[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 140 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1994-E1995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INDIAN GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO BE BEHIND BOMBINGS OF MARKET AND TRAIN IN 
                               DELHI AREA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 9, 1997

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the recent bombing of a market in New Delhi 
and a train outside New Delhi are terrorist acts that must be condemned 
by all decent people. The loss of life and the injuries to people are 
tragic, but I especially want to note that the explosions injured five 
Australians and two Japanese visitors to India. I note that the Council 
of Khalistan, the organization leading the Sikhs in their struggle for 
freedom from Indian oppression, issued an excellent press release 
condemning these bombings as ``a cowardly and reprehensible act against 
God and man.''
  The Indian regime blames the bombings on a ``Sikh terrorist'' 
organization called Shaheed Khalsa. If they are responsible, they 
deserve the condemnation of the civilized world. But even the Indian 
press is reporting that no one has ever heard of this organization 
before. It just appeared on the scene very suddenly, at the moment when 
it is most convenient for the Indian Government. Even the Decca Herald 
newspaper reports that this organization is a fraud. It is likely that 
Shaheed Khalsa is a front for the Indian Government.
  The bombings were apparently carried out using RDX explosives, a 
weapon known to be in common use by the Government. This is the same 
explosive the regime planted on American citizen Balbir Singh Dhillon, 
a Sikh businessman, father of two, and activist who went to Punjab to 
visit family and some Sikh religious sites.
  India has a record of state terrorism. In November 1994, the 
newspaper Hitavada reported that the Indian Government paid the late 
governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, $1.5 billion to create terrorism 
both in Punjab, Khalistan, where Sikhs are in the majority, and in the 
neighboring state of Kashmir, which has Muslim majority.
  The terrorism creates an excuse to crack down and kill even more 
Sikhs. More than 250,000 Sikhs have already died at the hands of the 
Indian Government since 1984, according to numbers issued by the Punjab 
State Magistracy and by a coalition of human rights groups. It has also 
killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947, over 53,000 Muslims in 
Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, and 
others. It has also killed thousands of Dalits, black untouchables, the 
aboriginal people of South Asia. Over 60,000 cash bounties have been 
paid to police officers for killing Sikhs like little Arvinder Singh, a 
3-year-old child who was killed along with his father and uncle. The 
police claimed that the three were terrorists and received a $30,000 
cash bounty for their murders.
  On September 4, over 1,000 Indian security forces launched a raid on 
a Sikh church, called a Gurdwara, in Chandigarh. They illegally 
arrested nine Granthis, the local clergy. Three of the Granthis were 
severely beaten and tortured. No charges were filed against any of the 
Granthis. This happened on the very same day that we were voting on 
whether to cut aid to India and just a week before the state funeral of 
Mother Teresa.
  Mr. Speaker, we must ask the question, who benefits from these 
bombings? Clearly, no one could believe that the Sikhs benefit. They 
will only suffer more bloodshed and repression as a result of these 
horrible acts. The Government of India, however, sees its country 
falling apart from the weight of its domination of a diverse land with 
many nations and 18 official languages. They are desperate to keep 
their empire together. These bombings provide a perfect excuse to 
suspend the elected government in Punjab, impose direct rule from New 
Delhi, and increase the repression and bloodshed.
  Responsible Members of Congress and decent people everywhere must 
speak out against this genocidal policy. We should support all the 
freedom movements of South Asia by word and deed. We must go on record 
in support for freedom for Khalistan and all the nations of South Asia, 
and we must stop U.S. aid to this terrorist regime and place it under 
embargo until the freedom of all peoples and nations in the region is 
respected. Only then will India truly be able to call itself a 
responsible, secular democracy.
  I am placing the Council of Khalistan's press release on the bombings 
into the Record.

 Dr. Aulakh Condemns Indian Government Bombings of Market and Train in 
                               Delhi Area

       Washington, D.C., October 2.--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, 
     President of the Council of Khalistan, today strongly 
     condemned the bombing of a market in New Delhi and a train 
     outside New Delhi. ``This is a cowardly and reprehensible act 
     against God and humanity,'' he said.
       Although the Indian government blames the bombings on a 
     ``Sikh terrorist'' group called Shaheed Khalsa, Dr. Aulakh 
     pointed out that no one has ever heard of this organization. 
     ``It appeared out of thin air,'' he said. ``I suspect that it 
     is yet another terrorist organization convened, armed and 
     controlled by Indian security and intelligence services, if 
     it even exists at all.''
       ``These bombings are desperate acts of a desperate 
     political party,'' he said. ``If you want to find out who is 
     really responsible, investigate Congress politicians who have 
     lost electoral support. Ask the question: Who benefits from 
     these bombings?'' Dr. Aulakh said. The Congress Party 
     supports the ruling 13-party coalition.
       ``Every time the ruling party, in particular Congress, 
     loses control of State government in Punjab,'' Dr. Aulakh 
     said. ``These bombings begin to occur throughout Punjab and 
     Delhi. It then allows Delhi to suspend the government and 
     impose direct rule in the name of maintaining law and order. 
     At that point, police and security personnel shut down the 
     press, the courts, rights groups and Sikh temples and the 
     slaughter of our Sikh brothers and sisters begin anew. These 
     bombings allow the police to continue their extortion, 
     kidnapping and murder-for-cash bounty rackets.'' He noted 
     that Delhi has suspended Punjab state government nine times, 
     every time a Sikh party wins power they are never allowed to 
     finish their term of office.
       On September 4, a week before the state funeral for Mother 
     Teresa, 1000 Indian security troops raided a Sikh church 
     (Gurdwara) in Chandigarh and illegally arrested nine clergy 
     (Granthis). Three were severely beaten in jail. None of the 
     Granthis was charged with a crime. The government has 
     murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to 
     Punjab State Court and human rights groups findings. Over 
     60,000 cash bounties have been paid to police for killing 
     Sikhs.

[[Page E1995]]

       ``The bombings show that India stops at nothing to end the 
     freedom struggle,'' Dr. Aulakh said. On Oct. 7, 1987, the 
     Sikh Nation declared its independence from India, forming the 
     separate country of Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan was 
     formed at that time to serve as the government pro tempore of 
     Khalistan. It leads the peaceful, democratic, nonviolent 
     independence struggle.
       ``India's artificial empire is collapsing around them, so 
     the regime resorts to acts of terrorism to keep it 
     together.'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``The democratic nations of the 
     world must rise up and condemn this cowardly act and the 
     reign of terror it advances.''

     

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