that his new administration will not tolerate behavior like this. Let's see what happens - make sure you take some time out and call!
has anything happened to the police officers that were involved in this?
1 reply · active 478 weeks ago
Nice post. Thank you for the info. Keep it up.
Harnek,

I don't know if anything happened to the Officers yet.

I do know that there is a push among concerned Sikhs for all of us to "Call The Cops" in Harris County (Texas) tomorrow morning (Monday). You will find below the message that was sent out.

Call Harris County Sheriff's Office @ 713-221-6000 [or 713-755-6044] and let them know how you feel.

about their department handcuffing your innocent 60 year old Mothers, harassing your sisters and your brothers. Police officers like these should be fired immediately and sent back to college for an education on world religions and cultures to say the least. If we as a people stay quite this has happened and its bound to happen again and again.

Especially you Texas folks should be calling as residents of the county and state, even better go there and let them know!

Call Harris County Police Sheriff's Office @ 713-221-6000 and let them know how you feel!

Pass this message on to your friends and family.

Tim ... :) ... we hope you continue to visit us!
Nothing has been done to reprimand these officers of their duty. I live in the Houston area and know the Tagore family very well.

As sad as it is to say - we as Sikhs need to come together and call the proper authorities in the Houston area so that justice is served. You can visit http://policebrutalityonsikhs.blogspot.com to get information as to what authorities need to be contacted.

I did get a call back from the Harris County Sheriff-elect, Adrian Garcia about an hour ago. He actually called me directly from his cell phone to apologize and insisted that his new administration will not tolerate behavior like this. Let's see what happens - make sure you take some time out and call!
I tried calling and it seemed to go full circle. I called the number listed, but finally the person willing to respond was the Police Spokesman listed in the article - Lt. Legg - 713-755-3647. They assured me that the police would look into the matter. I attempted to call the mayor's office and they said that it did not fall within their jurisdiction. However, from the merry-go-round of transferred calls they put me threw, few people in the various departments are even aware of the incident, which seems to indicate that the Sikh response has been fairly tepid.
[Was there really a point to your comment bdb? Deleted......Admin Singh]
I tried calling and it seemed to go full circle. I called the number listed, but finally the person willing to respond was the Police Spokesman listed in the article - Lt. Legg - 713-755-3647. They assured me that the police would look into the matter. I attempted to call the mayor's office and they said that it did not fall within their jurisdiction. However, from the merry-go-round of transferred calls they put me threw, few people in the various departments are even aware of the incident, which seems to indicate that the Sikh response has been fairly tepid.
[Was there really a point to your comment bdb? Deleted......Admin Singh]
Very distressing. My thoughts are with the Tagore family. Hopefully there will be a meaningful investigation of what occurred with real consequences for any wrongdoing. The more media attention that is given to the issue, the more pressure there will be on the police to conduct a thorough and fair inquiry into this matter, and the more likely it is that the Tagore's grievances will be truly addressed.

Incidentally, I visited the police brutality blog, and noticed something interesting -- specifically, Sach Productions' use of the phrase "a leading Sikh media organization." In addition, SALDEF usually leads its press releases with "the oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States[.]" Is such boasting really necessary?
Very distressing. My thoughts are with the Tagore family. Hopefully there will be a meaningful investigation of what occurred with real consequences for any wrongdoing. The more media attention that is given to the issue, the more pressure there will be on the police to conduct a thorough and fair inquiry into this matter, and the more likely it is that the Tagore's grievances will be truly addressed.

Incidentally, I visited the police brutality blog, and noticed something interesting -- specifically, Sach Productions' use of the phrase "a leading Sikh media organization." In addition, SALDEF usually leads its press releases with "the oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States[.]" Is such boasting really necessary?
please educate US policemen and other law enforces ,by pictures and clips, about the difference between arabs/muslims and sikhs
please educate US policemen and other law enforces ,by pictures and clips, about the difference between arabs/muslims and sikhs
2 replies · active 743 weeks ago
please educate US policemen and other law enforces ,by pictures and clips, about the difference between arabs/muslims and sikhs
2 replies · active 796 weeks ago
All peoples of the world are equal
The Guru Granth Sahib promotes the message of equality of all beings and at the same time state that Sikh believers "obtain the supreme status" (SSGS, Page 446). Discrimination of all types is strictly forbidden based on the Sikh tenet Fatherhood of God which states that no one should be reckoned low or high, stating that instead believers should –“reckon the entire mankind as One” (Akal Ustat, 15.85).

Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes the concept of equality by highlighting the fact that we are made of the same flesh, blood and bone and we have the same light of God with us – Soul . Our building bricks are the same:----

SGGS Page 272 Full Shabad
The God-conscious being is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all.
The God-conscious being looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and the poor beggar
All peoples of the world are equal
The Guru Granth Sahib promotes the message of equality of all beings and at the same time state that Sikh believers "obtain the supreme status" (SSGS, Page 446). Discrimination of all types is strictly forbidden based on the Sikh tenet Fatherhood of God which states that no one should be reckoned low or high, stating that instead believers should –“reckon the entire mankind as One” (Akal Ustat, 15.85).

Sri Guru Granth Sahib promotes the concept of equality by highlighting the fact that we are made of the same flesh, blood and bone and we have the same light of God with us – Soul . Our building bricks are the same:----

SGGS Page 272 Full Shabad
The God-conscious being is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all.
The God-conscious being looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the king and the poor beggar
At the onset, I was also pained learning what Ramandeep and his family had to face but since I am a Punjabi myself (mona) and naturalized American citizen and now living in Germany, I decided to look in to the matter differently and finally had my own version and the answers to Ramandeep's ill treatment.
Now pay attention to my following points:

a) When Sheriff entered Ramandeep's premises, he found a masked man ( with Ramandeeps 80% face hidden behind his huge Paggadi, turban, and facial hair) greetings him so he asked Raman to furnish his ID. Raman was incensed with this demand as he was mentally still living in India and that too in Punjab where being a Sikh is a way of life. In the eyes of the Sheriff who was on the crime scene it was a hostile scene to start with as he was in Texas and in his country people who looked or wore attire like Ramandeep, were terrorists ( Osama and a Sikh can be easily confused - only, Osama looks sedated and less aggressive). Ramandeep tauntingly asked him if he wanted to stay out or considering coming inside where his ID papers were? This was the beginning of the relationship which got further aggravated when Raman's sister appeared.

b) Kawaljeet Kaur might have been a perfect normal sardarni if she was in Punjab, India but in Texas she was looking like a Muslim suicide bomber armed with a dagger ! Kawaljeet was rebuked immediately by the cop who told her that she couldn't be wearing a dagger to which she retorted that it was her religion she was practicing and she needed that for justice?? Hello???? What Justice? She needed Police help for catching the cop and not brandishing the knife, even when it was holstered, to demand justice? She got in to argument over the issue and refused to relinquish her knife. It became an issue for the cop and when you are in the US the last thing you do is to take on a cop on duty ! Now entered Ramandeep's father and mother wearing their cute Kirpans and to this the office called for a back up by releasing code 20 (officer needs back up call ) and his aides arrived. The whole affair snowballed to landing of Tagores behind bars.

This is a perfect case of Indians who do not let go their idiosyncrasies that are offensive to foreign people and who insist on living their own way of life in the west. Tagores knew very well that Kirpan in the west means a weapon and brandishing in the presence of a cop could be misrepresenting the motives.

I think Ramandeep should fold tents on this issue and make sure he doesn't run in to similar problem ever again and it is the country of that Sheriff for which he has shed blood (Sheriff was a decorated war hero) and Raman still thinks he is dealing with a Jalianwalla baug issue and is busy gathering sympathies.
11 replies · active 743 weeks ago
At the onset, I was also pained learning what Ramandeep and his family had to face but since I am a Punjabi myself (mona) and naturalized American citizen and now living in Germany, I decided to look in to the matter differently and finally had my own version and the answers to Ramandeep's ill treatment.
Now pay attention to my following points:

a) When Sheriff entered Ramandeep's premises, he found a masked man ( with Ramandeeps 80% face hidden behind his huge Paggadi, turban, and facial hair) greetings him so he asked Raman to furnish his ID. Raman was incensed with this demand as he was mentally still living in India and that too in Punjab where being a Sikh is a way of life. In the eyes of the Sheriff who was on the crime scene it was a hostile scene to start with as he was in Texas and in his country people who looked or wore attire like Ramandeep, were terrorists ( Osama and a Sikh can be easily confused - only, Osama looks sedated and less aggressive). Ramandeep tauntingly asked him if he wanted to stay out or considering coming inside where his ID papers were? This was the beginning of the relationship which got further aggravated when Raman's sister appeared.

b) Kawaljeet Kaur might have been a perfect normal sardarni if she was in Punjab, India but in Texas she was looking like a Muslim suicide bomber armed with a dagger ! Kawaljeet was rebuked immediately by the cop who told her that she couldn't be wearing a dagger to which she retorted that it was her religion she was practicing and she needed that for justice?? Hello???? What Justice? She needed Police help for catching the cop and not brandishing the knife, even when it was holstered, to demand justice? She got in to argument over the issue and refused to relinquish her knife. It became an issue for the cop and when you are in the US the last thing you do is to take on a cop on duty ! Now entered Ramandeep's father and mother wearing their cute Kirpans and to this the office called for a back up by releasing code 20 (officer needs back up call ) and his aides arrived. The whole affair snowballed to landing of Tagores behind bars.

This is a perfect case of Indians who do not let go their idiosyncrasies that are offensive to foreign people and who insist on living their own way of life in the west. Tagores knew very well that Kirpan in the west means a weapon and brandishing in the presence of a cop could be misrepresenting the motives.

I think Ramandeep should fold tents on this issue and make sure he doesn't run in to similar problem ever again and it is the country of that Sheriff for which he has shed blood (Sheriff was a decorated war hero) and Raman still thinks he is dealing with a Jalianwalla baug issue and is busy gathering sympathies.
5 replies · active 795 weeks ago
scream chand/mata ha's avatar

scream chand/mata ha · 796 weeks ago

Realisticlly its brahmins and muslims that look alike, in fact brahmins look more muslim than the average middle eastern muslim, although brahmins lack heart.

Muslims have more heart than brahmins and brahmins have never been able to defeat muslims. Since brahmins are very girly, male brahmins time and time again try to make themselves worthy of getting raped in order to avoid sacrificing their life.

As the police start harassing brahmins in the U.S, the brahmins will just get use to being pushed around. It’ll be interesting when it’s a black cop giving them hell. The brahmins will be thinking ‘I’m closer to brahma than you are black man’, and the cop will just shove the brahmins face into cold hard concrete, the brahmin will automatically start acting girly. That’s when the cop will realize he doesn’t have a terrorist muslim in custody but an unholy, fake girly, acting brahmin.

Once the brahmin gets to jail, he will change his name to mata hari. The brahmin will promise that he can be impregnated with a son by the biggest baddest gangster (one in a series of lies that he cant deliver), for this the Brahmin will bet stabbed to death and someone will need a refund on a carton of cigarettes.
1 reply · active 743 weeks ago
scream chand/mata hari's avatar

scream chand/mata hari · 796 weeks ago

Realisticlly its brahmins and muslims that look alike, in fact brahmins look more muslim than the average middle eastern muslim, although brahmins lack heart.

Muslims have more heart than brahmins and brahmins have never been able to defeat muslims. Since brahmins are very girly, male brahmins time and time again try to make themselves worthy of getting raped in order to avoid sacrificing their life.

As the police start harassing brahmins in the U.S, the brahmins will just get use to being pushed around. It’ll be interesting when it’s a black cop giving them hell. The brahmins will be thinking ‘I’m closer to brahma than you are black man’, and the cop will just shove the brahmins face into cold hard concrete, the brahmin will automatically start acting girly. That’s when the cop will realize he doesn’t have a terrorist muslim in custody but an unholy, fake girly, acting brahmin.

Once the brahmin gets to jail, he will change his name to mata hari. The brahmin will promise that he can be impregnated with a son by the biggest baddest gangster (one in a series of lies that he cant deliver), for this the Brahmin will bet stabbed to death and someone will need a refund on a carton of cigarettes.
2 replies · active less than 1 minute ago
I think John Voxx's post speaks volumes about how some practicing Sikhs deal with police, and even their fellow Americans. Voxx's post is a reflection of a certain type of immigrant mentality where etiquette, communication and courtesy take a back seat to a sense of self-entitlement.

Here's a hypo: My gori neighbor knocks on my door on Sunday morning. Having woken up 20 mins prior, and polished off a prantha with lassi - I make the decision not to greet her in my kurta pyjama, smelling like alloo wale pranthey, with my joora and dhaari going in all different directions. Needless to say, it will scare the hell out of her and she'll probably never come back. However, some practicing Sikh may see differently and actually open the door in the above described state - (not thinking about the consequences of his behavior). This type of mentality is what Voxx's post alluded to. How the hell does this break barriers of ignorance and bigotry and foster understanding of our Sikh faith to people we interact with on a daily basis? Instead it breeds bad PR, and furthers ignorance.
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
I think John Voxx's post speaks volumes about how some practicing Sikhs deal with police, and even their fellow Americans. Voxx's post is a reflection of a certain type of immigrant mentality where etiquette, communication and courtesy take a back seat to a sense of self-entitlement.

Here's a hypo: My gori neighbor knocks on my door on Sunday morning. Having woken up 20 mins prior, and polished off a prantha with lassi - I make the decision not to greet her in my kurta pyjama, smelling like alloo wale pranthey, with my joora and dhaari going in all different directions. Needless to say, it will scare the hell out of her and she'll probably never come back. However, some practicing Sikh may see differently and actually open the door in the above described state - (not thinking about the consequences of his behavior). This type of mentality is what Voxx's post alluded to. How the hell does this break barriers of ignorance and bigotry and foster understanding of our Sikh faith to people we interact with on a daily basis? Instead it breeds bad PR, and furthers ignorance.
2 replies · active 796 weeks ago

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