10256 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 9, 2000 center that serves as a gathering place to sup- of South Asia. This can be achieved by allow- things that define your political status. The port the Center’s mission, as well as support ing the people to vote in a free and fair plebi- other Sikh leaders in Punjab have backed the work of community organizations that are scite under international supervision on the away from even that position. On February 12 at the celebration of Sant Bhindranwale’s active in social justice. question of independence. Such a plebiscite is birthday, Mann opposed the speakers who To ensure La Pen˜a’s long term continuity similar to the periodic votes in Puerto Rico spoke for Khalistan, saying that they spoke and growth, the Center is launching an En- and Quebec on their political futures. This is only for themselves and that Bhindranwale dowment Campaign to raise $500,000 over how democratic nations do it and it is how supported secularism. the next three years. This capital base will great powers do it. If India wants to be taken The proposal for a federated India still generate an unencumbered income of seriously as a member of the family of demo- keeps Hindustan in control. That is why $30,000 annually to support the Center’s cratic nations, it must allow self-determination Mann made it. At the Sikh Day parade, U.S. needs. As this capital base grows, funds gen- and human rights for all peoples and nations Congressman Major Owens raised slogans of erated by The Endowment will enable La ‘‘Khalistan Zindabad,’’ yet Mann would not within its artificial borders. even use the word Khalistan. He has long Pen˜a’s many programs to thrive. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Coun- posed as a Khalistani. Even last year at the I proudly join people throughout the Bay cil of Khalistan’s open letter on the situation in 300th anniversary celebration, he raised slo- Area in recognizing this momentous occasion Punjab into the RECORD. gans of ‘‘Khalistan Zindabad’’ but now he has of celebrating 25 years of extraordinary serv- COUNCIL OF KHALISTAN, GURU changed his stand. He, too, is clearly under ice by La Pen˜a Cultural Center. GOBIND SINGH, THE TENTH MAS- government control. There is only one solu- f TER, tion: a sovereign, free, and independent Washington, DC, May 12, 2000. Khalistan, as declared on October 7, 1987. FREEDOM FOR THE SIKHS OF A SOVEREIGN KHALISTAN IS THE ONLY Only in a free Khalistan can Sikhs live in KHALISTAN SOLUTION freedom, dignity, prosperity, and peace. ALL SIKH INSTITUTIONS AND PRESENT LEADER- The Sikh Nation will not achieve its legiti- mate aspirations with any of the current po- HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS SHIP IN PUNJAB ARE UNDER GOVERNMENT CONTROL litical parties in Punjab. None of these par- OF NEW YORK ties will bring us a free Khalistan. Whether Khalsa Ji: The militant Hindu fundamen- the Akalis, Congress, or the Akali Dal Mann IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES talists of the RSS are now attacking the is elected, elections under the Indian con- Sikh Nation. They are trying to insinuate Wednesday, June 7, 2000 stitution will not free Khalistan and they themselves into the Sikh Nation by forming will not end the slavery of the Sikh Nation Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the Council of the ‘‘Rashtriya Sikh Sangat.’’ They are try- and the corruption in the Punjab govern- Khalistan recently issued an open letter about ing to bring Sikhs under the Hindu umbrella ment. Badal made three promises to get the deplorable situation in Punjab, the Sikh by any means necessary. The Sikh Nation elected: that he would release all political must stay alert and fight back against these homeland which declared its independence on prisoners, that he would punish guilty police efforts. October 7, 1987, as Khalistan. officers, and that he would appoint a com- The Sikhs are under attack from a militant The only way to stop these efforts is polit- ical power. Without political power, nations mission to look into the excesses by the In- Hindu organization called the RSS. The RSS perish. If we cannot reclaim our lost sov- dian government against the Sikh Nation. was formed during World War II in support of ereignty, the RSS will succeed in its efforts He could not even keep these modest prom- the Fascists. It is the parent organization of to wipe out the Sikh Nation and the Sikh re- ises. Instead, he put the heat on the People’s the ruling BJP and many other organizations ligion. Every day, we pray ‘‘Raj Kare Ga Commission and shut it down. also come under its umbrella. Its agenda is to Khalsa.’’ Do we mean it? A true Sikh cannot The massacre of 35 Sikhs in Chatti lie to Guru. If we mean what we say, we Singhpora shows that without sovereignty, promote fundamentalist Hindu nationalism. the Indian oppression of the Sikh Nation will Two members of the ruling BJP, which is a must do everything we can to establish Khalsa Raj. continue. An investigation by the Ludhiana- part of the RSS, were quoted in the news- The turmoil of the Akal Takht and the based International Human Rights Organiza- papers as saying that everyone who lives in SGPC, and the other problems of the Sikh tion, led by D.S. Gill, showed that the Indian India should be Hindu or subservient to Hin- Nation are the result of the fact that we government was responsible for the mas- duism. have lost the sovereignty that the Guru gave sacre. A recent report by the Justice Ajit Now the RSS is trying to form a satellite or- us. These problems have come about because Singh Bains, chairman of the Punjab Human ganization called the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat the entire Sikh leadership and the Sikh in- Rights Organization, Sardar Inderjit Singh stitutions in Punjab are under Indian gov- Jaijee, convenor of the Movement Against which is designed to subsume Sikhs under State Repression, and General Kartar Singh Hinduism and wipe out their religion. Since the ernment control. We can only solve these problems by liberating our homeland, Gill, also found that the government ruling party is part of the RSS, it is implicitly Khalistan. counterinsurgency forces were responsible. part of this effort to eliminate the Sikh religion. Why are there still 50,000 Sikhs rotting in This atrocity underlines the need for a sov- As people who believe in freedom of religion, Indian jails without charge or trial? Why ereign, independent Khalistan. this assault on anyone’s freedom of religion have the Sikh leaders in Punjab been silent Punjab is a police state. None of the polit- ought to concern all of us. about the murders of over 250,000 Sikhs at ical parties will bring us Khalistan. The Sikh The recent massacre of 35 Sikhs in Chatti the hands of the Indian government? There Nation needs new leadership and a new party is an Akali government and there are other that are committed to liberating Khalistan. Singhpora is just another chapter in this cam- We need a Khalsa Raj Party. The Khalsa Raj paign. Two recent investigations have proven Akali parties like Mann’s Akali Dal. Why can’t they start a Shantmai Morcha to free Party should be committed to self-deter- that the Indian government was responsible those political prisoners? Why can’t they de- mination. It should demand freedom for for that massacre. There are still 50,000 Sikhs mand that Amnesty International be allowed Khalistan and any peaceful, democratic, non- political prisoners rotting in Indian jails without into Punjab to conduct an independent violent means should be used to achieve this charge or trial. The Indian government has human-rights investigation? goal, whether it is a plebiscite or any other murdered over 250,000 Sikhs. Punjab is a po- The government previously sent Professor democratic means. lice state. The only way to end this campaign Manjit Singh to destroy the Khalistan move- The only way to escape Indian slavery is to liberate Khalistan. New Sikh leadership against the Sikhs is to support self-determina- ment abroad. Now it has sent Simranjit Singh Mann. No Sikh leader who speaks for emerge to free the Sikh Nation. They should tion and freedom for Punjab, Khalistan. Khalistan will be allowed to leave the coun- raise the slogan ‘‘India Quit Khalistan’’ and Mr. Speaker, there are measures the United try and come here. There is moral degenera- start a Shantmai Morcha until we achieve States can take to promote freedom for tion of the Sikh character due to the lack of freedom. We have now seen how the Indian Khalistan and throughout South Asia. I urge political power. government controls Sikh institutions and the President to declare India a terrorist na- Four years ago, the Sikh leadership passed the entire Sikh leadership in Punjab. tion. We can cut off American aid and trade to the Amritsar Declaration. It said that if Unless the Sikh Nation brings back the India until all people there enjoy their basic India did not grant Punjab complete auton- Sikh spirit and fight for truth and justice, omy within six months, they would start a the Khalsa Panth will not prosper. Remem- human rights. And in accord with American peaceful agitation for Khalistan. Four years ber the Guru Ka Bag Morcha and the Jaito principles, we must declare our support for later, Mann still supports the Amritsar Dec- Morcha. We did it then and we can do it now.