I have had a strong interest in the human rights situation in India since coming to congress in 1987. I represent 15,000 Sikhs living in northern California who have many friends and relatives still living the Punjab. They have continually called my attention to the repeated allegations of gross human rights abuses against Sikhs and other religious and ethnic minorities carried out by Indian government and police officials.

These same allegations are reported in the Western Press, and Amnesty International’s reports on India over the last few ‘years have detailed many of them.

Last year, when a new government was elected, many of us held out the hope that the state of Human Rights in India would start to improve. Unfortunately, according to the Punjab Human Rights Organization, as well as Amnesty International, the violence in India has only increased.

In June of this year, I sent a letter to Prime Minister V.P. Singh requesting that he change his policy and allow International Human Rights groups in to investigate the reports we’ve been hearing about.

When the new Indian Ambassador to the U.S. called me to relate the news that the decision had been changed, I was one of the first applaud it,

Now, months later, I regret to say, despite the earlier assurances, the Indian Government is stalling, India remains the only democracy in the world to keep Amnesty International from conducting investigations within its border.

One has to wonder why this is the case, when the Soviet Union and Cuba, even Nicaragua under Dictator Daniel Ortega allowed Amnesty in.

Could it be that the Indian government has something to hide? Could it be that innocent people are being killed because of unrestrained Indian security forces?

Could it be that contrary to the defenders of the Indian government, gross human rights violations are widespread?

One has to wonder if this is the real reason Amnesty is still kept out of India.

It is time for the Nation of India to stop the charade and level with the world community: if human rights are a priority ‘for the government of V.P. Singh, why isn’t Amnesty International allowed to conduct investigations in India?

It is obvious that the present regime is not taking the kind of steps necessary to improve the human rights situation for all its citizens -particularly Sikhs and Moslems living in Punjab and Kashmir.

A Journalist writing in Times of India earlier this year wrote that “it must be regretfully stated that our government and our Parliamentarians do not show any awareness of the harsh realities in Punjab. They continue to mouth clichés which have lost all relevance.”

This times of India article went onto stress the importance of revamping the Indian Police and Intelligence Services. The law enforcement agencies must become less corrupt and less brutal, the writer said. “Fake encounters and police extortions are not the answer to Punjab’s difficulties.”

Some have complained to those of us who are critics of the Indian government that legislation to cut off U.S. assistance to India is not the way to go.

I would merely point out that American Law requires the suspension of U.S. Assistance to any country found supporting movements that engage in assassination, kidnaping or other militant activities.

In my view, there is little difference when a country fails to restrain its own security forces from militant like activities.

Inclosing, let me say that the current political turmoil inside the Soviet Union should serve as a warning to any government who would use strong armed repressive tactics against its citizens. Keeping a union together at gunpoint is not the way to succeed in the post-cold war world.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 5, 1990