Daily Fix

But, Why Am I Disappointed?

T. SHER SINGH

On Saturday, August 24, 2013, a prequel rally was held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., USA -- as one of the events leading up to the main celebration to take place in the same spot four days later (Wednesday, August 28) to mark the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s historic address, “I Have a Dream!“

A mass e-mail newsletter from SALDEF -- Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund -- informed us last week the welcome news that the August 24 event had included a Sikh presence in the form of a speaker who joined in the opening prayer before the crowd and ably conveyed Sikh solidarity with MLK’s inspiring message and the ongoing struggle for full and real equality for all citizens in America … and the rest of the world.

The Sikh speaker was no other than SALDEF’s Executive Director, Jasjit Singh.

He’s a smart young Sikh-American Sardar. Well-educated and very articulate, he’s an ideal shepherd for an organization such as SALDEF which does phenomenal work in representing Sikh interests in America. He is a good spokesman for the community, as has been obvious from his many appearances in the media in recent years.

He is a laudable choice as one of our many ‘public faces’ in the media, and he did well at the Lincoln Memorial podium on Saturday, August 24.

It is such a relief to see that the hard work by our advocacy organizations is beginning to bear fruit, as we become more and more visible in the various goings-on at multiple levels of society in America and across the diaspora. No small credit goes to SALDEF and other institutions that do similar work on our behalf … including The Sikh Coalition and United Sikhs.

Without meaning to take away anything from all that I have said hereinabove, I do have a bone to pick.

I should preamble my remarks by stating unequivocally that in dissecting and analyzing the event in a post-mortem, and any criticism which may surface, it is in no way to be construed as an attack on any organization or any individual. All I offer -- albeit unsolicited, but it is my role as a journalist and commentator -- is feedback.

Take it as you will, keep or discard part or all of it, but please don’t bristle at the scrutiny. You have many achievements to be proud of … and, as do all of us, also have the duty and obligation to keep on trying to do things better.

*   *   *   *   *

So, without further ado, here’s my gripe.

SALDEF had sent out a mass e-mail notice to all of its contacts, especially in the Washington, D.C. area and general vicinity, inviting participation in the August 24 rally.

“Join me,” read the missive, “and over a quarter million people from all faiths and backgrounds at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, this Saturday, August 24th at 8 am.”

It explained the immense significance of the event, and concluded with:

“I look forward to being with you at this historic occasion.”

Quite coincidentally, I happened to be in Baltimore when the e-mail hit the airwaves. That is, a hop-skip-and-jump from D.C.

Not surprisingly, half-a-dozen of my friends who knew I was in the area immediately forwarded me the e-mail.

Now, here’s the problem.

The event was scheduled for 8 am on Saturday, August 24.

The email was sent out en masse at 8:23 pm on Thursday, August 22.

That is, less than 36 hours before the event.

It was the first ever intimation from SALDEF.

Given, the late hour when the e-mail was sent out, and the early hour of the event itself, in reality, it effectively gave ONE DAY’S notice to the community -- to plan an out-of-town, full day‘s outing.

Now, let me explain.

No Sikhs live in the vicinity of the Lincoln Memorial. Nor do many Americans. [The only ones I know of who do are the Obamas.]

In reality, the target area for drawing Sikh support for such events in D.C. is a 100 mile radius sprawl that stretches into Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut … and potentially, even as far as New York and New Jersey.

Which means that by far the majority of those who can possibly turn up for such an event have to travel for at least one hour … or more. Add to it, the time needed to park, and then either walk or take the metro.

A quarter of million expected at the rally? So, add another hour or two or more to the travel time, and to the time needed to get to the Lincoln Memorial.

And if you want to be somewhere close to the front or somewhere significant? Well, you know what I’m getting at.

So, you gave a day’s notice to the Sikh community?

Understandably, each of my friends who forwarded me the e-mail said they badly wanted to go … with their families and friends … but couldn’t. Because of the short notice.

They were angry and wondered what had gone wrong.

Some offered theories.

One thought that the delay was calculated because the organizers behind the e-mail actually didn’t want anyone to turn up.

Another suggested that word of the Sikh involvement was kept under a lid until the last moment because of the rivalry between SALDEF and the other Sikh advocacy groups. The idea was to keep them away … or something like that.

A third opined that all SALDEF wanted was a photo-op so that they could highlight the image of their rep speaking from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, during the annual SALDEF gala coming up in October.

There were other suggestions, each more angry and cynical than the other.

I don’t believe any of these accusations have any substance. Certainly, I am privy to no information to substantiate any of them, and therefore give them no truck.

But the fact is, none of my friends made it to the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, August 24. Neither could I.

As far as I can see, few -- if any -- did, other than Jasjit Singh, the speaker.

Here’s most telling: in SALDEF’s own PR photos, splashed all over their website and Facebook, you can see not a single Sikh anywhere.

Which means, the 36 hour notice was, as expected, a dismal flop.

I’m curious.

Do the people at SALDEF think that that’s how a quarter-million people would turn up at the event … that everyone else, all the other organizers, sent out their respective notices a mere 36 hours before? Do they believe this is how such rallies are organized? 

I await answers. There may be a good one, but good or bad, the community needs to know what went wrong.

Who dropped the ball?

And what’s going to be done about it?

That notice should’ve been sent out a month before.

Before someone comes up with this excuse, it doesn’t matter that Jasjit’s involvement may not have been finalized until the last moment. Even if it was true … and I don’t know … so what?

Why does the community involvement have to be predicated by a SALDEF rep’s personal involvement?    
  
This is an event where a thousand of us should’ve been there to show our solidarity with those who we knew would gather there for the 50th anniversary. There cannot be something closer to our heart than what MLK said on that historic day half-a-century ago.

We should’ve had busloads of Sikhs arrive there at 4:00 that morning. SALDEF should’ve organized them or ensured that it would happen. It’s their job. They acknowledged their mandate by sending the Aug 22 email, albeit disastrously late.

It was also an opportunity to serve the crowds there, all of those who had gathered for the event.

But, our role that day was not to grasp at a photo-op but to be good American citizens, and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other Americans in joining MLK’s dream.

No matter what, no matter what the excuse, we handled it badly.

Despite the baby-step forward, I’m deeply disappointed.

All that was missing was a sense of professionalism, an understanding of what the job entails. After all, we are talking about paid professionals, not mere volunteers.

Pity. 

September 3, 2013

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