Sikh truck drivers in California say they are plagued after the arrest of Harjinder Singh in the deadly Florida crash

Thousands of Sikh truck drivers and operators who form the backbone of US trade have been threatened over the past few days due to a stiffer investigation into the deadly accident in Florida. On August 12, 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, a truck born in India, made a U-turn on the Florida turnaround that allegedly caused an accident that killed three people. The accident has deprived online members of the Sikh community to the Vitriol, often desiring a high paying truck tasks that allow Sikh men to wear beards, uncut hair and turbans. “Many drivers are scared at the moment,” Los Angeles Times reports, referring to Sumit Singh. Singh added that the entire community should not be penalized just because of one person. Punjabi trucks are targeted for impromptu English skills tests at highway checkpoints and weighing stations. The incident also caused a political debate on illegal immigration and the qualifications and testing of foreign truck drivers. Sikhs and Punjabis play an important role in the US truck industry. The numbers of the SIKH population in the US vary to 750,000, with the largest concentration in California. The North American Punjabi Truckers Association (NAPTA) estimates that the Sikh labor force accounts for about 40% of truck management on the West Coast and about 20% nationwide. The association has about 2500 members. After the fatal Florida accident, the NAPTA received several reports that Sikh drivers had been plagued and abused. Advocacy groups say there has been an increase in threats and safety issues since the incident in Florida, Los Angeles Times reports. “Many managers do not want to go across the road,” says Baldev Khang, the director of finance and operations at Fontana-based Cargo Solutions Express. He also mentioned it the most difficult period in decades for the business. In Florida, Harjinder Singh is facing manslaughter and charges of vehicle murder, and is related. Florida authorities claim to enter Mexico illegally in 2018. However, California said the federal authorities said it was legally in the country with a work permit when the state issued a driver’s license for him. Napta CEO Raman Dhillon said the community started English classes for truck drivers at Sikh worship places in Stockton, reports Los Angeles Times. The California commercial driver’s license test system is flawed, and the standards for maintaining the maintenance at management schools have resulted in the easily issuing losers to issue holders of work perties, Dhillon added.