SACRAMENTO: Ina statement released on the 8th anniversary of World Sikh Organization, the WSO’s Int. president S. Didar Singh Bains and WSO (USA) president S. Gurcharan Singh Dhillon tell of the history of Sikh Oppression under Indian Hindy rule and govt. promises made and betrayed from 1929 to the present. Asking for US citizens to support leaders favorable to the Sikh cause they have said in part;
Sikhs are a separate nation as different from Hindus as whites are from blacks. Sikhs were one of the three heirs to the Indian Independence in 1947, the other two parties being Hindus and Muslims.
The Sikhs chose to align with India upon incorporation of the Sikh National Color (kesri) into the Indian National flag by the Congress at its Lahore session in 1929 and the repeated assurance given by the Congress Party to the Sikhs that in free India they would have an autonomous state in northern India where they would be able to enjoy the glow of Freedom,
The assurances were given by the Congress Party and its leaders. Forms of written resolutions and Public addresses were adopted delivered,
Today, there are about 15 million Sikhs, 100 million Muslims, 120 million Bahajan, and about 15 million Christians and other minorities in India, All these minorities are virtually facing similar treatment and their survival is at the mercy of the fundamentalist Hindus. They cannot speak freely. They cannot practice their religion freely, and they can be killed by the government undercover agents at any time,
We the American Sikhs of California, are concerned about our friends, relatives, and other family members living in Punjab. The Indian consulate office in San Francisco is spying and interfering in our daily social and religious affairs. Through their agents, threats are made to the effect that if we speak up our families will not be safe back home. The arrest and torture of Harpal Singh at Bombay airport is a living example of this threat to a hard working human rights activist Sikh from the San Francisco bay area who went to India to visit his family. He was arrested upon his arrival at Bombay airport. Since then he has been in police custody and constantly is being tortured. This behavior of a foreign government in our country is unacceptable and must be censured,
A few months ago, American Sikh students at the campuses of California State University (CSU) hoisted their flag with other nations flags. The Indian Consulate from the San Francisco office protested to the chancellors of the CSU campuses for their willingness to allow the American Sikh students to exercise their rights. Our thanks to the chancellors of these campuses for their resistance to this illegal pressure and for maintaining their academic freedom .
Punjab has been under military rule since April 1984 and is completely cut off from the rest of the world by imposing press censorship and a ban on the entry of the members of human rights organizations. Honorable retired Justice Ajit Singh Bains, an 80-year-old well known human rights activist has been jailed and is being tortured without any charges.
During the past 2 1/2 years the people of the Punjab twice given their referendum for a sovereign Sikh state. In November 1989 the people of the Punjab elected Simranjit Singh Mann and his party candidates who were labeled by the government as separatist. Since the government refused to give due recognition to these duly elected representatives of the Sikhs, the Sikhs decided to boycott the February 1992 general election. In spite of ballot box stuffing and an all out effort of the government the polling was less than 10% of the eligible registered voters, Both these actions are a clear verdict by the people of the Punjab that they want to live free and peaceful.
We urge you to help us to present our case to the American public and the State Department to grant refugee status to persecuted Sikhs until their homeland is free, Release Ranjit Singh Gill and Sukhminder Singh Sandhu, who have been held in a New York jail, without charges for the past five years at the request of the government of India . The Sikh community of California has provided the needed support to these victims in the past and will continue to provide this support. Sikh refugees will be law abiding and productive members of our society and will never become a public charge.
India has always abused our aid: programs. Their support to the Sandinistas, Sadam Hussein, Momar Khadafi, and the Iran regimes indicates their deep rooted hate and opposition against our people and our democratic value system. We urge you to join us to convince the U.S. Senate and the President to approve and sign the “Justice for India Act” already approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sikhs in India are fighting for their liberty and freedom along with other minorities. Timely help will save thousands of innocent lives and will avoid the reoccurrence of an ethnic war like in Yugoslavia.
Sikhs are God-loving and God fearing saint soldiers. The Sikh value system of belief in almighty God, equality, and individual freedom are the fundamental principles of our value system. This value system will make the Independent Sikh State (Khalistan) and the United States the closest allies, We request you join with us in urging our government and governments of other freedom loving nations to support the just and legitimate rights of the Sikhs for self-determination.
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 14, 1992
