Dear Professor Kothar

We were delighted to read the news that the Nobel Peace Committee of Sweden has conferred on you the Right Livelihood Award in recognition of your noble work in the promotion of human rights, civil liberties and environments in India, Please accept our heartiest greetings and best wishes and convey them to your colleagues in PUCL and other human rights advocates who have demonstrated the courage of their conviction despite the official intimidation, harassment, arrests on false charges and threats to their lives. We wish more and more Indians (at home and abroad) support your mission which represents the highest aspirations of human spirit.

This award is a tribute to your courage and abounding grace, which could neither be bribed nor frightened to silence. It is also a living memorial to the thousands ‘of innocent men, women, and children who have become the victims of state terrorism like the Sikhs of Punjab and India and other oppressed minorities elsewhere, Your fact finding report on the massacre of the innocent Sikhs in November, 1984 was truly ‘worthy of this recognition by the Nobel Peach Committee.

As a matter of fact, you have ‘done what the Indian and Western media has failed to do. More often than not they have repeated the official stories, ignored the victims’ cry and watched the genocide of the Sikhs with callous indifference.

Your pioneering work has preserved the memories of those who have been burnt alive, murdered in fake police encounters and tortured to death and the official stories tried to cover this genocide through deception and misinform at ion which overshadows even Orwell’s warning cry.

Needless to add that you are the voice of the voiceless — of thousands of the prisoners of conscience like Andrei Sakharoy and Nelson Mandela, all over the world.

We commend your dynamic movement which represents the conscience of humanity and pray for your safety and wellbeing. We also pray for the success of your noble mission which provides inspiration to the millions of oppressed people who are yearning for grace and dignity.

‘With best wishes and sincere regards,

Yours sincerely,

Gurcharan Singh

Article extracted from this publication >> January 31, 1986