Uncertainties beset Jasbir Singh Sandhu and Virinder Singh, the hapless young Sikhs who continue to face the vindictiveness of the Indian Intelligence agencies in the form of deportation threat. What adds poignancy to the situation is that the Indian government’s machinations have obfuscated the legal issues thus succeeding for the time being at least in denying justice to the falsely framed individuals.
Jasbir Singh and Virinder Singh were sentenced to imprisonment after they were coxed into admitting that they were visiting New Orleans to make an attempt on the life of Bhajan Lal, the dreaded henchman of Rajiv Gandhi and currently a senior Cabinet Minister. After serving their respective sentences Jasbir and Virinder are facing the prospects of being deported to India where they will certainly face torture and death.
Unfortunately the U.S. Justice Department and the courts imagine that the Indian judicial system is at par with that of the US systems. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Contrary to popular belief, justice in India for the oppressed is nonexistent. For Christian missionaries, Muslims and even low caste Hindus the wheels of justice don’t move. In the last four decades, the Sikhs have come to join this growing list of persecuted minorities in India, Amritdhari and Kesadhari Sikhs are special targets of India’s vendetta.
The last few years have been particularly unhappy for the Sikhs. Using terrorism as an excuse the Indian Army and Police have massacred countless Sikh boys and imprisoned thousands more. A similar fate awaits Jasbir and Virinder for once deported, these two protagonists of the Sikh cause would be added to the Indian government’s hit list. They would either be killed in a “fake encounter’ or will rot away in an Indian prison.
In line with the above strategy the Indian government has caste its net over more Sikhs with trumped up charges. For instance A tinder Pal Singh, Simranjit Singh Mann and two wellknown Sikh professors have been charged sheeted with complicity in the death of Rajiv Gandhi’s mother. One wonders if this process will be repeated every election year.
In light of the above we appeal to the fair sense of justice of the U.S. Judicial system to prevent Jasbir and Virinder from passing into the hands of the Indian Government. Indeed they are foreigners but deporting them to India would be sacrificing the very ideal that form the foundation of this great nation a shelter for those escaping persecution.
We pray to the U.S. justice system to let these young men stay in the United States of America. We remind the judges that the U.S. was founded by those
escaping religious persecution. Jasbir and Virinder face exactly the same today.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 11, 1989
