[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 106 (Thursday, June 28, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1440]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NEW THREAT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS IN INDIA AS WARRANT IS ISSUED 
                            FOR SIKH EDITOR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2007

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, recently an arrest warrant was issued by 
the government of Punjab for Dr. Sukhpreet Singh Udhoke, a practicing 
physician, International Secretary General of Dal Khalsa USA, and 
Editor-in-Chief of the Sikh publication Shamshir-e-Qaum. Warrants were 
also issued for two of his associates. This is a blatant violation of 
the basic rights of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Freedom 
of speech and freedom of the press are two of the rights that are basic 
to democracy, yet they can be suppressed at will in ``the world's 
largest democracy.''
  Dr. Udhoke's crime was to publish articles in his magazine that 
criticized the Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, and 
advocated freedom for the Sikhs. For this, he is under the cloud of an 
arrest warrant. He has had to go underground to avoid arrest.
  Madam Speaker, this is frighteningly familiar. It is reminiscent of 
the tactics of the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, or any of the other 
totalitarian police states around the world which America has always 
opposed. How can any Member of Congress support such a blatantly 
authoritarian country?
  I would strongly advise the Indian government to withdraw the arrest 
warrant against Dr. Udhoke. If it does not, it will confirm that it is 
the tyrannical, authoritarian, repressive regime that the minorities 
charge that it is, rather than the democracy it proclaims itself to be.
  This is unfortunately just the latest chapter in a long line of 
repression against minorities. We have detailed for many years the tens 
of thousands of Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, and other 
minorities who have been murdered at the hands of the Indian 
government, as well as the tens of thousands of political prisoners who 
are held in India, according to Amnesty International. Laws have been 
passed that prohibit anyone from converting from Hinduism to any other 
religion. Booklets have been published on how to implicate Christians 
and other minorities in false criminal cases. Sikhs have been arrested 
for marches and speeches. A Christian priest was forced to drink his 
own urine. And the arrest warrant for Dr. Udhoke shows that the 
repression goes on.
  Madam Speaker, India's Constitution, like ours, guarantees freedom of 
speech and the Indian courts have ruled that peacefully advocating 
independence for Khalistan (or any other minority nation) is not a 
crime. So what was the basis for Dr. Udhoke's arrest?
  I thank Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of 
Khalistan, for bringing the Udhoke case to my attention. The Council of 
Khalistan has issued a press release condemning the arrest warrant 
against Udhoke. I recommend it strongly to my colleagues. It shows the 
truth about how democracy is really practiced in India. The need for 
the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagaland, the Muslims of 
Kashmir, and the other minorities within India's artificial borders to 
claim their God-given right to be free could not be clearer. If they 
can be arrested for articles they publish, how can they count on the 
government to protect any of their rights?
  It is time for us to speak up and take action. We can help by 
stopping aid and trade with India until the basic human rights and 
civil rights of all people are observed. India can start by withdrawing 
the arrest warrant for Dr. Udhoke and his associates. We should also 
put the United States Congress on record publicly in support of self-
determination for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan, the Muslims of 
Kashmir, the Christians of Nagalim, and all the people seeking freedom 
in South Asia in the form of a free and fair vote on their status. 
Isn't that the democratic way?

              Arrest Warrant for Udhoke Must Be Withdrawn

       Washington, DC, June 28, 2007.--The Council of Khalistan 
     today demanded that the arrest warrant for Dr. Sukhpreet 
     Singh Udhoke, International Secretary General of Dal Khalsa 
     USA and Editor-in-Chief of the periodical Shamshir-e-Qaum, 
     and two of his associates be withdrawn. The arrest warrant 
     was issued by the government of Punjab after Dr. Udhoke 
     printed articles about the persecution of the Sikh Nation and 
     how the Sikh religion is being attacked by the RSS and its 
     political arm, the BJP. He criticized Chief Minister Parkash 
     Singh Badal in his articles. The Akali Dal government of 
     Badal is in a political alliance with the BJP. Dr. Udhoke and 
     his associates' persecution has been condemned recently by 
     the World Peace Forum.
       Dr. Udhoke is a medical doctor who takes care of the sick 
     as well as being an activist for the interests of the Sikh 
     religion and the Sikh Nation. Dr. Udhoke, a resident of the 
     Amritsar district, has been forced underground. He is charged 
     with treason and antinational activities. His magazine, which 
     was on the stands for sale, was removed by the Badal 
     government. This action is a threat to freedom of speech, of 
     the press, and of religion, which are basic democratic and 
     civil rights.
       Badal is the Chief Minister. As such, he is responsible for 
     law and order. Yet he was quick to put out an arrest warrant 
     for Dr. Udhoke for exercising his freedom of speech, but he 
     had to be pressured into prosecuting Ram Rahim, the 
     fraudulent baba who was impersonating Guru Gobind Singh, and 
     he has not yet arrested him. This shows what the Badal 
     government's priorities and allegiances are. He is more 
     concerned with arresting those who defend the interests of 
     the Sikh Nation and the Sikh religion than those who violate 
     it. Ironically, despite Badal's begging and pleading, Ram 
     Rahim supported the Congress Party in the recent elections in 
     Punjab.
       ``The arrest warrant against Dr. Udhoke shows that there is 
     no freedom of speech in Punjab or in India,'' said Dr. Gurmit 
     Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. ``As the 
     late General Narinder Singh said, `Punjab is a police state.' 
     Only a free Khalistan will allow Dr. Udhoke and all Sikhs to 
     enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of 
     religion, and all the rights of free people, rights that are 
     the birthright of all people,'' he said.
       ``Badal's conduct is shameful for a Sikh leader,'' said Dr. 
     Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. 
     ``He is the leader of a government of the Akali Dal, which 
     was organized to protect the interests of the Sikh Nation, 
     yet he is in bed with the Indian government that is 
     oppressing the Sikhs. Badal is under the complete control of 
     the Indian government, rather than working for the Sikhs. We 
     must free ourselves of corrupt, anti-Sikh leaders like Badal 
     and his friends by liberating Khalistan.'' he said. ``As 
     former Akal Takht Jathedar Professor Darshan Singh said: `If 
     a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh.'''
       A report issued by the Movement Against State Repression 
     (MASR) shows that India admitted that it held 52,268 
     political prisoners under the repressive ``Terrorist and 
     Disruptive Activities Act'' (TADA) even though it expired in 
     1995. Many have been in illegal custody since 1984. There has 
     been no list published of those who were acquitted under TADA 
     and those who are still rotting in Indian jails. 
     Additionally, according to Amnesty International, there are 
     tens of thousands of other minorities being held as political 
     prisoners in India.
       The MASR report quotes the Punjab Civil Magistracy as 
     writing ``if we add up the figures of the last few years the 
     number of innocent persons killed would run into lakhs 
     [hundreds of thousands.]'' The Indian government has murdered 
     over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians 
     in Nagaland, over 90,000 Muslims in Kashmir, tens of 
     thousands of Christians and Muslims throughout the country, 
     and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, 
     Bodos, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian 
     government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.''
       ``The Sikh masses and the Akali Dal must rise to the 
     occasion and establish new leadership that works for the 
     interest of the Khalsa Panth and abides by Sikh tradition,'' 
     said Dr. Aulakh. ``Badal and his government have betrayed the 
     Sikh Rehat Maryada, Sikh principles, and Sikh tradition. 
     Their leadership must be rejected for the interests of the 
     Khalsa Panth,'' he said. ``Remember Guru Gobind Singh's 
     words: `In grieb Sikhin ko deon patshahi.' It is time to 
     realize Guru Sahib's blessing. Only a free Khalistan will put 
     a stop to occurrences like the arrest of Dr. Udhoke,'' he 
     said. ``Without political power, religions cannot flourish 
     and nations perish. The time is now to launch a Shantmai 
     Morcha to free Khalistan.''

                          ____________________