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The Shining Example in US
Civil Society
voices from the United States have often shamed the Indian
establishment, and the Sikhs will forever be grateful to some of the
leading names for always siding with the truth, irrespective of
which larger than life persona they infuriated by striking such a
stance. Here are the excerpts from the speech of Hon. Edolphus Towns
of New
York in the House of Representatives on June 23, 2004
when he lobbied hard to block the visit of Sikh-killer leader
Jagdish Tytler to the United States.
In fact, not only did he ask, “Why is such a person being granted
entry to the United States?” but he also shamed the Indian
establishment by asking: “And why is he in India's Cabinet?”
Tytler and others organized bands of Hindus who grabbed Sikhs and
burned them to death. He was one of the people responsible for
getting the Sikh police locked in their barracks so that they could
not intervene… We embarrass ourselves and our principles by allowing
the likes of Jagdish Tytler to come and make speeches in our
country.
 Mr.
TOWNS: Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed to read that Jagdish Tytler, India's
Minister of State for Non-Resident Indian Affairs, was coming to the
United States to speak to the American Association of Physicians of
Indian Origin. While there are many fine people of Indian origin,
Jagdish Tytler is a person who is unfit to visit this country. He is
the person most responsible for the genocide against Sikhs in Delhi
in November 1984. To bring Jagdish Tytler to America
is to give our implicit blessing to that massacre.
After the
assassination of Indira Gandhi, Tytler and others organized bands of
Hindus who grabbed Sikhs and burned them to death. He was one of the
people responsible for getting the Sikh police locked in their
barracks so that they could not intervene. Meanwhile, the state-run
radio and TV screamed for more Sikh blood. In all, over 20,000 Sikhs
were murdered.
Mr. Speaker, why
is such a person being granted entry to the United States?
And why is he in India's Cabinet? Unfortunately, rewarding people
who carry out such activities is too common in India. We do not have
to grant it our implicit approval.
As you know,
over a quarter of a million Sikhs have been murdered at the hands of
the Indian government since 1984. The Indian government has also
killed more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 87,000 Muslims
in
Kashmir since 1988, and thousands upon thousands of other minorities
as well. They continue to hold tens of thousands of political
prisoners, according to Amnesty International. This includes over
52,000 Sikhs, some of whom have been held in illegal custody without
charge or trial for 20 years. A democratic country should be
embarrassed to have carried out acts like these, and I call on Prime
Minister Singh to begin to rectify India's record by releasing the
political prisoners and by removing Mr. Tytler and others involved
in atrocities from his government. This will be a good first step
towards restoring democracy for all the people.
America is the
beacon of freedom. It is a country dedicated to the principles of
freedom and equal rights. While we have not always been perfect in
our efforts to follow these principles, they form the foundation of America.
We embarrass ourselves and our principles by allowing the likes of
Jagdish Tytler to come and make speeches in our country.
As long as
people like Mr. Tytler are in the government, it is confirmation
that there is no place for Sikhs and other minorities in India. Until it
repudiates this and allows all people to exercise their full rights,
we should provide no aid to India. And we should put ourselves on
record in support of a free and fair vote on independence for the
Sikh homeland, Khalistan, and for all the other nations seeking
their freedom. And we should keep the leaders who practice brutality
and commit atrocities out of our country.
3 October, 2007
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