Uncertainties beset Sukhminder Singh and Ranjit Singh Gill, the hapless young Sikhs who continue to face the vindictiveness of the Indian intelligence agencies in the form of extradition threat. What adds poignancy to the situation is that the Indian government’s machinations have obfuscated the legal issues thus succeeding for the time being at least in denying justice and a fair trail to the falsely framed individuals.
‘The Indian case is based on an accusation that Sukhminder and Ranjit were involved in the assassination of Lalit Makhan M.P. and of A.S. Vaidya, who was the architect of Operation Bluestar. It may be noted that Indian police and intelligence agencies have yet to come up with concrete evidence linking the young men with the crimes. On the contrary they did create ample evidence showing their complicity in meddling with the U.S. legal system.
Judy Russell who was Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and who sought Sukhminder and Ranjit’s extradition, was found responsible of faking and dispatching threatening letters to herself and the trial judge in order to dramatize a particular effect. Ms. Russell had visited India before the trial began and had met a number of Indian government officials including the RAW agents, On the other hand Attorney Mary Pike and Ronald Kuby who represent the respondents were denied even the routine facilities to travel and meet people in India in order to gather evidence for the defense of their clients.
Unfortunately the U.S. Justice Department and the courts imagine that the Indian judicial system is at par with that of the U.S. system. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Contrary to popular belief, justice in India for the oppressed in nonexistent. For Christian missionaries, Muslims and even low caste Hindus, the wheels of justice don’t move. In the last four decades the Sikhs have come to join this growing list of persecuted minorities in India.
‘The last few years have been particularly unhappy for the Sikhs. Using terrorism as an excuse the Indian Army and Police have massacred countless Sikh boys and imprisoned thousands more. A similar fate awaits Sukhminder and Ranjit once they are extradited, these two protagonists of the Sikh cause would be added to the Indian government’s hit list. They would either be killed in a “fake encounter” or will rot away in an Indian prison.
In line with the above strategy the Indian government has caste its net over more Sikhs with trumped up charges. For instance, Atinder Pal Singh, Simranjit Singh Mann and two well-known Sikh professors have been charge sheeted with complicity in the death of Rajiv Gandhi’s mother even after hanging Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh. One wonders if this process will be repeated every election year.
Here in the U.S. there are several others for instance Dr. Gurpartap Singh Birk, Jasbir Singh Sandhu, Virinder Singh, Sukhminder Singh who are paying dearly for the manipulations of India. Apparently the Indian government is trying hard to add Sukhminder and Ranjit to their “hit list.”
Clearly, India has failed to provide concrete evidence linking Sukhminder and Ranjit to the Makhan Vaidya deaths. However in order to ensure their extradition, India has given undertakings of a speedy trial and of not charging the individuals under ‘Terrorist and Disturbed Areas Act. When thousands of Sikhs remain incarcerated in jail for years in India and when India has been found guilty of staging “fake encounters” no one can or should take India’s word at its face value.
In light of the above we appeal to the fair sense of justice of the U.S. Judicial system to prevent Sukhminder and Ranjit from passing into the harids of the Indian government. Indeed they are foreigners but extraditing them to India would be sacrificing the very ideal that form the foundation of this great nation a shelter for those escaping persecution.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 19, 1989
