[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16888]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 16888]]

                          EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

                    DECLARE INDIA A TERRORIST NATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN T. DOOLITTLE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2000

  Mr. DOOLITTLE. Mr. Speaker, recently 20 of us wrote to the President 
urging him to declare India a terrorist nation. India has done a lot to 
deserve this designation.
  In the letter, we expressed our concern about the massacre of 35 
innocent Sikhs in Chithi Singhpora, which took place while the 
President was visiting India in March. Two independent investigations 
have now confirmed that the Indian Government carried out this 
atrocity.
  After the massacre, the government killed five Kashmiri Muslims, 
declaring them militants who were responsible for the massacre. Now 
they have admitted that the Muslims they killed were innocent. When 
will they admit their role in the massacre itself?
  Until the minority peoples and nations of India enjoy freedom, there 
can be no stability in the subcontinent. It becomes increasingly clear 
every day that they cannot enjoy that freedom within Hindu India. 
America can also help to bring freedom to South Asia by cutting off our 
aid to India and by openly supporting self-determination for the people 
of the Sikh homeland of Punjab, Khalistan, the predominantly Muslim 
Kashmir, Christian Nagalim, and the other nations seeking their freedom 
from India.
  Mr. Speaker, I am submitting the letter to the President into the 
Record for the information of my colleagues. It describes the situation 
in India in much more detail than I can possibly go into here.

                                Congress of the United States,

                                    Washington, DC, June 15, 2000.
     Hon. Bill Clinton, President of the United States
     The White House, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: While you were visiting India, 35 
     innocent Sikhs were massacred in the village of Chatti 
     Singhpora in Kashmir. In recent days it has been reported 
     that the Indian government admitted that the five Kashmiri 
     Muslims it killed as ``militants'' responsible for the 
     massacre were innocent. The Punjab Human Rights Organization 
     and the Movement Against State Repression recently issued a 
     report showing that the government's counterinsurgency 
     forces, under the command of RAW, the Indian intelligence 
     agency, carried out this massacre. An intensive investigation 
     by the International Human Rights Organization also concluded 
     that the Indian government carried out the massacre. Indian 
     Home Minister L.K. Advani identified the Chatti Singhpora 
     massacre as one of three recent events that have helped 
     strengthen India's standing in world opinion. He implicitly 
     admits that India benefitted from this atrocity.
       If India can admit that the Muslims it killed are innocent, 
     when will it admit its own responsibility for the Chatti 
     Singhpora massacre? This is a terrible atrocity and the 
     United States must condernn it in the strongest possible 
     terms. America must take action to make it clear that these 
     actions are unacceptable.
       India has also committed similar acts of terrorism against 
     its Christian population. Recently, six Christian 
     missionaries were beaten by militant Hindu fundamentalists 
     while distributing Bibles and religious tracts as part of a 
     gospel campaign called ``Love Ahmedabad.'' They were beaten 
     so savagely that one of them may lose his arms and legs. In 
     Indore, St. Paul's Church was attacked. These acts are part 
     of a campaign of terror against Christians that has been in 
     full swing since Christmas 1998. Whether one is a Sikh, a 
     Muslim, a Christian, or a member of another minority, there 
     is no religious freedom in India, despite its claim that it 
     is democratic. The essence of democracy is respect for the 
     rights of all people. Our government should work to help 
     bring real democracy to South Asia.
       Mr. President, it is time that America takes a stance 
     against these terrorist atrocities by the Indian government. 
     We urge you to add India to the list of terrorist nations. It 
     is also time to stop aid to India until it observes human 
     rights. And we should put America on record in support of 
     self-determination for all the peoples and nations living 
     under India's brutal rule. These are the most effective steps 
     to bring freedom, prosperity, peace, and stability to South 
     Asia.
           Sincerely,
                                             Donald M. Payne, M.C.
                                                       and others.

     

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