WASHINGTON, DC: A meeting of World Sikh Organization, U.S.A. was held on November 16 & 17, 1991 at International Sikh Secretariat, Washington, D.C. Delegates from California, Connecticut, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Louisiana, and Washington D.C. attended. The following resolutions were passed unanimously by the Assembly.
1; This meeting placed on record a deep sense of appreciation of contributions of those Sikhs who have given generously towards the building in the nation’s capital (International Sikh Secretariat) This permanent home of the Sikh Nation will now serve as the hub of the activities relating to Sikh issues in this country.
2;This meeting resolved to totally support with Tan, Man, Dhan freedom fighters in Khalistan and Kashmir t further resolved that W.S.O. was committed for legal defense of Dr. Gurpartap Singh Birk, Bhai Ranjit Singh Gill and Bhai Sukhminder Singh Sandhu and would assist in raising necessary funds for this great cause.
- This meeting pledged an amount of $1,000.00 per month to World Sikh News which is the only Sikh English paper in the world at the present time, The paper has done a commendable job in exposing the brutalities of Indian Government against Sikhs and “urges Sikhs wherever they are to subscribe tit so that it could truly become the voice of the Sikh Nation for all time to come.
American Sikhs this weekend defended Sikh militants fighting to create a separate homeland in India, claiming they are not terrorists, but freedom fighters in the tradition of American Revolutionary War heroes.
“George Washington is the father of this country, but before that he was the [No.1 terrorist,” said Gurcharan Singh Dhillon of Sacramento, CA, president of the U.S. branch of the World Sikh Organization (WSO).
“I have read the Declaration of Independence many times. People have a right to protect themselves, to pick up arms and fight for their rights,” he said at the WSO annual meeting in Rosslyn.
Dhillon accused the Indian government of seeking to obliterate the Sikh religion and its people, who make up 2% of the population of India. He claimed that Muslims in Kashmir and separatists in Assam, India, were facing the same threat.
For radical Sikhs, the only solution was a separate nation called Khalistan “Land of the Pure”, Dhillon said, “Hinduism is an intolerant religion”, he said. “There is no place in India for anyone but Hindus”,
But an Indian government spokesman countered that the Sikh militants were terrorists engaged in slaughtering innocents.
“There are just a handful of people indulging in the terrorist acts”, said G. Jagannathan, press counselor for the Indian Embassy. “Their modus operandi is killing innocent people, including Sikhs. The majority of Sikhs. The majority of Sikhs area peace-loving people”.
Founded by Guru Nanak in the 16th century, the Sikh religions an off shoot of Hinduism that embraces the Muslim concept of one God. Sikh leaders opted to be part of India instead of Pakistan after the subcontinent was partitioned in 1947. They later regretted the choice and refused to sign the Indian Constitution because it did not recognize the Sikh religion as separate from Hinduism.
In 1984, the independence movement gained overwhelming support among Sikhs when their most holy shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, was tacked by the Indian army.
It was a Sikh holy day and at last 1,000 worshipers, including women and children, died in the assault.
“The Indian government said it sent in the troops because the Golden Temple had become a sanctuary for Sikh militants engaged in a campaign of assassination across Punjab, a state in Northern India dominated by Sikhs.
Four months later Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards setting off Hindu riots and the massacre of thousands of Sikhs throughout India.
And the violence continues.
The Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that Sikhs killed 12 civilians in random attacks in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, Seven others, including three Sikhs, were killed in the Punjab,
WSO officials complained that Indian government media censorship means only one side of the story is ever reported.
However, a report by the independent human rights group Asia Watch in August accused India of torture, suppression and murder of Sikhs in 1989 & 1990.
(Indian security forces) have engaged in widespread summary executions of civilians and suspected militants” it said. “Torture is practiced system atically. To our knowledge, no member of the security forces in Punjab has been convicted of any human rights violation”.
“The report also accused militant Sikhs of kidnapping, detaining and executing civilians, suspected police informers and random Hindus. (Washington Times)
Article extracted from this publication >> November 22, 1991
