It is also clear to me that their knowledge of the Sikhs and their history is very poor and that Sikhs in the USA need to make a concerted effort to correct the misinformation or lack of information about Sikhs and Sikhism to prevent the kind of large scale injustice that was perpetrated on the Japanese after Pearl Harbour. Here is the story that makes me come to this conclusion:

I entered the US at Woodstock from New Brunswick on Sept. 13th at about 11am. I underwent a fairly thorough search and interrogation about my identity, movements, what I was carrying, etc.. Although I appeared to have been singled out for this attention out of a relatively small group of people entering the US at the time, I did not consider the process extraordinary or distressing. The worst was soon to come, however.

Not too long after I left the border on I-95, I was stopped by a flashing vehicle, which was soon followed by at least three other flashing vehicles, a uniformed officer emerged from the first with an automatic weapon cocked and in shooting stance. In quick succession he barked orders for me to drop my car keys on the ground, the car door slowly, come out with back to him with my hands on my head, walk backward towards him, go down on my knees, then all fours, lie face down, put my hands behind my back, cross my legs and then lie absolutely till and say nothing.

Walking very deliberately towards me he cuffed my hands and said loudly to someone that he was double-locking the cuffs. While one person (a Vermont Sheriff) stood guard, the first officer and others searched my car and did other things I could not see. After what seemed like a painful eternity, the officer helped me stand up by holding my cuffed hands and left me standing with the Vermont Sheriff.

Initially afraid, I was able to calm myself through a brief meditation and spent the time with the Sheriff giving a lesson in history of Sikhs, Afghan Muslims, battles they have fought for several hundred years and of the long history of Christian-Islamic conflicts being played out even today. After another long pause, a lady special agent appeared on the scene and proffered her hand.

With a bemused expression, I turned my back and offered her my cuffed hand, which produced embarrassed laughter but no move to un-cuff me. She conducted a detailed interrogation while standing, eventually felt satisfied and had me un-cuffed. She made a perfunctory apology referring to the situation caused by the terrorists. At no time did she or the other officers gave me an explanation as to why I singled out for this unwelcome attention.

We discussed my further travel plans to essentially drive for two days to reach my destination in Illinois and the risks it presented to me as lone Sikh driving
cross country in these circumstances. I asked for some document that I could show in case of being stopped again. She gave me her name and her phone number to give to anyone who might stop me.

My advanced age, a relatively distinguished look and a body not exactly that of an athlete suitable for terrorist activity of concern did not prevent their suspicions being aroused, it seemed, by my turban and a foreign look.

As I shook hands and drove away, I realised the risks I faced in driving over 1500 miles cross-country with emotions being fanned to fever pitch that made people like me targets.

After I reached Bangor, where I was to head westward, I decided it would be more prudent to continue on I-95 to reach New Jersey by night and stay with my relatives there. My trial had not ended yet, however.

Soon after I reached New Hampshire, I was stopped one more time by troopers, interrogated and searched. I was told later that they had been waiting specifically for me because Vermont police had called them to say that they had seen me in suspicious activity at a rest stop. I had used the toilet, made a call to my family, eaten my dinner and filled the gas tank! Obviously, I was being kept under surveillance.

Nightfall and my decision not to make any more rest stops until I reached home prevented any further ordeal.

Dr. Manmohan Singh is a Springfield, Illinois, based physician.