CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions Of

E1154 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks June 18, 2004 demand that India hold a free and fair plebi- others. The Indian Supreme Court called the ment of Iraqi prisoners, that there be a thor- scite on the issue of independence for Indian government’s murders of Sikhs ough investigation, and that the results be Khalistan, for Kashmir, for Nagaland, and for ‘‘worse than a genocide.’’ made public Indian police arrested human-rights activ- That this investigation include any per- all the nations seeking their freedom. Multi- ist Jaswant Singh Khalra after he exposed sonnel regardless of rank or office who had national states like India are inherently unsta- their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in knowledge of these atrocities and allowed ble, as the examples of Austria-Hungary and which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, them to continue with impunity the Soviet Union show. And the essence of tortured, and murdered, then their bodies That any military, intelligence, or pri- democracy is the right to self-determination. It were declared unidentified and secretly cre- vately contracted personnel found to have is time for the United States to take a stand mated. He was murdered in police custody. engaged in or encouraged acts of torture or for democracy, freedom, and stability. His body was not given to his family. The po- inhumane treatment be prosecuted Mr. Speaker, on June 5, the Council of lice never released the body of former That there be a complete and public Con- gressional oversight hearing and investiga- Khalistan sponsored a demonstration to com- Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Singh Kaunke after SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna tion into the treatment of all detainees held memorate the Golden Temple attack. I would murdered him. Ghotna has never been by the U.S. military anywhere in the world, like to have the text of the Council of brought to trial for the Jathedar Kaunke an investigation which will allow Members Khalistan’s Press Release regarding this event murder. No one has been brought to justice of Congress to exercise their powers and placed into the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD fol- for the kidnapping and murder of Jaswant rights to enable the balance of power to be lowing my statement. Singh Khalra. restored [Press Release from the Council of Khalistan According to a report by the Movement That all prisoners held by the United June 5, 2004] Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 States be granted access to international Sikhs are being held as political prisoners in monitoring groups such as the Red Cross, the SIKHS COMMEMORATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF India without charge or trial. Some have Red Crescent, Amnesty International, and GOLDEN TEMPLE ATTACK been in illegal custody since 1984! ‘‘These the United Nations WASHINGTON, D.C.—Sikhs from Philadel- prisoners never committed any crime but That U.S. government and military offi- phia, Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, Vir- peacefully speaking out for Sikh freedom,’’ cials make a commitment to protect the ginia, and elsewhere on the East Coast came said Dr. Aulakh. ‘‘What is a democracy doing human dignity and rights of the Iraqi people. to Washington, D.C. to commemorate the holding political prisoners?,’’ he asked. As leaders of religious congregations we twentieth anniversary of the Indian govern- ‘‘This alone shows that for Sikhs and other reach out to our Muslim sisters and brothers. ment’s brutal military attack on the Golden minorities, there is no democracy, no free- We grieve with you. We share your outrage. Temple, the center and seat of the Sikh reli- dom of speech.’’ We will continue to pray and work for social gion, and 125 other Sikh Gurdwaras through- ‘‘As Professor Darshan Singh, a former justice, peace, and respect for human dignity out Punjab, in which over 20,000 Sikhs were Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, ‘If a Sikh and human rights of all people. As a nation murdered. They chanted slogans such as is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh’,’’ Dr. we share in the shame. Together we must ‘‘India out of Khalistan’’, ‘‘Khalistan Aulakh noted. ‘‘We must continue to pray work to assure that these abuses never hap- Zindabad’’, and others. for and work for our God-given birthright of pen again. During the attack, young boys ages 8 to 13 freedom,’’ he said. ‘‘Without political power, were taken outside and asked if they sup- Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me religions cannot flourish and nations per- ported Khalistan, the independent Sikh in honoring the words of the Leadership Con- ish.’’ country. When they answered with the Sikh ference of Women Religious and all they rep- religious incantation ‘‘Bole So Nihal,’’ they f resent as we work toward human rights for all were shot. The Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh TRIBUTE TO THE LEADERSHIP individuals around the world. holy scriptures, written in the time of the f Sikh Gurus, were shot full of bullet holes CONFERENCE OF WOMEN RELI- and burned by the Indian forces. GIOUS AND THEIR STATEMENT HONORING THE LIFE OF EARL The Golden Temple attack was a brutal ON IRAQI PRISONER ABUSE GILLIAM, A TRUE SAN DIEGO chapter in India’s repression of the Sikhs, HERO according to Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, the HON. ANNA G. ESHOO government pro tempore of Khalistan, which OF CALIFORNIA HON. BOB FILNER leads the struggle for Khalistan’s independ- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA ence. ‘‘This brutal attack clarified that there Thursday, June 17, 2004 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES is no place in India for Sikhs,’’ Dr. Aulakh said. On October 7, 1987, Khalistan declared Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to Thursday, June 17, 2004 its independence from India. place in our Nation’s RECORD the statement Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I ‘‘Sant Bhindranwale said that attacking issued by the Leadership Conference of rise to honor a truly great San Diego leader. the Golden Temple would lay the foundation Women Religious on May 7, 2004, regarding stone of Khalistan, and he was right,’’ said Judge Earl B. Gilliam made a positive impact Dr. Aulakh. ‘‘Instead of crushing the Sikh the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib on San Diego as a judge, a teacher, and a movement for Khalistan, as India intended, Prison. community leader. I have introduced a bill the attack strengthened it,’’ he said. ‘‘Just The Leadership Conference of Women Reli- (H.R. 4474) that will appropriately honor him last year, Sardar Atinder Pal Singh, a gious joins its voice with other faith-based by putting his name on a new post office in former Member of Parliament, held a sem- organizations and human rights groups in my district. inar on Khalistan in Punjab. It was well at- expressing our abhorrence and shame at the Earl Gilliam grew up in southeast San abuse perpetrated on Iraqi prisoners by some tended and featured outstanding presen- Diego. His parents owned a fish market on Im- tations, including one by Professor Gurtej members of the U.S. military. These inexcus- Singh, IAS, Professor of Sikhism,’’ said Dr. able atrocities violate our common human- perial Avenue where he worked when he was Aulakh. ‘‘The flame of freedom still burns ity. not attending San Diego High School. He went bright in the hearts of Sikhs despite the de- We do not accept the explanation of our on to complete his undergraduate education at ployment of over half a million Indian troops government leaders that these acts were the San Diego State University before moving on to crush it,’’ he said. ‘‘Dal Khalsa, a Sikh po- behavior of a few individuals. Rather, we see to Hastings Law School. litical party, held marches through Punjab these abusive actions as symptomatic of a Shortly after being admitted to the California demanding the establishment of an inde- deeper, pervasive sickness. All of us share Bar in 1957, he was appointed Deputy District the responsibility and the blame—the sol- pendent Khalistan.’’ Attorney in San Diego. He became the first Af- History shows that multinational states diers who performed these heinous acts, mili- such as India are doomed to failure. Coun- tary officials who have oversight for the rican-American judge appointed to the San tries like Austria-Hungary, India’s longtime treatment of prisoners, U.S. government offi- Diego bench 6 years later and was named friend the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czecho- cials who ignored reports of these abuses, Presiding Judge of the San Diego Municipal slovakia, and others prove this point. India and all of us who have contributed in some Court in 1971. Governor Jerry Brown named is not a single country; it is a polyglot like way to our culture of violence. him to the California Superior Court in 1975 those countries, thrown together for the con- The Leadership Conference of Women Reli- and President Jimmy Carter appointed him to venience of the British colonialists. It is gious, an organization representing 73,000 serve on the United States District Court for doomed to break up as they did. Catholic women religious in the United The Indian government has murdered over States, urges that the following actions be the Southern District of California in 1980. He 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 taken to begin to address these serious viola- served there for over 20 years, until his pass- Christians since 1948, over 87,000 Muslims in tions of human dignity and human rights: ing in 2001. Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Now that President Bush has issued a late In his long, distinguished career Judge Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and and limited apology for the abusive treat- Gilliam presided over numerous noteworthy VerDate May 21 2004 05:32 Jun 19, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A17JN8.017 E18PT1.

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