[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 140 (Thursday, October 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1994-E1995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INDIAN GOVERNMENT APPEARS TO BE BEHIND BOMBINGS OF MARKET AND TRAIN IN
DELHI AREA
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HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS
of new york
in the house of representatives
Thursday, October 9, 1997
Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the recent bombing of a market in New Delhi
and a train outside New Delhi are terrorist acts that must be condemned
by all decent people. The loss of life and the injuries to people are
tragic, but I especially want to note that the explosions injured five
Australians and two Japanese visitors to India. I note that the Council
of Khalistan, the organization leading the Sikhs in their struggle for
freedom from Indian oppression, issued an excellent press release
condemning these bombings as ``a cowardly and reprehensible act against
God and man.''
The Indian regime blames the bombings on a ``Sikh terrorist''
organization called Shaheed Khalsa. If they are responsible, they
deserve the condemnation of the civilized world. But even the Indian
press is reporting that no one has ever heard of this organization
before. It just appeared on the scene very suddenly, at the moment when
it is most convenient for the Indian Government. Even the Decca Herald
newspaper reports that this organization is a fraud. It is likely that
Shaheed Khalsa is a front for the Indian Government.
The bombings were apparently carried out using RDX explosives, a
weapon known to be in common use by the Government. This is the same
explosive the regime planted on American citizen Balbir Singh Dhillon,
a Sikh businessman, father of two, and activist who went to Punjab to
visit family and some Sikh religious sites.
India has a record of state terrorism. In November 1994, the
newspaper Hitavada reported that the Indian Government paid the late
governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, $1.5 billion to create terrorism
both in Punjab, Khalistan, where Sikhs are in the majority, and in the
neighboring state of Kashmir, which has Muslim majority.
The terrorism creates an excuse to crack down and kill even more
Sikhs. More than 250,000 Sikhs have already died at the hands of the
Indian Government since 1984, according to numbers issued by the Punjab
State Magistracy and by a coalition of human rights groups. It has also
killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947, over 53,000 Muslims in
Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Manipuris, and
others. It has also killed thousands of Dalits, black untouchables, the
aboriginal people of South Asia. Over 60,000 cash bounties have been
paid to police officers for killing Sikhs like little Arvinder Singh, a
3-year-old child who was killed along with his father and uncle. The
police claimed that the three were terrorists and received a $30,000
cash bounty for their murders.
On September 4, over 1,000 Indian security forces launched a raid on
a Sikh church, called a Gurdwara, in Chandigarh. They illegally
arrested nine Granthis, the local clergy. Three of the Granthis were
severely beaten and tortured. No charges were filed against any of the
Granthis. This happened on the very same day that we were voting on
whether to cut aid to India and just a week before the state funeral of
Mother Teresa.
Mr. Speaker, we must ask the question, who benefits from these
bombings? Clearly, no one could believe that the Sikhs benefit. They
will only suffer more bloodshed and repression as a result of these
horrible acts. The Government of India, however, sees its country
falling apart from the weight of its domination of a diverse land with
many nations and 18 official languages. They are desperate to keep
their empire together. These bombings provide a perfect excuse to
suspend the elected government in Punjab, impose direct rule from New
Delhi, and increase the repression and bloodshed.
Responsible Members of Congress and decent people everywhere must
speak out against this genocidal policy. We should support all the
freedom movements of South Asia by word and deed. We must go on record
in support for freedom for Khalistan and all the nations of South Asia,
and we must stop U.S. aid to this terrorist regime and place it under
embargo until the freedom of all peoples and nations in the region is
respected. Only then will India truly be able to call itself a
responsible, secular democracy.
I am placing the Council of Khalistan's press release on the bombings
into the Record.
Dr. Aulakh Condemns Indian Government Bombings of Market and Train in
Delhi Area
Washington, D.C., October 2.--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh,
President of the Council of Khalistan, today strongly
condemned the bombing of a market in New Delhi and a train
outside New Delhi. ``This is a cowardly and reprehensible act
against God and humanity,'' he said.
Although the Indian government blames the bombings on a
``Sikh terrorist'' group called Shaheed Khalsa, Dr. Aulakh
pointed out that no one has ever heard of this organization.
``It appeared out of thin air,'' he said. ``I suspect that it
is yet another terrorist organization convened, armed and
controlled by Indian security and intelligence services, if
it even exists at all.''
``These bombings are desperate acts of a desperate
political party,'' he said. ``If you want to find out who is
really responsible, investigate Congress politicians who have
lost electoral support. Ask the question: Who benefits from
these bombings?'' Dr. Aulakh said. The Congress Party
supports the ruling 13-party coalition.
``Every time the ruling party, in particular Congress,
loses control of State government in Punjab,'' Dr. Aulakh
said. ``These bombings begin to occur throughout Punjab and
Delhi. It then allows Delhi to suspend the government and
impose direct rule in the name of maintaining law and order.
At that point, police and security personnel shut down the
press, the courts, rights groups and Sikh temples and the
slaughter of our Sikh brothers and sisters begin anew. These
bombings allow the police to continue their extortion,
kidnapping and murder-for-cash bounty rackets.'' He noted
that Delhi has suspended Punjab state government nine times,
every time a Sikh party wins power they are never allowed to
finish their term of office.
On September 4, a week before the state funeral for Mother
Teresa, 1000 Indian security troops raided a Sikh church
(Gurdwara) in Chandigarh and illegally arrested nine clergy
(Granthis). Three were severely beaten in jail. None of the
Granthis was charged with a crime. The government has
murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to
Punjab State Court and human rights groups findings. Over
60,000 cash bounties have been paid to police for killing
Sikhs.
[[Page E1995]]
``The bombings show that India stops at nothing to end the
freedom struggle,'' Dr. Aulakh said. On Oct. 7, 1987, the
Sikh Nation declared its independence from India, forming the
separate country of Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan was
formed at that time to serve as the government pro tempore of
Khalistan. It leads the peaceful, democratic, nonviolent
independence struggle.
``India's artificial empire is collapsing around them, so
the regime resorts to acts of terrorism to keep it
together.'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``The democratic nations of the
world must rise up and condemn this cowardly act and the
reign of terror it advances.''
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