SACRAMENTO, Ca. Speaking here on the occasion of the third anniversary of World Sikh Organization and 4th anniversary of the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) Congressman Hon. Norman D. Shumway of California criticized Indian government for its policy of double standards. It is sheer hypocrisy to preach secularism and democracy in foreign countries while practicing suppression of minorities within the country, he said. He said’ American policy on the other hand was very clear. It is anticommunist and against violations of human rights anywhere in the world. He said “My purpose is not to topple Rajiv Gandhi but to expose his functioning especially in respect to what he has done to Sikhs in Punjab and other parts of the country”.
He disclosed that the Indian Ambassador paid him a visit immediately after he convened a special order on the Sikh problem in the House of Representatives. In one and a half hour meeting, the Ambassador talked for one hour and twenty-five minutes to impress upon Mr. Shumway that Sikhs themselves were responsible for the no implementation of the Punjab Accord and declared that foreign journalist have full and free access to Punjab. The Hon. Congressman, however, said that his information was otherwise.
Mr. Shumway also disclosed that the Indian government was trying to break the coalition of the U.S. Congressmen that has been formed to speak for the human rights of the Sikhs. But to counter that we need facts and evidence to support the facts. Only then we can make our point and be effective he said. He referred to the book
“Against Our Hopes”, written by Cuban political prisoner, listing torture, inhumanity and atrocities that have been occurring in Cuba ever since Fidel Castro’s revolution. “The same kind of policy is current in Punjab”, he said. “Sikhs may look different, they may have different language and culture but America is big enough to respect all this”, he declared amidst thunderous slogans of Sat Sri Akal. Prof. M.S. Sidhu, Editor W.S.
N., in his welcome speech first congratulated the gurdwara management for organizing the anniversary celebrations both of W.S.O. and the Gurdwara every year on an elaborate scale. He then expressed gratitude on behalf of the Sikhs to Hon. Shumway for his courage of conviction in convening a special order on the plight of the Sikhs. He said that Mr. Shumway not only blasted Indian government’s hypocrisy but also persuaded thirteen other Congressmen to raise their voice against the ongoing injustice to Sikhs in India. Referring to the recent incidents of bus killings in Punjab and Haryana, he blamed the Indian government and said that even the lawmakers of Haryana had categorically accused Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet colleague and former Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr. Bhajan Lal of engineering the killings. “Whereas innocent killing”, he said, “is repugnant to Sikh ethos, it forms an important feature of Hinduism”, Brahmins have been killing the innocent to make an offering to their gods and goddesses, he said. He traced the origin of the Punjab problem to the communalization of politics by the Congress rulers.
Introducing Hon. Shumway, Dr, Jasbir Singh Gill described him as a truthful and honest man who belonged to a family that religiously subscribes to these cardinal virtues. Mr. Shumway did not speak in the House because of any lobbying or fundraising but because he had learnt about the truth of Sikh persecution in India, he said. Not a dime was raised for him by the Sikhs, yet he took up the Sikh cause with such earnestness. It is because of his commitment to truth and human rights, he said.
- Didar Singh Bains, President WSO (International) thanked Hon. Shumway for espousing the Sikh cause and said that the Indian government was playing games that could prove to be dangerous not only for Sikhs but for the entire country. There was neither any intention nor any sign of solving the Punjab problem, he added. Sikhs are simply trying to save themselves from the Hindu giant, he said. He called upon the Sikhs to work untidily in this hour of crisis.
Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President International Sikh Organization described Mr. Shumway as a friend of the Sikhs at the Capitol Hill and assured him that Sikhs never forget their friends. We are God fearing and God loving people and we want the people to believe in God. He said. He declared that the day is not far when Khalistan will be established in Punjab. We did not choose this option, it was forced upon us, he said, only Americans can help us in solving our problem, he added. He said that he had contacted 24 Congressmen who had agreed to participate in the special order but because of pressure from State department and the Indian government ten backed out. He described the Sikh problem as a human issue, it is an American issue. We are victims of disinformation being spread by the Indian government and we need to counter this vicious propaganda, he said. He appealed to the Sikhs to support their? Respective Congressmen in every way.
The Gurdwara management presented Saropa (Robe of Honor) to Mr. Shumway in recognition of his service to the Sikh problem. Hon. Shumway thanked Sikhs for the honor and assured them that he would continue to speak the truth. He, then, left the function to attend to his other engagements.
Dr. Manohar Singh Grewal, President of W.S.O. U.S.A. called upon the gathering to get united to fight oppression against Sikhs. He also read out the resolutions
Which were later proposed and seconded by Bakshish Singh of Sacramento and Dr. Gurinder Singh Grewal. Later these resolutions were passed by the Sangat unanimously.
Dr. Naunthal Singh, Administrative Director of W.S.O. (U.S.A.) laid emphasis on the united efforts of the Sikh community to throttle the nefarious activities of the government of India being carried through the agents of the Indian embassy in U.S.A.
Dr. Gurinder Singh” Grewal, Member of Executive Committee of W.S.O. International made an appeal to the gathering to support the efforts of the defense committee, formed to fight the cases of innocent Sikh youths, who are being prosecuted by F.B.I. on the false and fabricated cases reported against them by government of. India.
Mr. Amrik S. Gill, Managing Editor, World Sikh News, and Mr. A:S. Pannu of Stockton also spoke on the occasion.
In the morning, the Nishan Sahib (flag) hoisting ceremony was performed by Dr. Manohar Singh Grewal, Dr. Naunihal Singh, S. Mansha Singh, S. Didar Singh Bains and S, Harbans Singh Pabla.
RESOLUTIONS
World Sikh Organization at its meeting held at Sacramento on July 26th, 1987, passed the following resolutions unanimously:
- Whereas Sikhs in India are being persecuted and killed for their religious beliefs whereas the Sikh youth is being systematically eliminated through fake encounters, Sikh in general and Sikh youth in particular are escaping out of India save their lives, World Sikh Organization appeals to the governments of the free world to give refugee status to all those Sikhs who manage to reach their countries.
- Whereas the fascist government of India has forced a war on the Sikh nation and whereas Sikh identity has been endangered, the World Sikh Organization pledges to support the Sikhs of India in their crusade to protect their identity and freedom and assures the struggling Sikhs that the organization will stand by them in every way. The organization will also take every possible step to mobilize public opinion and to draw the attention of the government of the free world to the Sikh plight.
- Whereas the lawmakers of Haryana state have squarely held Mr. Bhajan Lal, the Minister for Environment in Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet, responsible for the recent bus killings in Haryana and Punjab, W.S.O. considers that the series of killings of bus passengers and other innocent persons ever since the launching of the Sikh struggle for their rights as the handiwork of government agents:
The purpose of such killings is to:
- Discredit Sikhs struggling for their homeland in Punjab and portray them as “terrorists”.
- Justify, in the eyes of the world, the army occupation and the suspension of all civil liberties in Punjab.
- Cover the ruling party’s defeat in Haryana and to destabilize the majority non Congress government there.
- Stir public emotions against the Sikhs and produce an anti-Sikh climate in India and abroad.
- Resolved that the Panthic conference feels seriously concerned at the arrests of two innocent young Sikhs, Sukhminder Singh Sandhu and! Ranjit Singh Gill by the F.B.I. under pressure from the Indian authorities who are falsely implicating in criminal cases and indiscriminately killing the Sikh youths in India.
- Further resolved that Sikhs will take every possible step to secure the honorable release of these two young men and pursue their case as a prestige issue.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 31, 1987
