Sir,
It is more than five years that we have been agitating against the oppression and terrorism let loose by the Indian government against our innocent Sikh brothers and sisters in Punjab. We have yet not been able to vindicate the killing, rape and arson of thousands of our men, women and children during the attack on Golden temple and the massacres in Delhi, Bokare and Bidar. The list of many innocent victims killed during false encounters and young women dis- honest in police stations is daily growing. But we are still debating and wasting our time in useless local mudslinging exercises or trying to claim credit for some small services or achievements of others. Let us ask ourselves what ‘we personally can do to get justice to thousands of victims of 1984 riots or the innocent young men and women rotting in Indian jails without any charge.
Some of us have been participating in peaceful demonstrations in June and November every year on the anniversary of the Golden Temple attack and Delhi riots of 1984. These efforts are praise- worthy, but this year let us go at least one step further to see some tangible results. This time let us arrange Gherao (encirclement) of the Indian embassies in Washing- ton D.C., and San Francisco. These Gheraos should be peaceful but prefersaly indefinte and aim at specific demands, such as action against the guilty of 1984 and the police officers responsible for the killing of innocent persons in fake encounters and dishonoring of young women. Let all the Sikh Organizations participate in these gherao’s and nobody should try to claim the leadership, rather we should see who is ready to render maximum service and even court arrest if needed. If different organizations agree then we should start planning for this big Gherao’s | right from now and start preparing suitable play cards, pamphlets, literature, TV shows right from now. I will not mind if we go even one step further and if we can bring along the other suffering minorities of India like Muslims, Christians, scheduled castes, women and children. Dear Khalsa ji, we boast that we have been getting innocent women. Of other religions freed from the past invaders even at the cost of our Ives, can we not even peace- fully Gherao the present tyrants and at least show some solid sympathy to our own widows and victimized women.
Daljit Singh Jawa
Topeka, K.S
Article extracted from this publication >> October 13, 1989
