[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 12] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 17031-17032] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]INDIAN RACISM ______ HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS of new york in the house of representatives Thursday, September 13, 2001 Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, last week I made a statement on the excellent discussion of India's racist caste system at the World Conference on Racism in Durban. At that time I intended to place three articles in the Record: an article from the National Post, a press release from the Council of Khalistan, and an article from the Information Times. Unfortunately, only the article from the National Post made it into the Record. Therefore, I would like to place the other two articles in the Record at this time for the information of my colleagues. [Council of Khalistan, Press Release] India Practices Worst Racism in the World Laws Are On the Books Only; Human Rights Are Ignored--Self- Determination and Equality Are the Most Basic Human Rights Washington, D.C., September 4, 2001--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today praised the Dalit and Kashmiri activists who have brought the issue of India's human-rights violations to bear in Durban, site of the World Conference Against Racism. The Council of Khalistan, the government pro tempore of Khalistan, leads the democratic, nonviolent, peaceful struggle to liberate Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its independence on October 7, 1987. ``India practices the worst racism in the form of the caste system,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``The caste system is very reminiscent of the segregation that prevailed in parts of America some years ago, except it is backed by a tyrannical abuse of human rights of Dalits (the black untouchables of India),'' he said. ``Is that the way of a democracy or the way of a totalitarian theocracy.'' Dr. Aulakh noted that the Dalits, who are considered the lowest caste, are the most oppressed people in the world. He cited the fact that they are not allowed in the temple. He took note of an incident a few years ago when a Dalit constable entered a Hindu temple on a rainy day and was stoned to death by Brahmins. A Dalit girl drank water from a community pitcher and was blinded by her teacher. Dr. Aulakh noted that Dalits are the victims of the worst racism in the world, oppressed by high-caste Brahmins. ``Despite the laws abolishing caste, it remains a guiding principle for India's militant Hindu nationalist theocracy,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``And despite the laws requiring that anyone who is arrested must be charged within 48 hours, India continues to hold political prisoners for many years without charge or trial,'' he said. ``One of the foundations of democracy is the rule of law. In practice, there is no rule of law in India, '' he said. More than 52,000 Sikh political prisoners are rotting in Indian jails without charge or trial. Many have been in illegal custody since 1984. Over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered by the Indian police and security forces, then declared ``unidentified'' and secretly cremated. Indian forces have murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to figures reported in the The Politics of Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee. In June, militant fundamentalist Hindu fanatics attacked a train carrying Sikh pilgrims and the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib. The holy scriptures were burned and the pilgrims were stoned. In May, Indian troops were caught red- handed trying to set fire to a Gurdwara (a Sikh temple) and some Sikh houses in Kashmir. In March 2000 during the visit of former President Clinton, the Indian government massacred 35 Sikhs in Chitihisinghpora. Two independent investigations have proven that the Indian government carried out this massacre. Sikhs ruled Punjab until 1849 when the British forcibly annexed it into British India. No Sikh representative has ever signed the India constitution. India is not one country. It has 18 official languages. It is an empire of many countries thrown together by the British for their convenience. Like the former Soviet Union, it is destined to fall apart. ``The Durban conference must address racism and human- rights violations in India despite India's objections,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``Only continued international pressure for human rights, the rule of law, and sovereignty will end the racism in India and allow all the people of South Asia to live in freedom,'' he noted. ``If India is the democracy it claims to be, then why not hold a plebiscite on independence in Punjab, Khalistan and in the other nations seeking their freedom from India?'' Dr. Aulakh asked. ``The conference should declare its support for the Dalits and for the freedom movements in Khalistan, in Kashmir, in Nagaland, and elsewhere in South Asia,'' he said. ``Democracies don't practice racism,'' he said. ``Democracies don't commit genocide.'' [INFORMATION TIMES, Sept. 1, 2001] INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM IS ALSO A MAJOR ISSUE IN DURBAN UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is Still a slave of His Masters (By Chaliss McDonough) Durban, South Africa, 31 August 2001 (VOA): The caste system in India has become a major issue at the U.N. World Conference Against Racism. The Indian Government did not want to discuss the issue, but they may not be able to avoid it. Scores of protesters stand in a circle, drumming and chanting, outside the cricket stadium in downtown Durban. The drummers are from India, and they have come to insist that the caste system not be ignored at the UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (31 August--7 2001). They are handing out headbands and buttons demanding equal rights for those who belong to India's Dalit community, the so-called ``lowest caste, untouchables.'' This woman, who gave her name only as Vimele, explains there is still blatant discrimination against Dalit people in India. ``Dalit people cannot enter the temple,'' she says. ``And if you go to a teashop, they have a separated tea shop.'' Separate living areas, separate burial grounds and restrictions on their movements. Vimele says these are some of the hardships Dalits face every day. Vimele came to Durban with the Tamil Nadu Women's Forum. She says Dalit women [[Page 17032]] confront even more discrimination and harassment than men. Officially, discrimination based on caste has already been banned in India. But another delegate from Tamil Nadu, Joseph Raj, notes that changing the laws has not changed the system. ``In the documents, Constitution and the law, they prohibited discrimination,'' he says. ``But in practice it is there. We have mechanisms within our country, but it has failed to protect our rights.'' Mr. Raj is pleased with the amount of popular support he and his colleagues are getting in Durban. He points to the large number of non-Indians roaming the conference grounds wearing headbands, jackets and buttons supporting their cause. He and other campaigners want the Indian Government to address the issue at the U.N.-sponsored conference, which began Friday. And they want India to put an end to caste discrimination for good. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan briefly touched on the matter during the meeting of non-governmental organizations. He said delegates at the U.N. conference will need to address discrimination based on caste but he failed to use that word to describe it. He simply referred to discrimination based on origin or work, which is commonly seen as a euphemism for caste. An activist pressed him further on the matter, but Mr. Annan did not respond. That prompted an angry outcry from some members of the audience. Getting public support for the Dalits' cause in Durban may not translate into a solution for caste discrimination. But it seems clear that the activists have accomplished at least one of their goals. They have put the issue in the public eye on a global scale. ____________________