CHANDIGARH: The cancellation of US president Barack Obama's visit to Amritsar came as a disappointment to the Sikh community, especially in the wake of speculations that he had been advised against wearing a headgear, which could give an impression of his being a Muslim. The community, which was hoping that his visit may help dispel that very confusion about Sikhs being mistaken for Muslims, and thus being made victims of racial profiling, had expressed its disappointment through various forums. On Sunday, a Punjab MP did manage to convey the sentiments directly to the US president.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Badal, who was one of the very few Opposition leaders to have been invited for Obama's dinner hosted by PM Manmohan Singh, told the visiting dignitary that people in her state were eagerly awaiting his visit. "I do hope that you take out some time for Punjab, and particularly Amritsar, during your next visit to India," she said.
According to Harsimrat, the US president was gracious enough to acknowledge the sentiment and replying that his present visit was a "rushed affair" and that he would try to come for a longer visit next time, during which he would like to visit Punjab. "The pleasure would be all mine," is what he is believed to have told Harsimrat.
Talking to TOI after the dinner, Harsimrat said both Obama and Michelle came across as very warm and humane couple. He made it a point to be properly introduced to each guest and had warm words to say to anyone, who wanted to strike a conversation.
The Akali MP, who, during the dinner, happened to be sharing the table with US ambassador to India, Timothy J Roemer, along with Montek Singh Ahluwalia, also managed to convey Sikhs' sentiments on the "humiliation and embarrassment at being asked to remove turbans at US airports for security checks".
She told him that apart from male Sikhs, even the females were asked to go through elaborate security checks due to their long, unshorn hair which they normally roll into a bun. "The females are being asked to open the hairbun and to explain all those hairpins in it. It is so embarrassing for Sikh families when they are made to do all this and with all the strangers looking around," Harsimrat told Roemer, even as Montek also reportedly supported her contention.
"You have so many advanced gadgets, including the newly incorporated body scans, then why are the Sikhs being subjected to this humiliation," she told the ambassador, who, according to her assured that he would look into this issue.
"I am now looking forward to the US president's speech at the Parliament on Monday," the MP said.