I have been informed of the Canadian Government’s decision to deport over 2000 Sikhs back 1o India. I would ‘appeal o you to please reconsider this decision in the light of the fact that religious and political persecution of the ‘Sikhs is still occurring in India, even as you are reading this letter. In any further dialogue with the Indian Govt, the following facts cannot be overlooked.
- Under the Terrorist Affected areas ordinance, enacted after the Indian Government’s brutal invasion of the Sikhs’ Golden Temple, thousands of innocent Sikhs were arrested. The Amnesty International report on India for 1985 states that “Under the act, trials were to be held in camera, the burden of proof was shifted to the accused upon certain minimal findings and appeals were only possible to the Supreme Court within a reduced 30day period.” Actually, appeals would hardly be possible, because the report also speaks of an amendment to the National Security Act under which individuals in the Punjab could be detained for up to two years without trial. The result of these laws was that arrested Sikhs were guilty, until proven innocent. Both of these laws are still in effect.
- A startling example of the Govt insincerity towards the Sikhs. After the invasion of the Golden Temple, the Govt. repeated ad infinitum the report that the central shrine had been untouched by the army. The Govt. even ‘forced Sikh high priest to read a statement to that effect on the national TV. But in a recently published book by Mark Tully of the BBC entitled “Amritsar, Mrs. Gandhi’s Last Battle”, the govt.’s claim is totally refuted and the book openly states that there were bullet holes on the shrine, confirming all along. For this historic lie to the entire Sikh Community, the government still hasn’t apologized.
- After Indira Gandhi’s death, two Govt. Ministers (along with many other officials), Mr. H.KL. Bhagat and Mr. Narasimha Rao, through crimes of omission and commission, allowed the massacres of innocent Sikhs 10 continue. until it was t00 late to stop them. They are both named in a report entitled “Who Are the Guilty?”, put together by the People’s Union for Democratic rights and the People’s Union for Civil Liberties, two civil rights groups in India. They were promoted to higher posts by Rajiv Gandhi for their services and are still in power.
- The Indian Army circular “Baat Cheet”, Special No. 153, openly declares all fully baptized Sikhs to be terrorists and issues instructions to eliminate them. Would Canada remain silent if any country in the world issued orders to execute all the baptized Christians in that country? This is a blatant example of India’s religious persecution of the Sikh religion and to date there is no evidence of a countermand to the above order, it is still in effect.
- The latest report on human rights violations, entitled “Oppression In Punjab Report To The Nation” put together entirely by Hindus, including a former Chief Justice of India, V.M. Tarkunde, brings to light a great ‘number of Govt. atrocities on Sikhs and on their religion such as the arrest, torture, and murder of many young and innocent Sikh males on totally fabricated charges. There are too many Sikh households crying out for the return. The report details so many examples of government injustice to the Sikhs that itis small wonder that the authors were all arrested. The report is still banned throughout India.
- Brahma Chellany, an Associated Press reporter, was put on trial by the Govt. for daring to report the truth about the Indian Army’s assault on the Golden Temple. His story stated that many women and children were among those killed (he himself saw some of the dead bodies) and that some Sikhs were shot in cold blood by the Indian Army after being taken captive and disarmed, with their hands tied behind their backs with their own turbans. The above {facts are corroborated in the report Oppression In Punjab. When the British massacred hundreds of Indians in “Amritsar during the days of British rule of India, they at least made provisions for the return of the bodies to the next of kin, for proper identification and cremation. Yet the Indian gov, after the assault on its own people, never returned the bodies and still has not identified the victims.
- Canada’s own Jonathan Mann was arrested when he tried to enter the Golden Temple. Amnesty International was denied permission to send a delegate to India. A group of U.S. Congressmen, organized for a factfinding mission was not permitted to enter India. Even now, foreign journalists are not allowed in Punjab.
- Manushi, an Indian Women’s journal, indicated the extent of the arson, murder and gang rapes unleashed upon the Sikhs by Hindu mobs organized by govt. officials after Mrs. Gandhi’s death. Why is it that 10 this date the ‘murderers and rapists have not been brought to justice? The criminals are all still at large.
From the above facts, a grim picture emerges that those Sikhs who try follow the teachings of their religion are Jailed, tortured, and killed by the Govt. Any Sikh who stands up for truth is labelled a terrorist It is evident that India is hiding the crimes it has committed and is still committing against its Sikh minority. Canada, in order to uphold its long-standing reputation as a defender of human rights and sanctuary for the oppressed, should grant landed immigrant status of all its Sikh refugees as soon as possible, for to send them back to India would be ask in to sentence 2000 innocent persons to persecution and death.
Sincerely yours,
Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1986