January 11, 2007 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 153, Pt. 1 1031 HIGHEST SIKH RELIGIOUS AU- tory, religion, culture, and scripture is es- one. The American people understand it, as THORITY SEEMS TO BE UNDER sential to that well-being, especially when it they demonstrated overwhelmingly last No- HINDUTVA CONTROL is under assault from Hindus who are trying vember. Yet the president wants to put even to subsume the Sikh religion and culture more American troops in harm’s way for no into those of the Hindus as part of Hindutva. HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS Remember that a former Cabinet minister strategic advantage. He persists in his fool- hardy escalation, apparently more concerned OF NEW YORK said that everyone who lives in India must with preserving his legacy as ‘‘the president IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES either be a Hindu or be subservient to Hin- dus. But also remember the words of your who didn’t lose Iraq’’ than with the well-being Thursday, January 11, 2007 predecessor, Professor Darshan Singh, who of either our brave troops or the Iraqi people. Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, the Council said, ‘‘If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not An escalation in Iraq will do nothing to im- a Sikh.’’ prove America’s security; on the contrary, it of Khalistan recently sent a letter to Joginder Jathedar Vedanti, the duty of the Jathedar Singh Vedanti, the Jathedar of the , will undermine it. Our military is already of the Akal Takht is to protect, promote, stretched to the breaking point, and Mr. who has been promoting a piece of flim-flam and disseminate the Sikh religion. How can known as the , in which several we do that within the framework of India Bush’s ‘‘surge’’ will cause additional damage writers took a snippet of the writing of the last when India is working to destroy the Sikh that will take billions of dollars and many years Sikh guru, , and added religion? The experience of tbe Jewish people to fix. Exactly none of the military’s active duty other items, some pornographic, trying to pass shows that when a nation has sovereignty, it or reserve brigades is considered ‘‘combat it off as the genuine work of Guru Gobind flourishes, but when it does not it perishes. ready.’’ Only thirty percent of equipment con- The only way to preserve, promote, and Singh in order to damage the Sikh religion. sidered ‘‘essential’’ to homeland security is on- disseminate the Sikh religion and culture is hand here at home. Should disaster strike Jathedar Vedanti’s endorsement of the Dasam in a free and sovereign Khalistan. Yet when Granth makes him a participant in this effort to here at home or elsewhere in the world, we Sikh leaders in were arrested last will be left virtually defenseless while our undermine the Sikh culture and religion. year simply for making speeches and raising troops and equipment are bogged down in an The Council of Khalistan urged the Jathedar the Khalistani flag, we did not hear a word of to stop diverting the attention of the to protest from the Akal Takht. Nor did we unwinnable war that threatens to drag on for this severely altered book and instead to focus hear a protest of the actions of the Badal years, if not decades. While Mr. Bush claims to have been ‘‘listen- on the issue of freedom for Khalistan. He government in Punjab, the most corrupt in Punjab’s history. The Badal government ing’’ to the advice of military and foreign policy noted that on the two occasions last year even sold jobs—they called it ‘‘fee for serv- experts over the last months, he seems to when Sikh leaders were arrested for making ice’’ and Mrs. Badal was able to tell how have emerged as stubbornly committed to his speeches in support of Khalistan and raising a much money was in a bag just by picking it failed policy as ever. It is up to the Congress Khalistani flag, there was no protest from up. to put an end to this madness. I particularly Jathedar Vedanti. Please do not let your energy be diverted want to call on my friends on the other side of It is time for as to support the legitimate as- to issues like the Dasam Granth, which has the aisle to listen to the voices of their con- pirations of the Sikhs and all the minorities of long become known to be altered. We need stituents, the everyday Americans who under- India who are seeking their freedom by stop- every Sikh to help bring freedom, dignity, prosperity, and security is in a free, sov- stand what we have at stake in this war in a ping our aid to India, suspending our trade ereign, independent Khalistan. Discussion of way that the president has proven himself in- with that country and by supporting the right to issues like the Dasam Granth merely diverts capable of doing. We cannot throw away more self-determination for all the minority nations the Panth from freedom and sets American lives. We cannot mortgage our chil- of the subcontinent. Self-determination is the back the cause of protecting the Khalsa dren’s futures to further enrich war profiteers. essence of democracy. Why can’t ‘‘the world’s Panth. We cannot continue to contribute to the dev- largest democracy’’ hold a simple vote on this Panth Da Sewadar, astation of Iraq. fundamental question? DR. GURMIT SINGH AULAKH, President, Council of Khalistan. The president seems unable to comprehend Madam Speaker, I would like to insert the that American military might is not the answer f Council of Khalistan’s letter to Jathedar to all the world’s problems. But the American Vedanti into the RECORD at this time for the in- IN RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT people do understand. They know that there is formation of the American people. BUSH’S IRAQ ‘‘SURGE’’ SPEECH only one way forward in Iraq. We must begin COUNCIL OF KHALISTAN, the phased withdrawal of American troops in Washington, DC, January 9, 2007. the next four to six months. We must change S. JOGINDER SINGH VEDANTI, HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR. Jathedar of the Akal Takht, , OF MICHIGAN our mission from combat to training and logistical assistance for Iraq forces. We must Arnritsar, Punjab, India IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DEAR JATHEDAR VEDANTI: I am writing to provide the economic assistance the Iraqis you about the Dasam Granth, which you Thursday, January 11, 2007 need to repair their devastated society and have been promoting as the genuine writing Mr. CONYERS. Madam Speaker, last night, give whatever help they require in moving of Guru Gobind Singh. The issue of its au- the president announced that he will escalate their political process forward. This is the only thorship was settled long ago. As you know, way to achieve any sort of victory in Iraq. the authors of the Dasam Granth identify the war in Iraq. Still in his cloud of denial, Mr. themselves within the text and only a small Bush seems to believe that he can achieve f part is written by Guru Gobind Singh. The some ill-defined ‘‘victory’’ by perpetuating THE INDEPENDENT STUDY OF rest was appended by Hindu writers looking America’s involvement in a bloody civil war DISTANCE EDUCATION ACT OF 2007 to harm the Sikh religion. Much of it is por- halfway around the world. It is unclear what nographic. For a jathedar of the Akal Takht such a victory would look like, let alone how to promote it as genuine Sikh scripture, es- it might be achieved. Mr. Bush’s ‘‘troop surge’’ HON. VERNON J. EHLERS pecially since Guru Gobind Singh left the is not a strategy; it is a desperate, last-ditch OF MICHIGAN Guruship in the , is harm- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES effort to allow the president to avoid admitting ful to the Sikh religion and the Sikh Nation. Thursday, January 11, 2007 Sikhs should bow only to the Guru Granth that his war of choice has been a failure. Sahih, nothing else. Generals and foreign policy experts alike Mr. EHLERS. Madam Speaker, I rise in sup- The Dasam Granth is not the real issue. Do agree that adding 21,500 more troops to the port of the Independent Study of Distance not get sidetracked, and do not sidetrack the quagmire in Iraq will have little effect on either Education Act of 2007. This bill requires that Sikh Nation from the real issue, freedom and our chances for ‘‘victory’’ or the safety and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) con- sovereignty for Khalistan. Do not let this stability of the Iraqi nation. Indeed, President duct a scientifically correct, statistically valid controversy divert and waste the resources Bush chose this course of action against the study of the quality of distance education pro- of the Sikh Nation from the preservation of our religion and culture. unanimous opposition of the Joint Chiefs of grams as compared to campus-based pro- It is vitally important that the Akal Staff and most of the commanders on the grams. Takht Jathedar, the spiritual leader of the ground in Iraq. Everyone except the president Allow me to provide some background on Sikh religion, be committed to the well- seems to realize that the essential problem in congressional actions related to distance edu- being of the Sikh Nation. Preserving its his- Iraq requires a political solution, not a military cation. During the 1992 reauthorization of the

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