DES MOINES, IOWA: In timely editorial of April 19, 1989 captioned as “Rights abuses in India,” the editors of Des Moines Register, write, “India often is called the world’s largest democracy. Now that distinction is being questioned. Nearly 30 members of Congress including Jim Ross light foot of Iowa have introduced a bill that would deny India most favored nation trading status because of reports of human rights violations.”
Making it public the atrocities of the Indian government the editors of the Pulitzer prize winning newspaper further write, “India often is called the world’s largest democracy. Now that distinction is being questioned. Nearly 30 members of Congress, including Jim Ross Lightfoot of Iowa have introduced a bill that would deny India most favored nation trading status because of reports of human rights violations.”
Making public the atrocities of the Indian government the editors write “The Human Rights situation in India is alarming. Torture is widespread as are detentions without charge of trial. Those most vulnerable to police abuse are members of the Sikh religion who make up 2 percent of the largely Hindu nation. The greatest violence is in the northern Punjab province, populated largely by Sikhs many of whom are fighting for a separate Sikh nation.”
“In the Punjab it is particularly bad,” said an official of Amnesty International, because a law “permits the Indian Government to declare a state of emergency on very loosely defined grounds of “internal disturbance.” If troops kill citizens they are not accountable.
The editors of Des Moines Register further stress that though the United States has only limited power to intervene in Hindu Sikh split, nevertheless, Congress should debate the bill, if only to shed light on the abuses that are taking place. The Indian government must know that congress and the American people are watching.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 28, 1989
