Here in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City inmates often refer to foreign looking inmates with no apparent Malice or racism intended by the name of their country of origin. Being of East Indian origin and followers of Sikhism we wear turbans as our religion requires and we are highly visible. Other inmates often ask us about our nationality.

We abhor this questioning not because we are ashamed of our Origin or hate Indians but rather because we feel ourselves to be country less persons. We have come to be proponents of a new and Independent Sikh State in Punjab India. We have become. Such because although routinely referred to as the “world’s largest democracy” India is a long way from being a free and democratic society.

The possible emergence of an independent Sikh State should not be dismissed. Changing world conditions primarily functions of the collapse of communism and revival of nationalism have created about 20 new countries in the last two years. (During the Barcelona Olympics I.O.C. chairman Samaranch speculated that by the next Olympics the number of nations participating could reach up to 200. In the recent games 172 nations participated).

The drive to divide countries upon ethnic grounds is dominating world politics today. Long Oppressed people are demanding “self-determination” but few are realizing their demands even though your President Woodrow Wilson realized generation ago that “National aspirations must be respected; peoples may now be dominated and governed only by their own consent.” This quotation long dusty is now often quoted again. Prof. Anthony Smith of the London School of Economics a frequent writer on nationalism says that as long as unrecognized groups that have not won a place exit they will continue to stake their claim.

World powers like the United States France and Russia and organizations like the United Nations and the European Economic Community should make a consolidated effort to solve by the end of this century the spiraling problems created by ethnic conflicts. They must proceed judiciously free of the secrecy and ignorance and arrogance which mired previous efforts.

Peace will elude us until a simple fact is recognized; the people whose fate is being decided must have a say in deciding their future. Such was not the case with the partition of the Indian sub-continent by the British or with the division of Asia Minor by President Wilson and others.

In fashioning his decisions President Wilson was served by a secret society named “Inquiry” It created blue prints which with the help of maps statistics and some rough logic became the foundations of his decisions. As to India a British bureaucrat who has never even visited there partitioned it from the comfort of London upon the basis of ethnic data provided to him. This ill-conceived plan cost nearly one million Indian lives lost during forced migrations and Hindu-Muslim and Sikh Muslim riots.

Due to the unprecedented communal violence in the Balkans these last few months a dark shadow is being cast on the concept of “self-determination” on the basis of ethnicity. Chilling expressions like “ethnic cleansing” have forced some scholars to second guess the traditional notions of “nation” and “state.”

In seeking to preserve and protect human rights however the world powers should not become equivocal in their support of self-determination. Each claim must be evaluated upon its individual merits so freedom cannot elude genuine claimants any longer.

The growing awareness of the need to protect human rights in the world is itself helping long-oppressed people to realize their dreams. Some scholars are arguing that in weighing demands for self-determination human rights should be considered on equal footing with ethnicity. This enlightened view can only help the Sikhs.

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary a “nation” is a stable historical-developed community of people with a territory economic life distinctive culture and language in common. Sikhs who are more than 16 million in number and have their own language culture and religion have a strong-claim for nationhood. Favorable geographic and economic factors also enhance their claim.

The Green Revolution of the 1970s which made India self-sufficient in food grains for the first time could be easily attributed to the talents and industriousness of Sikh farmers.

Now if given their freedom Sikhs could help and probably could lead the Indian sub-continent into an economic miracle This economic miracle could well contribute to transforming the Indian sub-continent into a major power capable of competing with the economic tigers of east and southeast Asia.

The world should help people like us to have a say in determining our futures. We live for the day when we can proudly disclose our ethnic origin to every inquisitor once again.

Sukhminder Singh Sandhu

08442-050

Ranjit Singh Gill

08443-050

Sukhminder Singh Sandhu and Ranjit Singh Gill graduate students and activists in the All India Sikh Students Federation have now been held in prison in the United States for more than five years although un-convicted of any offence against U.S. criminal law.

Present Address:

150 Park Row

MCC New York NY 10007.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 6, 1992