[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page E479]]
VAISAKHI GREETINGS TO THE SIKH NATION
______
HON. DAN BURTON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 10, 2002
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, April 13, is
Vaisakhi, the birthday of the Sikhs. It marks the day on which the last
of the Sikh gurus, Guru Gobind Singh, consecrated the Khalsa Panth. It
is the Sikhs' most important holiday. I would like to take this
opportunity to wish the Sikhs in America, In Khalistan, and around the
world a happy Vaisakhi Day.
This important occasion is usually marked with parades and services
in the Gurdwara. It should also be a time for the Sikh Nation to focus
on freedom.
Sikhs have made many contributions to this country. They have been
leaders in agriculture, law, medicine, and many other fields. One Sikh,
Dr. Dalip Singh, a mathematics professor from California, served two
terms in this House from 1959-63. He was the first person from the
subcontinent to serve in Congress.
As is the regular practice, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the
Council of Khalistan, has issued a Vaisakhi Day greeting to the Sikh
Nation. He urges the Sikhs to use this occasion to begin a peaceful
movement to reclaim their lost sovereignty and freedom. I urge all my
colleagues to read this outstanding letter.
The time has come for America to cut off its aid to India and to
support a free and fair plebiscite on independence in Punjab,
Khalistan, in Kashmir, in Christian Nagaland, and in the many nations
seeking their freedom from India. These are the best measures to ensure
freedom, peace, security, and prosperity in South Asia.
Vaisakhi Message to the Sikh Nation, Mar. 25, 2002.
Khalsa Ji: Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!
This is a time of celebration of our 303rd anniversary of
the Khalsa Panth. It is also time to look back at our
history. The Guru gave sovereignty to the Khalsa Panth. (``In
grieb Sikhin ko deon Patshahi.'') Banda Singh Bahadur
established the first Khalsa rule in Punjab from 1710 to
1716. Then there was a period of persecution of the Sikhs.
Again Sikhs established a sovereign, independent rule from
1765 to 1849, when the British annexed the Sikh homeland,
Punjab, into British India.
To regain freedom from the British, Sikhs were on the front
line of the fight. The Sikh Nation gave about 80 percent of
the sacrifices during this freedom struggle when they formed
only 1.5 percent of the Indian population. At the time of the
independence of India, Sikhs were equal signatories to the
transfer of power from the British. Muslim leader Mohammed
Ali Jinnah was very wise and well educated and he did not
trust the majority Hindu leadership. He got an independent
Pakistan for the Muslims. The Sikh leadership should have
gotten an independent country for the Sikhs at that time, but
they were fooled by the Hindu leadership of Nehru and Gandhi
so Sikhs took their share and joined India on the promise
that they would have the glow of freedom in the northwest
part of India.
Khalsa Ji, we have seen this ``glow of freedom'' in the
form of the attack on the Golden Temple in June 1984, when
over 20,000 Sikhs were killed in Punjab in a single month.
The next massacre of Sikhs occurred after the assassination
of Indira Gandhi in Delhi. There was a mass murder of Sikhs
throughout India, including Delhi. The Sikhs were pulled out
of trains and burned alive. Sikh truck drivers were pulled
out of their trucks. Tires were put around their necks by
Hindu militants and they were burned to death. In Punjab,
this genocide continued under Beant Singh's government. Sikhs
were arrested, tortured, and then cremated and their bodies
were declared ``unidentified.''
Since 1984, over 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered. 52,268
are rotting in Indian jails under TADA, which expired in
1995. Many of them have be in illegal custody since Operation
Bluestar in 1984. Only last month, 42 Members of the U.S.
Congress wrote to President Bush to get these political
prisoners released. Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed the
government killing of Sikhs in fake encounters, became a
victim of the Indian police himself. He was kidnapped outside
his house and murdered in police custody. He documented 6,018
Sikhs who were secretly cremated by the government in three
cremation grounds, Patti, Tarn Taran, and Durgiana Mandir.
Subsequently, Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO)
chairman Justice Ajit Singh Bains said that about 50,000
Sikhs were secretly cremated in this manner. Even Akal Takht
Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke was murdered by SSP Swaran Singh
Ghotna and then his body was disposed of.
The Badal government was forced to conduct an inquiry into
the killing of Jathedar Kaunke. It was done by three Punjab
police officials under the leadership of DIG Tiwari. He
submitted a report to the Badal government, which has not
been made public as of today. How could a democratically
elected Akali government hide the murder of the Akal Takht
Jathedar by not releasing this report, which was conducted by
its own order?
The Badal government was the most corrupt one in Punjab's
history. They invented a new term for bribery: ``fee for
service.'' If you didn't pay the fee, you didn't get the
service. There was a fixed amount of money for government
jobs. Bags of money were received by Mrs. Badal in return for
these jobs. The Punjab economy deteriorated under Badal and
the Punjab government had its largest debt ever. It is
bankrupt now. Badal made three promises to get elected. He
promised to free the political prisoners, to punish the
police officers who carried out atrocities against the Sikh
Nation, and to appoint a commission to investigate
atrocities. He did not keep any of them.
The Sikh leadership is completely under Indian government
control, whether it is the Akali leadership of Badal, Tohra,
Mann, and others or the Congress leadership of Punjab under
Captain Amarinder Singh or former Chief Minister Mrs.
Bhatthal. Changing parties and faces every election will not
solve the problems of the Sikh Nation. Congress is no better
than the Akalis and the Alkalis proved to be the worst
enemies of the Sikh Nation. How could an Akali government
keep 52,268 Sikhs in jail without charge or trial for the
last 16 years? It is shameful and a black mark on the present
Akali leadership. They have cashed in on the sacrifices and
good will of the pre-independence Akali leadership.
Khalsa Ji, the only solution to this quagmire is the
formation of a Khalsa Raj Party under new, honest, dedicated,
and committed leadership. The time is now to do it. Let's not
waste time and prolong the suffering and agony of the Sikh
Nation under the present corrupt Akali leadership which is
controlled by the Indian government and is determined to wipe
out the Sikh Nation and the Sikh religion. The only remedy is
to sever our relationship with Delhi completely, once and for
all, and declare the independence from India and start a
peaceful agitation to free the Sikh homeland, Punjab,
Khalistan.
The victory of the Congress Party was a massive rejection
of the Akalis, who were elected five years ago to reject the
Congress Party. However, the Congress Party remains the enemy
of the Sikh Nation. In the last two elections, the Sikh
Nation has soundly rejected both parties. Neither supports
the interests of the Sikh Nation; neither can be trusted by
the Sikh Nation. The time has come to discard the present
Akali leadership that has betrayed the Sikh Nation.
We must press for action against the police officials who
carried out the police kidnapping and murder of human-rights
activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. These would be good first
steps for the Sikh leadership and for the new government in
Punjab. But we must continue to pursue our ultimate goal of
freeing the Sikh homeland, Punjab, Khalistan.
The Sikh Nation is sovereign and it must have its
sovereign, independent country. Guru gave sovereignty to the
Khalsa Panth. Remember ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.'' Sikhs can
never forgive or forget the desecration of the Golden Temple.
This is the history and tradition of the Sikh Nation. The
time has come to form a Khalsa Raj Party to liberate
Khalistan. The new Sikh leadership must launch a Shantmai
Morcha to liberate our homeland. The only way the Sikh Nation
can prosper is to free the Sikh homeland, Punjab, Khalistan.
The freedom of the Sikh Nation will bring prosperity,
stability, and peace to Punjab and to South Asia.
Panth Da Sewadar,
Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh,
President, Council of Khalistan.
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