VERNON, CT: Weeks of speculation over whether the Town Council would appoint AmarjitS. Buttar to the school board came to an abrupt end last week, when the Republicancontrotled councils wildly voted 83 10 scat the Democrat. ‘The council appointed Buttar to the ‘board to replace James Michaud, who. resigned last month. Although Machaud’s term on the board would have expired in 1997, Buttar was appointed to serve only until the November election, according to the town charter.
The controversy concerning the appointment of the 57yearold pars al specialist to fill a board vacancy when Republican school board Chairman David Kemp brought up a comment Buttar made in 1984, alter the assassination of former India Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards.
Butlar, a native of India’s northern state of Punjab and a member of the minority Sikh religion, was quoted in a newspaper as saying he would have assassinated Gandhi if he had had the chance, as Gandhi had tried to liquidate the Sikh religion. Gandhi was assassinated after she ordered a raid on the Sikh’s sacred Golden Temple, where more than 1,200 were killed.
Even though the Democratic Town Committee unanimously endorsed Buttar to fill the school board vacancy, Kemp had said Buttar shouldn’t be appointed because the comment reflected an ‘approval of violence to accommodate anything.”
Today, Kemp said that he’s looking forward to welcoming Bultar to the next meeting of the school board, which is scheduled soon. Kempadded that he has contacted Buttar to congratulate him on the appointment and has suggested that he and Buttar “sit down and discuss ways we could work together for the betterment of the community” before the meeting.
Buttar said he’s looking forward to working on the board, and hopes to address the problem of violence
Democratic Town Chairman Leonard Jacobs said after the vote that he was pleased the council had supported Buttar’s nomination. “I yes that the majority of te council feuding the majority, of Republicans who voted, reviewed his record And finally were able to understand the situation where he found himself in 1984, and they decided to vote for in paced on his merits,” he said.
Republican Jeffrey R. Adamson, who voiced to appoint Bultar to the board, said he had no such qualms voted for him because I spoke to him last week and I was: convinced that the controversy was a small part of his life, and that he doesn’t condone violence, und he’s a compassionate man who will be an asset to the board.”
Article extracted from this publication >> August 18, 1995
