[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1317-E1318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 INDIA IS USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS IN KASHMIR; U.S. SHOULD STOP ITS PRO-
                               INDIA TILT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 17, 1999

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed to find out that India has 
been using chemical weapons in its war against the freedom fighters of 
Kashmir. Reuters, CNN, the BBC, the Associated Press, and others have 
all reported that India fired chemical weapons

[[Page E1318]]

shells into Pakistan. Remember that India's nuclear tests last year 
started the nuclear arms race in South Asia, which is very 
destabilizing to our ally Pakistan, to India, the subcontinent, and the 
world.
  In recent days, there have been news reports of a mass exodus from 
border villages in Punjab, the homeland of the Sikhs. According to at 
least one report, 70 percent of the population of these villages has 
fled. These Sikhs are apparently afraid that India's war on the freedom 
fighters will spread to Punjab. There are good reasons to believe this. 
India sent a new deployment of troops to Punjab, Khalistan. These 
troops are on top of the half-million troops who were already stationed 
in Punjab to suppress the Sikh freedom movement.
  Mr. Speaker, this situation is entirely India's responsibility. India 
that started the conflict in Kargil to wipe out the freedom movement in 
Kashmir and scare the other freedom movements into submitting to Indian 
rule. India introduced nuclear weapons to South Asia last year and 
introduced chemical weapons into this conflict. These are weapons of 
mass destruction, Mr. Speaker. Indian has brought these weapons of mass 
destruction to South Asia. Why do we still give aid from American tax 
dollars to India?
  Recently an Indian colonel admitted that Indian soldiers are ``dying 
like dogs.'' India is losing this war in Kargil, while it loudly 
proclaims victory. As India's desperation increases, the situations 
gets more dangerous. It is feared that India will use its new 
deployment in Punjab, Khalistan to invade Pakistan in an attempt to cut 
off the Kashmiris' supply lines.
  Mr. Speaker, we all salute the President for his attempt to keep the 
fighting from escalating, but there seems to be a pro-India tilt to our 
effort and to our policy in the region. Yet India denies self-
determination and other basic human rights to the Kashmiris, the Sikhs 
of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagaland, and the other occupied 
nations of South Asia. When basic human rights are denied, we have an 
obligation to help people reclaim their rights. We should be working 
for peace, freedom, and self-determination. We should not be aligned 
with India, which remains one of the world's worst human-rights 
violators.
  Let this Congress do whatever we can to support democracy, self-
determination, peace, and stability in the subcontinent. We should 
impose sanctions on India, cut off American aid to India, and pass a 
resolution stating our support for a free and fair plebiscite under 
international supervision in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in 
Nagaland, and everywhere else that the people seek their freedom. I am 
proud to have co-sponsored such a resolution in the last Congress. This 
is the right time to take these measures when they will have the 
greatest effect. Let us take these measures to support freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert the Council of Khalistan's press 
release on India's chemical weapons use into the Record.

   India Using Chemical Weapons in Its War Against Kashmiri Freedom 
              Fighters; Now Is the Time to Free Khalistan

       Washington, DC, June 14--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President 
     of the Council of Khalistan, today condemned India for using 
     chemical weapons in its war against the Kashmiri freedom 
     fighters at Kargil. Reuters, BBC, CNN, Associated Press, and 
     other news sources have reported that India fired chemical 
     weapons shells into Pakistan. The Pakistani Foreign Minister 
     said that his country had found Indian chemical shells that 
     were fired across the border.
       Dr. Aulakh condemned ``this irresponsible and dangerous 
     action. India is using these weapons despite being a 
     signatory to the Chemical Weapons Convention,'' he noted. 
     ``So far these weapons have only caused skin irritations, 
     shortness of breath, and other minor health problems,'' he 
     said, ``but the potential dangers are frightening.''
       ``Remember that India started this war to suppress the 
     Kashmiri freedom movement,'' Dr. Aulakh said. He took note of 
     an India Today report that the war is costing India 15 core 
     (150 million) rupees each day. ``Apparently, no amount of 
     blood or money is too great for the Indian government,'' he 
     said.
       ``America took action against Iraq for using chemical 
     weapons in its war against Kuwait,'' he pointed out. ``Why 
     does America continue to support India with aid and trade?,'' 
     he asked. ``The United Nations should impose strong sanctions 
     on India for this brutal act,'' he added.
       ``The news that India is using chemical weapons is very 
     disturbing, not only to the people of Kashmir but to the 
     people of Punjab, Khalistan,'' he said. ``India, the country 
     which started the nuclear arms race in South Asia, is now 
     using weapons of mass destruction,'' he said. According to 
     Kashmiri leaders, India also used chemical weapons against 
     them in 1994.
       ``This terrorist act shows India's desperation to keep its 
     artificial borders intact,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``India is 
     losing this war,'' he said. ``One Indian Army colonel 
     admitted that Indian troops are `dying like dogs.' I call on 
     Sikh soldiers not to fire on Kashmiri freedom fighters,'' he 
     said. ``I urge Sikh soldiers to join the Sikh freedom 
     movement and liberate Khalistan.''
       ``I cannot help but think that these attacks are related to 
     the massive evacuations of 37 villages along the border in 
     Punjab,'' he said. ``It is not the Pakistanis the villagers 
     are afraid of,'' he said, ``it is expansion of India's 
     terrorist war into Punjab, Khalistan.''
       ``In war, people get killed, and that is unfortunate,'' Dr. 
     Aulakh said. ``Countries that are moral and democratic do not 
     deliberately kill civilians,'' he said. The Indian government 
     has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. India has also 
     murdered over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, more 
     than 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of 
     thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits (``black 
     untouchables''), Tamils, and others.
       ``Freedom struggles don't go away,'' he said. ``Just as 
     India cannot suppress Kashmir's freedom struggle with weapons 
     of mass destruction, the freedom struggle in Khalistan will 
     go on until Khalistan is free,'' he said. ``Now is the moment 
     for the Sikh Nation to liberate Khalistan with the help of 
     the Sikh soldiers. It is time to rebel. Khalsa Bagi Yan 
     Badshah.''

     

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