Democratic front-runner for the Presidential nomination Senator John Kerry's apology to the Sikh community in the United States has received mixed response.

The World Sikh Council – America Region, in a statement welcoming the apology, lauded the Democratic front-runner's 'thoughtfulness and statesmanship'.

Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Taskforce (SMART) said however it was waiting on a proposed meeting with the Senator before taking a formal position on the issue.

In a campaign speech January 31, Kerry while talking of terrorism said 'Most countries have faced terrorism through their histories, look at Ireland, the IRA; the Basque in Spain; the Sikhs in India.'

Outraged that it was the only community singled out by religion, the Sikh community in the US fronted by the WSC, SMART and other organizations, protested and demanded an apology.

Kerry responded February 6 when, in a written statement, he said, 'It has been brought to my attention that remarks I made on Saturday, January 31 have been misunderstood to imply that adherents of the Sikh faith condone terrorism. Nothing could be further from the truth, and I regret that the imprecision of my statement led to this misunderstanding.'

Kerry said he was referring not to Sikhs en masse, but to 'specific terrorist groups which have invoked Sikhism and committed past acts of terror in India.'

'I realize,' Kerry, who with a string of victories in recent primaries is increasingly being tipped to snag the Democratic Party's nomination for November's Presidential election, said, 'that like me, the vast majority of Sikhs in the US and worldwide abhor terrorism. I also know that stereotypes, discrimination and abuse haunt Sikh Americans living and working in this nation. Sikh Americans have made enormous and invaluable contributions to our nation, for which I am exceedingly grateful.'

'I will continue my work for and with the Sikh community and other religious groups as President of the United States,' Kerry declared.

The WSC in a reaction issued late last week said "We the Sikh Americans have been watching your well-deserved success in the primaries with admiration. We are greatly impressed by your dynamism and stimulating policy projections, both foreign and domestic."

Stating that the WSC was shocked by Kerry's Jan 31 comment, its chairman Kuldeep Singh in a signed statement said, "While it has caused us profound pain and agony, we appreciate your prompt and positive response of February 6, 2004, which reflects your thoughtfulness and statesmanship."

SMART however did not respond officially. "We are glad Senator Kerry acknowledged the concerns of the Sikh community and issued a statement," SMART president Manjit Singh told rediff.com.

"We have requested a meeting with the Senator's senior policy advisors, to discuss the issue and other concerns. We are told that a meeting is forthcoming. As and when that meeting takes place, we hope to receive a satisfactory response – and at that time, we will issue a public statement."