a record of betrayal

s s Jhamka · December 5, 2004

A Record of Betrayal

• [1849] Following the occupation of Punjab (Sikh Homeland) by the British the Sikhs lost their sovereignty.

Out of 2125 Indians killed in atrocities by the British, 1550 (75%) were Sikhs.

Out of 2646 Indians deported for life to the Andaman islands (where the British exiled political prisoners and hardened criminals) 2147 (80%) were Sikhs

Out of 127 Indians sent to the gallows, 92 (80%) were Sikhs.

In the Indian Liberation Army (ILA) founded in Japan, out of 20,000 soldiers and officers 12000 were Sikhs.

• [1947] Transfer of power in India from the British took place. Sikhs had thrown themselves heart and soul into the India independence struggle.

Sikh homeland Punjab is divided, with the Sikh religious shrines and Sikh capital Lahore given to Pakistan. Over 500,000 massacred in the upheaval and Sikhs are promised concessions for giving up their homeland.

• [1950] The Indian constitution was adopted: The Sikh leadership represented by Hukam Singh & Bhupinder Singh refused to endorse the document because as promises and assurances previously made by Gandhi and Nehru were retracted. Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists were defined as Hindus.

• [1954] When Master Tara Singh reminded Pandit Nehru of past promises, Nehru answered “The circumstances have now changed”.

• [1975] Indira Gandhi was found guilty of election fraud by the Indian courts. In order to stay in office she suspended the constitution. The Sikhs spe

arheaded non-violent protests against this blow to democracy and over 50,000 went to jail. Indira Gandhi never forgot that the Sikhs had opposed her dictatorship.

• [1978] The Congress government with the intention of dividing and disrupting the Sikhs gave help and financial support to the heretical cult Nirankaries. Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale a young and charismatic religious leader and the Babbar Khalsa started a movement to oppose the Nirankaries' who were mocking the Sikh faith and insulting the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In Amritsar on April l3th protesting Sikhs were attacked by the Nirankaries unhindered by the Indian police resulting in 13 deaths and injury to a further 80. The accused were acquitted and released.

• [1980-1984] Congress government came into power in Punjab and state sponsored terrorism against Amritdhari (baptised) Sikhs commenced. Hundreds of Sikhs were killed by Indian security forces in fake encounters and more than 250,000 arrested. As a reaction to state brutality against Sikhs, the nation, led by Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale developed a defence force to defend their faith from persecution.

• [1983-1984] Indira Gandhi undertook a campaign to undermine the Sikh faith and persecute the Sikh people with a view to win over Hindu votes in India. The Hindu psyche was poisoned against the Sikhs by manipulative use of state media and mischievous use of political and fiscal resources. This resulted in the Indian masses wanting the Delhi Government to deal more forcefully with the Sikhs civil rights campaign.

• [ 1984] Indira Gandhi responded and launched a full scale army attack on the Golden Temple and 40 other Historical Gurudwaras (temples). This senseless act resulted in thousands of innocent Sikhs - men, women and children - being killed, with many of the dead never accounted for. A total news blackout was inplaced and 500,000 army personnel invade Punjab.

• [1984] Beant Singh and Satwant Singh avenged the attack on the Golden Te

mple by assassinating Indira Gandhi. Hindu mobs led by state ministers massacred tens of thousands of innocent Sikhs all over India.

• [1986] Panthic Committee representing the Sikh nation as endorsed by the Sarbat Khalsa (public meeting) of 26th January 1986 declared the Sikh goal of Khalistan an independent Sikh homeland. 500,000 Sikhs attended the Sarbat Khalsa despite a curfew and imposition of a state of emergency. The declaration appealed to all like minded countries to offer assistance and recognition. It also appealed to the masses to wage war on the Indian state, the war for independence became a formal objective. The Indian regime ordered the army into Sri Harimandir Sahib with strong resistance from Sikhs inside the Golden Temple complex; the army took 10 days. Over forty Sikhs died and the state took upon clearing the nearby streets. State intimidation took a new turning: all visitors to the complex were to be searched. `Bullet for bullet' policies instated by security forces, leading to extrajudicial killing of thousands of Sikh activists, their families, students, journalists and lawyers.

• [1989] Parliamentary elections in Punjab. Out of 13 MPs elected to the Indian Parliament no less than nine were committed protagonists of an independent Sikh homeland.

• [1992] Sikh leadership representing the Sikh nation presented a memorandum to the visiting UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali at New Delhi, seeking UN intervention for a plebiscite among Sikhs on the issue of Independence. This document also charged the Indian Government with violating human rights, denigrating the Sikh religion, language, culture and values and enforcing draconian laws resulting in the killing of thousands of Sikh youths.

• [1994] Several moderate factions of the Sikh political party the Akali Dal unified themselves at the Golden Temple, Amritsar. The Amritsar Declaration was enacted resolving that India should be reorganised with a confederal structure reforming the artificial boun

daries created by the British. If this was not accepted the Akali Dal will have no other option than to struggle for an independent and sovereign state.

• [1993 - 1995] Cremation grounds investigation led by Jaswant Singh Khalra the General Secretary of the Akali Dal’s Human Rights wing reveals mass illegal cremations of 25,000 Sikh youths. During this era billions of rupees in bounties were paid to Indian police and civilians for the killing Sikh activities, leading to lawless - kidnapping, extortion.

• [1995] Uniformed commandos of the Punjab Police abduct Jaswant Singh Kalra from outside his house and is tortured to death in custody. His body has never been revealed.

• [1998] Amnesty International Congress met in Cape Town, South Africa and threatened to put India on the high priority “Human rights monitoring watch list.

• [2000] Indian Government Celebrates Holi With the Blood of 36 Sikhs in Kashmir

On the night of 20th March 2002 the Indian security services massacred 36 Sikhs from the village of Chatti-Singhpura in Kashmir in cold blood and left singing Hindu nationalist slogans. According to Peter Popham a professional journalist for the Independent:

‘ I regard myself as a seasoned observer of the politics of this region. I regard it as more likely than otherwise that in one manifestation or another the Indian authorities were responsible for the massacre of the Kashmiri Sikhs and that this was carried out for political advantage.’

• [2001] No longer on the crossroads: Hindu-Sikh unity is the new slogan India has spat in its continuing jibes to erode away the Sikh identity. Its was the BJP and allied parties of the RSS and Arya Samaj who turned the sweet waters of Panjab into the rivers of blood by turning neighbours and brothers against each other during the Panjabi suba campaigns. It would be wrong to even suggest that Sikhs should have enmity with Hindus or any other group. However, the reality is that the BJP and other Hindu organisations have always ope

nly been offensive against the teachings of the Sikh Gurus and have tried to divide the Sikh community by setting up fake Gurus.In a further crude manifestation of Hindu-Sikh unity and Hindu-Sikh government Guru Granth Sahib Ji the Sikh scriptures are ripped to shreds (shaheedi of Guru Ji at Morinda on the 18th Sept 2001 and numerous other Gurdwaras across Panjab), burnt by members of a cult whose leader under the protection of politicians roamed free until a massive outcry from the masses, the Baniara cult under Piara Baniara have started to spread their evil message.

• [2002] Back to Square One :During the Akali Government’s power in Panjab the campaign of Hindu-Sikh unity has witnessed a reign of terror where our brothers and sisters in our homeland remain the hunted and Sikh youths rot in jail whilst families await loved ones to come home. The lies of the Akali’s has led to their downfall and the Congress comes to power once again. The same Congress who was responsible for the storming of the Golden Temple the sacred shrine of the Sikhs and killing thousands of innocent men, women and children. The Sikh nation must realise the terror we all know, have shared and continue to share repeatedly. We must realise that the terror will not end until we have our own homeland free from the control of India and its treachery.

• [Present] Sixty thousand Sikhs arrested, since 1984 continue to be illegally detained without charge or trial and after 20 years are still languishing in Indian prisons.

DON’T DISPLAY INDIAN FLAGS IN YOUR CARS AND HOMES. BE PROUD TO BE SIKHS HAVE A SIKH FLAG INSTEAD.

NEXT YEAR IS 20 YEARS ON

WHAT R WE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE INJUSTICES ???????

LETS MAKE A CHANGE

Produced by Sikh Youth of UK