Journalist Mr. Ambassador, it is learnt that secret instructions issued ‘exclusively to the select police officers by the Punjab Police Chief, LF. Ribeiro, have become public as a result of accidental leakage. ‘Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: In the instructions, trusted police officers have been asked to immediately kill the first available Sikh young men whenever police officials or police informers were killed in a clash with the freedom fighters and show the innocent Sikh victims as the “dreaded terrorists”,
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Do you think Ribeiro will succeed in his objective of either alienating the freedom fighters from the masses or scaring the Silchs from joining the ranks of freedom fighters through such dirty tricks?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist Mr. Ambassador, Indian government has taken over the New Delhi offices of the Indian Express in a bid to smother its ‘campaign against Rajiv Gandhi’s involvement in cases of corruption. Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist But its Editor, Mr. Arun Shourie has said that the newspaper is determined not to be silenced.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: How would the supporters of Rajiv Gandhi now convince the world that the Indian press enjoyed full freedom? Will any honest American still recommend Nobel Prize for Rajiy Gandhi?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Journalist Mr. Ambassador, many American Hindus have suddenly become active in the constituencies of those Congressmen, who voiced their feelings in the House of Representatives at the plight of the Sikhs in India,
Ambassador: That’s right.
Journalist: Some have even changed their party affiliations to influence the concerned Congressmen. They call on the Congressmen and parrot out the briefs prepared by the officials of the Indian Consulates.
Ambassador: Very correct.
Journalist: Don’t they know that Congressmen spoke out of their conviction and not for any other consideration, or is it they consider American politicians to be as morally bankrupt as the Rajiv Gandhi brand of Indian politicians?
Ambassador: Not in national interest to disclose.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 20, 1987
