[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1903-E1904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INDIAN GOVERNMENT INFILTRATING ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE THE SPECTRE OF 
                        ``TERRORISM'' IN PUNJAB

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2000

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, it has recently come to light that the police 
in Punjab have been planting RDX explosives on members of the Babbar 
Khalsa organization in Punjab and then killing them in encounters, 
claiming that they are importing the explosives from Pakistan.
  The Indian government is known to have infiltrated the organization's 
top levels. They used their agents within this and other organizations 
to carry out the bombing of their own Air India airliner off Canada in 
1985, which killed 329 innocent people.
  In November 1994, the Hitavada, an Indian newspaper, reported that 
the Indian government paid $1.5 billion to the late Governor of Punjab, 
a man named Surendra Nath, to foment terrorist activity in Punjab and 
Kashmir. In March, according to two extensive investigations, the 
Indian government murdered 35 Sikhs in the village of Chithi Singhpora. 
Between 1993 and 1994, 50,000 Sikhs ``disappeared'' at the hands of 
Indian forces. According to Amnesty International, there are thousands 
of political prisoners being held without charge or trial. Human-rights 
activists say that there are 50,000 Sikh political prisoners alone. The 
Akali Dal government in Punjab promised to get these political 
prisoners released, buy they have made no move to do so.
  Mr. Speaker, it is clear who the real terrorists are. As the 
defenders of freedom and democracy, America must declare India a 
terrorist state and cut off its aid until the terrorism and human-
rights violations end. We should also declare our support for 
protecting the rights of Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other 
minorities by supporting self-determination for their homelands in the 
form of a free and fair plebiscite on their political status, with 
international supervision to make sure that neither side tries to 
corrupt the vote.
  Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan has issued a press release on 
the Indian government's effort to revive the spectre of ``terrorism'' 
in Punjab by planting RDX explosives on Sikh activitists. I encourage 
all my colleagues to read this informative press release, and I would 
like to insert it into the Record at this time.

Babbar Khalsa Members Being Killed for RDX--Planting Explosive Is Modus 
                    Operandi of Indian Intelligence


          Indian Government Has Infiltrated Sikh Organizations

       Washington, D.C., October 24, 2000.--Punjab Police have 
     been killing members of Babbar Khalsa in encounters in 
     Punjab, claiming that they are bringing RDX explosives in 
     from Pakistan. Planting RDX explosives is the modus operandi 
     of the Indian government. A few years ago, they planted RDX 
     in the car of an American businessman who was visiting Punjab 
     and Pakistan to visit relatives and religious shrines.
       ``The Indian government has infiltrated the top levels of 
     Babbar Khalsa,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of 
     the

[[Page E1904]]

     Council of Khalistan, the government pro tempore of 
     Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its independence 
     from India on October 7, 1987. He noted that the book ``Soft 
     Target,'' written by two Canadian journalists, proves that 
     the Indian government carried out the 1985 bombing of an Air 
     India jetliner that killed 329 people. They used their agents 
     within Babbar Khalsa in that operation, he charged.
       ``There is no terrorism in Punjab except the terrorism of 
     the Indian government,'' Dr. Aulakh said. He noted that in 
     March, during President Clinton's visit to India, the Indian 
     government murdered 35 Sikhs in the village of Chithi 
     Singhpora, Kashmir. Two independent investigations and an 
     Amnesty International report have confirmed the government's 
     responsibility. In November 1994, the Indian newspaper 
     Hitavada reported that the Indian government paid the late 
     Governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, about $1.5 billion to 
     organize and support covert state terrorism in Punjab, 
     Khalistan and in Kashmir. The Indian Supreme Court described 
     the situation in Punjab as ``worse than a genocide.''
       About 50,000 Sikhs languish in Indian prisons as political 
     prisoners without charge or trial. Between 1993 and 1994, 
     50,000 Sikhs were made to disappear by Indian forces. More 
     than 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered since 1984. Over 
     200,000 Christians have been killed since 1947 and over 
     70,000 Kashmiri Muslims have been killed since 1988, as well 
     as tens of thousands of Dalit ``untouchables,'' Assamese, 
     Manipuris, Tamils, and others.
       ``There are many good people in Babbar Khalsa who just want 
     freedom for our homeland, Khalistan,'' Dr. Aulakh said, ``but 
     they are being used by Indian intelligence and its agents 
     within Babbar Khalsa to revive the myth of Sikh terrorism and 
     undermine the Sikh struggle for freedom. The infiltration 
     goes to the highest levels,'' he said. ``I call on Babbar 
     Khalsa members to make sure that they are not used by Indian 
     infiltrators. I call on them to unite with the Council of 
     Khalistan in the peaceful, democratic, nonviolent movement to 
     liberate Khalistan,'' he said.
       ``India is on the verge of disintegration,'' said Dr. 
     Aulakh. ``Kashmir is going to be free. Khalistan will also be 
     free during this decade, by the grace of Guru. Guru gave 
     sovereignty to the Sikh Nation,'' he said. ``It is time for a 
     unified effort to liberate Khalistan. We need to support the 
     leadership which is sincere, capable, committed, and 
     dedicated to the liberation of Khalistan,'' he said. ``The 
     Council of Khalistan has led the struggle for the last 15 
     years and has the above mentioned qualities. We must unite 
     behind the Council of Khalistan, form a Khalsa Paj Party in 
     Punjab, Khalistan, and begin a Shantmai Morcha to liberate 
     Khalistan.''

     

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