[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 23, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT LET TYTLER ENTER COUNTRY

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed to read that Jagdish Tytler, 
India's Minister of State for Non-Resident Indian Affairs, was coming 
to the United States to speak to the American Association of Physicians 
of Indian Origin. While there are many fine people of Indian origin, 
Jagdish Tytler is a person who is unfit to visit this country. He is 
the person most responsible for the genocide against Sikhs in Delhi in 
November 1984. To bring Jagdish Tytler to America is to give our 
implicit blessing to that massacre.
  After the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Tytler and others organized 
bands of Hindus who grabbed Sikhs and burned them to death. He was one 
of the people responsible for getting the Sikh police locked in their 
barracks so that they could not intervene. Meanwhile, the state-run 
radio and TV screamed for more Sikh blood. In all, over 20,000 Sikhs 
were murdered.
  Mr. Speaker, why is such a person being granted entry to the United 
States? And why is he in India's Cabinet? Unfortunately, rewarding 
people who carry out such activities is too common in India. We do not 
have to grant it our implicit approval.
  As you know, over a quarter of a million Sikhs have been murdered at 
the hands of the Indian government since 1984. The Indian government 
has also killed more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 87,000 
Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and thousands upon thousands of other 
minorities as well. They continue to hold tens of thousands of 
political prisoners, according to Amnesty International. This includes 
over 52,000 Sikhs, some of whom have been held in illegal custody 
without charge or trial for 20 years. A democratic country should be 
embarrassed to have carried out acts like these, and I call on Prime 
Minister Singh to begin to rectify India's record by releasing the 
political prisoners and by removing Mr. Tytler and others involved in 
atrocities from his government. This will be a good first step towards 
restoring democracy for all the people.
  America is the beacon of freedom. It is a country dedicated to the 
principles of freedom and equal rights. While we have not always been 
perfect in our efforts to follow these principles, they form the 
foundation of America. We embarrass ourselves and our principles by 
allowing the likes of Jagdish Tytler to come and make speeches in our 
country.
  As long as people like Mr. Tytler are in the government, it is 
confirmation that there is no place for Sikhs and other minorities in 
India. Until it repudiates this and allows all people to exercise their 
full rights, we should provide no aid to India. And we should put 
ourselves on record in support of a free and fair vote on independence 
for the Sikh homeland, Khalistan, and for all the other nations seeking 
their freedom. And we should keep the leaders who practice brutality 
and commit atrocities out of our country.

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