[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 112 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
               TRAGEDY IN THE STATE OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 12, 1994

  Mr. ANDREWS of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on 
a terrible tragedy that is taking place in the Indian State of Jammu 
and Kashmir. This situation deserves the immediate attention of the 
international community. The Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir is being 
victimized by armed terrorists trained in Pakistan. This action is part 
of a proxy war being waged by Pakistan, which has had devastating 
effects on civilians, visitors, visiting diplomats, and Indian 
dignitaries.
  One of the largest groups affected by the proxy war perpetrated by 
terrorists are the Kashmiri Pandits. These people are the original 
inhabitants of the valley of Kashmir. Since 1989, fundamentalists, 
under the influence of religious zealots in Pakistan and other 
terrorist nations, have pursued a murderous campaign against the 
Pandits in order to establish an Islamic state. Murder, arson, and rape 
have been used to terrorize this community, leading to a mass exodus. 
Leaving everything they owned, the Pandits have been living in subhuman 
conditions as refugees in their own country for over 4 years. These 
conditions have led to untimely deaths, physical and mental diseases, 
and a declining birth rate. Unless this problem is addressed soon, the 
Pandits' unique culture will become extinct.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States should play a larger role in helping 
to bring peace to this region. We have always supported and defended 
democratic ideals. India, as the largest democracy in the world, 
deserves our support. Either through U.N. efforts or through 
congressional action, we should negotiate peace between India and 
Pakistan. In the meantime, we should condemn, as we have in past, the 
state-sponsored terrorism taking place in the valley of Kashmir.

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