[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E81]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   SIKH LEADER S.S. MANN ARRESTED FOR MAKING SPEECH; CALLED FOR FREE 
               KHALISTAN; SIKHS SHOW SUPPORT FOR FREEDOM

                                 ______


                        HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 11, 1995
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, the brutal oppression of the Sikh nation by 
the Indian regime continues. Simranjit Singh Mann, a very prominent 
Sikh leader, was arrested on January 5 under India's draconian 
Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act, known as TADA, after he made a 
speech in which he called for a free and independent Khalistan by 
peaceful means. The speech was given December 26 at an annual Sikh 
observance commemorating the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's two sons. 
After telling the crowd that Khalistan is the only issue facing the 
Sikh nation, Mr. Mann asked the crowd of 40,000 to 50,000 to raise 
their hands if they supported a free Khalistan. The attendees all 
raised their hands if they supported a free Khalistan. The attendees 
all raised their hands in a clear demonstration of the Sikh nation's 
support for a free Khalistan.
  When India held state elections in Punjab, Khalistan, in February 
1992, only 4.3 percent of Sikhs there voted, according to the newspaper 
India Abroad. Nearly 96 percent stayed away, despite the military's 
effort to drag voters to polling places at gunpoint. This is a clear 
reflection of the Sikh nation's desire for freedom.
  Now Mr. Mann, a former Member of Parliament, again faces charges 
under TADA as well as sedition charges. Will the almost 50,000 Sikhs 
who raised their hands also be declared terrorists by the brutal Indian 
regime?
  India calls itself the world's largest democracy. Do these actions 
sound like the acts of a democracy? In fact, they sound more like the 
workings of North Korea, Cuba, or any other dictatorship you can name. 
If making a speech is terrorism, the word is drained of any meaning I 
recognize.
  The oppression of the Sikhs must end. The Sikh nation wants its 
freedom. It is time for India to withdraw its occupying troops from 
Khalistan and allow Khalistan to achieve its full independence by 
peaceful means. Until India is willing to allow the Sikh nation to vote 
on independence, it cannot call itself democratic. Until India 
recognizes the fundamental liberties of all people living under its 
rule, it should receive no aid or trade from the overburdened taxpayers 
of the United States or any civilized nation.
  Only freedom for Khalistan will ensure peace and freedom in the 
region. It is time for India to withdraw from Khalistan and all the 
other nations it is oppressing. It is the duty of the United States to 
support the cause of freedom. We should impose sanctions on India and 
cut off its aid until India is willing to live by the principles of 
freedom which define democratic nations. We must take strong measures 
to support human rights and self-determination for everyone.


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