Dear Editor:
Raul Bedi’s report on 21 bodies in temple debris published in a pro India newspaper raises many disturbing questions for the media and for the system of justice.
- Is this the reporter’s eyewitness account or is he relying on “official stories” which are transmitted to the news agencies to justify repeated assaults on the Golden Temple Complex and to generate anti-Sikh hysteria before every election and after every election defeat by the ruling party?
- If he was in Amritsar, did he take any photographs of the scene of horror? If not, why not? Why did he rely on PTI photograph instead?
- On what basis did he establish the “criminality” on the Sikhs? Did he interview the captive Sikhs in police custody? Has he seen their testimony? Did he enquire under what circumstances the testimony was taken —— at a gun point or on the promise of leniency in police torture? Were there any News reporters present during the testimony?
- Does he know that the entire area has been surrounded by the paramilitary forces since June, 1984, and their agents (the official agents of deception) have always been inside the temple complex in plain clothes? What were they doing —— sleeping or drinking —— while 21 bodies were allegedly pushed “underground”?
- Is there any indication of earlier reports on this episode? What were Ribeiro and Company (state terrorism network) doing all this time other than hounding, torturing and murdering innocent Sikhs —— men, women, and children —— in their own homeland?
- How many Sikhs killed during Indian Army’s assault on the Golden Temple in June, 1984, still Temain unaccounted for? Is it possible that these 21 bodies —— and probably more —— are now being unearthed to hide the official crime of genocide and to blame it on the Sikhs?
- Does this tragic situation call for an independent and impartial inquiry to find out the truth? If so, Raul Bedi did not mention a word about that. On the contrary, prima facie based on official stories, he rushed to judgmental reporting — — declaring Sikhs guilty without a trial?
- One wonders, what has happened to the “informed and objective reporting”, in case of Punjab and the Sikhs? Why real criminals escape, as in the case of November, 1984, massacre of the Sikhs? What has happened to the system of justice? Now every dead body, every explosion and every type of crime can be blamed on the Sikhs? If this is the way to keep a country united, the world should know who is cutting it into pieces?
Gurcharan Singh Albertson, New York
Dear Editor:
At the last meeting of W.S.O. International, it was decided to write and publish books, magazines or pamphlets on the subject of Khalistan. This literature will be developed by Sikh intelligentsia and will cover detailed circumstances and reasons which make the formation of Khalistan not only justifiable but also a necessary requirement for the continuous survival of the Sikh faith and peace in the region.
As a first step forward, this project is necessary to compile a list of all the existing material (books, magazines, slides, videos, etc.): which relate to the history and events leading to present struggle for Khalistan.
I will, therefore, appreciate if your readers will compile a list of all the relevant material available and communicate the same to me by July 25, 1988. This list should include such information as the title of the book, author, publisher, year, etc. in case of printed material and a brief description and the picture, date, copyright etc. in case of slides and video etc.
Daljit Singh Jawa
3543 Wood Valley PI. Topeka, Kansas 66614
(913) 2670222
Article extracted from this publication >> July 8, 1988
