[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 14 (Thursday, February 1, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E129-E130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MILLIONS SUFFER UNDER INDIAN REPRESSION

                                 ______


                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 1996

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, last week the nation of India 
celebrated its Republic Day, the 46th anniversary of the adoption of 
its constitution in 1950. On this occasion, it seems fitting to step 
back and assess India's progress in the areas of human rights and 
conflict resolution with its neighbors.
  It is unfortunate to report that India's progress in many areas has 
not been very good. In terms of making peace with its neighbor, 
Pakistan, India's record has frankly been abysmal. In fact, on the very 
day that India was celebrating Republic Day, two rockets were fired 
into a small town in the Kashmiri region of Pakistan. One struck a 
mosque just after noon prayers, killing 20 civilians and injuring many 
more. It is widely assumed that the rockets were fired by the Indian 
Army. The next day, India took the very belligerent step of test-firing 
its Prithvi II missile. This new missile is nuclear-capable and able to 
reach any major city in Pakistan.
  India's refusal to negotiate seriously with its neighbor Pakistan, 
and with the Kashmiri people, over the status of Kashmir has been a 
major disappointment to the world community. Much more disappointing 
has been India's inhuman record of government-sanctioned murder and 
torture in Kashmir. For years, India's security forces have run amuck 
in Kashmir, committing gang-rapes, extrajudicial killings, burning down 
entire villages, spraying gunfire into crowds of civilians and 
committing unspeakable acts of torture on the Kashmiri people. India 
has conducted a carefully orchestrated campaign of rape, torture, and 
murder in order to keep the people of Kashmir from demonstrating for 
independence.
  I was particularly struck by one story reported by Professor William 
Baker in a recent book:
  He interviewed a young woman who had been abducted by Indian soldiers 
who had just searched her village. They dragged her off to their 
compound, where they kept her naked in a pit. They raped her in a pit 
for 10 days. They extinguished their cigarettes all over her body. When 
they were through with her, they took her to the bank of a river, 
stabbed her in the head with a bayonet, and left her for dead. Today 
she is so traumatized, she has lost most of her memory.
  For the people of Kashmir, such treatment is all too common. In 
neighboring Punjab, where the Sikh people have also been fighting for 
their right to self-determination, the human rights situation has been 
just as dismal. In June of 1984, 11 years ago, as the movement for a 
free Khalistan was gaining steam, the Indian Army launched an assault 
on the holiest Sikh shrine--the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Thirty-eight 
other temples were also attacked, and over 20,000 Sikh civilians were 
murdered. Since that time, life in Punjab has been a nightmare of 
repression. Thousands of Sikhs are imprisoned without charges and 
tortured. Young men are abducted by security forces and disappear 
forever. Entire families are brutalized.
  Mr. Speaker, recently, the Indian Government has been making the 
claim that the human rights situation in Punjab has improved 
dramatically. Unfortunately, there is no truth to the claim. It has 
been estimated that as many as 70,000 Sikhs languish in Indian prisons 
without charges. Asia Watch has reported that ``virtually everyone 
detained in Punjab is tortured.''
  Last month, I sent around a Dear Colleague letter detailing a 
particularly horrible encounter that happened late last year. A human 
rights activist was detained by Indian police along with his driver. 
The driver's legs were tied to two separate jeeps that drove off in 
opposite directions, tearing the man into pieces. The human right 
activist had disappeared.
  In another case that has received widespread attention, well-known 
human rights figure Jaswant Singh Khalra was abducted by police last 
September. Mr. Khalra earned the wrath of the Indian Government by 
publicizing charges that the army had murdered over 25,000 Sikhs and 
cremated their bodies to cover up their crimes. Despite international 
protests, including a letter from myself and 64 of my House colleagues, 
Mr. Khalra has disappeared into the Indian prison system.

  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Khalra should be released immediately, along with 
all prisoners of conscience in Punjab and Kashmir. It is long past time 
for India's reign of terror to come to an end. The Indian Government 
cannot achieve its goals through the systematic abuses of basic human 
rights. The time has come for the Government of India to sit down and 
negotiate agreements with Sikh and Kashmiri political leaders that 
respect their rights to democracy, self-determination, and human 
rights.
  I would like to make one final observation. In the very near future, 
India's Ambassador to the United States, Mr. S.S. Ray, will be 
returning to India. Mr. Ray has been a controversial figure. During the 
late 1980's, he was the Governor of the State of Punjab. This was at 
the time when some of the worst atrocities were taking place there, and 
Ambassador Ray was, at the time, in command of the security forces who 
were committing them. It was highly inappropriate for the Government of 
India to send to us an ambassador who has been widely charged with 
responsibility for a campaign of human rights abuses by security forces 
under his watch. I hope that, in selecting a new ambassador, the Indian 
Government will be more sensitive to the concerns of the American 
people and the international community.

[[Page E130]]


                      TRIBUTE TO CHARLES H. CURLEY

                                 ______


                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 31, 1996

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my district's 
more dedicated and caring individuals, Charles H. Curley. Chuck is 
being honored as Marin Citizen of the Year for 1995. I wish that I 
could be with his colleagues, friends, and family tonight as we 
celebrate his remarkable accomplishments.
  Chuck has been a devoted resident of Marin County since he moved here 
over 35 years ago. Chuck's work has come as both monetary support and 
as direct participation on task forces and focus groups. Serving as 
mayor of Larkspur, councilman, planning commissioner, president of the 
Police Commission, Chuck has spent countless hours working with 
community leaders in an effort to create a strong alliance throughout 
Marin. I wish to recognize Chuck for his commitment to the people of 
Marin County, and to thank him for his long record of public service.
  The enthusiasm that Chuck has for both the arts and the environment 
is seen through his participation in various activities throughout the 
county. In addition to serving as president of the Marin Arts Council, 
Chuck is also a patron of the Marin Society of Artists. His effort and 
dedication has opened the door for numerous artists and has introduced 
young children to the world of art. Chuck and his wife Nancy were 
honored in 1994 for their outstanding contribution to the Arts of 
Marin.
  Chuck is also committed to protecting our environment. He was vice-
president of the Marin Conservation League, and is currently a member 
of the Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory and the Sierra Club.
  Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay tribute to Charles H. 
Curley during this special evening at the Marin Civic Center. Marin 
County owes a great deal of gratitude for the tireless efforts of Chuck 
over the years. He has worked hard time and time again on behalf of 
many people and for many important causes. I extend my hearty 
congratulations and best wishes to Chuck and his wife Nancy for 
continued success in the years to come.

                          ____________________