[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 74 (Thursday, May 20, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1052]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    INDIAN INTELLIGENCE INTERROGATES REPORTER AFTER VISIT TO AMERICA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 20, 1999

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, India has once again shown true nature of 
its democracy by grilling a reporter who visited the United States. 
Journalist Sukhbir Singh Osan has exposed the corruption and the 
atrocities of the Indian government in newspapers and through his 
website, Burning Punjab. He visited the United States, Canada, and 
Great Britain to cover the Sikh 300th anniversary marches and speak on 
human rights. He met with my colleague from Indiana, Mr. Burton, and 
with a minister in the Canadian government. Their pictures appear on 
his website.
  Mr. Osan returned to his home in Chandigarh before Indian 
intelligence officers showed up at his house to interrogate him for 45 
minutes, claiming they were acting on instructions from the central 
government in New Delhi. This is not the first time the Indian 
government has gone after Mr. Osan. He has received anonymous threats 
and has been denied a law degree that he worked hard to earn because he 
had written news stories that the Indian government didn't like.
  Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, 
brought this to my attention. I understand that Dr. Aulakh has notified 
the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York of Mr. Osan's 
mistreatment.
  What happened to Mr. Osan is not just an isolated incident. Other 
reporters have been threatened for reporting stories critical of the 
Indian government. Clearly, there is no press freedom in India despite 
its loud and frequent boasts that it is ``the world's largest 
democracy.''
  Does a democratic country harass reporters for covering stories that 
the government doesn't like? Would a democratic country incite 17 
freedom movements within its borders? India is a democracy only for the 
Brahmin ruling class. It is also anti-American, working with such 
models of democracy as China, Libya, and Cuba to undermine U.S. foreign 
policy. It approached China and Russia trying to build a triangular 
``security alliance'' against America.
  We should treat India as we do other violators of religious freedom. 
That will help to end the kind of abuse that Mr. Osan and his fellow 
Sikhs suffer and bring real freedom to all the nations and peoples 
living within India's Borders.
  I am placing the Burning Punjab story on Mr. Osan's harassment into 
the Record for the information of my colleagues.

             Intelligence Agencies Grill Sukhbir Singh Osan

       Chandigarh.--True to their anti-Sikh stance, the Indian 
     Intelligence Agencies have again started harassment of 
     innocents. Punjab based journalist, Sukhbir Singh Osan, who 
     recently visited Unites States, Canada and United Kingdom for 
     the purpose of participating in a human right convention to 
     read a paper on the subject ``Recent attacks on Christian 
     community in India'' and covering the 300 year celebrations 
     of the Khalsa community was grilled by the intelligence 
     sleuths for more than forty-five minutes at his residence on 
     May 11. When Mr. Osan asked the DSP [Intelligence Bureau] as 
     to why he was questioning him about his visits abroad, the 
     said DSP replied, ``Delhi wants to know all about it.'' When 
     again asked whether there were any written instructions, he 
     replied that ``we have specific instructions from Delhi''. 
     However, nothing in writing was given to Mr. Osan.

     

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