Dear Sir,
In early February, Norwegian television mentioned Rajiy Gandhi’s name as one of the 90 candidates nominated for 1989 Nobel Peace Prize (W.S.N. 2.17.89). Since 1901 the peace Prize is awarded annually to individuals or organizations, regardless of nationality who have made valuable contributions in the preceding year to the promotion of international peace and to the “good of humanity”. The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway by a committee of five elected by the Norwegian Storting (parliament). The winners receive their awards on December 10 the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish chemist who invented dynamite and founded the Nobel Prizes.
Some of the most prominent past recipients of the Peace Prize include: Jean Henri Duant for founding the Red Cross (1901); Theodore Roosevelt for negotiating peace in the Russo Japanese War (1906); The International Office for Refugees for directing relief work among the refugees (1938); Albert Achweitzer for his humanitarian work in Africa (1953); Dag Hammarskhjold for his efforts to bring peace to the Congo (awarded posthumously 1961); Martin Luther King, Jr. for leading the black struggle for equality in the U.S. through nonviolent means (1964); Andrei D. Sakharov for his efforts in support of peace and in opposition to violence and brutality in Russia (1975); Mother Teresa for her aid to the poor in India (1979); Lech Walesa for his leadership in the Polish struggle to improve human rights and social conditions (1983); Desmond Tutu for peaceful struggle against apartheid in South Africa (1984); and the U.N. Peace Keeping Forces (1988).
Rajiv Gandhi apart from being no match to the past recipients, does not even appear to have any of the basic requirement for the Peach Prize process. Within the first week of his coming to power, thousands of innocent Sikhs were allowed to be massacred with full government involvement and encouragement (Citizens Commission, New Delhi 1985). The accused have been shielded by his government and some even promoted to cabinet level officials. The annual reports of Amnesty International (198188) have cited hundreds of cases where the Indian government grossly violated the human rights of Sikhs, low caste Hindus and other minorities. Rajiv Gandhi went back on his Promise to implement Langowal Gandhi pact of 1985 to restore peace in Punjab. He is also accused of bribery in the Bofor military purchases of India. He has dismissed duly elected government in Punjab, Kashmir and other states, citing flimsy excuses.
After aggressive maneuvers against Sri. Lanka, Rajiv Gandhi forced the weaker nation to submit to his plan to bring Indian Army into that country. The aim is to divide Sri Lanka, a sovereign nation, into two parts just as Turkey did in Cyprus. The Indian rescue mission to Maldives in 1988 was staged and plotted by the Indian government to draw world attention to the military might and preparedness of India. Rajiv Gandhi has never condemned the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and still actively supports the Najibullah regime in that country.
Rajiv Gandhi is actually a road block to peace and unity in India and the surrounding countries, much like his mother. It is the moral duty of all Sikhs and other peace loving people to lodge their concerns to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee as soon as possible. The letters may be sent individually or jointly as petitions against the nomination of Rajiv Gandhi for Nobel Peach Prize 1989.
The address to write to is:
The Chairperson
Nobel Peace Prize Committee
Drammenesvein 19, 0255 Oslo -2 Norway
Yours Sincerely,
Karanjit S. Kooner M.D
Assistant Professor
of Ophthalmology Glaucoma Service
(214) 6884733
Article extracted from this publication >> March 10, 1989
