Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter in regards to Neil Singh Dhillon’s proposed candidacy for the United States Congress. Public statements made by Mr.Dhillonin the Indian media indicate clearly that supporting Dhillon’s campaign is not in the best interests of the Sikh community.
Please do not get fooled into believing that Mr. Dhillon represents us simply because he is from a Sikh family. I have seen him speak about his campaign, and I can say that F did not see anything “Sikh” about this young man who prefers to Call’ himself a “Indian American” rather than a “Sikh American.” Just because Mr.Dhillon tells us he is a Sikh is not reason enough to support him. We must examine Whether or not this man will act in the best interests of Sikh nation before supporting him in any way.
To gain a better understanding of whether or not Mr.Dhillon will speak in the best interests of Sikhs, we can take a look at his past record. Mr.Dhillon ran the office of Congressman Bob Matsui for4 years, and during this time, the Congressman did not show any significant interest in Sikh issues. In fact, Congressman Matsui voted against the Burton Amendment which passed the House of Representatives in 1992. Can we trust Mr,Dhillon to support pro Sikh legislation once elected when his past record clearly indicates that he never cared about such issues in the past? I don’t think so.
On the issue of Sikh freedom i.e. Khalistan, Mr.Dhillon does not waver. He is unequivocally op posed to Khalistan, Let me repeat: Mr.Dhillon opposes the Sikh freedom movement in Punjab. Yet, on the same note, Dhillon claims to be interested in advancing the human rights cause in Punjab. If he had done his homework on this issue, if he had looked at the history of how the Sikh people have been treated in India, he would be convinced that there is absolutely no way for Sikhs to feel that their nights as human beings can be protected in India. He would also be convinced that the same goes for the Nagas of Nagaland, Muslims of Kashmir, and every other minority in the so called secular democracy we call India, Thus, the only way for Sikhs to secure their human nights is to push for Khalistan. The point here is that the Khalistan movement and the human rights movement are parallel interests. The human rights of Sikhs cannot be secured until Khalistan is formed. Mr.Dhillon should know this, being that he speaks so confidently on this issue,
Keep in mind that Mr.Dhillon has been given rave reviews by almost every Indian government sponsored newspaper and political action group. Are our interests as Sikhs and the Indian government’s interest the same? India is killing off our youth, raping our sisters and mothers, and torturing any Sikh who stands up for their human rights. Obviously then, our interests as Sikhs and the interests of these Indian government supported papers and political groups are far from the same. If we know that the Indian government would love to see a pro India person like Dhillon in Congress, then it is silly for us to even think about lending him our support. T request that the World Sikh News not publish any articles which would promote Mr.Dhillon’s election to Congress, By doing so, this magazine would be fooling its subscribers into believing that Dhillon speaks in our best interests, Furthermore, WSN should publish an editorial clearly Staling the magazines’ opposition to Dhillon’s campaign. News India has written an Editorial called “Rally Around Dhillon.” There is no reason why WSN, a paper which is the voice of the Sikh community, should not express their disappointment and opposition to Dhillon’s stand against the Sikh freedom struggle.
Ravinder S.Bhalla Berkeley, CA.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 27, 1993
