1. CHAIRMAN. A refresh in effort has been taking place in the Congress in favour of allowing the Sikh people their basic human rights, members may not be aware of the situation in Punjab because Indian government maintains a virtual news blackout and forbids most foreign {Journalists from visiting the region. ‘The Indian government has been trying to shelter world opinion from its systematic oppression of the Sikhs in Punjab. While I appreciate that India has to deal with f terrorist element in Punjab. an element which 1 condemn, it is ‘obvious that increasingly repressive tactics of Indian police and paramilitary units are only aggravating the situation, Let me just quote from the 1987 Amnesty International Report on Human Rights, it expresses concern with regard to, 1 quote, “the detention of hundreds of political detainees held without charge or trial under special Anti-Terrorist Act Legislation or Preventive Detention laws which lack legal safeguards required by International Human Rights standards and allow people to be detain for nonviolently expressing their opinions. Allegations from most Indian states of ill-treatment and torture of detainees and some detainees allegedly died as a result and reports that some alleged supporters of armed opposition groups were deliberately killed in encounters staged by the police,
  2. CHAIRMAN, on October 24 of this year, Indian police and paramilitary troops virtually sealed off the Golden Temple, the Most Sacred religious shrine of the Sikh people and forth first time in Centuries old history the devotees could not offer prayers around the ‘most holy temple,
  3. CHAIRMAN, let me go on record in support of religious freedom for the Sikhs. The vast majority of the Sikhs desire a peaceful solution in the Punjab and we should encourage them. Let us urge Prime Minister Gandhi {0 use restraint in dealing with the crisis in Punjab. Mr. Chairman, the force is not the answer. The Sikhs have not nor will they ever submit to repression.
  4. PORTER the Congressman from llanos

Mr, Chairman, I rise to express my support for the Dan Burton Amendment regarding the human rights of the Sikhs in Punjab of India, As a Chairman of the Congressional Human Rights ‘Caucus, T have continually endorsed the effort of overwhelming number of moderates and nonviolent members of the Sikh community who strive to return basic human rights and religious freedom to their community. As you know more than half of the India’s 16 million Sikhs live in the Punjab. To begin | want to remind my colleagues that I abhor the increasingly violent confrontation occurring in the Punjab between the small minority of the militant

Sikhs and the security forces. You may remember the bus attack in June, assassination of Prime Mister Indira Gandhi and such other incidents, however, the issue before the us is a much broader one. Last year, I visited India and met Prime Minister Gandhi and Chief Minister Barnala, the head of the elected moderate Sikh government. 1 followed the situation for many years; talked to members of the Sikh community and heard from the Editor of a Bombay newspaper. Unfortunately the religious tension and political conflict within the Sikh community  between the Sikhs and Hindus of Punjab and between the Akali Dal and the Indian government shade the picture of human rights violations which continue to occur. We must not forget the indiscriminate 1984 assault on the Golden Temple, the holiest Centre of the Sikh religion where thousands were killed. Only this year Prime Minister Gandhi dismissed Punjab’s Chief Minister,

Suspended the legislature, and re imposed direct rule by the Central ‘government. [support this amendment because it focuses on basic human rights violations and offers. concrete suggestions for improvement including the reopening of the Golden Temple for religious ‘worship, using restraint in resolving the dispute between the Sikh people and the government and respect for human rights in the Punjab, Mr. Chairman, we must continue to uphold our nation’s principles and urge other democratic countries to do the same, 1 urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this Amendment,

CONGRESSMAN MATSUI from California

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Amendment offered by the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Burton. This statement expresses the sense of Congress that Indian government should reopen the Golden Temple for religious worship, use restraint in resolving dispute with the Sikh people, and respect human rights in the state of Punjab. The tragic circumstances in India are not widely known or fairly publicized. The information we receive is controlled by the Indian government. No one is currently allowed to visit the state of Punjab including the members of Congress and foreign journalists at the same time religious and ethnic groups have claimed the lives of thousands, [tis now time to demand the truth from the Indian government which cast long dark shadow over the Sikhs in Punjab. India is certainly no stranger to religious violence, Mahatama Gandhi, a man respected throughout the world for his dedication to nonviolence and religious tolerance engaged in a near death fast to protest against Hindu Muslim fighting in response to the separatist call for partition on the eve of independence. When India achieved its independence from the Great Britain in 1947, it was essentially divided into Muslim area which became Pakistan and predominantly Hindu area which became India, If Mahatma Gandhi were alive today he would surely be engaged in a fast lasting four years in an attempt to bring attention to the current human rights violations and to restore peace in the region. It is the sense of the Congress that the Indian government should continue to allow Sikhs to have full access to the Golden Temple for the purpose of religious worship and should remove all military presence from the Shrine as soon as possible. While the Congress condemned the use of terrorist tactics in the region, the Indian government must use restraint in resolving its dispute with the Sikh people in Punjab. The Congress respectfully urges Prime Minister Gandhi and all responsible leaders of the Sikh community to renew their efforts to achieve political solution that ‘will permit settlement of the accumulated grievances, the restoration of law and order and return to home rule in the Punjab while granting religious freedom and respect forth human rights for all the people in India, Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support

It may be recalled that congressmen were briefed at a. meeting with Justice Ajit Bains, President of Punjab Hi 1987). The meeting Was arranged by hon. Norman D. Shumway who are representing Ranj Singh Gill and Sukhminder Singh Sandhu against their extradition to India.

 Congratulating the Congress for unanimously adopting the amendment and for the reduction in the economic’ aid to India from 50 million to 35 million. Dr. Gurmit” Singh Aulakh, President of the Khalistan Council said that the ‘Amendment passed by the Congress would become a policy of the government of the United States as he feels there is not going to be any problem in getting this Amendment through both at the Senates well as President’s level, He also said this was the most important event that could happen to the Sikhs outside of India and this is the columniation of the effort started by the Sikhs in the United States, a year and half ago with few Congressmen and now the whole of the United States’ Congress has unanimously endorsed the human rights violations of the Sikh nation.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 18, 1987