On September 27, 2019,
Deputy Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal was killed in the line of duty in service of his
community.
Washington, December 5
The US Senate
has unanimously passed a legislation to name a post office in Houston after
slain Sikh police officer Sandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was gunned down in the
line of duty during a routine traffic stop a year ago.
The US House of
Representatives had passed the bipartisan legislation in September to rename
the post office at 315 Addicks Howell Road in Houston as ‘Deputy Sandeep Singh
Dhaliwal Post Office Building’. The bill is now headed to the White House for
it to sign into law by outgoing President Donald Trump.
The post office
named after Dhaliwal in Houston is only the second American post office named
after an Indian-American. The first one was named after the first
Indian-American Congressman Dalip Singh Saund in Southern California in 2006.
The Senate also
passed the bills to rename another US Postal Office located in Castroville,
Texas as the ‘Lance Corporal Rhonald Dain Rairdan Post Office’.
“The US Postal
Office on Addicks Howell Road in Houston will now serve as a lasting tribute to
Deputy Dhaliwal's trailblazing legacy for Sikh Americans and religious
minorities in law enforcement, while the Post Office in Castroville will serve
as a memorial to Lance Corporal Rairdan and his fellow soldiers who fell in the
line of duty,” Senator Red Cruz said.
“While we
tragically lost both outstanding Americans far too soon, their memory will live
on as we honour their many contributions to their country and community. I look
forward to seeing President Trump swiftly sign these measures into law,"
Cruz said.
Both Lance
Corporal Rairdan and Deputy Dhaliwal exemplify the notion of putting their
neighbours before themselves, said Senator John Cornyn.
“It's important
for us to recognise these heroes who have done so much for our community, and
honouring them with a local post office is a great way to highlight their
public service for future generations to come," he said.
Born in India,
Dhaliwal moved to the US along with his parents to Houston where he grew deep
roots.
In 2015,
Dhaliwal of the Harris County Sheriff's office, became the first Sikh American
in Texas to receive a policy accommodation to serve while wearing his articles
of faith, including his turban and beard.
He was the first
Sikh police officer to serve in the Harris County Sheriff's Office and was a
role model and trailblazer for Sikh Americans and religious minorities that
sought to serve in law enforcement.
On September 27,
2019, Deputy Dhaliwal was killed in the line of duty in service of his
community.
“Our family
remains grateful for the outpouring of love and support in this effort to
commemorate my son,” said Pyara Singh Dhaliwal, Deputy Dhaliwal's father.
“This gesture
will memorialise his legacy of service to his beloved Houston, while also
reminding us all to uphold his example and celebrate the diversity that makes
our and so many other communities strong,” he said.
“We are very
glad to see the Senate pass this important resolution and send it to the
president's desk” said Sim J Singh, Sikh Coalition Senior Manager of Policy and
Advocacy.
“Signing this
resolution into law and commemorating Deputy Dhaliwal in his city is an
important way to affirm both his legacy and the fact that conscious efforts
towards diversity and inclusion serve our communities well,” he added. PTI
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