[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 125 (Monday, September 30, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1705-E1706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SIKH AUTHOR AND SCHOLAR GURTEJ SINGH EXPOSES INDIAN TYRANNY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CYNTHIA A. McKINNEY

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 30, 2002

  Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, recently a seminar was held in New York on 
the oppression of minorities in Hindu nationalist India. One of the 
speakers was the Sikh scholar and author Gurtej Singh, Professor of 
Sikhism. He is also the author of the book Chakravyuh: Web of Indian 
Secularism.
  Professor Gurtej Singh discussed the history of Sikh independence and 
the Sikh religion. He exposed the connivance of Sikh leaders of all 
parties with the Indian government. He discussed the efforts of the 
Hindu nationalists to absorb the Sikh religion.
  Professor Gurtej Singh has been honored by the Shiromani Gudrwara 
Prabandhak Committee, which runs the Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) in 
Punjab, Khalistan. He is a very well respected Sikh scholar.
  The information he discussed underlies the need for the Sikhs in 
Punjab, Khalistan to work to achieve their freedom. Unfortunately, the 
Indian government has recently reaffirmed through its Ambassador to the 
U.S. that it will hold a plebiscite in Kashmir, as it promised in 1948, 
or in Punjab.
  Since the United States was formed to be the bastion of freedom, we 
owe it to the people there to do what we can to support their freedom 
efforts. We should declare our support for a free and fair plebiscite 
in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in primilarly Christian Nagaland, and 
elsewhere in the subcontinent where people are seeking freedom and 
independence. The democratic way is the best way to resolve issues. 
Until all people in India enjoy the full civil rights of democratic 
citizens, until human rights are respected, India should receive no 
American aid or trade. This is the best way that America can help bring 
freedom to that troubled region.
  Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan recently published a press 
release commending Professor Gurtej Singh for his work for human

[[Page E1706]]

rights and his presentation at the New York panel. I would like to 
insert this press release into the Record at this time.

           S. Gurtej Singh Exposes Indian Tyranny at Seminar

       Washington, D.C., May 16, 2002.--The Sikh Nation 
     appreciates the contributions of S. Gurtej Singh IAS, who 
     spoke at a seminar in New York last week. He exposed the 
     genocide of the Indian government and the betrayal and 
     corruption of the Akali Dal leadership in his book, 
     Chakravyuh: Web of Indian Secularism, and in his speech he 
     gave historical facts about the sovereign, independent Sikh 
     state and the independence of the Sikh religion since its 
     inception. He explained how the Hindu majority wants to 
     assimilate the Sikh religion and establish a Hindu Rashtra. 
     We recommend that everyone read his book.
       ``S. Gurtej Singh has done an excellent job of exposing the 
     connivance of the Akali leaders, such as Badal, Tohra, and 
     Mann, with the Indian government in its campaign of terror 
     against the Sikh Nation,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, 
     President of the Council of Khalistan. ``He is to be 
     saluted,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``The Sikh Nation needs more good 
     Sikhs like S. Gurtej Singh if it is ever to end the 
     oppression.'' The Council of Khalistan is the government pro 
     tempore of Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its 
     independence from India on October 7, 1987. The Council of 
     Khalistan leads the Sikh Nation's struggle for independence.
       ``Gurtej Singh's presentation was excellent and he made a 
     detailed presentation of the abuses and oppression of the 
     Sikh Nation,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``The time has come to throw 
     out the conniving Sikh leadership of the Akalis and Congress 
     and unite behind committed, principled, pro-Sikh leaders who 
     are committed to freedom,'' he said.
       The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 
     1984. Over 75,000 Kashmiri Muslims have been killed since 
     1988. More than 200,000 Christians have been killed since 
     1947, along with tens of thousands of Dalits, Tamils, 
     Assamese, Bodos, Manipuris, and other minorities. Last month, 
     police stood by as militant Hindus attacked Muslims in 
     Gujarat. Over 5000 people died, according to the Indian 
     newspaper The Hindu. The Indian government paid twice as much 
     compensation to the families of Hindus who were killed as it 
     paid to Muslims who were killed.
       The U.S. State Department reported in 1994 that the Indian 
     government paid out over 41,000 cash bounties to police 
     officers for killing Sikhs. Since Christmas 1998, a wave of 
     violence against Christians has seen priests murdered, nuns 
     being raped, churches being burned, Christian schools and 
     prayer halls destroyed, and no one has been punished for 
     these acts. Militant Hindu fundamentalists allied with the 
     pro-Fascist RSS, the parent organization of the ruling BJP, 
     burned missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons to 
     death.
       ``For the survival of the Sikh Nation, the time has come to 
     launch a Shantmai Morcha (peaceful agitation) to liberate 
     Khalistan from Indian occupation,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``I call 
     on the Sikh leadership in Punjab to begin a Shantmai Morcha 
     immediately. If they will not, the Sikh Nation should rid 
     itself of them and support leaders who will do so,'' he said. 
     ``I also call on the United States government to support 
     freedom for Khalistan and the other minority nations seeking 
     their freedom from India,'' he said. ``Sikhs are a separate 
     nation and ruled Punjab until 1849. No Sikh has signed the 
     Indian constitution,'' Dr. Aulakh said.
       Sikhism is a sovereign, independent, monotheistic religion 
     which believes in the equality of the whole human race, 
     including gender equality. Sikhs pray every day for the well 
     being of all humanity. The Sikh Nation was established as 
     sovereign. Guru gave political power to the Sikh Nation. 
     (``In Grieb Sikhan Ko Deon Patshahi.'') ``Freedom and self-
     determination are the birthright of all peoples and nations. 
     The people of South Asia must have self-determination now,'' 
     Dr. Aulakh said. ``India is on the verge of disintegration,'' 
     he said. ``Khalistan will be free by 2008.''

     

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