[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 27, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E225-E226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EVEN OUTSIDE INDIA, SIKHS CONTINUE TO BE HARASSED BY THE INDIAN 
                       GOVERNMENT AND ITS ALLIES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 27, 2001

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, a disturbing case of Indian harassment 
against the Sikhs recently came to my attention. Dr. Harjinder Singh 
Dilgeer is a Sikh who serves as co-editor of the International Journal 
of Sikh Affairs. Dr. Dilgeer is a Norwegian citizen.
  Dr. Dilgeer went to India a few years ago to work for the Shiromani 
Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). When new leaders achieved power 
in the SGPC, Dr. Dilgeer lost his job. He decided to move his family 
back to Norway.
  On January 1, Dr. Dilgeer and his wife and two sons went to the New 
Delhi airport. The Indian immigration authorities at the airport 
detained the Dilgeer family because Dr. Dilgeer was on the Indian 
government's blacklist. An immigration official took Mrs. Dilgeer and 
the Dilgeer's two sons into another room. He accused them of not being 
related to Dr. Dilgeer and he threatened them.
  After about an hour, Dr. Dilgeer demanded to speak to the Norwegian 
Ambassador and to a Member of Parliament who is a friend of his. At 
that point, the Dilgeers were allowed to board their flight. They 
arrived at the gate with just two minutes to go.
  The Dilgeers' flight to Moscow, where they were to meet a connecting 
flight back to Norway, missed the connection, so the Dilgeers had to 
stay in Moscow. They were supposed to be put up in a hotel, but when 
the Russian immigration authorities checked their passports, they 
detained Dr. Dilgeer and his family at the airport because Dr. Dilgeer 
was labelled an ``International Terrorist.'' They said they were acting 
on information received from Indian immigration authorities. The 
Dilgeers spend the night sleeping on the airport floor while Dr. 
Dilgeer was in a Russian lock-up.
  Russia is India's long-time ally. India supported the Soviet invasion 
of Afghanistan and has a friendship treaty with the Soviet Union. 
Russia was one of the countries whose Ambassador attended a meeting led 
by Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes to discuss setting up a 
security alliance ``to stop the U.S.'' The Indian government used its 
influence with its old ally to harass a Sikh simply for leaving the 
country.
  This is typical of Indian tyranny. The Indian government 250,000 
Sikhs since 1984, more than 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, 
over 70,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of 
Dalits, Assamese, Tamils, Manipuris, and others. Two independent 
investigations confirmed that the Indian government massacred 35 Sikhs 
in the village of Chithi Singhpora in March and evidence suggests that 
the government was responsible for the murders of six Sikhs last month. 
The book Soft Target shows that the Indian government shot down its own 
airliner in 1985, killing 329 people, to damage the Sikhs. Christians 
have been subject to a wave of violence and oppression since Christmas 
1998. This repression has included church burnings, raping nuns, 
murdering priests, and the burning to death of a missionary and his 8- 
and 10-year old sons. The Hitavada newspaper reported in 1994 that the 
Indian government paid the late governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, to 
foment covert terrorist activity in Punjab, Khalistan, and in Kashmir. 
These are just some examples of India's ongoing tyranny against 
minorities.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not acceptable conduct from any country, 
especially one that claims to be ``the world's largest democracy.'' Yet 
despite a pattern of tyranny India remains one of the largest 
recipients of U.S. aid. That aid should be ended and Congress should go 
on record in support of self-determination for the people of Khalistan, 
Kashmir, Nagalim, and the other minorities seeking their freedom from 
India. That is the best way to ensure freedom for all the people in 
South Asia.
  I would like to place in the Record a report on the Dilgeer incident 
by Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon, editor of the International Journal of Sikh 
Affairs. It is very informative about India's repressive treatment of 
minorities.

            [From the International Journal of Sikh Affairs]

Torture, Threats and Inhumane Treatment by Indian Immigration Personnel 
at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, on 1st January, 2001 and by 
  the Russian Immigration Personnel, Moscow (International) Airport, 
                             Moscow, Russia

                  (By Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon, Editor)

       No. of Victims: Four (Husband and wife and Two sons) (a) 
     First Names of victims: (Dr.) Harjinder and Mrs. Harjinder 
     Middle Name: Singh, Mrs. Dilgeer & Singhs (Two sons).
       Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer is an authority on the Sikh 
     faith, Sikh history and Sikh culture. Dr. Dilgeer is the 
     founder and Editor in Chief of The Sikhs: Present and Present 
     An International Journal of Sikh Affairs Dr. Dilgeer is the 
     Editor in Chief (on leave) of the International Journal of 
     Sikh Affairs ISSN 1481-5435.
       (b) Family Name: Dilgeer (Author of the article, ``Delhi 
     Airport Te Sikhan Naal Salook'' meaning ``Delhi Airport 
     Authorities' Treatment To the Sikhs'': Sant Sipahi 
     (International), Punjabi monthly, published from AMRITSAR, 
     PUNJAB, February 2001, Volume 55 (issue No 2), p. 34-35.
       (c) E-mail/address: Sant Sipahi C/-
     <[email protected]>; 4313 Ranjitpura; Post office: 
     Khalsa College, AMRITSARJI 143 002, India.
       (d) Country: formerly of PUNJAB, India 
     (C/-; 1413 Ranjitpura; Post office: 
     Khalsa College, AMRITSARJI 143 002, India) Citizenship: 
     Norwegian Travelled on: Norwegian Passport Airline: Aeroflot 
     Russian Airline Flight No.: Not available.
       (e) Persons involved: Family of the Victims (Total 4 
     persons of a family).
       (f) Details of incident: Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Mrs. 
     Dilgeer and their two sons arrived at the Delhi airport on 
     1st January, 2001, to go back to his country, Norway. His 
     connecting flight was via Moscow. After checking in, Dr. 
     Dilgeer and family went to the Immigration counter. The 
     immigration authorities detained the family as his name was 
     in their computer (Black listed). One of the immigration 
     personnel told his colleague that he (they) is going out of 
     country and let him/them go. However, the checking continued 
     and they were asked to sit on a bench. In the meantime, 
     another personnel came. He took away their passports (Dr. 
     Dilgeer and Mrs. Dilgeer; their sons travelled on the 
     mother's passport). This immigration personnel asked Mrs. 
     Dilgeer and her sons that you have to prove that you are Dr. 
     Dilgeer's wife and his sons. In the meantime another 
     personnel named Chohan (Chauhan) came. He behaved rudely. Dr. 
     dilgeer told him that ``I am not an Indian citizen and you 
     behave like a gentleman.'' This Chohan fellow took Mrs. 
     Dilgeer and their sons along and asked them (mother and sons) 
     and threatened them that ``you have no relationship with Dr. 
     Dilgeer.'' Dr. Dilgeer and you (three) are not related. The 
     immigration personnel threatened them and applied 
     psychological pressure during the interrogation. One hour had 
     gone/passed. Then Dr. Dilgeer demanded from the personnel 
     that ``he would like to speak to the Ambassador of Norway, 
     Delhi, on phone. Also he would like to speak to one of his 
     friend who is a Member of Parliament of India. After his 
     demand, the immigration personnel changed his behavior and 
     ``stamped their passports.'' Dr. Dilgeer and family arrived 
     just ``two'' minutes before closing the aircraft's door.


                      Treatment at Moscow Airport

       The flight from Delhi missed connection to their flight to 
     Norway. The Russian Immigration personnel checked their 
     passport in order to provide them Hotel until the next 
     available flight to Norway. Dr. Dilgeer was told that you 
     cannot stay in a hotel and you will have to stay at the 
     airport, because you are an ``International Terrorist.'' 
     Their terminology of the International Terrorist was based on 
     the ``Terrorists' List provided by the Government of India.'' 
     The Moscow Immigration authorities kept him (Dr. Dilgeer) in 
     a lock up under their custody. Dr. Dilgeer's family spent the 
     night at the airport and slept on the floor.

[[Page E226]]

       This has been the treatment, threats and slandering the 
     Sikhs by the Indian immigration personnel at the Delhi 
     international airport and by the Russian airport authorities 
     of the Moscow airport. India, as everybody knows it, is the 
     best partner (political) bed fellow of Russia in the world 
     affairs.
       The writer, Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon (Machaki), Managing 
     Editor and Acting Editor in Chief of the International 
     Journal of Sikh Affairs ISSN 1481-5435, requests the Amnesty 
     International, UN High Commission for Human Rights and other 
     agencies to consider Dr. Dilgeer and his family's case based 
     on the serious violations of their human rights, violations 
     of the rights as international passengers and defaming Dr. 
     Dilgeer as International terrorist by the Russian immigration 
     authorities, based on the information provided to them by the 
     world's ``terrorist'' administration. India is known to the 
     peace-loving countries of the world as ``the largest 
     democracy, India.'' Democracies do not harass and kill 
     innocent citizens and torture them indiscriminately.

     

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