WASHINGTON DC: A British Parliamentarian who has taken up the cause of Sikhs and Kashmiris recently warned Delhi that trying to impose a military solution in be protested in front of every Indian Embassy and Air India of fices in the world.

Madden is a member of the British Parliamentary human nights Punjab and Kashmir has already created a greater, resentment among police of those areas.

 Max Madden, a Labor Party MP who represents Bradford West, spoke at the opening of the North American chapter of the Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO), headquarters in Ludhiana, The function was held last month at International Sikh Secretariat, run by World Sikh Organization in Washington, DC.

“Very serious problems” were horrors perpetrated by government security forces in Punjab and Kashmir, he said, “the barbarous way in which Sikh youth are being slaughtered has to group and an acerbic critic of India’s alleged rights violations. He has introduced several resolutions and statements in the House of Commons castigating Delhi for not reining in its security forces in Punjab and Kashmir.

He acknowledged he had recently snuck into Kashmir through Pakistan posing as a tourist and was able to see the repression in Punjab and Kashmir first hand. His constituency includes a large number of Sikhs and Muslims from the subcontinent and he has visited Punjab several times.

He said that in both states “no family has been left untouched” be protested in front of every Indian Embassy and Air India of fices in the world by atrocities committed by Indian security and paramilitary forces.

Madden said that after listening to the “gruesome tales of woe” related to him by families of victims and reading case histories of rights violations, he was convinced the Punjab and Kashmir situations, “are much more serious than I had earlier perceived”.

He declared, “The people of Punjab and Kashmir should be given the right to determine their own future”. He said it should be left up to the people what options they prefer, whether to “stay with India” and be afforded “greater autonomy” or become an entity of their own “and break away from central rule” by Delhi.

He said, “This freedom of choice is their birthright”.

 On labor Party’s Agenda

Madden promised that as soon as labor captures power in Britain, “human rights and the rights of minorities in India will be a top priority in our international human rights agenda”.

On Capitol Hill the British Parliamentarian met with other Sikh sympathizers like Republican Reps. Dan Burton of Indiana and Wally Herger of California who regularly introduce bills and resolutions on the rights violations in India.

Madden also briefed several members and staffers of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus about his trips to Punjab and Kashmir.

Dr. Rajwant Singh, who has been appointed President of PHRO North America branch, while introducing Max Madden, said, “He is the true friend of the Sikhs and has shown his deep concern for the sufferings of our people”. Dr. Singh also introduced the other officials of PHRO and said this chapter will attempt to bring more awareness about the Punjab situation among the legislators, media and other human rights organization. Recent report by PHRO The collapse of Judicial System in India” was also distributed. PHRO is the only credible human rights organization functioning in Punjab which has brought out many reports on human rights violations that are widely circulated around the world and have strengthened the case of the Sikhs. PHRO has done field work in Kashmir too. PHRO has campaigned for the release of Sukhminder S. Sandhu and Ranjit S. Gill detained in New York.

At the end, Max Madden received a plaque from Chattar Singh Saini, president of the National Sikh Center who Said, “This is being presented for Madden’s efforts at educating the Political leaders in Britain and other European countries, and now in United States”. S. Gujinder Singh, secretary of PHRO handled the stage, Dr. Surjit Kaur and Amrit Kaur both Officials of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation also spoke on this occasion.

Madden was accompanied by Zafar Khan, representative of Jammu Kashmir Liberation f from London and Dr. Rai of Sikh  Human Rights Group in London.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 20, 1991