(Image source from: Indian-American Sikhs raise $400)

Indian-American Sikhs in the US state of California have raised a fund of USD 400,000 for a nationwide campaign to spread awareness about their religion among Americans.The proposed campaign is in the backdrop of rising hate crimes against the Sikh community.

This is the first time, when the community has raised such amount to generate awareness about their faith in the US states of America. Last year, USD 90,000 was raised at the NSC's Los Angeles Gala.

The previous year, the National Sikh Campaign (NSC) had taken the services of AKPD and Hart Research Associates. It is headed by Hillary Clinton's former chief strategic advisor, Geoff Garin, to develop the framework and messaging of these advertisements.

The national charter member of the NSC and host of the event, Kaval Kaur, said that, "this is a historic moment in the history of the Sikh community in America. Never before have we had the opportunity to tell our story to our fellow Americans around the country and that time has come now."

The Co-founder of the National Sikh Campaign, Rajwant Singh, said that,  “we, Sikhs, need to change the narrative and present the correct image of who we are, showcasing how we are totally integrated in the American society and not only as victims." He was presented the overview of the event and encouraged the audiences for donations.

Prominent Sikh entrepreneurs, Medical doctors, leading Silicon Valley IT professionals, officials of all Gurdwaras in the area and  the owners of trucking companies were among the attendees of the event.

In the recent past, there were a number of hate crime cases against Sikhs reported in the US states of America.

Nandini