[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1975]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           COUNCIL OF KHALIST CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

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                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 8, 1997

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, October 7, 1997, marks a 
significant occasion in the history of the Sikh Nation. Ten years ago 
today, the Sikh nation declared its independence and forged the Nation 
of Khalistan. Led by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, the Council of Khalistan 
has brought the Sikh struggle for freedom to the attention of world 
leaders. Dr. Aulakh and the Council of Khalistan should be applauded 
for their efforts to liberate Khalistan through peaceful, non-violent 
means.
  As you know, the Sikhs had ruled themselves for over 80 years before 
the British conquered the subcontinent and created the artificial 
entity called India for their own administrative convenience. At the 
time of India's independence 50 years ago, the Sikhs joined with India 
on the promise of Gandhi and Nehru that they would enjoy the glow of 
freedom, and that no law affecting the Sikhs would be enacted without 
their consent. Well Mr. Speaker, that promise was soon broken, and no 
representative of the Sikhs has ever signed India's Constitution.
  India cannot survive as one political entity for much longer. In 
actuality, India is a conglomerate of Nations held together through 
oppression. It has as many as 18 official languages, and the central 
government is run by an unstable 13-party coalition. The only remaining 
question is whether India's inevitable breakup will be peaceful like 
the Soviet Union's or violent like Yugoslavia's. I join with the 
leaders of the Khalistani freedom movement in expressing the hope that 
it will be peaceful. However, if India continues its policy of 
genocide, it may preclude that possibility.
  Since 1984, more than 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered by Indian 
forces. According to various human rights groups, more than 60,000 
police officers received cash bounties for their participation in these 
murders. According to a 1995 report published by human rights activist, 
Mr. Jaswant Singh Khalra, at least 25,000 young Sikh men have been 
abducted, tortured, and killed, then their bodies are declared 
``unidentified'' and finally they are cremated. On September 6, 1995, 
shortly after this report was published, Mr. Khalra was kidnapped by 
the police. Over 2 years later, his whereabouts remain a mystery. I 
would submit, Mr. Speaker, that Mr. Khalra has probably been murdered 
like so many before him.
  Furthermore, India's own Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] 
conducted a brief investigation at just one cremation site and was able 
to confirm about 1,000 mass cremations. Now, the National Human Rights 
Commission says that it will investigate this brutal policy that 
Indian's own Supreme Court has called ``worse than a genocide.'' So 
far, no one has been punished for these murders.

  Religious persecution continues in India as well. On September 4, 
1997, a Sikh church was invaded by security forces without a search 
warrant. Six Granthis, who serve as the guardians and teachers of the 
Sikh holy scriptures, were subsequently beaten and tortured. Police 
occupation of the Golden Temple, the holiest Sikh shrine, continues to 
this day. The mayor of a village in Punjab was tortured in front of the 
people because he is an Amritdhari, or baptized, Sikh. Amritdhari Sikhs 
are considered a criminal class. Sikhs have been raped, beaten, 
tortured, and even killed because they would not renounce their 
religious beliefs. Meanwhile, an expired law that made it illegal to 
convert a Hindu to any other religion continues to be enforced despite 
the fact that is has expired.
  It is clear from events like this that the Sikhs are a captive nation 
in the Indian Empire, colonized and enslaved for the benefit of a 
Brahmin elite that is grossly out of touch with its people, many of 
whom live in abject poverty. The only real solution is a fully 
independent Khalistan.
  We must end our financial support of tyrants. We need to send strong 
messages to India, and put a stop to the endless amount of foreign aid 
we send to them until the repression ends. We should also use our 
influence as the world's preeminent superpower to affect a vote on 
freedom for Khalistan, similar to the vote the United States conducts 
in Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues in this Congress 
calls India ``the largest democracy in the world.'' Well, if that is 
true, than what's good for the United States must be good for ``the 
largest democracy in the world.'' I challenge India to follow the path 
of democracy, and let the people of Khalistan and all the nations under 
its occupation choose their own destiny at the ballot box. Only then 
can India be considered a truly democratic nation.

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