[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 24, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           KERRY STATEMENT CALLING SIKHS TERRORISTS A MISTAKE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 24, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, as an American and a Democrat, it was not 
good news when I was informed by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of 
the Council of Khalistan, that Senator John Kerry, the frontrunner for 
my party's nomination for President, had made a speech in Oklahoma on 
January 31 in which he described the Sikhs as terrorists. This is a 
mistake on Senator Kerry's part and one I hope he will correct 
promptly.
  I have been following South Asian affairs for some time now and I can 
tell you that Sikhs are committed to freedom. I have met members of the 
Sikh community here in the United States, which is half a million 
strong, and they are hardworking people who are dedicated to their 
families, their religion, America, and freedom for their Sikh brothers 
and sisters back home in Punjab, Khalistan.
  The Indian government has been oppressing the Sikhs ever since 
independence. Shortly after India got its independence, the Indian 
government sent out a memo describing Sikhs as ``a criminal class'' and 
ordering police to take special measures to suppress them. This is 
shameful. Since 1984, India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs, according 
to the Punjab State Magistracy and human-rights organizations. They 
hold over 52,000 political prisoners. Some have been in illegal custody 
without charge or trial for 20 years, Mr. Speaker. Two decades! Is that 
a democratic way to do things?
  India's propaganda machine is working overtime to maintain this false 
picture of Sikhs as a ``criminal class'' devoted to terrorism. They 
have even hired two lobbying firms, expensive ones, to carry out this 
work. Unfortunately, it appears that they managed to misinform the 
Senator from Massachusetts on this matter. I am sure he will correct 
himself soon, and I urge him to do so.
  In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, it is up to us to do what we can to 
press for democracy in the subcontinent. Cutting off India's aid would 
be a good start. This is one of the most effective ways to promote 
basic human rights for everyone in South Asia. Another very effective 
means would be to call on India to hold a free and fair vote on the 
question of independence, the democratic way. By doing this, we help 
bring the glow of freedom and the blessings of liberty to everyone in 
that troubled part of the world.
  I also call on Senator Kerry to recognize the legitimate aspirations 
of the Sikhs and the others fighting to free themselves from the yoke 
of Indian oppression. That they are doing so by peaceful, democratic, 
nonviolent means shows that the Indian government's picture of them as 
terrorists is false. I await the Senator's correction.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to add the Council of 
Khalistan's letter to Senator Kerry requesting a correction and 
repudiation of his statement to the Record so that people can see the 
real situation in South Asia.


                                         Council of Khalistan,

                                Washington, DC, February 11, 2004.
     Senator John F. Kerry,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kerry:  I am writing to you today on behalf of 
     half a million Sikh Americans and over 25 million Sikhs 
     worldwide to say that your remarks equating Sikhs with 
     terrorists were offensive to the Sikh community. While giving 
     a speech in Oklahoma, you referred to ``the Sikhs in India'' 
     as an example of terrorism.
       Sikhism is an independent, monotheistic, revealed religion, 
     not a part of any other religion. Sikhs are distinctive by 
     our religion, language, and culture from any other people on 
     Earth.
       Sikhs ruled Punjab from 1710 to 1716 and again from 1765 to 
     1849. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians all participated 
     in the government. Sikhs are a separate nation and people.
       At the time of India's independence, three nations were to 
     receive sovereign power: the Muslims, who got Pakistan, the 
     Hindus, who got India, and the Sikhs. Sikhs took their share 
     with India on the solemn promise that Sikhs would enjoy ``the 
     glow of freedom'' in Punjab and no law affecting Sikh rights 
     would be passed without our consent. Instead, almost as soon 
     as the ink was dry on India's independence, Nehru sent out a 
     directive describing Sikhs as ``a criminal class'' and 
     ordering police to take extraordinary measures against us.
       Since June 1984, India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs, 
     according to figures compiled by the Punjab State Magistracy 
     and human rights groups and published in the book The 
     Politics of Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee. A report from 
     the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) shows that India 
     admitted to holding 52,268 Sikhs as political prisoners. Some 
     have been in illegal custody since 1984! Tens of thousands of 
     other minorities are also being held as political prisoners, 
     according to Amnesty International. Indian forces carried out 
     the March 2000 massacre in the village of Chithisinghpora, 
     according to two independent investigations. Indian forces 
     were caught red-handed trying to set fire to a Sikh Gurdwara 
     and Sikh homes in a village in Kashmir. Sikh and Muslim 
     villagers joined hands to stop them.
       The book Soft Target, written by two Canadian journalists, 
     Zuhair Kashmeri of the Toronto Globe and Mail and Brian 
     McAndrew of the Toronto Star, shows conclusively that the 
     Indian government blew up its own airliner in 1985, killing 
     329 innocent people, to blame it on the Sikhs and have an 
     excuse for more repression.
       Other minorities such as Christians and Muslims, among 
     others, have also felt the lash of Indian repression. Over 
     300,000 Christians in Nagaland have been killed by the 
     terrorist Indian regime. Nuns have been raped, priests have 
     been murdered, churches have been burned, schools and prayer 
     halls have been destroyed, all with impunity. A mob of 
     militant Hindus affiliated with the parent organization of 
     the ruling BJP murdered missionary Graham Staines and his two 
     sons by burning them to death while they slept in their jeep, 
     all the while chanting ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. 
     India threw missionary Joseph Cooper from Pennsylvania out of 
     the country after he was beaten so severely that he had to 
     spend a week in the hospital. A Christian religious 
     festival on the theme ``Jesus is the answer'' was broken 
     up by police gunfire.
       Almost two years ago, Muslims were massacred in Gujarat 
     while police were ordered to stand by and do nothing, 
     according to Indian newspaper reports. One newspaper quoted a 
     policeman as saying that the Indian government planned the 
     massacre in advance. This is an eerie parallel to the 1984 
     massacre of Sikhs in Delhi, in which police were locked in 
     their barracks while the state-run radio and television 
     called for more Sikh blood.
       An Indian Cabinet minister was quoted as saying that 
     everyone who lives in India must either be a Hindu or be 
     subservient to Hindus. This kind of religious fanaticism as 
     state policy is dangerous and anti-democratic. We would not 
     want it in America; why should we support it in India?
       On October 7, 1987, Sikhs declared their independence from 
     India, naming their new country Khalistan. We are committed 
     to liberating Khalistan by peaceful, democratic, nonviolent 
     means. History shows that multinational states such as 
     Austria-Hungary, the Soviet Union, and India are doomed to 
     fall apart. We intend to see that this happens peacefully, in 
     the manner of Czechoslovakia, not violently like Yugoslavia. 
     Yet simply supporting a sovereign, independent Khalistan is 
     what India calls terrorism.
       The 20,000 Sikhs who were murdered in the June 1984 attack 
     on the Golden Temple and 37 other Sikh Gurdwaras throughout 
     Punjab were not terrorists. They were seeking refuge from the 
     Indian government's tyranny. Yet the Indian government 
     insists on describing them as ``terrorists,'' as if repeating 
     it often enough will make it true.
       Senator Kerry, we respectfully request that you apologize 
     to the Sikh Nation and the Sikh community in the United 
     States for your remark. I urge you to support measures to 
     bring freedom to all the people of the subcontinent. Sikhs 
     share the commitment to freedom you showed when you fought in 
     Vietnam and in your service in public office. There was even 
     a Sikh member of Congress in the late 1950s, Dalip Singh 
     Saund of California. We look forward to working with you in 
     the future to bring the blessings of liberty to everyone in 
     the subcontinent.
       If you would like any further information or would like to 
     meet about these issues, please feel free to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                          Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh,
     President, Council of Khalistan.

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