Tri-State Mourns Sikh Temple Shooting With Candle Light Vigil In Evansville
By: David Shepherd
Updated: August 10, 2012
EVANSVILLE - The Four Freedoms Monument along Evansville's riverfront Friday night drew a large crowd from Christian and Hindu; Sikh and Jew.
Sumir Bhateja, a member of the Tri-State Hindu Temple in Newburgh says, "I think this was a little more shocking that this happened at a place of religion," speaking of the deadly shooting at a Wisconsin Sikh temple last Sunday that killed 6 men and injured a number of others.
Attorney General Eric Holder called Sunday's mass shooting an act of terrorism and a hate crime.
But the message from members of the Hindu community here is that the Sikh faith is one of love and unity.
Hindu Temple president K.C. Jan says, "We actually are a pace loving and tolerant people. Some people misunderstand them as Taliban because of the beard and because of the turban. But that's not true."
Jan continued, "Though we have come from different countries, whether it's India or other countries, we are one American nation here. We are one people. We want to be one."
Evansville mayor Lloyd Winnecke and his wife were among those at Friday night's vigil.
The vigil went on without incident.
