(We reproduce here Dr. Gurcharan Singh’s letter to Mr. A. M. Rosenthal of The New York Times.)
Dear Mr. Rosenthal,
The Neue Kronen Zeitung’s antisemitic remarks: “Rosenthal, Rosenbaum, Rosenberg — all the same. A yid is a yid,” must have pained you greatly. I share this pain and send you my heartfelt sympathy. Such vicious misuse of the media really hurts and should be condemned. One would expect the free media to be sensitive and fair. It should nurture respect for human dignity and cultural diversity in this global mosaic.
Unfortunately, the free media is becoming notorious for its insensitivity in using ethnic slurs. We, the Sikhs, have been the victims of this slander in recent times. As a matter of fact, those who have suffered under malicious Nazi propaganda and oppression have themselves not showed much sensitivity in this regard.
To be sure, the free media has almost forgotten that the Sikhs’ struggle for redeeming their natural status in their homeland (Punjab) remained a peaceful movement from 1947 through 1983. This fact was acknowledged in an editorial in The New York Times (June 8, 1984):
“There was a nonviolent Sikh movement, but it was eclipsed when the Prime Minister rebuffed its demands.”
“Since Indian independence in 1947, Sikhs have pleaded for greater autonomy and for specific recognition of their religion in the Constitution.”
This peaceful movement, during which almost 200,000 Sikhs — men, women and children —were sent to jails, was subjected to brute force by the ruling regime of India; somewhat like Pakistan did in Bangladesh. When India’s brute force generated counter violence, the ruling regime cried “terrorism” and the free media picked it up and repeated it like the “ape of a dog,” without any regard for accuracy, truth or justice.
We neither advocate nor condone the killing of innocent people, whatever their religion, race, color or sex, and for whatever reason. As it were, brute force invariably generates counter violence, and whatever label is used for this vicious cycle of violence and counter violence, innocent people become the victims.
Everywhere else in Sri Lanka, South Africa, Nicaragua, Tibet, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan and the West Bank the media reports political violence in terms of ethnic conflicts, nationalist uprisings, insurgencies or civil strikes. However, in the case of Punjab every incident including those engineered or staged by the official “Red Brigade” are instantly blamed on the Sikhs by adding an anti-Sikh slander. The frequency of this pattern of suffixing any reference to the Sikhs with terrorism is somewhat analogous to equating Zionism with Racism which causes a great deal of pain to the Jewish people. Consequently, instead of raising questions about the accuracy of the “staged incidents’ and “fake encounters” (reported by Amnesty International) the free media has unwittingly condoned India’s state terrorism against the Sikhs, and often provided legitimacy for it.
Mr. Steven Weisman, in a recent article on India (NYT December 11, 1988), could not resist the temptation of suffixing terrorism in reference to the Sikhs, but hardly mentioned about. State terrorism against the Sikhs. He mentioned, only in passing, about the two massacres of the Sikhs in June 1984 and November 1984, despite his earlier articulate reports (NYT, September 16, 1985) that the Government of India suppressed human rights reports on “inhuman barbarities” and “sadistic torture” of the Sikhs, including women and children.
We ask in wonderment, why the free media has not. Raised questions, such as why Punjab is closed to the foreign press (except officially guided tours); why all requests by Amnesty International, the Committee for International Red Cross, U.S. Congressmen, British and Canadian Parliamentarians to visit Punjab on a fact-finding mission have been rebuffed by the Indian Government? Besides, the free media has maintained an evasive silence about the recent massacre of Sikh students in Bider (Karnatka StateIndia) in October 1988, and how the Indian Government suppressed this news from the press.
We realize that in an increasingly competitive global marketplace of telecommunications and printed media, we have virtually become a “stateless nation.” There is a real danger that if the media does not call the bluff of official misinformation and slander, Indian KGB would stage more daring and murderous incidents in other countries and blame them on the Sikhs. In the forthcoming national elections in India, probably in spring 1989, the ruling regime is likely to resort to “staged incidents” and “hoax hijackings” to generate anti-Sikh hysteria making the Sikhs the “scapegoat” ill-gotten election victory.
Despite this anti-Sikh slant in the media, we have not lost our faith in the ultimate victory of justice and truth, throughout our five hundred years history; we have stood as citadel of freedom, human dignity and justice. We have never reconciled with the forces of tyranny and _ oppression, which in the name of law and order have been trampling upon elementary human rights of the Sikhs and other minorities. The spirit of freedom and justice is enshrined in our heart and soul.
The free media has the potential to lend its voice against the forces of vicious propaganda and ethnic slander. It is only through a global awareness and solidarity against such nefarious forces that the respect for ethno cultural dignity can be promoted and national aspirations of the minorities realized in a peace. Full and equitable manner. If the media plays its positive role, we can make this world a better place to live for all members of the human family.
With sincere regards and best wishes for a happy new year.
Yours sincerely, Gurcharan Singh, Ph.D.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 6, 1989
