WASHINGTON, DC: Under threat from the U.S Congress to cut off all developmental aid, India has submitted agreeing to let Amnesty International within its borders to investigate human rights abuses in Punjab and Kashmir.
“This is a mile stone in our fight for freedom,” said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh of the Council of Khalistan, “and it will only serve to accelerate the movement toward our ultimate goal of independence. As Amnesty exposes the true character of the Indian government, the rest of the world will support the freedom of the Sikhs more strongly.”
“The atrocities only increase,” said Aulakh. “Since 1984 over 90,000 Sikhs have died at the hands of Indian security forces and in extrajudicial killings by the police. I am elated that India has finally submitted and is letting Amnesty in but at the same time I know it is for political reasons only and the atrocities are unlikely to stop. This is why we demand freedom. Only our own people can assure liberty in Punjab. We have the God given right to freedom. We have the night to choose our own destiny and not to live in constant fear of death.” It is because of the outcry of people like Dr. Aulakh that Amnesty International has become so concerned with India. Yet despite Amnesty’s 12 year effort to get into India, it is largely due to the pressure of the U.S Congress that forced India to rescind its previous position.
Leading the fight to expose India’s disgraceful human rights record is Congressmen Dan Burton, who introduced the bill that would cut off $25 million in aid. To date the bill has the bipartisan support of 55 Congressmen including influential members like Vic Fazio, Les Aspin, Leon Panetta. Congressman Burton, who supports “real freedom for the Sikhs,” stated on the House floor that “we must not turn our backs on the Sikhs in Punjab.”
At the same time others in Congress have fought just as hard. Congressman Ben Blaz is quoted as saying, “Khalistan is the only solution to the Punjab problem.” Congressman Wally Herger as well, has fought extremely hard introducing a bill last year to deny India most favoured nation status until police stop the brutality against the Sikhs in Punjab. Even British Member of Parliament, Max Madden who visited Punjab as part of the fact finding mission stated, “I shall never forget the Sikh father whose 14 year old daughter was raped and drowned by a police officer. I shall not forget the young Sikh who was shot as a terrorist after he stood with his arms above his head in a field for five minutes. The police later admitted that they had made a mistake… I shall not forget the relatives of the young man who was shot while marching in a Sikh religious festival. Again the police admitted a mistake.”
Such extrajudicial killings by the police in Punjab, as reported by this paper, have claimed the lives of tens of thousands Sikh men and boys in the last few years. And despite VP Singh’s victory over Rajiv Gandhi 7 months ago the same police Chief KPS Gill still remains in charge of the police. “I demand that VP Singh remove the tyrant from office and try him for the murders he is responsible for,” says Aulakh. “KPS Gill is part of the very same tyrannical machine that Rajiv Gandhi set up in Punjab and VP Singh has done nothing about it.”
And even as these atrocities are occurring in Punjab, neighboring Muslim dominated Kashmir faces similar oppression. “India cares nothing for its religious minorities,” Dr. Aulakh protests. “If you are not a Hindu, your life is worthless as far as the VP Singh regime is concerned. “Kashmiris are fighting for independence in lieu of the Indian government’s refusal to honor the United Nation’s resolution calling for a plebiscite to decide the future of Kashmir.
As Amnesty International prepares to investigate the human rights violations in India an increasingly more aware international community awaits the findings.
A government of India release on June 28 said that it has refuted the policy of granting visas for visits by Amnesty International. All restrictions on visits by their personnel or representatives have been lifted.
A senior Amnesty official Mr. Roger Rathman contacted in Los Angeles said, “We are in a position now in believing that India will allow our representatives to visit. We are pleased with India’s decision and look forward to having a dialogue with them.
STOCKTON: S. Gian Singh, International President of the WSO in a press statement said that the WSO views the recent decision by Govt of India to allow Amnesty International to visit Punjab with skeptism. If the Amnesty tour is going to be guided by the government, then we already know the answer. However we have more faith in Amnesty’s ability to get around and talk to those whose sons and daughters have disappeared and in many cases quite a few are still lingering in unsanitary jails. We will be talking to Amnesty to success a process to follow while in Punjab.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 6, 1990
