[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6387]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     CONGRATULATING THE SIKH NATION ON ITS 300th BAISAKHI DAY SELF-
                      DETERMINATION FOR THE SIKHS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY A. CONDIT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 13, 1999

  Mr. CONDIT. Mr. Speaker, on April 14, the Sikh Nation will celebrate 
its 300th Baisakhi Day. This is a major milestone for the Sikhs of 
America and the world, and I would like to take this opportunity to 
congratulate them on this occasion.
  More than 40,000 Sikhs came to Washington, D.C. this past weekend to 
celebrate with a march organized by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President 
of the Council of Khalistan, who is a friend of many of ours. The march 
was a huge success, and I would like to congratulate Dr. Aulakh and 
everyone who was involved in this very successful event. Through their 
hard work one of the largest groups that Washington has seen in a long 
time showed up to celebrate the Sikh heritage and declare the need for 
a free and independent Khalistan.
  There are about 500,000 Sikhs in the United States. They are part of 
a vibrant 22-million strong Sikh community around the world. They have 
added to America in many different fields of endeavor. Here the Sikhs 
live in freedom and prosperity. Yet in their homeland, Punjab, 
Khalistan, they suffer under the brutal tyranny of the Indian 
government. Under this brutal policy, the Indian government has 
murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. Thousands more are held in 
Indian jails, most without charge or trial.
  Sikhism is an independent, monotheistic, revealed religion. It is not 
part of any other religion, though it does have some beliefs that are 
also held by other religions. Like Christians and Muslims, Sikhs have 
been victims of the Hindu extremists who dominate Indian life. Like 
Christians and Muslims, Sikhs are religiously and culturally distinct 
from Hindu India.
  The Sikhs have a heritage of self-rule. They ruled Punjab 
independently from 1765 to 1849. No representative of the Sikh people 
has ever signed the constitution of India, 51 years after India became 
independent. In October 1987, Khalistan declared itself independent 
from India, much as we declared our own independence in 1776. They 
created the Council of Khalistan, headed by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, to 
serve as the government pro tempore and lead the peaceful struggle for 
independence.
  What we know as India never existed before the British created it. 
Prior to the British conquest of South Asia, the region had many 
countries which ruled themselves. Just as the Soviet Union's 
multiethnic empire collapsed, so must India's. It is inevitable. Given 
India's nuclear weapons and missile development, the world must remain 
alert to make certain that South Asia does not become another Balkan 
Peninsula full of Bosnias and Kosovos. The best way to do that is to 
work for peaceful solutions to the region's ethnic and religious 
violence.
  In previous Congresses, I have sponsored a resolution calling for a 
free and fair plebiscite under international supervision to achieve a 
peaceful solution to the issue of independence for Khalistan. I urge 
the same also for Kashmir, where it was promised by India in 1947, for 
Nagaland, and for all the states and regions where there are 
independence movements. This is the democratic way to settle these 
issues, and India claims to be a democracy. Let the world see Indian 
democracy in action by scheduling these plebiscites now. If it is good 
enough for the people of Puerto Rico and Quebec, it is good enough for 
the people of Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and the rest of South Asia.
  In addition to calling for a plebiscite, we should end U.S. aid to 
India until basic human rights can be freely exercised by all people 
under India's rule and we should declare India a violator of religious 
liberty for the killings of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and others, 
then impose the sanctions that this status brings. If the situation 
changes, the sanctions can and should be lifted.
  Congratulations again to the Sikhs on their 300th anniversary. May 
this occasion mark not just an anniversary, but a new birth of freedom 
in South Asia.

                          ____________________