E698 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 10, 2000 NEW REPORT SHOWS INDIAN GOV- try to continue these activities. We must do of the Director General of Police. Events as ERNMENT IS TO BLAME FOR what we can to help bring freedom to the peo- they unfolded clearly indicate that this force MASSACRE OF 35 SIKHS IN ple of South Asia. It is time to stop our aid to was misutilised for criminal acts outside the CHATTI SINGHPORA parameters of law. Here we have support India until it lets the people within its borders from the publication Amnesty International enjoy the human rights to which all people are (Embargoed for February 22, 1999). An ex- HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS entitled. We should stop supporting India's tract from the same (Page 26, Column 2) is OF NEW YORK anti-Americanism. And we should declare our reproduced here. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES support for an internationally-supervised, free ‘‘. . . Only three months earlier, Chief Min- and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan on the ister Dr. Farooq Abdullah was quoted as say- Wednesday, May 10, 2000 question of independence. We should also ing that the Jammu and Kashmir state po- Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently two support similar plebiscites in Kashmir, in lice and the Punjab police had achieved ex- cellence in fighting terrorism and they could human-rights groups in Punjab, the Punjab Christian Nagaland, and throughout India. This Human Rights Organization and the Move- be trusted in the proxy war-like situation is the way to bring real freedom, peace, pros- facing the state. The referrnce to Punjab po- ment Against State Repression, published a perity, and stability to South Asia. It will also lice was no chance remark as the Director report on the massacre of 35 Sikhs in the vil- gain us new allies in that troubled region. General of Police appointed in February 1997 lage of Chatti Singhpora, Kashmir, this past Mr. Speaker, I wish I could put this excellent has served for many years in counter-insur- March. Despite the Indian government's efforts report into the RECORD, but it is too long. I gency operations in Punjab where high levels to blame Pakistan and alleged Kashmiri ``mili- would like to place the summary sections of of human rights violations had been re- tants'' for the massacre, an effort the Indian observations and recommendations into the ported. The Jammu and Kashmir state police have shown a disturbing disregard for the government reinforced by killing five innocent RECORD, for the information of my colleagues. Kashmiris, the report clearly and unambig- rule of law in their expanding counter-insur- I urge my colleagues, especially those who gency operations, leading to increasing alle- uously places the blame where it belongsÐon are supporters of India, to read these sections gations of arbitrary arrests, torture, killings the Indian government. carefully. and ‘disappearance’ perpetrated by police of- ``It is our considered opinion,'' the report VISIT TO CHITHI SINGHPORA ficers themselves and reports of their conniv- says, ``that Pakistan has nothing to gain by or- ance in abuses committed by other agencies OBSERVATIONS dering militants/mercenaries to massacre such as the renegades. It is also shown in the 3.1. Team Observations Sikhs in the Kashmir valley. Pakistan had way police have obstructed victims’ and vic- The facts narrated above clearly indicate tims’ families’ access to redress.’’ steered clear of this kind of act during 10±15 that the visitors of Chithi Singhpora were years of militancy in J&K,'' the group wrote. We feel that a Central Agency directed this not members of the security forces. Dress, operation without the knowledge of the ``J&K militants too had nothing to gain from language, careless handling of weapons and State Chief Minister and his Cabinet. This, such an incident. Indian leaders however behaviour in general discounts the security therefore, is an act that needs to be con- gained substantial mileage from this incident forces. That they were militants, can also be demned and a high level probe ordered to as a spate of international sympathy was safely ruled out because it is general knowl- punish the guilty. forthcoming,'' the investigative team wrote. edge that militants guard their weapons The Sikh soldiers have been used dis- They noted that India's Home Minister, L.K. most carefully and would not visit a location proportionately in Nagaland, Assam, Sri repeatedly knowing that an RR post is lo- Advani, ``was quoted as saying that three Lanka and all along in Kashmir. This tends cated 3–4 kms away. The finger therefore to endanger the amity existing between the events brought a turn around in international points towards the so-called Counter Insur- minority and local majority community. opinion in India's favor. He mentioned Kargil, gents/Renegades (Surrendered militants). This has special reference to the good rela- the hijacking of the Indian airliner, and the The description of the villagers, in fact, cor- tions existing between the majority Kash- Chatti Singhpora incident.'' roborates this assessment. miri Muslims and the minority Kashmiri According to the report, the people in the The fact that the RR Unit was located Sikhs in J&K. village of Chatti Singhpora ``did not believe close to Chithi Singhpora and the statement It is our considered opinion that Pakistan that militants had any hand in this incident.'' of Principal Ranji Singh and teacher had nothing a gain by ordering militants/ Niranjan Singh clearly indicated that the se- The report notes that ``as a rule foreign merce- mercenaries to massacre Sikhs in the Kash- curity forces know fully well about the iden- mir valley. Pakistan had stressed clear of naries visit a village once and do not come tity of the visitors to Chithi Singhpora and this kind of act during the past 10–15 years of back again. So these men cannot be militants. did nothing about it. military in J&K. Also real militants do not part with their weap- The statements of various individuals in J&K militants too had nothing a gain from ons even for a minute.'' The killers wore mili- Anantnag/Srinagar tallies with what the vil- such an incident. tary uniforms and chanted ``Jai Mata Di; Jai lagers narrated to the team. One man Indian leaders however gained substantial Hind,'' a Hindu nationalist slogan. The report Karamjit Singh spoke a different language. mileage from the incident as a spate of inter- He stressed in his statement that the killers national sympathy was forthcoming. In fact notes that the Sikhs and Kashmiri Muslims were militants. Secondly his various actions have very good relations. Both the Chief Min- President Clinton was joined by a number of indicate that he has an inkling that some others in decrying terrorism and killing of ister of Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, and Mr. force had come to kill on March 20, 2000 civilians in Kashmir. Union Home Minister Advani had warned villagers against sup- evening. His escape was miraculous in spite Advani in one of his speeches was quoted as porting ``militants.'' of his being addressed directly by the so saying that three events brought a turn The authors of the report conclude that the called CO not to go home. He still escaped. In around in International opinion in India’s fa- Indian government's counterinsurgency forces, our opinion Karamjit appears to have been in vour. He mentioned Kargil, the hijacking of which are run by the Indian intelligence serv- some contact with the security forces. His the Indian plane and Chithi Singhpora inci- ice, RAW, are responsible for the massacre of migration to Jammu and his nervousness dent. during the teams meeting with him clearly RECOMMENDATIONS Chatti Singhpora. point to this. Unfortunately, the Indian government is sup- The State Chief Minister, Farooq Abdulla 4.1. Team Recommendations pressing this information, and their friends in had asked for a Judicial enquiry into the The Chithi Singhpora killings resulted in a the democratic countries of the world are pro- Chithi Singhpora killings by a Supreme major tragedy for the Sikh community in tecting them. There must be a full, fair, inde- Court Judge. (Press Statement is attached as J&K. It was a traumatic event which had na- pendent, and complete investigation and the Annexture II). Instead, the Centre has or- tional and international ramifications. The people responsible for this terrible atrocity dered a judicial enquiry by Justice Pandhian killers have yet to be identified by the state into the Pathribal killings of five civilians and national authorities. It is therefore, very must be prosecuted. However, Parliamentary and police firing at Brakpora. The Chithi vital to discount various rumours and con- Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan admitted that Singhpora killings are to be probed by the jectures making the rounds. The team rec- ``security forces would not be punished for the Additional Judicial Magistrate only. This ommends that: killings of civilians. It would demoralize the clearly indicates that the truth behind this i. The Chithi Singhpora killings be inves- troops who are fighting insurgency in different Chithi Singhpora incident is not being al- tigated by the United Nations Human Rights states.'' This is a very revealing statement by lowed to surface. Commission as these killings are sympto- an official of the Indian government. Perhaps All efforts should be made to normalise the matic of killings that have taken place in various parts of India during counter-insur- this is why an allegedly democratic country situation and bring the Sikhs back into the mainstream in the State. gency operations. Once the culprits are iden- needs a ``Movement Against State Repres- The team feels that Law and Order being a tified they should be dealt with speedily in sion.'' state subject, the handling and allotment of accordance with the law. America is the beacon of freedom. America tasks to the Counter-Insurgency Force was ii. Compensation to be given to the victims must not allow an allegedly democratic coun- done by the state authorities under the aegis of the killings at Chithi Singhpora.
VerDate 27
VerDate 27