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January 4, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E25 EMBRACING THE CONSTITUTION Mr. Speaker, all peoples are entitled to live government, preventing the government’s FLAG in freedom. The Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan daylight robbery of Punjab river water. Pun- made their choice on October 7, 1987 when jab needs its river water for its crops. In the they declared their independence from India, bill, the Assembly explicitly stated the sov- HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER ereignty of Punjab. OF NEW YORK calling their new country Khalistan. India, The Indian government has murdered over IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES which proudly claims to be democratic, re- 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 fuses even to hold a free and fair vote on the Christians since 1948, over 89,000 Muslims in Tuesday, January 4, 2005 question, just as India has never kept its Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, since Sep- promise of 1948 to hold a plebiscite on the fu- Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and tember 11th, 2001, this nation has engaged in ture of Kashmir. How can a country do these others. The Indian Supreme Court called the a debate over how best to balance national things and claim to be democratic? Self-deter- Indian government’s murders of Sikhs security with civil liberties. ‘‘They who would mination is the essence of democracy. ‘‘worse than a genocide.’’ A new Congress gives us a new opportunity Indian police arrested human-rights activ- give up an essential liberty for temporary se- ist Jaswant Singh Khalra after he exposed curity, deserve neither liberty or security.’’ to take a stand for freedom in South Asia and their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in Those words are as true today as they were around the world. We should stop all U.S. aid which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, when Ben Franklin said them at the dawn of to India until it allows full democratic rights tortured, and murdered, then their bodies American democracy. and full human rights to all people living within were declared unidentified and secretly cre- It was in that spirit that a patriotic New York- its borders and we should strongly support a mated. He was murdered in police custody. er named Bob Pargament designed the ‘‘Con- free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan, in His body was not given to his family. The police never released the body of stitution Flag.’’ The new symbol, an American Nagaland, in Kashmir, and wherever people seek their freedom on the question of inde- former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Flag with the Constitution superimposed in the Singh Kaunke after SSP Swaran Singh outline of the United States, reminds us never pendence. By promoting such a plebiscite, we Ghotna murdered him. Ghotna has never to undercut the freedoms guaranteed to each promote democracy and human rights for all been brought to trial for the Jathedar individual in the Constitution. people in that troubled region. Kaunke murder. No one has been brought to While nothing can ever replace our beloved Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert the Coun- justice for the kidnapping and murder of ‘‘Old Glory,’’ this new emblem is currently fly- cil of Khalistan’s press release on Mr. Mann’s Jaswant Singh Khalra. ing in homes, city and town halls, and law remarks into the RECORD at this time. According to a report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 MANN REVERTS TO SUPPORTING KHALISTAN classrooms across the country. It is on display Slikhs are being held as political prisoners at the American Library Association’s Chicago WASHINGTON, DC, DECEMBER 10, 2004—Once in India without charge or trial. Some have headquarters and the city of Mount Vernon, again, former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, been in illegal custody since 1984! Tens of NY has officially adopted the flag as the city’s leader of the Shiromani Alkali Dal (Amrit- thousands of other minorities are also being symbol. sar), has staked out a position in support of held as political prisoners, according to Am- As we in Congress continue to struggle with a sovereign, independent Khalistan. Speak- nesty International. We demand the imme- ing in Ludhiana on December 7 at a meeting diate release of all these political prisoners. ways to keep Americans safe, we should of his party, Mann said that the SAD (Amrit- honor those who are working to highlight the ‘‘It is encouraging that Mr. Mann has sar) would launch a peaceful movement to comeback to demanding Khalistan,’’ said Dr. civil liberties at the foundation of our democ- achieve a separate and sovereign Sikh state, Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the racy. I urge my colleagues to join me in em- according to the December 8 issue of The Council of Khalistan. ‘‘This is another step bracing the Constitution Flag as an invaluable Tribune (Chandigarh.) Mann claimed that his forward for the movement to liberate our reminder of what keeps American strong. party had never given up this position. homeland from Indian oppression.’’ Mann reminded his party that Sikhs are a f ‘‘As Professor Darshan Singh, a former separate nationality. He said that the foun- Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, ‘If a Sikh FORMER MEMBER OF PAR- dation for an independent Khalistan was laid is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh’,’’ Dr. LIAMENT ENDORSES FREEDOM by Guru Gobind Singh and furthered by Sant Aulakh noted. ‘‘We must continue to press Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and that this for our God-given birthright of freedom,’’ he FOR KHALISTAN—SOVEREIGNTY dream ‘‘will be materialized one day.’’ Guru WILL END OPPRESSION said. ‘‘Without political power, religions can- Gobind Singh gave sovereignty to the Sikh not flourish and nations perish. A sovereign Nation (‘‘In grieb Sikhin ko deon patshahi.’’) Khalistan is essential for the survival of the HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS Sikhs are a separate nation. Sikhs ruled Sikh religion.’’ Punjab up to 1849 when the British conquered OF NEW YORK the subcontinent. Mann noted that it is in f IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the interests of all the people in the region HONORING COMMAND SERGEANT Tuesday, January 4, 2005 to have a buffer state between India and MAJOR MARVIN L. HILL Pakistan to help ensure lasting peace in Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on December 8, South Asia, given the deep hostility between the Tribune newspaper out of Chandigarh, ‘‘Hindu civilization and Muslim civiliza- HON. HAROLD E. FORD, JR. Punjab reported that a former Member of Par- tion.’’ OF TENNESSEE Mann’s remarks show that the desire for liament, Simranjit Singh Mann, had endorsed IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES sovereignty for the Sikh homeland, Khalistan. Khalistan remains strong in the Sikhs of His endorsement is part of a rising tide that in- Punjab, said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, Tuesday, January 4, 2005 cludes the Punjab government declaring its President of the Council of Khalistan, which Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to rec- leads the Sikh struggle for independence. Dr. sovereignty when it ended its water agree- Aulakh also cited the actions taken by Chief ognize Command Sergeant Major Marvin L. ments with the other states in India. Minister Amarinder Singh, such as declaring Hill of Memphis Tennessee, and the dedica- I note that Mr. Mann said that the Sikhs are Punjab’s sovereignty in stopping all water tion and courage with which he has served a separate nation and promised to lead a agreements between Punjab and other our Nation. movement to liberate Khalistan. I hope that he states, as moving toward this goal. On Octo- A warrior and exemplary combat veteran, keeps his promise. My friend Dr. Gurmit Singh ber 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared its inde- Command Sergeant Major Hill will be moving Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan pendence from India, naming its new country onto the 1st Army, under Lieutenant General and an invaluable resource for information Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan was es- Russel Honore, overseeing training and mobi- tablished at that time to lead the peaceful, about South Asian affairs, has been saying democratic, nonviolent movement to lib- lization readiness for Army National Guard the same things for several years. It seems erate Khalistan from Indian oppression. Units within its area of responsibility. Com- that India’s oppression that killed a quarter of History shows that multinational states mand Sergeant Major Hill’s distinguished ca- a million Sikhs and keeps more than 52,000 of such as India are doomed to failure. Coun- reer is particularly noteworthy for his contribu- them as political prisoners has failed to tries like Austria-Hungary, India’s longtime tions to the legacy of the 101st Airborne Divi- dampen the desire and enthusiasm of the friend the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czecho- sion, ‘‘Screaming Eagles,’’ the post he is de- Sikhs for their own sovereign, independent slovakia, and others prove this point. India parting. is not one country; it is a polyglot like those country. I salute Mr. Mann’s position. It is im- countries, thrown together for the conven- Command Sergeant Major Hill joined the portant for leaders in Punjab to speak out ience of the British colonialists. It is doomed Army on January 18, 1978. After completing strongly for Khalistan. We can help from here, to break up as they did. Recently, the Pun- Basic Combat Training at Ford Leonard Wood, but the effort must be won in Punjab, jab Legislative Assembly passed a bill annul- Missouri and Advanced Individual Training Khalistan itself. ling all water agreements with the Indian (AIT) at Fort Benning, Georgia, he became an VerDate Aug 31 2005 03:32 Nov 16, 2006 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\RECORDCX\T37X$J0E\E04JA5.REC E04JA5 mmaher on PROD1PC70 with CONG-REC-ONLINE E26 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 4, 2005 Infantryman in May 1978.

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