[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 148 (Friday, November 15, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2049-E2050]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                POLICE AGAIN ENTER GOLDEN TEMPLE COMPLEX

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 14, 2002

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in June 1984, Indian forces 
invaded the Golden Temple, the most sacred Sikh shrine, and other Sikh 
Gurdwaras around Punjab, killing 20,000 people. As Sant Jarnail Singh 
Bhindranwale said, this helped lay the foundation of Khalistan, the 
Sikh homeland that declared its independence in 1987. Now the police 
have again invaded the Golden Temple complex on the pretext of 
searching the three buildings in the complex in connection with the 
upcoming elections for the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee 
(SGPC), which oversees all the Gurdwaras in India.
  The police were accompanied by Indian political officials, including 
the Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.
  People of all religions and from all over the world have been 
welcomed to worship at the Golden Temple. Now even members of the SGPC 
may well be blocked from entering it. Some SGPC workers had a verbal 
altercation with two of the invading police officials, according to the 
Tribune newspaper out of Chandigarh. The article reports that SGPC 
members have already had to sneak into the Golden Temple complex.
  Mr. Speaker, this is further proof that there is no religious freedom 
in ``the world's largest democracy.'' India has already been added to 
our government's list of countries that violate religious freedom. Now 
sanctions should be implemented to help ensure real religious liberty 
in India.
  This is just the latest chapter in a long history of repression of 
Sikhs by India. Over a quarter of a million Sikhs have been murdered 
since 1984. More than 52,000 are being held as political prisoners, 
according to a report by the Movement Against State Repression. Another 
50,000 have simply been made to ``disappear.'' The police picked up 
50,000 Sikh youth, tortured them, murdered them, declared their bodies 
``unidentified'' and secretly cremated them, and refused to hand the 
remains over to the families. Christians, Muslims, Dalits, and other 
minorities have seen similar atrocities committed against them, yet the 
world treats India as a respectable, democratic country.
  Mr. Speaker, we must stop our aid to India now. We must declare our 
support for self-determination for the Sikhs of Khalistan, for 
predominantly Christian Nagaland, for Kashmir, and for everyone in 
South Asia. The cornerstone of democracy is the right to self-
determination.
  I would like to place the Tribune article on the police invasion of 
the Golden Temple complex into the Record at this time. I think my 
colleagues will find it very informative.

        [lsqb]From the Tribune (Chandigarh), Nov. 11, 2002[rsqb]

                  Police Enters Golden Temple Complex

                          (By Prabhjot Singh)

       Chandigarh, Nov. 10.--Less than 24 hours before a five-
     member NDA team, led by union minister Sahib Singh Verma, 
     could fly into the Holy City of Amritsar to oversee the 
     conduct of next Tuesday's annual election to the SGPC 
     executive committee, Punjab policemen in plain clothes 
     entered the Golden Temple complex on the pretext of searching 
     all three serais (inns) there.
       Accompanying the team would be not only Union Chemicals and 
     Fertilisers Minister, Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who is also a 
     SAD General Secretary, but also 100-odd SGPC members owing 
     allegiance to SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal.
       Though preventive arrests continued throughout the state 
     and Golden Temple complex was put under police siege with the 
     deployment of hundreds of anti-riot policemen in anti-combat 
     gear, some of the Akali leaders, including former Finance 
     Minister Kanwaljit Singh managed to sneak into the sanctum 
     sanctorum.
       Talking to The Tribune over the telephone, Mr Sukhdev Singh 
     Dhindsa said the names of four NDA observers--Mr Sahib Singh 
     Verma, Mr Thomas (MP, Samata), Mrs D'Souza (MP, Samata), and 
     Mrs Anita Arya (MP, BJP)--have already been cleared, the 
     Union Civil Aviation Minister, Mr Shah Nawaz, is also 
     expected to be a part of the special NDA team to oversee the 
     SGPC elections. The observers and the SGPC members would take 
     a chartered flight from New Delhi to Amritsar tomorrow 
     afternoon.
       Mr Dhindsa further said that on the basis of the complaint 
     lodged by the Shiromani Akali Dal with the Union Home 
     Minister yesterday, the Union Home Secretary today called 
     Punjab Chief Secretary Y.S. Ratra on the telephone and 
     expressed his ``strong displeasure'' over ``politicalisation 
     of the bureaucracy''.
       The Chief Secretary reportedly assured the Union Home 
     Secretary that no SGPC member would be stopped from reaching 
     the Golden Temple complex for attending the election meeting. 
     Efforts would be made to facilitate those lodged in jails in 
     one case or the other to attend and vote in the elections.

[[Page E2050]]

       Meanwhile, reports indicate that so far the Punjab police 
     has taken 1,222 Akali workers into custody. Of these 934 
     belong to Shiromani Akali Dal, 234 to Sarb Hind Shiromani 
     Akali Dal, 50 to Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and one owes 
     allegiance to Mr Ravi Inder Singh. The remaining three belong 
     to the Mehta faction of the AISSF.
       Of these, the maximum arrests of the Badal men were made in 
     Sangrur (73), followed by Majitha (64), Tarn Taran (60) and 
     Patiala (62). Rashmi Talwar and Ashok Sethi in their reports 
     from Amritsar said the police in a pre-dawn swoop entered the 
     Golden Temple complex on the pretext of searching all three 
     serais--Guru Nanak Niwas, Guru Hargodbind Niwas and Mata 
     Ganga Niwas.
       When the police arrived to get the three serais vacated to 
     ensure implementation of the orders, among those evicted were 
     50 schoolchildren in the age group of six to eight years from 
     Lucknow. The police parties which were headed by Mr Jagdish 
     Khera and Mr R.S. Ghuman, both DSPs, had a verbal altercation 
     with the SGPC workers who resisted the attempts of the 
     raiding party to get the serais vacated. Mr Harbant Singh and 
     Mr Ajaib Singh, Secretary of the SGPC, and personal assistant 
     to the SGPC chief, respectively, refused to budge holding 
     that the orders were not specific to the SGPC and 
     ``devotees'' could not be evicted from a religious complex.
       The SGPC Chief, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, who had to rush 
     to Amritsar from Bathinda, after the police entry into the 
     complex, assailed the government action maintaining that it 
     was a direct attack on the most sacred Sikh shrine and the 
     Congress Government was bent upon disturbing communal peace 
     and harmony.
       The police officials managed to get computer printouts of 
     the names and addresses of 2,000 devotees staying in the 
     serais.
       Hundreds of policemen in top anti-combat gear laid a siege 
     to the Golden Temple complex. The mounted police has also 
     been deployed around the complex.
       Talking to The Tribune over the cellphone, Capt Kanwaljit 
     Singh said that that action of the police in the morning and 
     again in the evening of searching serais and evicting yatris 
     was a serious ``violation of the sanctity of the Golden 
     Temple complex.'' The action of the government amounts to 
     gross interference in the religious affairs of the Sikhs and 
     could lead to serious complications besides disturbing 
     communal harmony and peace in the state.''
       He said a number of SGPC members and dal workers had 
     already managed to sneak into the complex.
       Professor Badungar told newsmen that in case the police 
     entered Teja Singh Samundari Hall on the day of the election 
     meeting, the repercussions would be ``drastic''.
       He said the government was gripped by a ``fear psychosis'' 
     and its nervousness was evident from the desperate steps it 
     was taking. He maintained that the national and international 
     media would be permitted to cover the executive committee 
     elections as he disapproved on any NDA observers to oversee 
     the elections. No other SGPC employee would be allowed inside 
     the meeting hall.
       The SGPC chief said that non-bailable warrants issued 
     against former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur by a Kapurthala court 
     was an indication of the desperation of the state government.
       Meanwhile, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, General Secretary, 
     SHSAD supported the orders issued by the District Magistrate 
     but held that these orders should be applicable in case of 
     ``bad elements'' and not the devotees.
       The SHSAD was ready for a truce with Mr. Parkash Singh 
     Badal provided he agreed to apologize at Akal Takht and 
     accepted Bhai Ranjit Singh as Jathedar of Akal Takht. He 
     claimed that 50 SGPC members were strongly behind the SHSAD.
       Senior Akali leader and close aide of Mr. Parkash Singh 
     Badal, Capt Kanwaljit Singh claimed that the SAD has 
     formulated its secret strategy to bring all 120 SGPC members 
     to Teja Singh Samundri Hall on November 12 to elect the 
     President and the executive committee. Talking to newsmen 
     this evening at Bhai Gurdas Hall after managing to enter the 
     city in disguise. He said the reign of terror unleashed by 
     the Amarinder Singh government on Akali leaders and workers 
     were trampling upon their democratic rights.
       Capt Kanwaljit Singh said Mr. Badal, along with all 120 
     members, would land at Rajasansi Airport tomorrow for the 
     SGPC general house election meeting. Party leaders and 
     workers would ensure that all SGPC members manage to enter 
     the Golden Temple complex on that day.
       He claimed that the ex-parte disqualification of SGPC 
     members by the SGJC was likely to be set aside by the Punjab 
     and Haryana High Court tomorrow.
       Discounting the rumors of a patch-up between Mr. Badal and 
     Mr. Tohra, Capt Kanwaljit Singh said there was no scope for 
     any compromise. The Badal candidate would win hands down, he 
     asserted.
       The arrival of the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Joginder 
     Singh Vedanti, here this evening has raised speculation about 
     an appeal being made by him for a patch-up between the two 
     Akali stalwarts to avoid a confrontation even as the Congress 
     Government has queered the pitch with heavy deployment of the 
     police around the complex.

     

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