Almost all governments swear by democracy. They claim to be defenders and promoters of human rights not only of their own people but also of other countries, In recent years, some of these governments made statements to highlight violations of rights in the developing countries like India. It was even pleaded that aid to India should be linked to the latter improving its human rights record, some of the western governments went to the extent of using India when it proposed bilateral extradition treaties.

But surprisingly, a discernible change is taking place in the attitudes of most of the western governments. Some, like the UK and Canada, have entered into treaties with India extending laws governing extradition of citizens to each other’s country. On the basis of these new laws, the UK government has arrested a Sikh belonging to Punjab, pending his extradition to India. Germany actually sent back one Kuldip Singh of Delhi in the teeth of opposition by human rights activists in Europe. When Kuldip Singh landed in the Delhi airport, he was quickly taken upon by the Indian police, tortured and killed in custody. The worst fears of human rights advocates were proved right. Kuldip Singh’s blood is not only on the Indian police but is also on the hands of the German government authorities. Completely over-looking its folly, the German government has now deported Devinderpal Singh of Bathinda district. He was arrested on January 19 as soon as he landed at the Delhi airport. As in Kuldip Singh’s case, the police has dubbed Devinderpal as a “top militant.” Actually Devinderpal had left India for Germany to save his life. Devinderpal’s father, Balwant Singh Bhullar was killed in custody by the Indian police some time in 1992. Devinderpal’s fate may not be different from Kuldip’s. The attitude of the Canadian government is no different. It is bent upon collaborating with India even when it is fully aware of India’s fascist ways. Several Canadian citizens had been harassed by the Indian police when they visited Punjab. Hardly any visiting Sikh escapes the wrath of the Indian state in some way or the other. The latest instances are of the disappearance of Harpal Singh Gosal and Maninder Singh Gill. In the case of Gosal, according to Internal Human Rights Organization, he was picked up by the police in mufti from near Phagwara on Dec. 31, 1994. The Canadian. High Commission in New Delhi was content to write a letter or two to Indian authorities who have blantly and falsely denied the arrest. “We have sent a request to the Consulor division, ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. They were not able to obtain any information from the home ministers, Punjab,” writes Jean Luc Vochon, Consulor, to the IHRO.

In the other case, the Indian police picked up Maninder Singh Gill from the Delhi airport. According to Indian media reports, Gill had feared harassment and arrest at the hands of the police and had brought it to the attention of Canadian High Commission at Delhi. A Canadian official, according to Ajit, had escorted Gill up to the airport lounge. But the young Sikh was abducted by the police from within the airplane. The IHRO suspects that Maninder is in the custody of Ropar police, although the Indian authorities are silent about the media report. At the other end, the Canadian government has deported Mann Singh Sidhu to India, despite the fact that a Canadian judge had warned that country’s Immigration Minister about the likely fate of the Canadian Sikh at the hands of the Indian police.

All these instances are sufficient to point to an ominous trend. From vocal pleaders of human rights, some of the western governments are degenerating into collaborators with the rights violators. It is evident that the concepts of human rights within western countries are not strongly founded. That is why these rights are being linked with economic ties. The people of the western countries can not in their own interests afford to look the other way. If today, the rights of the Sikhs can be sacrificed by these governments it will not be long before the rights of the people of the western governments, too, get sacrificed. There appears to be something different about the system itself which permits the governments of western democracies to make light of peoples human rights. No amount of business gains from India can justify this slaughter and its endorsement. It is time the people of the west themselves sit-up and warn their governments. Otherwise, the rot will one day erode the very democracy in their home lands.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 27, 1995