E574 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 7, 2005 Sikh nation but a sovereign, independent over to Punjab, but remains a Union Terri- rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his Khalistan. Every Sikh leader must come out tory. How can Sikhs have any freedom living memory. openly for Khalistan. We salute those Sikh under a government that would do these Senator Howell Heflin was a devoted family leaders in Punjab who have done so. things? man and dedicated public servant throughout Any organization that sincerely supports Sikhs will never get any justice from Khalistan deserves the support of the Sikh Delhi. The leaders in Delhi are only inter- his entire life, someone who devoted nearly a Nation. However, the Sikh Nation needs ested in imposing Hindu sovereignty over all quarter-century in public service to the resi- leadership that is honest, sincere, consistent, the minorities to advance their own careers dents of Alabama. and dedicated to the cause of Sikh freedom. and their own power. Ever since independ- Born on June 19, 1921, the son of Rev- Leaders like Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan, ence, India has mistreated the Sikh Nation, erend and Mrs. Marvin Heflin, Senator Heflin Harchand Singh Longowal, Didar Bains, starting with Patel’s memo labelling Sikhs was a native of Poulan, Georgia, and spent Ganga Singh Dhillon, the Akali Dal leader- ‘‘a criminal tribe.’’ What a shame for Home his childhood moving from one Alabama com- ship, and others who were complicit in the Minister Patel and the Indian government to munity to another before his family settled in attack on the Golden Temple cannot be issue this memorandum when the Sikh Na- Colbert County. He was a 1942 graduate of trusted by the Sikh Nation. The evidence tion gave over 80 percent of the sacrifices to against them is clear in Chakravyuh: Web of free India. Birmingham-Southern College. Within a short Indian Secularism. The Sikh Nation cannot How can Sikhs continue to live in such a time following his graduation, he joined the believe that these leaders will not betray the country? There is no place for Sikhs in sup- United States Marine Corps and served during cause of Khalistan, just as they betrayed the posedly secular, supposedly democratic World War II in the Pacific Theater of Oper- Sikh Nation in 1984. We must be careful if we India. Let us make Viasakhi Day a day of ations. He was wounded twice during his serv- are to continue to move the cause of freedom freedom. Let us dedicate ourselves this ice and was awarded the Silver Star for gal- for Khalistan forward in 2005 as we did in Vaisakhi Day to living up to the blessing of lantry in action before being discharged in 2004. Guru Gobind Singh. Let us take the occasion 1946. Following the completion of his military The Akali Dal conspired with the Indian of Vaisakhi Day to begin to shake ourselves government in 1984 to invade the Golden loose from the yoke of Indian oppression and obligations, he enrolled in the law school at Temple to murder Sant Bhindranwale and liberate our homeland, Khalistan, so that all the University of Alabama and graduated from 20,000 other Sikh during June 1984 in Punjab. Sikhs may live lives of prosperity, freedom, that institution in 1948. Even the Pope spoke out strongly against and dignity. From 1948 until 1970, Senator Heflin this invasion and desecration of our most sa- f worked as a prosecuting attorney in the City of cred shrine. How can these so-called Sikh Tuscumbia before winning election as Chief leaders connive with the people who carried IN RECOGNITION OF MRS. BETH Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. For it out? If Sikhs will not even protect the FREEMAN sanctity of the Golden Temple, how can the the next six years, he served with distinction Sikh Nation survive as a nation? on the court and is known for many accom- The Akali Dal has lost all its credibility. HON. MIKE ROGERS plishments during that time, including imple- The Badal government was so corrupt openly OF ALABAMA menting large reforms of the state court sys- and no Akali leader would come forward and IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tem that eliminated years of backlogged tell Badal and his wife to stop this cases. He earned so much respect for his unparallelled corruption. Wednesday, April 6, 2005 If Jathedar Vedanti opposes freedom and work as Chief Justice that, even after having sovereignty for the Sikh Nation, then he is Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I been elected to the United States Senate, not fit to sit in Akal Takht, in the seat of rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished friends, colleagues, and admirers continued to the Khalsa Panth. The Sikh Nation should public servant of Alabama’s Third Congres- refer to him as ‘‘The Judge.’’ have a Jathedar who is committed to sov- sional District. First elected to the Senate in 1978, Senator ereignty. Mrs. Beth Freeman, hired just two months Heflin served with distinction for 18 years and The Council of Khalistan has stood strong- after she turned 18, has worked for the people ably represented the interests of all Alabam- ly and consistently for liberating our home- of Alabama for more than 30 years. Over her ians. During his three terms, he served most land, Khalistan, from Indian occupation. For over 18 years we have led this fight while career she has progressed from answering notably as a member of the Senate Judiciary others were trying to divert the resources phones and clipping newspaper articles to Committee and as both chairman and vice and the attention of the Sikh Nation away handling nearly every issue addressed by the chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, a from the issue of freedom in a sovereign, Federal government, from military affairs to position he held for 12 years. Additionally, he independent Khalistan. Khalistan is the only Social Security. served as a member of that body’s Agriculture way that Sikhs will be able to live in free- She has been a faithful and non-partisan Committee and was a strong and able advo- dom, peace, prosperity, and dignity. It is public servant, having served with the four cate for the interests of Alabama’s agricultural time to start a Shantmai Morcha to liberate most recent officials representing this office, community. Khalistan from Indian occupation. The Akal Takht Sahib and Darbar Sahib including the late Congressman Bill Nichols; During his three terms in Congress, Senator are under the control of the Indian govern- Congressman Glenn Browder; and then-Con- Heflin developed a reputation of working with ment, the same Indian government that has gressman Riley. his colleagues to find common ground on nu- murdered more than a quarter of a million While I have only known ‘Ms. Beth’ since merous issues, and always with the best inter- Sikhs in the past twenty years. The Jathedar taking office in 2002, in that short time I have ests of his constituents at heart. Many times, of the Akal Takht and the head granthi of developed a deep appreciation for her hard he put partisanship aside to support issues for Darbar Sahib toe the line that the Indian work and dedication to the people of Alabama. which he saw great benefit, but which others government tells them. They are not ap- were actively working to oppose. And while his pointed by the Khalsa Panth. Otherwise they Families and seniors across this district have would behave like a real Jathedar, Jathedar called upon her expertise for years, and relied personal views tended towards the conserv- Gurdev Singh Kaunke, rather than like In- upon her persistence to get their problems ative end of the spectrum on defense and fi- dian government puppet Jathedar Aroor solved. She will be missed here in this office, nancial matters, he was more progressive on Singh, who gave a Siropa to General Dyer for and across East Alabama. social issues. In fact, two African-American the massacre of Sikhs and others at Beth, on behalf of the citizens of Alabama’s federal judges from Alabama, U.W. Clemon of Jallianwala Bagh. These institutions will re- Third Congressional District, thank you for Birmingham and Myron Thompson of Mont- main under the control of the Indian regime your service to our state. We wish you all the gomery, were both championed by Senator until we free the Sikh homeland, Punjab, Heflin. Khalistan, from Indian occupation and op- best in your retirement. pression and sever our relations with the f In an article appearing in the Mobile Reg- New Delhi government. ister following the senator’s death, former Ala- The Sikhs in Punjab have suffered enor- HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE bama Congressman Sonny Callahan was mous repression at the hands of the Indian HON. HOWELL HEFLIN quoted as saying, ‘‘He was always there for us regime in the last 25 years. Over 50,000 Sikh when we needed him. We had common goals youth were picked up from their houses, tor- HON. JO BONNER for Alabama and worked towards those tured, murdered in police custody, then se- goals.’’ Perhaps these words more than many cretly cremated as ‘‘unidentified bodies.’’ OF ALABAMA Their remains were never even given to their IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES others spoken in the days following his pass- ing are an accurate summation of the tremen- families! Another 52,268 are being held as po- Wednesday, April 6, 2005 litical prisoners. Some have been in illegal dous work completed during his long career custody since 1984! Even now, the capital of Mr.