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Martyr Khalra's voice echoes in
Fremont
WSN Bureau
 FREMONT:
Marking the 14th anniversary of the abduction of Human Rights
Activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, the Sikh Youth of America organised
an impressive conclave at Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont where, apart from
those who recalled the pioneering work in human rights domain by the
martyr, it was the martyr himself who inspired the sangat with his
speech.
On a huge screen
inside the gurdwara, Jaswant Singh Khalra's last speech delivered in
Canada was played out. In the speech, Khalra, ever eager to be a
Sikh wedded to the high ideals of Sikhism and imbued with the spirit
of the Khalsa, delineated the principles of Miri-Piri and expresses
his wish to make a sacrifice for the sake of his quom, his panth,
his Guru.
"To me, it was
Sardar Jaswant Singh Khalra for real. So moved was I with the speech
that I heard in the Gurdwara that my eyes welled up with tears. This
was Khalra, asking for a chance at martyrdom from the Akal Purakh. I
feel as if Khalra has himself worked and earned his martyr status,"
said a middle aged man as he wiped a tear from his eye.
 Most
members of the sangat had heard this particular speech for the first
time and were very emotional.
Later, Dr.
Amarjit Singh, who is coordinator of Khalistan Affairs Centre and
had especially come from Washington to participate in the function,
elaborated upon the political thought of Khalra and said the
situation in Punjab has only worsened further. He gave several
examples to underline how Sikhs in India are still being
discriminated against in many spheres.
Dr Singh
focussed on how the United States Commission for International
Religious Freedoms (USCIRF) was left with no choice but to place
India under watch for “its largely inadequate response in protecting
its religious minorities.”
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The USCIRF on
Sikhs
As far as the Sikh community is concerned, the USCIRF report has
this to say: “The failure to provide justice to religious
minorities targeted in violent riots in India is not a new
development, and has helped foster a climate of impunity. In
1984, anti-Sikh riots erupted in Delhi following the
assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh
bodyguard. Over 4 days, nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed,
allegedly with the support of Congress Party officials. Few
perpetrators were ever held accountable, and only years after
the fact.
Any country that is designated on the USCIRF Watch List requires
“close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of
religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the government.” |
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He said when the
USCIRF wanted to go to
India,
a delegation of the Sikhs had met the officials and expressed the
apprehension that it may not be allowed to visit the country and may
be even denied visas. "The USCIRF officials were surprised by teh
contention of the Sikhs and probably thought this could not happen
but eventually that did happen. The Indian government refused them
the visas," he said.
Except for Cuba,
no other country has refused visas to USCIRF. USCIRF had said India
earned the Watch List designation due to the disturbing increase in
communal violence against religious minorities.
Dr Amarjit Singh
asked if India is such a picture of communal harmony and if all its
citizens are free to pursue their faith, then what logic there was
in not allowing the USCIRF to visit the country, particularly when
the Commission's only brief is to report on religious freedom in the
country.
He said now the
Akali Dal government is on the same path and it is playing into the
hands of Indian intelligence agencies The arrests of Bhai Daljit
Singh Bittu and the workers and
 leaders
of Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani) has put a question mark on the justice
dispensing system of India and the functioning of the Akali Dal-BJP
government in Punjab.
He said the
Sikhs living outside India must understand that if they raise their
voice against what was happening in India, it only helps in exposing
the faultlines in the Indian system.
Bhai Jaswinder
Singh jandi thanked the sangat, the speakers, kirtani jathas and
Sikh Youth of America's members for the success of the program.
9
September 2009
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