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Wisconsin: Thousands honor Sikh temple massacre victims

By Daniel Ginsberg

Oak Creek, WI – Thousands gathered at Oak Creek High School here, August 10, for the memorial of the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin massacre victims.

White supremacist Michael Page opened fire on the temple August 5, killing five men and one woman and injuring two more.

The memorial had the caskets of the Sikh victims, which included Ranjit Singh and Sita Singh, two brothers in their 40s; 84-year old Suvig Singh, a former farmer from India; Praskash Singh, a priest; and Paramjit Kaur, a 41-year old mother who worked over 60 hours a week to provide for her family.

Nikki Rehal is a young member of the Sikh temple and spoke to Fight Back!.

She said her parents immigrated from India to the U.S. in 1972.

Rehal spoke about the discrimination her family faced after 9/11 and said all she and her family wanted was a safe community

“We believe in equality and are against discrimination,” she said. “People must get to know other people before they make a decision about who people really are.”

“This tragedy still has not hit me. I'm staying busy attending memorials and helping clean the temple,” she said.

Rehal then spoke of the two brave Sikh children, a brother and sister, who were outside playing when they saw Page open fire. They rushed inside the temple and were able to warn people, saving many lives.

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