E550 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks April 20, 2004 their homeland, Khalistan, recently published since 1984. In addition, over 50,000 Sikh youth back our Khalsa spirit. We must remember an open letter to the Sikhs, a Vaisakhi Day were picked up from their houses, tortured, our heritage and tradition of ‘‘Khalsa Bagi message. It urged the Sikhs to use the oppor- murdered in police custody, then secretly Yan Badshah’’ by committing ourselves to cremated as ‘‘unidentified bodies.’’ Their re- freeing our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan, tunity to liberate their homeland. The letter mains were never even given to their fami- from Indian occupation. We need a new Sikh called upon them to remember the Sikh Na- lies! Over 52,000 Sikhs sit in Indian jails as political party which has a dedication to the tion’s heritage of freedom. political prisoners without charge or trial, interests of the Sikh Nation as its sole objec- The letter pointed out the suffering of the according to the Movement Against State tive, to establish Khalsa Raj by liberating Sikhs at the hands of the Indian government. Repression (MASR.) Some of them have been Khalistan, severing all political ties with That repression has taken the lives of over in illegal custody for 20 years! India. If the BJP wants Hindu Raj, it cannot 250,000 Sikhs in the last 20 years, in addition The Indian government forgot the Sikh object to Khalsa Raj. tradition. Sikhs can never forgive or forget The Indian government wants to break the to over 50,000 Sikhs who were picked up, tor- the Indian government’s military attack on will of the Sikh Nation and enslave them for- tured, killed, and secretly cremated, declaring the Golden Temple and 125 other Gurdwaras ever, making Sikhism a part of Hinduism. their bodies ‘‘unidentified.’’ Another 52,000– throughout Punjab. Over 20,000 Sikhs were This can only be stopped if we free Punjab plus are being held as political prisoners, ac- murdered in those attacks, known as Oper- from Delhi’s control and reestablish a sov- cording to the Movement Against State Re- ation Bluestar, including Sant Janail Singh ereign, independent country, as declared on pression, a Punjabi human-rights organization. Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai October 7, 1987. We must recommit ourselves In addition, India has killed more than 300,000 Amrik Singh, and over 100 Sikh religious to freeing our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan. students ages 8–13 who were taken out into Raise slogans of ‘‘Khalsa Bagi Yan Christians in Nagaland, over 85,000 Kashmiri the courtyard and shot. These attacks accel- Badshah,’’ ‘‘Raj Kare Ga Khalsa,’’ Muslims, and tens of thousands of Assamese, erated the Sikh independence movement and ‘‘Khalistan Zindabad,’’ and ‘‘India out of Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and other deepened the desire for independence in the Khalistan.’’ Use this Vaisakhi to launch a minorities. Yet the U.S. taxpayer continues to hearts of Sikhs, a fire that burns brightly in Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan. be taxed to send foreign aid to this brutal the hearts of the Sikh Nation to this day. Last year’s seminar on Khalistan shows country. Sant Bhindranwale said that the attack on that the flame of freedom still burns bright- The letter calls on the Sikhs to take the op- the Golden Temple would ‘‘lay the founda- ly in Punjab in spite of the Indian govern- ment’s brutal repression. Perhaps this is why portunity of Vaisakhi to demand a free and tion stone of Khalistan’’ and he was right. Late in 2003, former Member of Parliament India is afraid to hold a free and fair vote on independent Khalistan by means of slogans, Atinder Pal Singh organized a seminar on the subject of independence. The essence of by peaceful resistance, and by bringing forth Khalistan at Baba Makhan Shah Labana democracy is the right to self-determination. new leadership. It takes note of the death of Hall, Sector 30, Chandigarh. This shows that Remember the words of Professor Darshan Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the President of the the flame of freedom is still burning in the Singh, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, hearts of Sikhs. It is time to take action to during the celebration of Guru Nanak’s and the political collapse of former Chief Min- free our homeland. Repression and genocide birthday: ‘‘If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is ister Parkash Singh Badal to call for new lead- of this magnitude at the hands of the Indian not a Sikh.’’ He was only reiterating the Guru’s blessing, ‘‘In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon ership that supports freedom for Khalistan. It government is unparalleled in the late part of the 20th century. India should be ashamed Patshahi.’’ The time to achieve our inde- notes the seminar held on Khalistan last year, of the genocide it has committed against pendence is now. which shows that the desire for freedom re- Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other mi- Always remember our heritage: Raj Kare mains strong in Punjab. norities. Ga Khalsa; Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah. Free- This letter makes a very strong case for a With the passing of Gurcharan Singh dom for Khalistan is very close. sovereign, independent Khalistan and it does Tohra, new leadership must emerge at the Panth Da Sewadar, a good job of exposing the brutal tyranny that Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Com- GURMIT SINGH AULAKH, President. India has inflicted on the Sikh Nation. mittee (SGPC.) In addition, new political Mr. Speaker, how can we, as the bastion of leadership must emerge with Prakash Singh f Badal under indictment. Mr. Badal’s time is freedom, sit idly by and close our eyes to this not long either. He has had cancer already INTRODUCTION OF THE AMERICAN terror? The time has come to stop U.S. aid to and he is an old man. This new leadership WORKERS AND MANUFACTURERS India. This may be the most effective way that must be committed to the cause of freeing SUPPORT ACT we can influence them to stop the repression our Sikh homeland from the repression and of Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other mi- brutality of the Indian government by re- claiming our lost sovereignty in a free and HON. JOHN B. LARSON norities. And if India is the democratic state OF CONNECTICUT that it says it is, it should conduct a free and independent Khalistan. Khalsa Ji, at this time of Vaisakhi, the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES fair vote on the question of independence. whole Khalsa Panth must be energized to re- Tuesday, April 20, 2004 This Congress should put itself on record urg- establish a sovereign, independent Khalsa ing India to do this as soon as possible. That Raj by freeing our homeland, Khalistan. It is Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, is the democratic way to settle issues, and we time for Sikhs to look back at our history of many of my colleagues and I have been should use our influence to help this occur. persecution and suffering over the past 20 watching with great interest the nightly news Mr. Speaker, the letter from the Council of years. The Hindu government of India, report on Lou Dobbs Tonight entitled ‘‘Export- Khalistan is very informative. For the informa- whether run by the Congress Party or by the ing America.’’ The series has highlighted the tion of my colleagues and the public, I would BJP, wants minorities either subservient to disturbing trend of good paying American jobs Hinduism or completely wiped out. The In- that are being sent overseas. In the past three like to insert it into the RECORD. dian government and its allies have tried to COUNCIL OF KHALISTAN, weaken the Sikh religion by saying that years, more than 2.8 million Americans em- Washington, DC, April 6, 2004. Sikhism is part of Hinduism. If that is true, ployed in manufacturing have lost their jobs. VAISAKHI DAY MESSAGE TO THE SIKH NATION: why have they murdered so many Sikhs? Because each manufacturing job supports two SIKHS WILL CELEBRATE VAISAKHI DAY Hindus practice idol worship; Sikhism is non-manufacturing positions; that means at APRIL 13 monotheistic, worshipping only one God. least 8.4 million people have been affected, di- DEAR KHALSA JI: On April 13, the Sikh Na- Hindus believe in the caste system; Sikhs be- rectly or indirectly, because of the loss of tion will celebrate Vaisakhi Day, observing lieve in the equality of the whole human American manufacturing to overseas compa- the 305th anniversary of the day Guru race. Remember the words of Guru Gobind nies. Despite these job losses, over 16 million Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth. Singh: ‘‘Recognize ye all the human race as The Guru granted sovereignty to the Sikh one.’’ In spite of the fact that the religions Americans are still employed in the manufac- Nation, saying ‘‘In Grieb Silrhin Ko Deon believe completely opposite things, Hindus turing sector. Additionally, manufacturing con- Patshahi.’’ We must remind ourselves of our desire to engulf Sikhism just as they did tributes roughly 17 percent of our nation’s heritage by raising slogans of ‘‘Khalistan with Jainism and Buddhism in India. They gross domestic product, provides 71 percent Zindabad’’ and beginning a Shantmai think that Buddhism is part of Hinduism be- of our exports, and funds 67 percent of our Morcha to liberate our homeland, Khalistan. cause Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was nation’s research and development invest- Every morning and evening we recite, ‘‘Raj born in India. Similarly, Guru Nanak was ment. As these numbers indicate, manufac- Kare Ga Khalsa.’’ Now is the time to act on born Hindu, so they proclaim Sikhism to be turing is the backbone of our economy and ac- it.