[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 131 (Wednesday, October 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1790]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ATTACKS ON SIKHS SUBSIDING--STILL UNDER SIEGE IN INDIA

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 3, 2001

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the attacks on Sikhs and other 
Americans in the wake of the September 11 attacks have subsided. While 
there are still some incidents, Sikhs, Muslims, and other Americans are 
safer now then they were a week or two ago. That is good news.
  However, Sikhs continue to be under assault in India. The Indian 
government holds over 52,000 Sikhs as political prisoners. It has 
murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. A few months ago, Indian troops 
were caught red-handed trying to set fire to a Gurdwara (a Sikh 
temple), but Sikh and Muslim villagers prevented them from carrying out 
this atrocity.
  This is part of a long pattern of violation of the rights of Sikhs 
and other minorities by the Indian government. The attacks on Sikhs in 
America, which are terribly unfortunate and should be condemned by all, 
have been incidents carried out by individuals. That is a key 
difference. Much of the problem is that since the Sikhs don't have 
their own country, Americans and others don't know who they are. This 
is one more reason why a free Khalistan is essential.
  Khalistan is the Sikh homeland which declared its independence from 
India on October 7, 1987. This week marks Khalistan's independence 
anniversary. It will also see the annual convention of the Council of 
Khalistan, the government pro tempore of Khalistan which leads its 
independence struggle.
  Given India's apparent reluctance to cooperate with the United States 
in our war on terrorism, American support for a free Khalistan and for 
freedom for the Kashmiris, for predominantly Christian Nagaland, and 
for all the other nations seeking their freedom is more urgent than 
ever. We must do what we can to extend the glow of freedom all over the 
world. We can help that along by maintaining our sanctions on India, by 
cutting off our aid to India until human rights are respected, and by 
supporting an internationally-supervised plebiscite on the question of 
independence for all the nations of South Asia. Our war on terrorism is 
about preserving freedom. Let's not forget that freedom is universal.

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