E612 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 2, 2000 academic achievement in schools, and the ceptions and hospital events. I believe that Some of them have been held for over 15 freedom of individuals to select their future any American who has ever been cared for by years. This is unacceptable. occupations. a nurse should join in the celebration of Na- America is the bastion of freedom in the CLINTON’’S PLAN FOR EDUCATION AND THE tional Nurses Week. world. It is our responsibility to do what we ECONOMY Modern nursing has been traced to Florence can to ensure freedom for all people. We The following graphic, distributed by the Nightingale's efforts during the Crimean War should cut off India's aid until it learns to re- Minnesota Department of Children, Families of the mid-19th century. Exactly 100 years spect human rights. The government must and Learning (DCFL), explains how School- stop killing religious and ethnic minorities. It to-Work is a government plan to interlock after Nightingale's methods were first used, public school ‘‘reform’’ of curriculum with National Nurses Week was first observed from must also punish strongly those who kill and workforce preparation (job training) and eco- October 11±16, 1954. National Nurses Day do other acts of violence in the government's nomic development (national economic plan- and Week was eventually moved to May to in- behalf. Amnesty International, which has not ning). This official state publication states clude Florence Nightingale's birthday, which is been allowed to enter India to investigate that the School-to-Work mission is ‘‘to cre- May 12th. human rights abuses since 1978, must be al- ate a seamless system of education and Using this year's theme: ``NursesÐKeeping lowed to come into the country. Until then, no workforce preparation for all learners, tied the Care in Health Care,'' the American American money should go to India. to the needs of a competitive marketplace.’’ Nurses Association (ANA) and its 53 con- We should also put this Congress on record School-to-Work means that the mission of the public schools is no longer to educate stituent associations will highlight the diverse in support of democracy in South Asia by call- children to be all they can be, but instead to ways in which registered nurses, the largest ing for a free and fair plebiscite, under inter- train students to take entry-level jobs as health care profession, are working to improve national supervision, to decide the political fu- needed by the global economy. The different health care for Americans. Thankfully, the ef- ture of Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and all motivations of several special interests per- forts of nurses are being widely acknowl- the other nations occupied by India. These fectly mesh in School-to-Work: the Clinton edged. According to the Gallup Poll's 1999 steps are the best way to bring freedom to all Administration economic gurus (Marc Tuck- ``Honesty and Ethics'' survey, nursing ranked the people of South Asia. er, Ira Magaziner and Robert Reich) who say #1 of 45 among the most respected profes- Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the they want America to imitate the German Newsroom article into the RECORD. I urge my school-to-workforce system, the Clinton Ad- sions. ministration education activists (particu- Mr. Speaker, I will salute America's nurses colleagues to read it. larly the teachers unions and Education De- during the week of May 6±12, 2000. I encour- BAN SOUGHT AFTER PRE- partment bureaucrats) who want to control age my colleagues to do the same. EASTER ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS IN INDIA the school system, and the multinational f NEW DELHI, 25 April 2000 (Newsroom)—Al- corporations that seek a poorly-educated but lies of the (BJP), well-trained labor force willing to work for END RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION IN which leads India’s coalition government, low wages to compete with low-paid workers INDIA this week demanded that the BJP ban a mili- in the Third World. tant group of Hindu nationalists and dismiss The master plan to federalize education the BJP-led state government and tie it into the workforce originated with HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS in the wake of recent attacks against Chris- the now infamous ‘‘Dear Hillary’’ letter writ- OF NEW YORK tians. ten on November 11, 1992 by Marc Tucker, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The call by the Trinamool Congress, an president of the National Center on Edu- Tuesday, May 2, 2000 ally in the BJP-led National Democratic Al- cation and the Economy (NCEE). It lays out liance headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari a plan ‘‘to remold the entire American sys- Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the persecution Vajpayee, to ban the Bajrang Dal and dis- tem’’ into ‘‘a seamless web that literally ex- of Christians and other religious minorities in miss Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ram tends from cradle to grave and is the same India continues. Now even an ally of the ruling Prakash Gupta and his government stunned system for everyone,’’ coordinated by ‘‘labor party has spoken out against it. BJP leaders. market boards at the local, state and federal Newsroom, a website devoted to religious Leaders from the Trinamool Congress and levels’’ where curriculum and ‘‘job match- from the opposition Congress and Samajwadi ing’’ will be handled by counselors ‘‘access- news, reported that the Trinamool Congress, a parties blasted the BJP for failing to control ing the integrated computer-based pro- party in coalition with the ruling BJP, de- the Hindu nationalist group that many gram.’’ manded the banning of Bajrang Dal, a militant blame for the spate of violent incidents di- Rep. Bob Schaffer (R–CO) correctly ana- Hindu nationalist organization. The Bajrang rected toward religious minorities in the last lyzed this letter as ‘‘a blueprint for a Ger- Dal is affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu two years. man model of education that would be forced Parishad (VHP), which in turn is part of the The Bajrang Dal, a militant Hindu organi- upon the people of America.’’ He said this RSS, a Fascist organization that is the parent zation affilated with the Vishwa Hindu ‘‘moves the country toward a government- Parishad (World Hindu Council) and linked owned centralized education system from organization of the BJP. to several attacks on Christians, believes it kindergarten past college.’’ He placed this Dara Singh, the person India has arrested in has a duty to promote the Hindu religion and letter in the Congressional Record on Sep- connection with the murder of missionary —Hinduness—in India. Dara Singh, tember 25, 1998. It is most easily accessible and his two young sons, has who is accused of masterminding the mur- on Eagle Forum’’s website: http// been linked to the Bajrang Dal. Christians ders of Australian missionary Graham www.eagleforum.org. have been subjected to three attacks in Uttar Staines and his two sons last year, has been f Pradesh in two weeks. On Good Friday, mem- linked to the Bajrang Dal, although the bers of the Bajrang Dal attacked members of group denies he is a member. Sudip Bandopadhyay of the Trinamul Con- A TRIBUTE TO AMERICAN NURSES the House of Worship, a Christian church in DURING NATIONAL NURSES WEEK gress and Yerram Naidu, Tulugu Desam Agra. Uttar Pradesh also has a law prohibiting party leader, demanded that security be pro- Muslims from building new mosques or con- vided to Christians and other religious mi- HON. WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI verting any building into a mosque without norities wherever possible, especially in OF ILLINOIS government permission. In the state of Orissa, states like Uttar Pradesh where there have been three violent attacks against Christians IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES religious conversions are banned without gov- ernment permission. in the last two weeks. Tuesday, May 2, 2000 In Haryana on April 22, three nuns were at- Madhavrao Scindia, deputy leader of the Congress Party in the Lok Sabha (the lower Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to tacked by a Hindu fundamentalist. One, Sister house of Parliament), said the government pay tribute to a remarkable group of dedicated Anandi, remains in Holy Family Hospital in se- should put a stop to incidents like those re- health professionalsÐthe 2 million+ registered rious condition. No one has been arrested for ported in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana this nurses in the United States. this crime. month. He demanded a response from Home These outstanding men and women, who The militant Hindu fundamentalists who car- Affairs Minister Lal Kishen Advani, who is work hard to save lives and maintain the ried out these acts are allies of the Indian gov- considered a friend of most of India’s Hindu health of millions of individuals, will celebrate ernment. The government itself has killed over nationlist groups and is the second most National Nurses Week from May 6±12, 2000. 200,000 Christians in Nagaland, over a quar- powerful man in India after Vajpayee. ‘‘Groups close to the BJP must be reined in Registered nurses will be honored by hosting ter of a million Sikhs, more than 65,000 Kash- as they are vitiating communal peace,’’ or participating in several events such as ral- miri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thou- Scindia said. lies, childhood immunizations, community sands of others. It holds tens of thousands of Opposition Samajwadi party leader health screenings, publicity efforts, dinners, re- political prisoners without charge or trial. Mulayam Singh Yadav, who once headed the

VerDate 272000 06:02 May 03, 2000 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00016 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A02MY8.058 pfrm04 PsN: E02PT1 May 2, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E613 defense ministry, said that militant Hindu THE SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA: DEMONSTRATING A groups pose a greater danger than the ac- SCHOOLS ACT OF 2000 NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO OUR NATION’S tions of religious minorities. ‘‘Majority com- PUBLIC SCHOOLS munalism poses a greater danger compared THE SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS ACT OF 2000 to minority communalism,’’ he said. Mem- HON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY bers of the Hindu group Shiv Sena tried to Helping Communities Repair and Modernize OF MISSOURI heckle him while he addressed members of Unsafe Schoolhouses Parliament. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Communities across the country are strug- gling to address critical needs to build new During a two-day BJP national executive Tuesday, May 2, 2000 schools and renovate existing one. One-third meeting in the Uttar Pradesh town of of all public schools—about 25,000 schools— Lucknow, Vajpayee chastised Uttar Pradesh Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce need extensive repair or replacement. A re- Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta over his the Safe and Successful Schools Act of 2000. cent survey documented over $250 billion dol- state’s handling of attacks on Christian mis- It will help modernize our public schools by lars of unmet school modernization funding sionaries in Mathura. Vajpayee reportedly providing grants and loans for up to 8,300 ren- need. said the state should have dispatched police ovation projects in high-need school districts. The Safe and Successful Schools Act of to assess the situation and instill confidence It will continue the highly successful class size 2000 authorizes $1.3 billion annually to help among the Christian community. He also reduction program by helping communities communities make emergency school ren- asked the state government to explain its hire an additional 20,000 highly qualified ovations such as repairing roofs, fixing dan- position on the controversial religious places gerous electrical wiring and plumbing, bring- bill, which prohibits Muslims from building teachers. It will boost investments in quality ing schools into compliance with fire safety mosques or converting an existing building after-school and summer school programs ad- codes, undertaking asbestos removal or into a mosque without government permis- vocated by the President. It will help us close abatement, and removing lead-based paint. sion. the digital divide that currently leaves too The Act will support up to 8,300 renovation Bajrang Dal national coordinator Surendra many poor children and their teachers behind. projects in high-poverty, high-need school Kumar Jain said last month that his group It will bolster safe and drug free school pro- districts that have little or no capacity to was fighting to construct a temple for Ram grams, and strengthen programs to reduce fund urgent repairs over the next five years. in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. The extremist hate crimes by children. Reducing Class Sizes/Smaller Schools group also once demanded that the federal ESEA is our nation's flagship education Research shows that class size reduction in government declare Pakistan an enemy partnership with local communities. It provides state. the early grades is one of the most direct and vital assistance to the most vulnerable, educa- effective ways to boost student academic Referring to the attacks against Chris- tionally challenged children in America. Until achievement, especially among populations tians, Jain said that ‘‘missionaries consider this Congress, the ESEA had enjoyed a rich of disadvantaged children. Smaller class Hindus a soft target. Even the words ‘soft and enduring history of bipartisanship. sizes ensure that every child receives per- target’ were used in the missionary lit- sonal attention, gets a solid foundation for erature. However, now the Hindus have Unfortunately, Senate and House Repub- licans have been highly partisan and divisive. further learning, and learns to read inde- woken up. We are no more a soft target for pendently by the end of the third grade. The their unholy activities. We appreciate mis- At the beginning of the ESEA process, we Safe and Successful Schools Act of 2000 con- sionary services, but only when the object is urged Republicans to work in a bipartisan tinues the Clinton/Clay class size reduction service and not conversion.’’ way. Instead, they proceeded in a highly par- program that is helping communities hire Monday’s confrontation in parliament fol- tisan manner and created havoc throughout and pay for 100,000 new, fully qualified teach- lowed three attacks against Christians in the reauthorization process. In the House, ers. Uttar Pradesh in the last two weeks. Mem- they carved up the ESEA into seven disjointed The Act also reauthorizes the Small, Safe bers of the House of Worship, one of India’s piecesÐhoping to bolster their devastating and Successful High Schools program, which fastest-growing church groups headquartered public image and terrible performance on edu- helps high schools to create smaller, safer learning environments. Research has shown in the southern state of Hyderabad, were at- cation. tacked by suspected Bajrang Dal activists on that the size of a school and the number of the outskirts of Agra, site of the Taj Mahal, Today, the ESEA process is in shambles. its students greatly impact children’s ability police said. The Good Friday attack on the Straight A's, the Republican education block to learn and the likelihood that violence 14-member preaching team from Hyderabad grant bill, has a veto threat pending and has may occur. in the BJP-ruled state came a week after a no chance of becoming law. Their Teacher Accountability for Results Catholic priest and three nuns were attacked Empowerment bill has a veto threat pending The bill requires schools reducing class in a school. It was the seventh attack re- because of its gratuitous attack and block sizes to hire only fully qualified teachers. ported in the state in less than 100 days. granting of the Clinton Class Size Reduction The bill strengthens ESEA technology pro- The Bajrang Dal complained to state po- Act. Conservative Republican Members are grams by focusing on the achievement of lice that the Hyderabad group was trying to blocking floor action on two other ESEA bills, performance indicators and the correlation convert villagers by offering them money, a Even Start and Impact Aid. And the one major between technology and improved student charge church authorities deny. In a counter bipartisan bill, H.R. 2, has been sharply and achievement. The Act requires school safety complaint the victims reported that a mob of publicly attacked by reactionary Republican and drug abuse prevention programs to be 20 to 30 people attacked the van in which based on sound research, and strengthens re- they were traveling and tried to burn the ve- Members of the Education and Workforce porting and eligibility criteria for the Title hicle. The group returned to Hyderabad Committee. VI program, increasing program account- where the main church, Hebron Church, is Republicans repeatedly refused to work with ability. located. The church, also known as the In- Democrats to craft the pending ESEA bill, Providing Safe After-School Learning digenous Society of Churches in India, is one H.R. 4141, and voted in mass to defeat 52 of Opportunities for Students of the fastest growing in the country with 54 amendments offered by Democratic Mem- mainly new converts as members. It was Extended learning programs reduce juve- founded by a Punjabi Sikh agricultural engi- bers. The bill passed out of committee is a nile crime by providing a wide range of edu- neer, Bakht Singh, in the 1920s. Bakht Singh legislative disaster. Every major education cation, social, mentoring, and counseling is 99. group opposes the bill. The President will services to help improve student behavior, including services relating to violence pre- Three Catholic nuns on their way to attend probably veto it. Because the Republicans have decided to vention and conflict resolution. Recent re- midnight Mass in Rewari in neighboring search has demonstrated that extended Haryana state were attacked Saturday night play politics with America's school children, learning programs help improve student by a man riding a scooter. It was the third they have placed in jeopardy passage of this achievement in reading and math, and re- attack on Christians reported in the past comprehensive Federal aid program to edu- duce truancy and dropout rates. three months in this wheat-rich state. One cation. If the Republicans leave town this year The Safe and Successful Schools Act more nun, Sister Anandi, remains in Holy Family without enacting the ESEA, it would be the than doubles our investment to $1 billion, in Hospital in serious condition. The other two the 21st Century Community Learning Cen- nuns suffered minor injuries. Police so far first time that the program has permanently lapsed in its 35-year history. ters program. This program enables schools have made no arrests. to stay open longer, providing safe and edu- John Dayal, convener of the United Chris- I urge the Republican leadership to stop cational after-school opportunities for some tian Forum for Human Rights, said in a pre- playing politics with our nation's school chil- 700,000 school age children in rural and urban pared statement that ‘‘this attack was part dren, and pass ESEA legislation that can bring communities each year, and vital social of the series of ongoing attacks on Chris- urgent relief and assistance to our public health, and educational services for their tians and their institutions.’’ schools this year. families.

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