YUBA CITY Ca: About 150 prominent Sikhs gathered here to honor a longstanding friend and supporter of the Sikh cause Congressman Wally Herger on March 8. The fundraising dinner was preceded by a brief ceremony to give thanks to the patriotic role of the US soldiers in the Persian Gulf and to pledge allegiance to the national flag.

S Didar Singh Bains founder President of the World Sikh Organization and the organizer of the function introduced Mr Herger and other prominent guests He said Mr Herger had all along supported the Sikh cause and had stood by them as a true friend. S Bains also praised WSN for its role in the freedom struggle. Later he thanked the people for their support.

Mr Herger said that people were struggling in various parts of the world for freedom Saddam Hussien was not the only abuser of human rights and it was important to continue to draw attention to the repression of freedom in India he said. The little news which made it out of India was frightening as it was reports of beatings torture and death. Thousands have died in Punjab and Kashmir but Mr Herger was curious as to why there was no outcry as in the case of the Tiananmen Square firing.

Mr Herger said India must allow human rights monitors to visit Punjab and Kashmir to investigate abuses. He said he would re-introduce legislation to deny most favored nation status to India until it did not do so. Mr Herger said since 1987 there was far greater awareness among lawmakers in this country about the situation in India. Even so his Bill HR1076 last year almost passed. He said just this past year a lobbyist representing the Indian Govt literally threatened to try to unseat him if he did not soften his stand on these issues.

( Text of Mr Herger’s)

Speech on page 10)

S Gurcharan Singh Dhillon President of the WSO said Mr Herger worked day and night to raise his voice against human rights abuses. He said there was no such thing as a Sikh “terrorist” which canard the Indian Govt had been taking great pains to spread.

S Dhillon gave an assurance to Mr Herger that the leadership of the Sikh militant movement had always condemned the killing and harassment of innocent people.by the Govt of India. Sikhs were in no way involved in the terrorism sweeping Punjab.

S Dhillon praised Mr Herger’s role in helping farmers as member of the Agriculture Sub Committee. He suggested low interest loans to farmers as the weather had wreaked havoc with the crops recently.

Dr Gurinder Singh Grewal President World Sikh News emphasized the long friendship with Mr Wally Herger who had championed the cause both inside and outside the Congress Dr Grewal said it was time that the US realized who was its true friend _the Sikhs who had offered to help in any way possible during the Gulf war or India which stopped even refueling of US air force planes during the same crisis.

Dr Grewal said that it was sad that the killing of 10 persons was made out to be such a big issue by the media and the government here while the state sponsored cold-blooded murders of 15-20 Sikhs everyday went unnoticed and unchallenged. He said a general was the governor of Punjab and the army had been let loose to commit atrocities on innocent people Part of the developmental aid being given to India was surely being diverted for this State terrorism he said. Dr Grewal regretted that “our taxes were being sent to kill our own people.”

Dr Grewal showed Mr Herger the report of the murder of the PHRO vice-president’s son recently by the Police in India Having imposed strict censorship on the Press in Punjab the Govt was trying to pressure the only human rights group active in the region into silence he said.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 15, 1991