[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 106 (Thursday, July 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1494-E1495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FOR FREEDOM IN SOUTH ASIA
______
HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS
of new york
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer somewhat belated
congratulations to the Sikh Nation on Vaisakhi Day, the anniversary of
the creation of the Khalsa Panth, which occurred in April. This is a
very important day in the Sikh calendar, the birthday of the Khalsa
Panth.
The Khalsa Panth was created in a spirit of freedom, and this is
reflected in their daily prayers in which they pray for the freedom of
the Sikh Nation and the well being of all people. This freedom is an
essential yearning of the human spirit and all people are entitled to
freedom. Yet merely for trying to be free, the Sikhs have been
oppressed by the Indian government, which has murdered more than
250,000 of them since 1984.
Against this backdrop, the Sikh Nation declared its independence on
October 7, 1987, creating the new country of Khalistan. This was in a
Sikh tradition of self-rule. From 1765 to 1849 Sikh ruled Punjab. They
ran an inclusive government, with Hindus, Muslims, and others in high
positions.
Now their dreams of freedom are being crushed by the force of 500,000
Indian troops while the Indian government tries to set up Hindutva--
total Hindu domination of every aspect of the political, social, and
cultural life of India, South Asia, and the people living there. One
Indian Cabinet member was quoted as saying that everyone who lives in
India must either be Hindu or be subservient to Hindus.
The Council of Khalistan, which leads the Sikh Nation's struggle to
free its homeland, Khalistan, from Indian oppression, issued an
excellent statement calling on Sikhs worldwide to use the occasion of
the Sikh Nation's birthday to rededicate themselves to achieving
freedom for the Sikhs in a sovereign, independent Khalistan. I would
like to join in that call, Mr. Speaker. It is time to bring true
freedom and democracy to South Asia. In addition, a free and sovereign
Khalistan will be an American ally in the subcontinent.
We should declare our support for freedom for Khalistan and for all
the other nations of South Asia that seek their freedom. And we should
back this up by stopping aid to India until it learns the ways of
democracy and self-determination for all peoples and nations. This is
the most effective way that America, the bastion of freedom, can stand
up for freedom for the oppressed peoples of South Asia.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's open
letter on Vaisakhi Day into the Record.
[[Page E1495]]
Council of Khalistan,
Washington, DC, April 14, 2003.
Vaisakhi Message to the Sikh Nation
Congratulations to the Khalsa Panth on Vaisakhi Day--In Grieb Sikhin Ko
Deon Patshahi; Guru Gave Sovereignty to Sikh Nation, Sikh Nation Must
Free Khalistan; Without Political Power, Nations Perish
Dear Khalsa Ji: WAHEGURU
JIKAKHALSA, WAHEGURUJI KIATEH!
Happy Vaisakhi Day to you and your family, friends, and the
Sangat. 304 years ago, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib established
the Khalsa Panth, as desired by Almighty God. The Guru also
gave sovereignty to the Sikh Nation. That is the reason that
Sikhs always recite ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.''
Sikhs established a sovereign, independent Sikh state under
the leadership of Banda Singh Bahadur from 1710 to 1716, then
under the Sikh missals from 1765 until 1799 when Maharajah
Ranjit Singh established Khalsa Raj in Punjab, which lasted
until 1849 when the British conquered the subcontinent.
India is not a single nation. It is on the verge of
disintegration. Multinational states like India historically
have been doomed to disintegrate, as Austria-Hungary, the
Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia have shown us.
The Sikh Nation must do its best to establish Khalsa Raj as
soon as possible. The political situation in the world is
very fluid today. The Kashmir problem must be resolved
through self-determination, which is the essence of
democracy. As soon as Kashmir goes, India will disintegrate,
as L.K. Advani forecast.
Outside Sikhs have played and must continue to play an
important role in the present struggle for an independent
Khalistan. They have exposed Indian government violations of
basic human rights of Sikhs and other minorities. They have
internationalized the Sikh struggle for an independent
Khalistan. They have also preserved Sikh history by
documenting major events since 1984 in the Congressional
Record.
Three million Sikhs live outside of India. They constitute
a major political force in many democratic countries,
including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and
others. I appeal to all Sikhs to get involved in the
political process to preserve their interests in their home
countries. Secure the help of political parties and officials
to help free Khalistan and to preserve Sikh interests in your
respective countries and also to help protect the Sikhs back
in Punjab, Khalistan. Every Sikh must become a citizen of the
country where he or she lives and become part of the
political process. Only by beconung politically active will
Sikhs be able to achieve our objectives of a free Khalistan
and preserve our interests in our adopted countries.
The next generations of Sikhs are citizens of these adopted
countries. They were born there and they are going to stay.
They must play a very constructive role in the political,
social, and economic life of the country. Make sure that our
children are very well educated. There should not be any
Sikh child, boy or girl, who does not have at least an
undergraduate university degree. Make sure that your sons
and your daughters are well educated. Make sure they get
the best education that they can. Only by educating our
women will we secure a better future for the Sikh Nation
and for our coming generations.
Remember that the Sikh Nation must free our Sikh homeland,
Punjab, Khalistan. Without political power nations perish. It
is essential for the survival of the Sikh Nation.
Colonial rule was better for everyone in India except the
Brahmins than Indian rule is. We have been victimized by
repression, tyranny, discrimination, and other abuses of our
basic, god-given rights. India has used genocide, murder,
torture, rape, and everything in its arsenal to destroy the
Sikh Nation. It has even blown up its own airliner to blame
it on the Sikhs, as the book Soft Target, written by two
Canadian journalists, proves beyond a doubt. They paid former
Punjab governor Surendra Nath $1.5 billion to foment and
support terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir.
The present Sikh leadership is dishonest, corrupt, and
completely under Indian control. They are complicit in the
crimes of the Indian regime. The book Chakravyuh: Web of
Indian Secularism by Professor Gurtej Singh shows their
complicity. They connived with the Indian government before
the Golden Temple invasion to murder Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, and thousands of other
good Sikhs who were working for Sikh freedom. The Indian
government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. The
death sentence given to Professor Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar
based on a false confession is the latest example of India's
effort to eliminate the Sikh religion and intimidate the Sikh
Nation.
According to a report by the Movement Against State
Repression (MASR), 52,268 Sikhs are being held as political
prisoners in India without charge or trial. Some have been in
illegal custody since 1984! Yet Chief Minister Amarinder
Singh denies that there are any political prisoners at all.
Have they murdered them all? The Indian regime paid over
41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs,
according to a 1994 report from the U.S. State Department.
Will the Indian government publish the names of those Sikhs
who were murdered by those police officials to get rewards?
On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared the independence
of its homeland, Punjab, Khalistan. No Sikh representative
has ever signed the Indian constitution.
The Sikh nation has awakened. I call on all Sikhs to
support the Khalsa Panchayat. These good Sikhs forced
Jathedar Manjit Singh of Kesgarh to resign. Now Jathedar
Vedanti must resign along with him. Please help the Khalsa
Panchayat in these efforts. And work to build a party that
will lead a Shantmai Morcha to liberate our homeland,
Khalistan, from Indian occupation. Just as the Akalis took
control from the Mahants of the last century, we must take
control of our future from the new Mahants, the present Akali
leadership and Indian-controlled Jathedars. We must liberate
our homeland.
Only in a free Khalistan will the Sikh Nation prosper.-Only
then will the Sikh Nation get justice. India must start
acting like a democracy and allow self-determination in the
form of a free and fair plebiscite on independence for
Punjab, Khalistan and the other nations seeking their freedom
from India. Let us join hands to secure our freedom, for
future generations and ourselves.
Panth Da Sewadar,
Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh,
President,
Council of Khalistan.
____________________