[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
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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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