*Note: Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer is a historian, philosopher and an expert in the Sikh Affairs. Dr. Dilgeer is the author of several books and scholarly publications.
The average foreigner’s knowledge of the Sikh situation and the practical life existing in India is not much different from the knowledge of a non-Russian with regards to that of Siberia. The information that reaches the western world is perceivably inaccurate, shockingly incorrect and terribly falsified. This is simply because the Sikh zone (Punjab) is closed to the rest of the world. Those foreigners who are ‘taken to’ select regions of the Sikh zone are allowed access to quislings only and are kept away from general masses.
India versus Sikhs (Genesis)
Present day India has never existed as a nation, since the British effort to colonize India included Sikh Punjab (of pre and post 15th August, 1947) which was a sovereign country, and therefore, was never part of the India of 1840’s. Eventually, the British colonized Punjab in 1849 and, for administrative purposes, considered it a part of the Indian Empire under the British rule. In addition, upon vacating the Indian subcontinent, the British gifted away the Sikh territory to the predominantly Hindu occupied India. These events reflected those of 1814, when Denmark, having been defeated in wars as an ally of Napoleon, gifted away Norway to Sweden; following several years, Norway finally achieved its independence in 1905. Similarly the current plight of the Sikh zone corresponds to Norway, as it is an ‘occupied territory’ and India shall have to vacate it eventually. Although action may be continually prolonged, such as the Swedes vacating Norway, the Soviets vacating Afghanistan (February 1989), India cannot maintain Sikh territory under illegal occupation any further; usurper India must flee and justice will be victorious in the end.
Hindu India claims that, in 1947, the Sikhs accepted India as their country; a blatant lie. The fact is that tie Sikhs were forced by the British to accept “A Union with India,” exactly as Norway had to accept a ‘union with Denmark’ until 1814, and then, with Sweden until 1905. When the Norwegians realized that the union with Sweden could no longer continue, they declared that the union could not exist any further, and thus, Norway became independent. Such is the case of the Sikh Nation, with respect to Punjab, following India’s occupation. If ‘one accepts the premise that the Sikhs agreed to form such a pact in 1947, then the phenomenon is not ambiguous. As such, the union with Hindu India is now no longer seen as a feasible alternative. The Sikhs, by exercising their to self-rule or self-government, have chosen to terminate their union with Hindu India.
Only a naive individual can envision the possibility of a united Sikh Hindu India. I cannot predict that a “common economic market” between Afghanistan, Pakistan, Khalistan (The Sikh Nation), Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka is altogether impossible; however one point must be made, that a union of the Sikh zone and the Hindu India under one flag, one constitution, one judiciary and one government is simply IMPOSSIBLE. The following reasons underline this assertion:
Persecution of the Sikhs
Economic Persecution Hindu India has always maintained Punjab as a colony. Everything that is produced by Punjab by India at a minimal price, while everything that Punjab needs is sold to her at inflated prices. Even necessary industries are not permitted in her boundaries. Instead, fake, useless and rather harmful so-called industrial units or cottage industries have been set up for ‘eye wash’. The Sikhs of Punjab pay a lion’s share of taxes to the usurper India, but in return they get less than 2% of their due share. The Sikhs are denied jobs in public and private sectors. Discrimination cannot adequately describe this hostility towards Sikhs. Hindu India wants to control the natural and other resources, Le., waters, power, industry, etc., of the Sikhs (Punjab). This is not true with respect to other zones of the Indian subcontinent.
- Religious Persecution—In less than two months of independence, on 10th October, 1947, the Hindu India Government issued a memorandum declaring Sikhs as ‘lawless people’ and ordered Civil authorities to take special measures against Sikhs. This order is still in force. Organized propaganda against the Sikhs and Sikhism is pursued by the Hindu India government. The state organized attacks on Sikhs and their shrines are part of Punjab’s daily life. The organized and state encouraged activities of anti-Sikhs gangs are at large. Sikh religious centers are banned from accepting tithe from the Sikhs living abroad. The wearing of the Sikh kakars (symbols, or 5k) has been banned. The donations received by the! Sikh shrines are taxed; whereas, the Hindu religious centers are exempt from such taxes, and facilities are provided to those who renounce Sikhism. The state has initiated programmers for officially patronizing anti-Sikh gangs (namely Shiva sena or the army of lord Shiva, a Hindu god); further, there exists a Hindu India act which bans the fundamental Sikh institution of the Akal Takht Sahib (the seat of Sikh Polity). In other words, the Hindu Parliament in New Delhi shall regulate the religious and cultural affairs of the Sikhs and their nation. As such, this is not any less than rape of the religion, itself.
- Cultural Persecution— Includes anti-Sikh propaganda in the official publications, books, leaflets, journals, newspapers; conspiracy against Punjabi language in the non-Sikh areas; encouraged use of Hindiised Punjabi and rejection of the real Punjabi language; patronized. Persecution by the Military and Paramilitary Forces—The attack on the Sikh Nation in June ‘84 Killed more than 10,000 innocent pilgrims in the Harimandir Shahib (The Golden Temple Complex) and the other shrines. This attack was not unlike the massacre of Katyn in Poland in 1940’s when 14,500 Polish people were killed by Stalin, At least a further 20,000 Sikhs were cold-bloodedly murdered in Delhi and other nearby areas during BLACK NOVEMBER of 1984. Hindu India’s Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, had justified these Casualties. Since 1984, more than 46,000 Sikh young men have been killed in fake encounters in the Sikh zone. At present there are several hundred villages in the Sikh zone where one cannot find any young man between age of 1525 years. These “staged or fake encounters” have not ceased to occur; the Indian forces continue their attack on the Sikh shrines to humiliate the Sikh Nation. Several hundreds of the Sikhs have been killed in the Police custody, citing reasons such as “escape from prison.” The Government of Hindu India has honored those officials who have killed the Sikhs, of writers to write against Sikhs and their faith, Sikhism, particularly communists; organization of propaganda against Sikh culture, literature, cultural traditions, customs and the Sikh way of life; Hindu India government’s subscription to incite hatred towards Sikhs, burning of the Sikh libraries, museums, archives, ete.
- Persecution by the Judiciary It is a widespread misconception that there exists “Justice” in India. There is, in fact, no independent judiciary in India, as judges are puppets at the hands of the new Delhi regime, especially so since the judgment of Allahabad High Court in Indira Gandhi’s time. These judges are appointed and promoted on the basis of their commitment to the King of Indian Empire, Prime Minister. A non-Sikh judge will never give judgment in favor of a Sikh defendant when the plaintiff is a Hindu. The execution of Sardar Kehar Singh on 6th January, 1989, by the Indian Supreme Court, on the alleged plea that he was “Suspected” to be a party to conspiracy proves even the highest court of the country is extremely biased against the Sikhs. That those who “butchered” 20,000 Sikhs in Black November, 1984, have yet to be charged, but a Sikh can be hanged on the alleged plea of suspected, but as yet unproven participation in conspiracy. Justice in India is different for Hindus and for the Sikhs. F. Persecution through News Media False, malicious, vicious, venomous propaganda has been launched against the Sikhs by the Indian Television (Doordarshan), All India Radio (a state controlled agency), and the newspapers. The Sikhs are presented as “terrorists”; whereas Tamils active in Sri Lanka are called guerrillas. Shame! Almost all the Indian Press, with the exception
The Sunday Observer, Delhi and a few others are hostile to the Sikhs because all these newspapers are owned by the anti-Sikh fanatic Hindus, whereas the Press Trust of India, United News International, Hindustan Samachar and other news agencies in India are state controlled,
The Government sponsored killing gangs in the Sikh zone have been looting the banks and are engaged in their chief task of killings of the innocent Sikhs and Hindus. The responsibility for these killings is placed on the Khalistan guerrillas, it is interesting to note that, in most of these episodes, Khalistan guerrillas have denied their involvement, but, as the total media is Hindu owned, the propaganda of the Indian government is treated as factual information, and one knows the authenticity of the propaganda of Goebbels. All this is being done under the conspiracy aimed at giving the Sikhs a bad name. On one hand, the government is staging mass killings and on the other hand, the blame is shifted to the Sikhs in order to persecute the Sikhs continually. ; F The agencies of the Western press are being given mischievously false and distorted information by the Hindu owned media on the one hand and the anti-Sikh employees of the international news agencies on the other hand, Furthermore, some of these journalists are, as firmly believe on the payroll of the Indian intelligence. They are Satish Jacob, Sudip Majumdar, K.K.
Sharma, Ajay Bose etc. I suspect that Mark Tully and Derek Brown are also associated with similar type of action.
International News Media
International media have been refused free access to the Sikh zone. As stated above, the information with them is only partial, official propaganda, distorted facts and sherry biased. It is analogous to Soviet information about Siberia. The situation of the Sikh Siberia is no different from that of the GULAG ARCHEPELAGO (by Solzhenitsyn). The Indian government has spent 50 million dollars in 1988 for spreading anti-Sikh rumors and for defaming the Sikhs in the Sikh zone (Punjab), and other states of India and in foreign countries.
International Human Rights Organizations
No international Ruman Rights Organization is allowed to peer into the Sikh zone. Amnesty International, Human Rights Commissions, delegations from USA, UK and various other countries has been refused free access to Punjab. Surely, some “exhibition tours”, under the government sponsorship, have been staged but none was given free access. Even on such occasions the government cronies or mouthpieces were permitted to such section for a couple minutes; thus making it merely lampoonic show.
Is It Possible To Continue A Hindu-Sikh Union?
‘A wise man’s answer to this presumption is BIG. “NO”. When the Hindu majority (a couple of exceptions do not change the general rule), is bent upon the annihilation of the Sikhs, the answer is sure to be a big NO. The Hindus have let loose a reign of terror. The language, culture, religion, shrines, and above all the lives of the Sikhs are under Nazi attacks of a fanatic, extremist, terrorist majority. HOW COULD THESE TWO NATIONS EXIST TOGETHER?
The Sikh heros are different from the Hindu heroes. For the Sikhs, Indira Gandhi was an Asian Hitler. The Sikhs shall surely celebrate the EXIT of Indira in the same way as the Jews did celebrate the EXIT of Hitler in 1945. The Sikhs shall always remember with reverence their heros like Beant Singh, Satwant Singh, Kehar Singh, etc. But on the other hand, the Hindus will not allow even the mention of their names. The massacre of the Sikhs in Jammu, J & K State, on 13th January 1989 by the Hindu mobs is their (Hindu India) final declaration that the Sikhs and their faith are unwanted in their Indian Hindu empire. The Hindus had already pointed out to their intention in 1984 and again in Bidar, Karnatka State, In September 1988, and even in between 1984 and 1988 the several such killings were organized Hindu action. They all had received the blessings of their master sitting on the New Delhi’s throne, Rajiv Gandhi. This makes it perfectly clear that the final declaration of parting has been issued by the regime of Hindu India. This proves in unambiguous terms that a Hindu-Sikh union is IMPOSSIBLE. Only an utopian could accept such a feasibility. The Hindu killer mobs have been provided with berths in the Rajiv Gandhi cabinet. If one nation honors the killers in such a fashion then only a simpleton can expect a union between Hindus and the Sikhs.
The Role Of The Western World — What Could Western World Could Do In Such A Ci Remember Noble Prize winner Elie Wiesel speaking at Oslo, Norway, that during the Second World War, Churchill and Roosevelt remained indifferent to the killings by Hitler and other Nazis. Now the same phenomenon is being repeated. The world is watching silently as the persecution of the Sikhs continues at the hands of the Hindu Hitler, Rajiv Gandhi, and the Hindu Nazis. ‘After the fall of Hitler, the world sympathized with victims of Hitler and now in 1989 even the victims of Stalin are being mourned (even in Russia), The same shall be repeated after Khalistan (The Sikh Nation) is freed from usurper India. India cannot keep this “occupied territory” under its illegal grip for a very long time. Eventually, India will fall.
Friends, you have helped the Afghan Mujahdins and have won thanks, appreciation and goodwill. The future history, shall glorify your generosity. Today, the Sikhs and their Nation (Punjab) appeals to you. If you help the Sikh Nation in its darkest period, you shall earn much more than thanks, appreciations and good will. The Sikh nation has a tradition of the highest gratefulness for a friendly hand. It is true that history does not forget a passive observer of tyranny and this is similarly true that the history has always honored a helpful humanitarian hand. History also reminds that Hitler could not have succeeded with his evil design; Soviets had to flee Afghanistan and India shall have to free the occupied Sikh territory: eventually, tyranny must end. If the Sikhs obtain even five percent of the help given to Afghanistan’s Mujahdins, they will or can achieve their freedom within days; I have always wondered that some countries of the world criticize South Africa. Yet they remain silent although the same and even worse atrocities are subjected to the Sikhs. This is since the blacks in South Africa have some black ruled countries. The Indian Apartheid is thousand times crueler than the South African Apartheid. India is crueler, more racist, and more Nazi than South Africa. The reports of the Amnesty International and the other Human Rights groups are ‘one such indication. Yet the world insists on tolerating the persecution of the Sikhs as a silent spectator, because the Sikhs have no recognized vote in the United Nations or elsewhere.
In spite of the fact that Hindus India’s tyranny in its “occupied Sikh Zone” is the worst globally since the Second World War, there remain certain countries are still helping the terrorist regime of India with economic aid; other nations are selling weapons to India, while all this ammunition and money are being used for the slaughter of all Sikhs, Rather than forcing India to surrender the Sikh territory previously redistributed amongst other countries, I regret to say, facilitated the persecution of the Sikhs in one way or another. Several politicians of the advanced western world, as in UK, Canada and Germany, by collaborating with the Indian regime, have repeated the same mistake which was made by Mussolini of Italy. The history shall never forgive them; yet other politicians in U.K., USA, Canada, Israel, Pakistan, etc. have been generous to the Sikhs and their Nation. The Sikhs are grateful to them and shall always remain so. Through this document, I request the humanitarian nations for the world to reassess their policy. You have a humanitarian policy and tradition. You have generally been helpful to the freedom fighters. You are known for being sympathetic to the oppressed and persecuted. Somehow, you have neglected the Sikhs. Please listen to our passionate appeal. We shall never forget you for your help. I sincerely hope that you will do your utmost to take necessary measures to stop the genocide of the Sikhs by the “terrorist Regime of Hindu India.”
My tenets are different my identity distinct
All along the Hindu has wanted me to look like him
Hindu, the faceless foe, is hard to admit
He had me fooled with his knaving wit
He acted meek and pretended weak
You are my brother be often did claim
But it was meant for a personal gain
Article extracted from this publication >> March 10, 1989
