Hindu American PAC Statement on George Floyd and US Policing

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

-        Martin Luther King Jr.

 The Hindu American Political Action Committee (HAPAC) stands in solidarity with the African-American community in condemning the horrible death of George Floyd and calling out the use of excessive force and violence against people of color by the police forces across the nation.

While we welcome the necessary first step of holding Officer Derek Chauvin and other officers responsible for their actions, there is much more required to rid our society of the systemic injustices perpetrated against a group of people solely based on the color of their skin. 

The Hindu American Political Action Committee is committed to opposing all forms of hate.  As Hindus, we sincerely understand the pain, anguish, and destruction caused by any form of persecution, whether it is on the basis of the color of one’s skin or the beliefs that one espouses. 

We therefore call for the US Department of Justice to conduct a fair and impartial investigation without political interference into Mr. George Floyd’s death and to further do what is necessary and proper to heal the wound that has been torn open by the circumstances related to Mr. Floyd’s painful death. We also call upon the US Congress to pass substantive police reform legislation that will begin to address these systematic issues.

We also call upon local authorities throughout our country to allow peaceful demonstrations, while making sure to protect local businesses of all sizes from those who seek to use the cover of said demonstrations to perpetrate violence and theft.