Washington DC: Punjab Human Rights Organization General Secretary Dalbara Singh Gill briefed a group of Congressmen about Human Rights violations by the Indian Govt in Punjab. The meet was arranged by the Honorable Congressman Shumway of Stock ton, California,

The PHRO is the only independent organization actively collecting information about the status of Human Rights in Punjab, It is important to note that the Indian Govt., has not allowed Amnesty International or any Human Rights other group access to Punjab.

Congressmen Dan Burton (IN), John Porter (IL), and Wally Herger (CA) were present as were the staff of 10 other Congressmen. Mr Shumway commended Mr Gill’s fearless work despite having been arrested four times by the Indian Govt. He also commended Justice Ajit Singh Bains who heads the PHRO and recalled the presentation he had made here two years ago.

Later during an open discussion and question answer interlude the gravity of the Human Rights abuses were dwelt upon. The Congressmen present reaffirmed their support to the cause of the Sikhs, and an end to the Human Rights violations. They also appealed for broad based support on this issue.

Congressmen Wally Herger asked for more support for his “amendment to reduce aid to. India to put pressure for the opening of Punjab to Amnesty and other Human Rights organizations.

The meeting was attended by S. Gurcharan Singh and Dr. Gur inder Singh Grewal from California, S Rajwant SIngh and S. Rajinder Singh Bajwa from Washington D.C. Bhai Avtar Singh from New Jersey and S Manpal Singh from Boston.

The following is the text of Mr Dalbara Singh Gill’s Speech: “Since the approval of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights four decades ago, the international community has established laws and procedures to help guarantee internationally recognized human tights. In the United States, Hu man Rights has emerged as a legitimate and important element of US. Foreign policy. Since 1973, Congress has enacted laws that link trade, aid and other bilateral and multilateral programmers to Human Rights.

Standards must be applied in an uniform and evenhanded manner, whether the country under Scrutiny is an ally or an adversary. But unfortunately in the world of international diplomacy and politics the argument about human rights in any Country always revolves around political expediency and trade contracts, we, therefore, call upon the US. Congress to formulate strategies and take actions to promote freedom and democracy all over the world by upholding concepts that are the cornerstones of America’s heritage: the right to life, freedom of speech, press, religion, and assembly.

“In India, a country which prides itself on being the world’s largest democracy, the right to life and liberty of the Sikhs had been under violation for a long time even before the Indian Parliament amended the Constitution empowering the union government to suspend it by declaring emergency in Pun jab. But there already exists an undeclared emergency. False en counters have become a way of life with the police and security forces for the last five years. Indescribable methods of torture have been introduced. Large scale “arrests”, disappearances,” and tortures of Sikh women are the height of State repression.

“The Sikhs were embroiled in a holocaust of racial nature aimed at destruction of Sikh norms. The result was the Army attack on the Golden Temple, the November 1984 Sikh Carnage in the wake of assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi and the killing of thousands of innocent Sikhs in false encounters by security forces. :

“Lawless laws were made to suppress and crush democracy in Punjab. The National Security Act (NSA) permits preventive detention of any person up to one year (two years in Punjab) without charge or trial. The amended NSA also permits the continued detention on a fresh detention order once two years have expired. Other unconstitutional laws include the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (enforced in Punjab, curbing legal safeguards and widening police powers), the Terrorists Affected Areas (special Courts) Act and the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (Prevention)

 

Act, The most dreaded of these undemocratic legislations is the 59th Amendment to the Indian Constitution which empowers the Centre to impose Emergency in Punjab. This amendment has ta ken away the right to life and personal liberty enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution. These draconian laws have been enacted and made applicable only to Pun jab.

There is no rule of law in the State. Fair trial is not possible in face of these draconian legislations. The world known concept of criminal jurisprudence that a person is presumed to be innocent unless proved otherwise, has been turned on its head and the onus has been laid down on the individual to prove his innocence.

“Under the provisions of the Terrorists and Disruptive Activities Act special courts have been’ created for the trial of the Sikhs. These designated courts are mostly held in jails where open trial, any access to lawyers, press.

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 3, 1989