WSN denounces attempts to influence Ravi Bhalla’s campaign for mayor of Hoboken and calls upon residents to vote for him and defeat hate mongering which is has recurred twice in New Jersey in the last few days and which is gradually becoming a hallmark in the US.

The “terrorist” flyer circulated yesterday on windshields of parked cars in Hoboken in an attempt to influence Ravi Bhalla’s mayoral campaign should stir the residents of the city to vote for this humble, hard-working Sikh candidate giving thumbs up to him and thumbs down to those who thought that hate would win.

World Sikh News endorses Ravinder Singh Bhalla saying, “he is not going to be cowed down by this and that he would continue his campaign notwithstanding such attempts to influence his public service.” Still, Sikh Americans have a long way to go to educate Americans specifically and the world at large about the distinctiveness of the Sikh religion and its followers.
ur

It is satisfying to note that one of the rival candidates DeFusco, whose name appears on the flyer, has disowned any knowledge and called it garbage.

“I am not going to be cowed down by this and that I would continue my campaign notwithstanding such attempts to influence my public service.”

Ravi Bhalla, mayoral candidate, Hoboken

Ravi Bhalla himself has been categoric, saying in a statement, “I want to use this incident as an opportunity to affirm to each other and our children the value of living in a diverse community where we are judged by the content of our character – not by the color of our skin or how we worship.”  

Sen. Cory Booker too has called it “vile” and “hateful” and said, “We all must condemn bigotry & hate!” on his Twitter account.  In a statement, city council president Jen Giattino said of Hoboken incident, “This reprehensible act is completely unacceptable.  There is no room for this kind of hateful and cowardly act in our election. We may differ in many of our views in this election, but I know that we all agree that this type of tactic has no place in our society.”

The flyer posted by Ravi Bhalla on his Facebook, reads, “Don’t let Terrorism take over your town! Americans and Hoboken residents need to declare loud and clear, “Don’t let hate take over the United States of America.” America and Hoboken owe it to make it easier for Ravi Bhalla to wipe off the tears of his wife and enable him to answer his 10-year daughter seeking to know “why are they attacking you merely because you are wearing the turban?”

““Don’t let hate take over the United States of America.” Hoboken, make it easier for Ravi Bhalla to wipe off the tears of his wife and enable him to answer his 10-year daughter seeking to know “why are they attacking you merely because you are wearing the turban?””

The flyer reminds of a similar campaign by Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 maligning Sikhs and seeking votes based on a threat perception about them. India failed in 1984 and voted for Rajiv Gandhi, Hoboken should not.

Undoubtedly, the US has a long way to go to bring about parity of blacks and whites, parity between new migrants and the ones earlier to them and a parity between differently looking people like the Sikhs who made US their adopted home more than a century back and those Americans who fit in and do not look different. However, as activist Valerie Kaur has said in her supremely fantastic speech, love and love alone will win the day.

 If you like our stories, do follow WSN on Facebook.

Ravi Singh Bhalla was the first Sikh to be an elected councilman twice in New Jersey and WSN hopes that this gentleman, turban wearing Sikh, endorsed by the outgoing mayor Dawn Zimmer, becomes the first elected mayor of Hoboken when residents poll on Tuesday.