[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E343-E344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             INDIAN PRIME MINISTER THREATENS UNITED STATES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 10, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to my colleagues' 
attention the attached articles from the January and February, 1998 
edition of News India-Times and Burning Punjab placed into the 
Congressional Record.
  I was shocked to read an article from News India-Times stating that 
``India will not tolerate the use of military force against Iraq.'' 
This threat was made by Inder Kumar Gujral, the caretaker Prime 
Minister of India, on January 30. ``Hindustan will not tolerate another 
attack on Iraq,'' the Reuters news service quoted Mr. Gujral as saying.
  Members of this House have differing views about the wisdom of 
launching a military attack against Iraq, but one thing I think we can 
all agree on is that this decision should be made by the government of 
the United States without the threats or interference of any foreign 
power, especially one that depends on American aid.
  Indian is one of the five largest recipients of foreign aid from the 
United States. Its economy is so bad that half the population lives 
below the international poverty line. Yet it has been a major exporter 
of dangerous weapons to Iran and other hostile countries. How can the 
United States continue to aid such a country?
  If the shoe were on the other foot, Mr. Speaker, India would be 
decrying this interference in its internal affairs. But Mr. Gujral 
seems to think that it is OK for him to interfere in America's internal 
affairs. Sovereign countries are allowed to have and express their 
opinions, even to express them in strong language, but this kind of 
threat against the sovereignty of the United States is unacceptable and 
must not be tolerated.
  I also find its ironic that a country that has murdered almost 60,000 
Muslims in Kashmir in the past decade is taking such a strong position 
in support of a Muslim country. If India's repression against the Sikhs 
of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagaland, the Dalits, the Muslims of 
Kashmir, and other minorities of South Asia were not reason enough to 
support the independence movements of South Asia, this kind of threat 
ought to make us support them for strategic reasons. Let us make it 
clear to India and all the countries of the world that we will not 
tolerate this kind of interference with our national sovereignty.
  I am introducing the News India-Times article from its February 6 
issue into the Record:

               [From the News-India Times, Feb. 6, 1997]

               Attack On Iraq Won't Be Tolerated: Gujral

       Calcutta.--India will not tolerate the use of military 
     force against Iraq, Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral told an 
     election rally Jan. 30.
       Reuters quoted the premier as saying: ``Hindustan will not 
     tolerate another attack on Iraq,'' Gujral told the rally in 
     the eastern city of Calcutta. ``An attack on Iraq will 
     jeopardize the peace in the entire Middle East region where 
     more than 2.5 million Indians live.''
       Gujral said he had written to President Bill Clinton 
     stating that an attack on Iraq would endanger the lives of 
     expatriate Indians and had sent similar letters to leaders of 
     the other four nations with permanent seats on the United 
     Nations Security Council.
       ``However, India was of view that use of military force 
     against Iraq will complicate the situation and will not 
     contribute to the ends to which the UN is committed. Further, 
     it will greatly aggravate the acute sufferings which the 
     Iraqi people had undergone, he said, PTI reported.
       In his letter to Clinton, Gujral drew attention to the 
     geographical proximity and traditional cultural links which 
     India has with the Gulf region and the substantial growth of 
     New Delhi's interaction over the years with all the countries 
     in the region, especially in the economic field.
       ``The Gulf countries, are among India's leading trading 
     partners and sources of energy and are home to sizeable 
     Indian community,'' Gujral said.

                PUNJAB POLICE FRAME TWO MORE YOUNG SIKHS

  Mr. Speaker, I was distressed by a recent report from Burning Punjab 
that two more young Sikhs were falsely arrested at Gurdwara Guru Nanak 
in Jalandhar by the Punjab police. These two Sikh youths were 
innocently riding by the Gurdwara on their bicycles, according to 
Burning Punjab, when they were beaten and shoved into a police jeep. 
Later about 150 police surrounded the Gurdwara.
  No crime was committed, but the police falsely alleged that the two 
Sikhs they picked up were ``militants,'' an odd claim considering that 
the Indian government is fond of telling the world that they have 
crushed the militancy in Punjab. How is it that none of these 
``militants,'' has ever been brought to trial?
  Human-rights activists have appealed to the National Human Rights 
Commission for action. Let's see if anything happens.

[[Page E344]]

  Unfortunately, this is all too typical of Indian ``democracy'' in 
action. With the instability in India increased by the recent election 
results, I expect that this kind of abuse will continue no matter who 
winds up in the Prime Minister's chair. Is this a country that should 
be receiving U.S. aid and trade? I don't think so.
  I would like to introduce the Burning Punjab article on this incident 
into the Record.

             [From the Burning Punjab News, Feb. 13, 1998]

                 Militants Arrest at Jalandhar a Farce

       Chandigarh.--Militants arrested by the Jalandhar police at 
     Gurudwara Guru Nanak Mission is nothing more than a farce as 
     claimed by a joint committee of Human Right organisations. 
     According to Kuldip Singh Jolly, Secretary of the Gurudwara 
     Committee, the two Sikh Youth arrested by the police were 
     neither going inside the Gurudwara nor were they coming out 
     of it. In fact, both of them were moving on their bicycles 
     when the cops pounced upon them. When they raised an alarm 
     the cops started beating them and tried to push both of them 
     into a waiting police jeep. Later on, according to Jolly, 
     about 150 policemen surrounded the Gurudwara Sahib under the 
     overall command of the SSP Hardip Singh Dhillon. According to 
     the joint committee Maj. Gen. Narinder Singh, * * * Rama 
     Krishnan (Advocate) and others, the police action is nothing 
     more than a ``drama'' enacted by the Punjab police to defame 
     Gurudwaras. Human Rights Organisations have decided to 
     approach the National Human Rights Commission for 
     intervention. Meanwhile police have identified the two 
     arrested ``Militants'' as Baljinder Singh * * * Hardyal Nayar 
     (Jalandhar) and Dhian Singh * * * Kapurthala. However, many a 
     residents of Jalandhar are of the opinion that the episode of 
     ``Militants arrest'' is just an election gimmick to give 
     publicity to Prime Minister Inder * * * Gujral.

     

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