Were D.C: In response to the amendment introduced by Hon. Dan Burton, Congressman from Indiana, the House of Representatives unanimously urged the Indian Prime Minister Gandhi to restore the human rights of the Sikhs and to put an end to the policy of repression against them. Hon, Dan Burton is among the most vocal champions of the Sikh human rights in the House and has been playing a significant role in educating his colleagues in Congress about the sad plight of the Sikhs, ‘We reproduce the proceedings of the House relating to the unanimous adoptions of the amendment moved by Hon. Dan Burton.

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD DEC. 10, 1987

Human Rights of the Sikh in Punjab, India

  1. FINDINGS: The Congress finds that:

I, Amnesty International found in its report of 1987 that the government of India has failed to adequately protect the human rights of the Sikhs living in the Punjab.

Ii, There is evidence that India ‘authorities are currently suspending the basic freedom in Punjab and that increasing harsh police tactics are only aggravating the situation.

Iii, Due to the breakdown of law and order in the Punjab, India’s Central government has dismissed the elected State government and has introduced a large number of police and paramilitary units.

  1. These paramilitary units temporarily sealed off the Golden Temple, the most sacred religious shrine of the Sikh nation and for the first time in centuries the devotees could not offer their prayers or bathe in the historic holy tank built around the Golden Temple.
  2. Historically the Sikhs have been peaceful people and most Sikhs still want. A peaceful solution in the Punjab.

B.STATEMENT POLICY:  it is the sense of the congress that the government of India should continue to allow Sikhs to have full access to golden Temple for the purpose of religious worship and should remove all paramilitary presence from the Shrine as soon as possible. While the Congress condemned the use of terrorist tactics in the region the government of India should use restraint in resolving its dispute ‘with the Sikh people in the Punjab, ‘The Congress supports the territorial integrity of India (dis was inserted at the suggestion of Congressman Salaraz  a well-known supporter of the Indian government) and respectfully urge Prime Minister Gandhi and all responsible leaders of the Sikh community to renew their efforts to achieve a political solution that will permit the settlement of the accumulated grievances, the restoration of law and order and the return to the home rule in the Punjab while granting religious freedom, and respect for human rights of all the people of India.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 18, 1987