[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 57 (Wednesday, May 10, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E698-E699]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E698]]
NEW REPORT SHOWS INDIAN GOVERNMENT IS TO BLAME FOR MASSACRE OF 35 SIKHS 
                          IN CHATTI SINGHPORA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 10, 2000

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently two human-rights groups in Punjab, 
the Punjab Human Rights Organization and the Movement Against State 
Repression, published a report on the massacre of 35 Sikhs in the 
village of Chatti Singhpora, Kashmir, this past March. Despite the 
Indian government's efforts to blame Pakistan and alleged Kashmiri 
``militants'' for the massacre, an effort the Indian government 
reinforced by killing five innocent Kashmiris, the report clearly and 
unambiguously places the blame where it belongs--on the Indian 
government.
  ``It is our considered opinion,'' the report says, ``that Pakistan 
has nothing to gain by ordering militants/mercenaries to massacre Sikhs 
in the Kashmir valley. Pakistan had steered clear of this kind of act 
during 10-15 years of militancy in J&K,'' the group wrote. ``J&K 
militants too had nothing to gain from such an incident. Indian leaders 
however gained substantial mileage from this incident as a spate of 
international sympathy was forthcoming,'' the investigative team wrote. 
They noted that India's Home Minister, L.K. Advani, ``was quoted as 
saying that three events brought a turn around in international opinion 
in India's favor. He mentioned Kargil, the hijacking of the Indian 
airliner, and the Chatti Singhpora incident.''
  According to the report, the people in the village of Chatti 
Singhpora ``did not believe that militants had any hand in this 
incident.'' The report notes that ``as a rule foreign mercenaries visit 
a village once and do not come back again. So these men cannot be 
militants. Also real militants do not part with their weapons even for 
a minute.'' The killers wore military uniforms and chanted ``Jai Mata 
Di; Jai Hind,'' a Hindu nationalist slogan. The report notes that the 
Sikhs and Kashmiri Muslims have very good relations. Both the Chief 
Minister of Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, and Mr. Advani had warned 
villagers against supporting ``militants.''
  The authors of the report conclude that the Indian government's 
counterinsurgency forces, which are run by the Indian intelligence 
service, RAW, are responsible for the massacre of Chatti Singhpora.
  Unfortunately, the Indian government is suppressing this information, 
and their friends in the democratic countries of the world are 
protecting them. There must be a full, fair, independent, and complete 
investigation and the people responsible for this terrible atrocity 
must be prosecuted. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod 
Mahajan admitted that ``security forces would not be punished for the 
killings of civilians. It would demoralize the troops who are fighting 
insurgency in different states.'' This is a very revealing statement by 
an official of the Indian government. Perhaps this is why an allegedly 
democratic country needs a ``Movement Against State Repression.''
  America is the beacon of freedom. America must not allow an allegedly 
democratic country to continue these activities. We must do what we can 
to help bring freedom to the people of South Asia. It is time to stop 
our aid to India until it lets the people within its borders enjoy the 
human rights to which all people are entitled. We should stop 
supporting India's anti-Americanism. And we should declare our support 
for an internationally-supervised, free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, 
Khalistan on the question of independence. We should also support 
similar plebiscites in Kashmir, in Christian Nagaland, and throughout 
India. This is the way to bring real freedom, peace, prosperity, and 
stability to South Asia. It will also gain us new allies in that 
troubled region.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish I could put this excellent report into the 
Record, but it is too long. I would like to place the summary sections 
of observations and recommendations into the Record, for the 
information of my colleagues. I urge my colleagues, especially those 
who are supporters of India, to read these sections carefully.

                       Visit to Chithi Singhpora


                              OBSERVATIONS

     3.1. Team Observations
       The facts narrated above clearly indicate that the visitors 
     of Chithi Singhpora were not members of the security forces. 
     Dress, language, careless handling of weapons and behaviour 
     in general discounts the security forces. That they were 
     militants, can also be safely ruled out because it is general 
     knowledge that militants guard their weapons most carefully 
     and would not visit a location repeatedly knowing that an RR 
     post is located 3-4 kms away. The finger therefore points 
     towards the so-called Counter Insurgents/Renegades 
     (Surrendered militants). The description of the villagers, in 
     fact, corroborates this assessment.
       The fact that the RR Unit was located close to Chithi 
     Singhpora and the statement of Principal Ranji Singh and 
     teacher Niranjan Singh clearly indicated that the security 
     forces know fully well about the identity of the visitors to 
     Chithi Singhpora and did nothing about it.
       The statements of various individuals in Anantnag/Srinagar 
     tallies with what the villagers narrated to the team. One man 
     Karamjit Singh spoke a different language. He stressed in his 
     statement that the killers were militants. Secondly his 
     various actions indicate that he has an inkling that some 
     force had come to kill on March 20, 2000 evening. His escape 
     was miraculous in spite of his being addressed directly by 
     the so called CO not to go home. He still escaped. In our 
     opinion Karamjit appears to have been in some contact with 
     the security forces. His migration to Jammu and his 
     nervousness during the teams meeting with him clearly point 
     to this.
       The State Chief Minister, Farooq Abdulla had asked for a 
     Judicial enquiry into the Chithi Singhpora killings by a 
     Supreme Court Judge. (Press Statement is attached as 
     Annexture II). Instead, the Centre has ordered a judicial 
     enquiry by Justice Pandhian into the Pathribal killings of 
     five civilians and police firing at Brakpora. The Chithi 
     Singhpora killings are to be probed by the Additional 
     Judicial Magistrate only. This clearly indicates that the 
     truth behind this Chithi Singhpora incident is not being 
     allowed to surface.
       All efforts should be made to normalise the situation and 
     bring the Sikhs back into the mainstream in the State.
       The team feels that Law and Order being a state subject, 
     the handling and allotment of tasks to the Counter-Insurgency 
     Force was done by the state authorities under the aegis of 
     the Director General of Police. Events as they unfolded 
     clearly indicate that this force was misutilised for criminal 
     acts outside the parameters of law. Here we have support from 
     the publication Amnesty International (Embargoed for February 
     22, 1999). An extract from the same (Page 26, Column 2) is 
     reproduced here.
       ``. . . Only three months earlier, Chief Minister Dr. 
     Farooq Abdullah was quoted as saying that the Jammu and 
     Kashmir state police and the Punjab police had achieved 
     excellence in fighting terrorism and they could be trusted in 
     the proxy war-like situation facing the state. The referrnce 
     to Punjab police was no chance remark as the Director General 
     of Police appointed in February 1997 has served for many 
     years in counter-insurgency operations in Punjab where high 
     levels of human rights violations had been reported. The 
     Jammu and Kashmir state police have shown a disturbing 
     disregard for the rule of law in their expanding counter-
     insurgency operations, leading to increasing allegations of 
     arbitrary arrests, torture, killings and `disappearance' 
     perpetrated by police officers themselves and reports of 
     their connivance in abuses committed by other agencies such 
     as the renegades. It is also shown in the way police have 
     obstructed victims' and victims' families' access to 
     redress.''
       We feel that a Central Agency directed this operation 
     without the knowledge of the State Chief Minister and his 
     Cabinet. This, therefore, is an act that needs to be 
     condemned and a high level probe ordered to punish the 
     guilty.
       The Sikh soldiers have been used disproportionately in 
     Nagaland, Assam, Sri Lanka and all along in Kashmir. This 
     tends to endanger the amity existing between the minority and 
     local majority community. This has special reference to the 
     good relations existing between the majority Kashmiri Muslims 
     and the minority Kashmiri Sikhs in J&K.
       It is our considered opinion that Pakistan had nothing a 
     gain by ordering militants/mercenaries to massacre Sikhs in 
     the Kashmir valley. Pakistan had stressed clear of this kind 
     of act during the past 10-15 years of military in J&K.
       J&K militants too had nothing a gain from such an incident.
       Indian leaders however gained substantial mileage from the 
     incident as a spate of international sympathy was 
     forthcoming. In fact President Clinton was joined by a number 
     of others in decrying terrorism and killing of civilians in 
     Kashmir. Union Home Minister Advani


                            Recommendations

     4.1. Team Recommendations
       The Chithi Singhpora killings resulted in a major tragedy 
     for the Sikh community in J&K. It was a traumatic event which 
     had national and international ramifications. The killers 
     have yet to be identified by the state and national 
     authorities. It is therefore, very vital to discount various 
     rumours and conjectures making the rounds. The team 
     recommends that:
       i. The Chithi Singhpora killings be investigated by the 
     United Nations Human Rights Commission as these killings are 
     symptomatic of killings that have taken place in various 
     parts of India during counter-insurgency operations. Once the 
     culprits are identified they should be dealt with speedily in 
     accordance with the law.
       ii. Compensation to be given to the victims of the killings 
     at Chithi Singhpora.

[[Page E699]]

     Pathribal, Brakpora and other related incidents should be 
     Rupees 10 Lakhs as recommended to be given to victims of 
     custodial killings by the Indian NHRC along with allied 
     benefits.
       iii. In spite of assistance by the majority Kashmiri 
     Muslims and security measures taken by the centre and state 
     government, some Sikh families still feel insecure and desire 
     to migrate. In case they do so they should be provided with 
     adequate facilities at least equal to that provided to the 
     migrating Kashmiri Pandits and their families.
       iv. The Chithi Singhpora killings put a question mark on 
     the employment of surrendered militants as a viable counter-
     insurgency force. This force consists of individuals who have 
     changed loyalties for material benefits. Their misuse of arms 
     and exploitation of the situation for personal gain has been 
     highlighted by the media repeatedly. We strongly recommend 
     that this force be disbanded forthwith. Surrendered militants 
     should be absorbed into mainstream of civil life rather than 
     be employed in the counter-insurgency role.
       Dated: April 29, 2000.
       Signed,
     Ajit Singh Bains,
                                                   Justice (Retd).
     Inderjit Singh Jaijee,
     Kartar Singh Gill,
                                                  Lt. Gen. (Retd).





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