[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 38 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  THE 295TH BIRTHDAY OF THE SIKH NATION KHALISTAN WILL BE FREE BY 1999

                                 ______


                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 1994

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April 
13 as the birthday of the Sikh nation. It was on this day, 295 years 
ago in 1699 that Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the ten Sikh gurus, 
baptized the people of the Sikh faith, forming the consecrated body of 
the Khalsa Panth.
  The creation of the Khalsa Panth is a great moment in modern human 
history. Americans can be proud of our Sikh friends whose religion is 
founded on the principles of individual human rights and civil 
liberties regardless of race, creed, or sex. The equality of all 
humankind is an essential tenet of Sikhism, a principle which in our 
world is sadly ignored.
  The Sikhs call the anniversary of their creation as a nation, 
Vaisakhi day. I would encourage people the world over to heed the wise 
words of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, often quoted among Sikhs: ``Recognize ye 
all the human race as one.'' In particular, an emphasis on gender 
equality has a high place in the Sikh religion.
  Unfortunately for the Sikh nation, the government of India does not 
operate on this principle. For over 10 years, the Indian government has 
pursued a shameless policy of ethnic cleansing in the Sikh homeland 
which has left over 115,000 Sikhs dead. According to this year's State 
Department report on human rights in India, the Indian Government paid 
police officials over 41,000 cash bounties between 1991-93 for the 
killing of Sikh militants.
  The Indian Government has also disappeared many young Sikhs. This 
past December Amnesty International reported that ``Each year, scores 
of people disappear in Punjab * * *'' and that ``State complicity in 
such practices is evident from a clear pattern of official cover-up.'' 
The same report also noted the persecution of human rights activists 
who attempt to investigate such abuses: ``Increasingly, the police are 
reportedly targeting journalists and lawyers who have tried to expose 
human rights violations by the security forces in Punjab by making them 
suffer such violations themselves.''
  Under Indian Government rule, the Sikh nation has also been subject 
to draconian laws which allow Indian officials to reverse the 
presumption of innocence, allow trials to be conducted in secret, 
detain persons for up to 1 year without formal charge or trial, make 
arrests without warrant, search homes without warrant, and shoot-to-
kill with immunity from prosecution. Ten of thousands of Sikhs are 
presently in detention under such anti-democratic laws.
  Currently, the Justice in India Act, H.R. 1519, which I introduced, 
calls for all of India's development aid to be cut until it repeals 
such anti-democratic laws. In honor of the Sikh nation's birthday, and 
in honor of freedom, justice, and human rights, the Justice in Indian 
Act should be passed this year by the U.S. Congress.
  I give my best wishes to the 21 million Sikhs throughout the world as 
they celebrate the 295th birthday of the Khalsa Panth. Many Sikhs hope 
to celebrate its 300th birthday, April 13, 1999, in a free and 
sovereign Khalistan. if the Indian Government continues its flagrant 
abuses of the basic rights of Sikhs, the movement for a free Khalistan 
will continue to grow and gain recognition around the world. Amnesty 
International for the release of Sikh human rights advocate Kanwar 
Singh Ohami, his pregnant wife, and his 6-year-old son from police 
custody. I am also enclosing a statement from Dr. Gurmit Singh Awlakh, 
president of the Council of Khalistan on the same subject.

            [From the Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC.]

 Staged Surrender Backfires Before News Media--India Threatens to Kill 
     Khalistan's Activist's Family, Indian State Terrorism Exposed

       Washington, DC, Apr. 1, 1994.--Punjab Police Chief K.P.S. 
     Gill and his colleagues were thoroughly embarrassed 
     yesterday, when Kanwar Singh Dhami, a Khalistan activist, 
     refused to ``surrender'' to the police at a press conference 
     yesterday in Chandigarh, thus refuting the police version of 
     his ``surrender.''
       To Mr. Gill's chagrin, Mr. Dhami, head of the Akal 
     Federation, departed from his scripted ``surrender'', and 
     stated that he, his pregnant wife, and six year old son were 
     tortured while under unlawful detention for the past ten 
     months. Mr. Dhami condemned state ``repression on the Sikhs'' 
     and said that he ``would prefer to die than surrender.''
       Mr. Gill's face turned red as Mr. Dhami stated that the 
     police forced him and his wife to watch as the other was 
     tortured by police officials. He also said that the police 
     threatened to eliminate his family if he did not 
     ``surrender.''
       Mr. Dhami also said that on Sunday, Senior Superintendent 
     of Police, Ajit Singh Sandhu threatened him with death if he 
     did not touch the feet of Mr. Gill in the presence of the 
     news media. Senior Superintendent Sandhu also boasted to Mr. 
     Dhami that he had so far killed over 500 persons.
       At one point, Mr. Gill grabbed the arm of Mr. Dhami. 
     However, Mr. Dhami, continued with his condemnation of Gill, 
     saying ``I pity the DGP (Director General of Police).'' He 
     then began raising pro-Khalistan slogans, at which point he 
     was forcibly removed from the news media by police officials.
       ``India's state-sponsored terrorism has been completely 
     uncovered,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council 
     of Khalistan. ``India thinks it can kill whoever it wants, 
     whenever it wants, wherever and cover it up with its 
     propaganda machine. It thinks it can live in a vacuum, but it 
     does not. I ask all world governments to stop the Punjab 
     police from murdering this man, his pregnant wife, and six 
     year old son. Their lives are in grave danger.
       ``We are moving towards freedom and we will not be 
     deterred.'' said Dr. Aulakh. Not even the Indian killing 
     machine prevented the brave Kanwar Singh Dhami from speaking 
     his mind. If the press in India is truly free. Then I 
     challenge them to ask publicly--what has become of Kanwar S. 
     Dhami and his family and to demand that they be brought 
     before the public. Only then will the Dhami family not become 
     another forgotten casualty of Indian democracy.''

               [From Urgent Action Appeal, Nederland, CO]

       Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of Kanwar 
     Singh Dhami, Kuldip Kaur and their six year old son following 
     the refusal of Kanwar Singh Dhami to publicly surrender to 
     the police at a press conference organized by K.P.S. Gill, 
     Director General of Police on 29 March 1994 in Chandigarh, 
     Punjab.
       Kanwar Singh Dhami is a leader of the Akal Federation and a 
     well-known advocate of ``Khalistan'' (a separate Sikh 
     homeland). He was brought to the press conference to 
     publicise his official ``surrender'' to police. However, at 
     the start of the press conference he refused to do this. 
     Instead he stated that he had been held in illegal and 
     unacknowledged detention by the police for ten months with 
     his wife, Kuldip Kaur, who is five months pregnant and their 
     six-year-old son. Both Kanwar Singh Dhami and Kuldip Kaur are 
     reportedly members of the outlawed ``Panthic Committee'', a 
     Sikh Group.
       Kanwar Singh Dhami said that he was taken away by Punjab 
     police in Gujarat and his wife and son in Himachal Pradesh in 
     May 1993. He claimed that he, his wife and his son had been 
     tortured in front of each other by Punjab police during their 
     detention. He also said that he had been threatened that his 
     family would be killed unless he ``surrendered'' to the 
     police. Journalists noticed he was limping when brought to 
     the press conference.
       Kanwar Singh Dhami was taken from the press conference 
     voicing fears that he and his family would be ``eliminated''. 
     K.P.S. Gill reportedly made assurances that Kanwar Singh 
     Dhami would not be killed saying ``Once a man has surrendered 
     he is safe''.
       Background information: Amnesty International regularly 
     receives reports alleging that men and women in Punjab, 
     believed by the authorities to be members or sympathizers of 
     Sikh opposition groups, or their relatives, are held in 
     unacknowledged detention or have been killed in police 
     custody, often after torture. Their deaths or 
     ``disappearances'' are wrongfully attributed by officials to 
     an ``encounter'' between militants and the police, to an 
     ``escape'' during such an ``encounter'' or to other 
     improbable causes. Even though legal safeguards against 
     unacknowledged detention exist in India's criminal law and 
     procedural code, they are often not adhered to and prisoners 
     are held in unacknowledged detention for weeks and sometimes 
     months.
       Recommended action: Please send telegrams/faxes and airmail 
     letters:
       Seeking clarification of the whereabouts of Kanwar Singh 
     Dhami, Kuldip Kaur and their six-year-old son and urging that 
     they be immediately released if they are not charged with a 
     recognizably criminal offence;
       seeking assurances that they are humanely treated while in 
     police custody and given immediate access to lawyers and 
     relatives and are brought before a magistrate forthwith;
       calling for an impartial and independent inquiry into the 
     allegations that they were held in unacknowledged detention 
     for ten months and into allegations that they were tortured 
     in detention;
       Appeals to: Beant Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab, Office 
     of the Chief Minister, Chandigarh, Punjab, India; Telegrams: 
     Chief Minister of Punjab, Chandigarh, Punjab, India; Faxes: 
     011 91 172 540 647, Attn. Chief Minister.
       Mr. K.P.S. Gill, Director General of Police, Police 
     Headquarters, Chandigarh, Punjab, India; Telegrams: Director 
     General Police, Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
       Copies of your appeals to: Mr. S.B. Chavan, Minister of 
     Home Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, North Block, New 
     Delhi 110 001, India.
       Ambassador Siddhartha S. Ray, Embassy of India, 2107 
     Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington DC 20008.
       Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado 
     office between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, mountain time, weekdays 
     only, if sending appeals after May 18, 1994.

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