Sir,
A story in The New York Times by Steve Coll (“Warring Punjabi Sides Wage Fight for U.S. Support” Dec.29) provides little insight into why Sikhs are dying for a homeland they call Khalistan. Furthermore his over-emphasis on actions by Sikh militants and scant treatment of Indian repression in the Punjab as well as Jammu and Kashmir does little to enlighten the American public about this conflict.
The annual report of Freedom House, a New York-based human rights group that monitors the world’s political climate recently recorded the decline of democracy in India by downgrading its rating of India to the category of “partly free.”
Why? Perhaps it was India’s November deployment of nine divisions more than 180000 soldiers-to the Punjab. Before this deployment. Indian soldier’s numbered around 200000. When one adds these forces to the 150000 to 200000 police and paramilitary forces also in the Punjab over a half-million security personnel now occupy this land To the north Jammu and Kashmir are occupied by almost 400000 Indian soldiers.
According to the Indian government additional troops were sent to Punjab to ensure free and fair elections. It would seem that the forces already there should be able to achieve this goal unless the real Purpose behind the deployment was to quell any and all voices brave enough to speak out for freedom democracy and human rights.
The Indian government’s commitment to free and fair elections must be met with skepticism. After all this is the same government that champions “Presidential Rule” a legal instrument that gives the Indian government the power to arbitrarily dissolve a local government and rule from New Delhi. Since 1947 the Punjab has been placed under Presidential Rule to times. The people of Jammu and Kashmir also suffer under this rule which is nothing more than martial law where all democratic rights are suspended and violent oppression is the rule of law.
I call to your attention the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA). This Indian law allows for the arrest and detainment of any person for up to two years without charge trial or access to legal counsel. Amnesty International reports that tens of thousands of people have been arrested and detained under TADA and similar laws Its surprising that Amnesty can even provide such information. It along with the International Red Cross is banned from conducting human rights investigations in the Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir by India.
I do not advocate or support terrorist violence in any form. But innocent people in the Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir are being tortured and are dying at the hands of Indian forces and the world is turning a blind eye. Experience tells us that when so many different peoples choose to bear arms against a government that the governments in question-in this cease the Indian government-must shoulders most of the blame.
I do understand the frustrations of the Sikhs and Kashmiris seeking freedom democracy and human rights in India. I only hope that the media start focusing more attention on the actions of the Indian government and start asking why the media-print radio and TV-are not allowed free access to Punjab and Kashmir.
Dan Burton Representative (R-Ind.)
Washington.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 14, 1992