[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 5223-5224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      NEW PUNJAB CHIEF MINISTER URGED TO WORK FOR SIKH SOVEREIGNTY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2007

  Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, recently elections were held in Punjab. The 
voters turned out the Congress Party government and restored the 
Shiromani Akali Dal to power. This means that Parkash Singh Badal 
returns as Chief Minister.
  The Congress Party claims to be secular, but the fact is that it 
presided over the massacre of Sikhs that took the lives of over a 
quarter of a million Sikhs. It was the party that carried out the 
military attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the center and seat 
of the Sikh religion. On the other hand, the Akali Dal has historically 
been the pro-Sikh party. However, during the tenure of Chief Minister 
Amarinder Singh, Punjab did reclaim its water rights and cancel the 
agreements that allowed diversion of that water to other states. The 
bill implementing the cancellation explicitly declared the sovereignty 
of Punjab.
  As you know, Madam Speaker, Punjab, Khalistan declared its 
independence on October 7, 1987.
  Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, has 
written to Chief Minister Badal urging him to keep his campaign 
promises of a better economic life for Punjab fanners, of clean 
government, and to reclaim the capital city of Chandigarh for Punjab. 
He also urged Mr. Badal to declare again the independence of Punjab, 
Khalistan and to work for a free and fair vote.
  The essence of democracy is the right to self-determination. As such, 
a free and fair vote on the issue of independence is called for if 
India still wishes to be looked upon as the democracy it claims to be. 
The Indian government is sending out its sycophants to spin the Punjab 
elections as having ``debunked'' the Khalistan movement, but in fact, 
quite the opposite is the truth of the matter.
  I call on this Congress to stand up for freedom and join in urging 
the Punjab Legislative Assembly to declare independence again, and to 
urge India to allow a free and fair plebiscite on the matter of 
independence for Khalistan, for the Christians of Nagaland, and for 
Kaslunir, as promised in 1948, as well as all others who seek their 
freedom. I also call for a stop to American aid and trade with India 
until basic human lights are respected and everyone there is allowed to 
live in freedom, dignity, prosperity, and security.

[[Page 5224]]

  Madam Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's 
letter to Chief Minister Badal into the Record at this time with the 
permission of the House.


                                         Council of Khalistan,

                                Washington, DC, February 28, 2007.
     Hon. Paraksh Singh Badal,
     Chief Minister of Punjab, Chandigarh, Punjab, India.
       Dear Chief Minister Badal: Congratulations on your victory 
     in the Punjab elections and your return as Chief Minister. 
     You promised the return of clean government to Punjab. That 
     would be a welcome relief for the people of Punjab. You also 
     promised free electricity and Rs4 per kilo for wheat flour 
     and Rs20 per kilo for lentils for the poor. We welcome these 
     promises and urge you to implement them as soon as possible.
       I call upon you to get Chandigarh back for Punjab. As you 
     know, Punjab built Chandigarh to be its capital and it 
     rightfully belongs to Punjab. It is time to get it back.
       We also urge you to maintain. Captain Amarinder Singh's 
     water policy. His government cancelled the unfair agreements 
     that allowed the diversion of Punjab's water to nonriparian 
     states. In that bill, the Legislative Assembly explicitly 
     declared the sovereignty of Punjab. Unfortunately, the 
     Congress Party, which presided over the massacre of Sikhs, is 
     an anti-Sikh party. The Akali Dal has historically been the 
     pro-Sikh party. Yours is the party that called on the Sikh 
     Nation to prepare ourselves for ``the long struggle to 
     liberate Khalistan.'' You are presiding over a Sikh political 
     and religious institution that controls the gurdwaras in 
     Punjab. Remember that Professor Darshan Singh, an Akali and 
     former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, has said, ``If a Sikh is 
     not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh.''
       Each morning and evening, we pray, ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa,'' 
     the Khalsa shall rule. Do you say this prayer sincerely? Wil1 
     Delhi let you implement the new price structure you promised? 
     They have done everything in their power to keep the Sikhs 
     oppressed, including imposing President's rule on Punjab nine 
     times. They have been responsible for the murders of a 
     quarter of a million Sikhs, according to figures compiled by 
     the Punjab State Magistracy and published in The Politics of 
     Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee. The Movement Against State 
     Repression reports that over 52,000 Sikhs are being held as 
     political prisoners without charge or trial, some since 1984! 
     The late General Narinder Singh said that ``Punjab is a 
     police state.''
       You have promised to end ``the dark and corrupt legacy of 
     despotic dictatorship.'' There is only one way to do so. That 
     is to declare the sovereign independence of Khalistan. The 
     Legislative Assembly can do this and should do it. This would 
     elevate you immediately from Chief Minister to Prime 
     Minister. Self-determination is the essence of democracy. Why 
     can't India do the democratic thing and allow the people of 
     Punjab, Khalistan to vote in a free and fair plebiscite on 
     the question of independence? What are they afraid of?
       Again I congratulate you and urge you to work to end the 
     oppression of Sikhs and keep the interests of the Sikh Nation 
     foremost in your mind as you embark upon your term as Chief 
     Minister. I urge you to work to regain the sovereignty that 
     is our birthright.
           Sincerely,
                                          Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh,
     President, Council of Khalistan.

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