“We
are seriously concerned about the repressive actions that have been
taken against him for continuing to peacefully exercise his right to
free speech,” says the letter initiated by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and
joined by Representatives Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Tom McClintock, Jerry
McNerney, and Eric Swalwell. Khalsa is “on a hunger-strike protesting
for political prisoners in India who have completed their sentences but
have not been released.” Lofgren’s office began the letter after a May
13 visit by a delegation that included her constituent and Khalsa’s
daughter, Devinderdeep Kaur.
The representatives wrote: “Mr. Khalsa immigrated to the United States
in 1988 to seek refuge from the religious and political persecution he
suffered as a result of peacefully protesting against the 1984 Sikh
massacre.” Ending in November 1984, the massacre involved an Indian
military invasion of the biggest Sikh gurdwara as well as the decimation
of Sikhs in New Delhi. In April, California became the first state or
national government in the world to formally recognize the genocide when
the Legislature passed ACR 34, declaring: “Government and law
enforcement officials organized, participated in, and failed to
intervene to prevent the killings through direct and indirect means.”
Khalsa wrote an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
February 11 noting, “I will always remember the death dance of India in
November 1984, and I cry my heart out recalling the killing of thousands
of Sikh youth in Punjab, and I am disturbed at the continuous
imprisonment of individuals who have finished their long prison terms.”
Khalsa and his son, Ravinder Singh (a U.S. citizen),
were arrested on February 26 and detained for two months under an
ordinance allowing detention of those suspected of “disturbing the
peace” — Gogi was held in jail and Khalsa in a militarized wing of a
hospital, where he was force-fed for 56 days. The letter to Secretary
Kerry states: “The existence and use of these laws, which India has used
to restrict freedom of expression and association, is contrary to
democratic principles, and specifically to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights which India has ratified.”
Criticizing the Indian government, the letter continues: “We are deeply
troubled by several developments in their case. Mr. Singh reported that
when he was arrested, police threatened him with false murder charges if
he did not try to persuade his father to end his hunger-strike. Family
members in the U.S. made us aware that the father and son were
physically abused and beaten while in prison.”
Khalsa remains under government surveillance in Punjab, and the letter
requests Kerry to “monitor Mr. Khalsa’s situation and urge the Indian
government to immediately release Mr. Khalsa from house arrest on
medical grounds.” Advocating for Indian political prisoners, the
representatives appeal: “We also request that you urge the Indian
government to abide by its international human rights commitments under
international law and ensure that these rights are safeguarded for
political prisoners and all citizens in India.”
Bhajan Singh, the founding director of the Organization for Minorities
of India who spearheaded congressional efforts in cooperation with
Khalsa’s family, remarks: “When oppressed minorities speak with one
voice, those in power listen. We thank the family for their courage, and
the hard work of the Sikh, Christian, and Muslim communities. This is a
call to defend the liberties of the Mulnivasi Sangh of India.”
Source:
http://www.minoritiesofindia.org/u-s-congress-warns-india-on-hunger-striker-surat-singh-khalsa/