THE Council of Khalistan condemns last week’s terrorist bombings at district courts in the Punjab and other killings in which over twenty innocent people are reported to have died. Such killings are contrary to the Sikh religion and to the policy of the Council of Khalistan.

The Council of Khalistan points ut that the Sikhs in Punjab, who are standing up for their human rights, are not fighting against their own people, supported by 200,000 occupying paramilitary troops. The Council of Khalistan denies that last week’s killings of innocent Sikhs were perpetrated by so called Sikh “terrorists” or “extremists” as Indian news and government sources claim, and places the blame on the “agents provocateurs” of the Indian government authorities. These authorities have a long history of staging false “encounters” in the Punjab, which later serve as an excuse for violent reprisals.

The Council is aware of the fact that the most recent tragic deaths in the Punjab are a result of such staged Indian government provocations with an utter disregard for human life. Last week’s killings are such provocations aimed at justifying in the eyes of the international community:

  1. the continued genocidal repressions by the Indian authorities.
  2. the strengthening and acceleration of Indian army rule, and preparations for false elections, controlled by the Central Indian government.

The Council would also like to draw attention to the fact that, for the most part, reports of the tragic deaths in Punjab, as in the most recent case, carry a New Delhi dateline and are based on information provided by Indian press and government agencies. Therefore, these reports cannot be objective and present only the Indian authorities’ version of events. Punjab has been virtually sealed off to foreign visitors and journalists. This allows the Indian government to conduct a disinformation campaign and precludes verification of facts on the scene.

The eleven man Council of Khalistan was formed and proclaimed at Amritsar, Punjab, on October 7, 1987, by the Panthic Committee which represents and defends the rights and interests of the 16million Sikh nation.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> March 4, 1988