Tread with great interest ‘Ghastly Terrorism has no place in Canadian Lifestyle’ by Christopher Young of South am News in The Star June 25.

I agree with the analysis of the central theme but disagree on a couple of points in which, I believe, Mr. Young suffers from the pervasive bias as is evident from his calling Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale “the fanatical Sikh holy man.

It is regrettable Young has fallen prey in using these catchwords made current by the government ‘of India and her apologists whose central thrust of the propaganda War is to portray the Sikhs as radicals or terrorists.

The Sikhs say they are fighting for freedom and liberty in Punjab.

The Sikhs resent it that their leader, Sant Bhindranwal called “fanatical”. To the Sikhs, he was; Bhindranwale Sant Sipahee, Jinay Suti Sikh Qaum Jagall, (Bhindranwale a saint soldier who awakened the sleeping Sikh nation). ‘Young has written eloquently of Khushwant Singh “one of Indi’s best-known Sikhs, a journalist and historian…”

Sardar Khushwant Singh may: be India’s Joseph Conrad, but I have yet to see his intellectual stand.

A writer without intellectual integrity and moral commitment is not worth a bill of beans. He is one of the governments of India’s best Known Sikh puppets.

Young also said, “. The explosion aboard Air India Flight 182… ‘Was perpetrated by fanatic Sikh terrorists have Young any evidence? There is a feeling among the Sikh Canadians that the crash of Air India Flight 182 may be the ‘work of the dreaded RAW (Research Analysis Wing) of the Central Bureau of Investigation, India’s GIA, in order to discredit the Sikhs, No Sikh worth his salt ‘would do such a cowardly thing. Lethe RCMP bring the culprits, if any, to the Canadian court, and let Justice take its course, The Sikh Canadians have full confidence in the Canadian judicial system where the accused is innocent until proven guilty.

Young states, “Probably about 10 per cent of India’s Sikhs sympathize with the proponents of Khalistan.” I wonder where he ‘obtained or how he arrived at the 10-percent figure.

This kind of grossly distorted information is usually dished out by the foreign missions of the government of India at wine and ‘cheese parties.

If only 10 per-cents of the Sikhs demand Khalistan, why is India afraid to hold a referendum in Punjab, and let the Sikhs decide whether they prefer to remain with Hindustan (India) or want Khalistan?

Was there any survey or poll conducted among the Sikhs of Punjab? There was none. How could it be because Punjab is virtually a police state since the massacre of Sikhsat Darbar Sahib in June 1984?

Thousands of Sikh political prisoners are still held in Indian Jails without any trial, Civil liberties are non-existent in Punjab, Western journalists (even the Canadian MPs) have not been permitted into the Punjab region by the government of India.

“There were two schools of political thought among the Sikhs of Punjab before 1984 — autonomous status and sovereign status. Anandpur Sahib Mata, the resolution of Anandpur Sahib sought essentially an autonomous status, which was being pursued by Sant Bhindranwale

The sovereign status was advanced by the Sikh intellectuals and Sikh nationalists who were t00 familiar with the deceptions of Bamins (Brahmins) of India who reality rule the country.

The Sikh massacre of June and November in 1984 and the subsequent suppression made the political pendulum swing 180 degrees toward the sovereign status because they are convinced their very survival as distinct people is at stake

The Hindus of India have thrust Khalistan upon the Sikhs the way Pakistan was thrust upon Muslims in 1947, the instinct for survival has forced the Sikhs to opt for Khalistan, The Hindus of Punjab are now quietly leaving for India and conversely the Sikhs of India are retiming to Punjab. This is Khalistan in the making.

Avtar Singh Sidhu

Windsor

Article extracted from this publication >> August 1, 1986