Chandigarh: Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday appealed to union external affairs minister S Jaishankar to take up the issue of freezing of work visas of all foreign truck drivers following a fatal crash involving a Punjabi trucker with the United States government as it would have a catastrophic effect on Punjabi families who were the backbone of the trucking business in the United States.
Concerns Over Punjabis in US Trucking Industry
The Bathinda MP, who also wrote to the external affairs minister on this issue, said there was an apprehension that a number of Punjabis who were in the trucking industry may be forced to leave the United States.
Punjabis Form 20% of US Trucking Sector
Punjabi and Sikh drivers make up 20% of the United States’ trucking industry with around 1.5 lakh Sikh drivers engaging in trucking in the US. Any mass level action against them would have a detrimental effect on trucking families and would be discriminatory in nature considering the fact that Punjabis have built and sustained trucking logistics and trucking networks over decades, she held.
One Driver’s Mistake Cannot Punish Entire Community
She also held it should be stressed that a mistake by one driver which had resulted in a fatal accident should not be used to punish the entire community. The MP also urged the minister to ensure counselor access was provided to Harjinder Singh, who had been arrested on three counts of vehicular homicide, so that his case could be pleaded appropriately.
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Appeal on New English Proficiency Rules
Reacting to the new executive order detailing new English language proficiency rulers for all truckers, she urged the minister to take up the issue of giving foreign drivers, including Punjabis, time to upgrade their English language skills to the required level.
