SAN FRANCISCO: Over a hundred Sikhs collected here from various parts of the San Francisco Bay area to protest against Indian Ambassador to U.S.S.5.Ray, who had come here to speak at the World Affairs Council, at 312 Sutter Street.

Sikh men, women and children carrying placards reading “Stop Genocide of Sikhs” “S.S. Ray, killer of Sikhs” and” Khalistan the only solution” stood outside the multistory building to express their annoyance at the Indian ambassador who as Governor of Punjab had ordered the killing of thousands of innocent Sikhs to suppress the movement for an independent state of Khalistan. He, along with the then police chief, Robeiro, are remembered by Sikhs with the same sense of indignation, revulsion and hate as the Nazis of Hitler’s regime are remembered by the Jews of the ‘Of the world. The Indian government has however appointed such People as ambassadors to countries like the United States in utter disregard of the Sikh sentiments.

The demonstrators had come from ‘San Jose, Fremont, Yuba City, and Fresno to lodge their protest and send a message to the Indian Government that Sikhs all over the world Would never forget the crimes committee against them in Punjab where Over 110,000 Sikhs have been killed by the Indian Government since 1984.

S.SRay was in San Francisco at the behest of Indian Consulate here to speak on India’s new economic policy. Under tight security arrangements he, addressed an audience of about 100 people most of whom were Indians and Sikhs who had come to protest against his visit. In his address he compared the India democracy with the American and extolled the vinues of Congress leaders like Gandhi, Nehru and Indira whom he described as visionary and capable like Abraham Lincoln, Truman and John E. Kennedy. He touched briefly on the Punjab and Kashmir problems which he said were quite settled.

A brief question session was allowed at the end of the almost one hour speech of the Ambassador, When asked about the serious violations of human nights by Indian Security forces in Punjab and Kashmir, the Ambassador side tracked the question saying there was peace in Punjab now and human rights Organization were going to be invited by the government to visit the State Sometime in the future. When one American asked about “child labor” prevalent in India, Ray said it was a problem peculiar to India, like the “teenage mothers” problem was peculiar to the U.S, and did not reflect India’s true image. When Bhai Ram Singh raised the question that, India had, on numerous occasions Said that it would invite International Human Rights Organizations to visit India but had never done so, what was the surety that it would allow them to visit now, Ray again had no answer and Sidetracked the question.

Dr.Amarjit Singh and organizers of the demonstration thanked the men, women and children who had Come to make the demonstration a Success and Jet the Indian government know that they would always Oppose people like S.S.Ray who were killers of innocent Sikhs.

Article extracted from this publication >>  July 30, 1993