YUBA CITY: Democracy is on the march all over the world but in the nation considered the World’s largest democracy (India) basic human rights are routinely denied to its citizens, said California Cong. Wally Herger to a gathering of Sikh supporters from the Yuba City-Sutter County area that the Congressman represents.

Telling the group that they have the opportunity to elect those who are “with us on this morally correct” issue he urged his listeners to become involved with the political process-otherwise those who would be “brainwashed” by India’s apologists might prevail. It is up to the electorate to support those people who fight oppression and abuse he said.

Listing the deplorable statistics that belie India’s claim of democratic rule the Congressman stated that: “Thousands of Sikhs have been murdered by Indian security forces”: in fact just how many is hard to know since Human Rights agencies are consistently denied entry to India. “Beatings, tortures and the deaths of political prisoners are a daily occurrence” and “in 1992 alone more than 11,000 Sikhs are being held for political reasons.” It is hard for those outside to make the case without a neutral party to confirm or deny the ‘alleged atrocities’ and this remains the situation as investigations have been restricted, He stated that the ‘sorry human rights record of the past and present Indian regimes must be held accountable.” In light of his feelings on this issue Herger introduced 4 measures stating US policy wards India that were unanimously passed by the House on July 13, 1991. These were:

1) The govt. of India should allow unrestricted access to Human Rights groups.

2) India should review and revise the TADA laws.

3) Political dialogue and local elections should take place in Kashmir and the Punjab

4) Significant progress in curbing Human Rights abuses should take place and members of the police and security forces should be held responsible for their actions.

Yet India continues the abuses and denials and disregards the rights of its own people. In the latest and loudest message to the repressive Indian regime, the congress stripped $24 million developmental aid from the planned package in hopes that India would allow human rights organizations to freely investigate who is responsible for the tragic civil violence. The Indian govt blames ‘religious radicals and Pakistani terrorists, while the Sikhs blame ‘agents of the state’. And when Amnesty Int. published its report on India in March 1992 the Indian govt called AI ‘a biased tool of the British govt.’ The PHRO is one of the finest sources of information about the unrelenting repression of the Sikhs since Operation Bluestar. Because it is so hard to find the truth, many in Congress were unaware of India’s abuses. Herger, through the introduction of “House Resolution 2510” would have denied India “favored nation status” until the repeal of TADA.

And for his efforts the congressman has been be sieged by non-Sikh Indians and Embassy officials to rethink his positions. In fact he said that a Lobbyist for the Indian govt threatened to “unseat Herger” for his anti-India position and N.Y. rep. Stephen Solarz was known to seek funds to actively oppose Herger’s re-election bid.

Herger assured the audience that the ‘cause is right’ and that the side of right will win out. Sikhs can count on Herger to be their friend in Congress even though because of reapportionment he no longer actually represents the Sutter county area that is his home.

Herger thanked Didar Singh Bains for being such a good friend and supporter and for introducing him to the issues that concern the Sikhs.

Article extracted from this publication >> September 25, 1992