[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2326-E2327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

PRESIDENT CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST DETAINED WITHOUT TRIAL
IN INDIA

______

HON. DAN BURTON

of indiana

in the house of representatives

Thursday, December 7, 1995

Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, in October, 65 Members of
Congress from both parties wrote to the President of India, P.V.
Narasimha Rao, to protest the detention of Sikh human rights activist
Jaswant Singh Khalra.
Mr. Khalra was arrested for publishing information about the
extensive human rights abuses going on in Punjab. Mr. Khalra had
published information exposing the Indian police practice of arresting
young Sikh men, torturing and murdering them, then declaring them
unidentified and cremating their bodies to cover up their abuses.
According to Mr. Khalra, 25,000 young Sikh men have disappeared in this
fashion.
A copy of our letter was sent to President Clinton, who recently
responded. In his letter, he stated that, ``I too am concerned'' by
this incident. I am enclosing a copy of the President's letter, along
with our initial letter and a newspaper article, for the record. As my
colleagues will see, the President reported that

[[Page E 2327]]
our Ambassador in India has raised this issue with ``high-ranking
Indian officials,'' and that he will continue to do so.
Mr. Speaker, the human rights abuses--the murders, the rapes, the
torture--that are being committed against the Sikh people are truly
horrible. Our State Department, our Ambassador, and the President must
continue to press the Indian Government on this issue. Congress must be
involved as well. It is time for Congress to pass legislation
conditioning aid to India on improving its human rights record in
Punjab, in Kashmir, and in other areas. If we continue to confront the
Indian Government on this issue, we can force them to stop the abuses
and allow human rights, democracy and freedom to flourish.

The White House,

Washington, DC, November 15, 1995.
Hon. Dan Burton,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative Burton: Thank you for sharing with me
your recent letter to Prime Minister Rao of India regarding
the situation in Punjab.
I too am concerned by the reports regarding Jaswant Singh
Khalra. The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has already made
inquiries into these allegations with various Indian
government agencies,and our Ambassador to New Delhi, Frank
Wisner, has raised the issue with high-ranking Indian
officials. We will continue these efforts. I appreciate your
interest and concern on this issue.
With best wishes and warm regards.
Sincerely,
Bill Clinton.
____

[From the Council of Khalistan, Nov. 28, 1995]

Clinton Checks India

(By James Mornson)

President Clinton has taken a personal interest in the fate
of an Indian human rights activist held by the government in
New Delhi.
Following a letter-writing campaign from 65 members of
Congress, Mr. Clinton says his envoy to India has made
inquiries into the fate of Jaswant Singh Khalra.
U.S. Ambassador Frank Wisner has made it known in New Delhi
that Washington is watching.
``I, too, am concerned by the reports regarding Jaswant
Singh Khalra,'' Mr. Clinton wrote this month to Rep. Gary A.
Condit.
The California Democrat organized the congressional letter
to Indian Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, a copy of which
was sent to the White House.
Mr. Condit cited an Amnesty International bulletin of Sept.
7 that accused Indian police of abducting Mr. Khalra for
investigating accusations that police in Punjab murdered
thousands of Sikh men.
``The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has already made inquiries
into these allegations with various Indian government
agencies, and Ambassador Wisner has raised the issue with
high-ranking Indian officials,'' Mr. Clinton wrote.
``We will continue these efforts.''
Mr. Condit's letter to the Indian prime minister noted that
Mr. Khalra ``had published a report showing that the Punjab
police have arrested more than 25,000 young Sikh men,
tortured them, murdered them, then declared them
`unidentified' and cremated their bodies.
``These atrocities are intolerable in any country,
especially one that calls itself a democracy. . . .
``This abuse of police power is inexcusable.''
The congressional letter was the product of effective
lobbying by Gurmit Singh Aulakh of the Council of Khalistan,
which represents Sikhs pressing for a separate homeland.
____

Congress of the United States,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC, October 19, 1995.
Hon. P.V. Narashima Rao,
Prime Minister of India, Chankaya Puri, New Delhi, India.
Dear Prime Minister Rao: According to an Amnesty
International ``Urgent Action'' bulletin issued on September
7, Punjab police abducted Sikh human rights activist Jaswant
Singh Khalra from his home in Amritsar on September 6. His
whereabouts are unknown. As the general secretary of Human
Rights Wing (Shiromani Akali Dal), Mr. Khalra had published a
report showing that the Punjab police have arrested more than
25,000 young Sikh men, tortured them, murdered them, then
declared them ``unidentified'' and cremated their bodies.
These atrocities are intolerable in any country, especially
one that calls itself a democracy. After the report was
published, Mr. Khalra was told by the Amritsar district
police chief, ``We have made 25,000 disappear. It would be
easy to make one more disappear.'' This abuse of police power
is inexcusable.
The right to speak out and expose atrocities is one of the
most fundamental rights of free individuals. As long as Mr.
Khalra remains in detention, how can anyone in India feel
secure exercising his or her democratic liberties?
Many of us wrote to you previously urging that the
passports of Sikh leader Samranjit Singh Mann and Dalit
(``black untouchable'') leader V.T. Rajshekar be restored.
Your government has not acted, and Mr. Mann and Mr. Rajshekar
remain unable to travel. The right to travel is fundamental
to a democratic nation.
Mr. Prime Minister, we call upon your government to release
Mr. Khalra immediately. We also urge you to restore the
passports of Mr. Rajshekar and Mr. Mann. If India is a
democratic country, it must end these gross violations of
human rights and democratic principles. Only then can
democracy truly begin to flower. We await your response.
Sincerely,
Gary A. Condit, James A. Traficant, William Jefferson,
Peter King, Randy ``Duke'' Cunningham, Roscoe Bartlett,
Jack Fields, Donald M. Payne, Dan Burton, Phil Crane,
Richard Pombo, Karen McCarthy, Neil Abercrombie, Wally
Herger, Dana Rohrabacher, Esteban Torres,
Ronald V. Dellums, John T. Doolittle, Michael Forbes,
Enid G. Waldholtz, Gil Gutknecht, Victor Frazer, John
Porter, Sam Gejdenson, Bob Livingston, Edolphus Towns,
Chris Smith, William O. Lipinski, Scott King, Lincoln
Diaz-Balart, Dick Zimmer, Collin Peterson, Pete Geren,
Joe Skeen, Duncan Hunter, Jim Ramstad, Floyd Flake,
Bernie Sanders, Matt Salmon, Richard ``Doc'' Hastings,
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Phil English, Richard Burr, Connie
Morella, Carlos Romero-Barcelo, Sanford D. Bishop, Jim
Moran, Martin R. Hoke, Jack Metcalf,
Amo Houghton, Jerry Solomon, Robert Torricelli, Ed
Whitfield, Melvin L. Watt, Jim Kolbe, John Shadegg,
J.D. Hayworth, James H. Quillen, Barbara Cubin, Charlie
Norwood, Vic Fazio, Chris Cox, Joe Scarborough, Bill
Richardson, Steve Schiff.

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