MODESTO, CA: Congressman Tony Coelho, insisted on improving human right violations in the troubled Indian state of Punjab during his recently held meeting with Indian Ambassador P.K. Kaul. The meeting was scheduled at the insistence of Ambassador to discuss congressional anti bill meant to scrape India’s most favored nation trade status because of its gross human right abuses of minority Sikhs.

Wally Herger (RCA) and Tony Coelho (DCA) are the original spouses of bill HR 1067 which was introduced in the U.S. Congress almost three months ago. Besides demanding an end to religious persecution of Indian Sikhs, the bill seeks permission for human right groups including Amnesty International to investigate complaints of human torture and long detentions without any case filed against individuals.

The delegation of Sikh representatives attended the locally sponsored conference of Democratic party functioning, in which Congressman. Tony Coelho Lt Governor McCarthy and other state party leaders participated.

Congressman Coelho said that Ambassador tried several times to contact him through his hired lobbyist Bill Chassey, During the recently held meeting, the Ambassador tried to wean off the Congressman from Sikh influence through concorted stories of he referred to as Sikh terrorizing and Recent steps taken to improve situation in Punjab.

However, Congressman Coelho maintained that the arguments raised by the Ambassador were not convincing and failed to change his mind, He assured the Sikh delegation of his continued commitment in their fight against Indian Govt’s injustice.

Sikh circles in Washington feel that the recent events like trade embargo against neighboring weak Nepal, military and financial aid to Afghanistan, support of PLO and recently aborted attempt to launch long range missiles has put Indian govt on defensive. Apprehension in US Congress and Senate have surfaced about Indian Govt’s desire to become super power. As a result the Herger/Coelho bill is catching support among them law makers who had earlier shown reluctance to support it.

“Releasing Jodhpur detainees after more than four years of inhuman mental and physical torture without any trial cannot be termed as concessional steps to improve situation in Punjab” said a Sikh participant. Ambassador’s arguments prove further shallow as a number of Sikh youths are still butchered every day in fake police encounters, he added.

Article extracted from this publication >>  May 19, 1989