3 min readLudhianaApr 14, 2017 03:50 AM IST
First published on: Apr 14, 2017 at 03:50 AM IST
A plaque at the spot where first hate crime took place after 9/11 attacks in US. A turbaned Sikh, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was killed in Mesa, Arizona, on September 15, 2001.
A campaign blitz – We Are Sikhs — costing $1.3 million (Rs 8.4 crore approximately) to introduce the Sikh community to Americans will go on air from Friday in the United States, on the day of Baisakhi. The work on We Are Sikhs began in 2014 when a top US research firm, Hart Research Associates (HRA), was hired by National Sikh Campaign (NSC) a US-based Sikh NGO, to conduct a ground-level research on American perception about Sikhs. Over 5 lakh Sikhs are settled in the US.
Following an in-depth research, the media team of former US President Barack Obama, AKPD, was hired to make the ads and in the final stages, the campaign is being promoted by top marketing firm FP1, which boasts of clients like Facebook and former US President George W Bush. Even HRA did strategic work for Hillary Clinton, World Bank and Harvard University.
Speaking to The Indian Express on phone, Dr Rajwant Singh, co-founder and senior adviser of NSC, said results of the HRA research were saddening. “The results showed that only 3 per cent Americans had interaction with a Sikh in their lives and just 8 per cent were slightly aware of a community called Sikhs. What disappointed us the most was that none of the Americans knew about Guru Nanak Dev,” he said.
“Since the 9/11 attacks, there were more than 300 hate crimes reported in the US and then we thought it is time to launch a massive ad campaign. We held the first meeting with AKPD in 2014 which has created the ads. It is the media team of former US President Barack Obama,” he maintained. “Ben Yarrow, the speechwriter of Bill Clinton, has supervised the content for the campaign website,” he said. “Baisakhi holds utmost importance for Sikhs, for Punjab, and thus, we decided to launch We Are Sikhs on April 14,” added Rajwant.
The campaign is aimed at introducing Americans to Sikhism and its values. “We are beginning with three ads. In a Sikh family ad, we have shown a daughter sitting on the lap of her father. This is to shun the perception that turbaned men do not treat their women well. The second one is a neighbours ad which shows diverse Sikh faces doing their daily chores. It shows diverse Sikh faces and turbans. The third ad targets American youth and tells that there is nothing wrong with a person wearing turban. The campaign says it is okay for a person to have beard and turban. There is nothing to fear. It is to tell that Sikhs respect all communities. We felt that the only antidote to intolerance is education,” said Rajwant.
NSC held fundraising events for the campaign in 13 American cities. “By hiring top firms for the job, we have tried to reach every American community: conservatives, Republicans, evangelical Christians and others. Not just to reach out but create a warm feeling in their hearts for Sikhs,” said Rajwant.
A plaque at the spot where first hate crime took place after 9/11 attacks in US. A turbaned Sikh, Balbir Singh Sodhi, was killed in Mesa, Arizona, on September 15, 2001.
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