Reflections from a Subway Platform: Sunando Sen and The Fight To End Discrimination

By Nicole Edine

I can’t stop thinking about Sunando Sen. Two weeks before Mr. Sen was pushed into the elevated tracks at 40th-Lowery St, I stood on that platform, fresh from an evening with a good friend. I love the rhythm and rhyme of that part of Sunnyside. Perhaps Mr. Sen also walked past the Sunnyside mural and admired its beauty, went shopping at that interesting bodega on Queens Boulevard bursting with reasonably priced produce, or perhaps he, too, had a wonderful group of friends to look forward to seeing every time he walked down from the elevated platform.

Until December 27, 2012, 40^th-Lowery Street station held a positive place in the development of my spiritual journey, but after that day, I can only think of Sunando Sen. On that day, Mr. Sen experienced what every New Yorker fears: he was pushed into the train tracks. Two days later, the NYPD arrested Erika Melendez for this heinous crime. When questioned of her motive, the New York Times quotes Ms. Menendez as saying, “I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I’ve been beating them up”. Mr Sen, a Hindu, was unfairly pushed to death for “looking Muslim”.  The first time I read Ms. Menendez’ words my heart sank. How long must this go on?