CHICAGO: Indian Americans across the country have been upset with reports that a Sikh temple in Kisumu was vandalized by anti-social elements there.
It is leant that a monument in lakeside Kisumu, depicting a praying person and approved by the county, commissioned by Sikh community to commemorate over 100 years of Sikh presence in Kisumu, was removed following mob vandalizing.
Indian Americans across USA have urged Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Samoei Ruto to show strong political will to demonstrate their support for minorities who have worked for the betterment of the country for hundreds of years.
Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement reminded Kenyatta of his “core value” to “treat everyone fairly”. Zed pointed out to Ruto that if he wanted to “Transform Kenya into an economic power house”, Kenya needed to protect its minorities in order to attract foreign investments.
He said that ill-treatment meted out to Sikhs on the monument issue in Kisumu should not be acceptable to Kenya’s political, societal and religious leaders as Kenya’s constitution and other laws/policies protected religious freedom. Kenya should see religious diversity as a national strength and reaffirm its history of religious freedom and tolerance.
Balwinder Singh, a community leader in Chicagoland, has joined Rajan and others in the country asking Kenyatta to visit the Kisumu Sikh temple to show solidarity with the Sikhs and organize a public rally in Kisumu condemning the incidents relating to the mob destruction of the monument, which was a piece of art aimed at beautifying Kisumu.
Madhu Patel, founding president of NRI Press Club, said in a telephonic talk that this should be an issue with all religious denominations that profess tolerance and Sarva Dharma Samman philosophy may be Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jains and others to come forward and express solidarity with the nation’s Sikhs who had been living in Kenya for long time and made huge contributions to its success, prosperity and growth.
Sudhir Vyas, a former editor of Divya Bhaskar USA said that Indians led by their leader Jawaharlal Nehru had supported Kenya’s freedom movement unequivocally and the founding father of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, all the time preached religious tolerance and equal treatment to all minorities in the country. A continued commitment to advance religious freedom-diversity-tolerance and peaceful coexistence-cooperation needed to be promoted in Kenya.
This would go a long way in reflecting its ethnic diversity as the country is described as “the cradle of humanity” showing earliest evidence of human ancestors giving a vibrant culture.
With its abundant wildlife and scenic beauty, if Kenya wanted to continue attracting tourists and increase their numbers, it had to project a picture of peaceful and harmonious coexistence to the world.
Port city Kisumu is third largest in Kenya, with H.W. Samuel O. Okello as the Mayor.
Surendra Ullal
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