Click to play videoLuton (London): A bus full of NRI Sikhs had a miraculous escape on a motorway in Britain on Tuesday when the bus in which they were travelling caught fire and exploded.
Balwinder Kaur and her family were all aboard a bus which caught fire on a motorway, while returning from a seaside trip with over 60 members of their Gurudwara in Luton.
Fortunately, an off-duty policeman came to their rescue. But while they may have escaped a burning bus, they couldn't escape the burning issue of racism.
Balwinder Kaur said, “Only because of the policeman’s help we could escape unhurt.”
While no one was physically injured in this accident, what followed later hurt them more.
Passers by from the other side of the road passed racist comments on the stranded Sikhs by calling them Pakistanis and to return to the burning coach.
Member, Guru Nanak Gurudwara, Luton Jaswinder Singh Nagra said, “ It upsets me. My grandchildren have the right to be here and I don’t want anybody telling them to go back into the burning coach.”
Although no formal racism complaint has been lodged by the families or the Gurudwara Management, they say they want the police to probe the matter. The driver of the bus will also be questioned.
There is a huge sense of relief in the community, the gurudwara is organizing an akhand path( non-stop reading of the Guru Granth Sahib) this weekend and will honour the policeman, Colin Swan, who came as their saviour.
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