Internet Freedom in the World's Largest Democracy.

I do not know how much press coverage this has been getting in India, so I will cover it here.

There has just been passed a horrendous law the effectively ends free expression on the Internet in the Republic of India.  It forbids Internet writers to: 

Section 3:  use, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit, update, share or store any

information that : —...

 (2 ) (b) - is harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing,  blasphemous,objectionable, defamatory, vulgar, obscene,  pornographic,paedophilic,  libellous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, orracially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable, disparaging, relating orencouraging money laundering or gambling, or otherwise unlawful inany manner whatever;

First, looking at (b),  no matter what is written someone, somewhere,  among the  1.2 billion people in India will find it “otherwise objectionable.”  This, in itself - if enforced -   

effectively ends all freedom of expression on the Net.

And furthermore

 (j) threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India,

friendly relations with foreign states, or or public order or  causes

incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence or prevents

investigation of any offence or is insulting any other nation.

Next, looking at the first clause of  (j) - threatens the unity, integrity, defence, security or sovereignty of India – that would seem to forbid any mention of Khalistan or any other liberation movement within the Republic. I find it somewhat amusing that it also means it is against the law to speak ill of Pakistan and China!  It does, after all, include anything that is insulting any other nation.

This law will, of course, be selectively enforced, the government of India (GOI) blocking sites it does not like.  This blog is a very small player in the blogosphere and probably beneath the notice of the GOI, officially, at least.  I want to ensure my beloved readers that I will continue to write as I always have, encouraging the self-determination of the Sikh Qaum and the chardi kala of the Panth.  However, preparing for the worst, anyone who would like to receive e-mail copies of my posts, please contact me directly and I will put you on my mailing list.

I am writing and publishing from the United States of America and I have been careful to follow the laws of this land.  As I am a strong believer in freedom of speech and freedom of the press, I do not follow the ridiculous restrictions of censorship laws of India.  Reading blank pages would be boring to you, I'm afraid.

I do not know what will happen in the future, that, of course, will be the Hukam of Vaheguru.  Perhaps nothing will happen.  We can always hope and pray for the best – and of course, prepare for the worst.  Whatever happens, please know that I personally love you all and you are ever in my heart and in my prayers.

The entire text of this law can be found at http://www.mit.gov.in/sites/upload_files/dit/files/due_dilligance4intermediary07_02_11.pdf

WHY KHALISTAN?

I have again been asked the perennial question, Is Khalistan really necessary? This time it was in a Facebook group, Sikhism(English Language).  The person who posted it seems to have removed it.  I think it deserves an answer and, anyway, I have taken the time to write it and my time is valuable.  Here is the exchange:

His question (completely unedited ):

Mai Harinder Kaur ji , I can understand the state which you went through in the past . But cannot understand why you are still supporting Khalistan ? Past is Past . The new generation here in India does not want to listen to the Khalistan stories . With time , people are moving ahead . Looking for Justice is a separate thing and Dreaming of Khalistan is a separate thing .Many teenagers who were not even born 25 years ago , get into debates of Khalistan - Khalistan here in this Virtual World . The age which is meant to make career , look for life partner is spent in hatred and criticism debates regarding Khalistan . As a human , we all want Justice . But With Khalistan tales , we are again creating hatred and criticism among new generation people . Isn't it so ?

Indian Princely States

My response:

No, it isn't so.  Hatred is not being created.  Injustice exists.  That creates a certain amount of negative emotion all on its own.  Criticism is necessary and justified.  Any system will be and should be critically examined.  That includes the system that is called The Republic of India.  Has India treated Sikhs with respect in the past?  If not, how can we expect India to treat us fairly in the future?

This statement is most interesting:  "The new generation here in India does not want to listen to the Khalistan stories."  If this is true, the solution is simple.  Don't listen.  No one is forcing you to listen or read or watch videos about Khalistan.  The writings and videos are there;  it is your choice to pay attention or ignore them.  I have found, however, that many young Indian Sikhs are very interested.  Also your statement that "the age which is meant to make career, look for life partner is spent in hatred and criticism debates regarding Khalistan" implies that one cannot make a career and look for a life partner while debating Khalistan.  That is simply not true.  Career and marriage, and working toward Khalistan are not mutually exclusive at all.  In fact, Khalistan will need educated workers and stable families in order to exist and thrive.

Are we Sikhs a people?  Yes, I believe we are, both spiritually and physically.    We have a history, a language, a culture and an ancestral homeland, as well as a religion.  We have the right and the need to preserve all this.  All people long for their own autonomy.  In India, we Sikhs will always be a thorn in the side of the ruling elite because we don't accept their self-claimed right to rule over us.  Because of promises such as M. K. Gandhi's assurance, " No Constitution would be acceptable to the Congress which did not satisfy the Sikhs." (Collected works of M K Gandhi Vol.58. p. 192), the Sikhs threw their support to Congress only to be betrayed when Independence was achieved.   The Constitution of India (which accepts us only as Hindus) has never been accepted by us and will certainly never satisfy us.  With such disrespect shown to us at the highest levels, how can we ever enjoy safety in our homes and businesses?

If you think the need for Khalistan is rooted in hatred, you are completely wrong.  It is rooted in the love we have for our Sikh sisters and brothers, in our love of Sikhi and in our love for the highest Khalsa ideals.  If you read my writings carefully, you will find that I have never advocated violence to establish Khalistan.  I have always said that Khalistan will become a physical reality when it is the Hukam of Vaheguru.  I expect eventually that India - a legal fiction created by the British for their own convenience - will fall to pieces. People from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashrta,  Gurjarat are foreigners when it comes to history, language and culture.   There has been no point in time in the last 3000 years when Kashmir, Tamilnadu, Bengal and Punjab were under the same administrative unit.  Again, India was created by the British for their administrative convenience.  It was Gandhi/Nehru foolishness that a person from Jalandhar or Ludhiana needs a visa to travel to Lahore but doesn't need a visa to travel to Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore.  It's simply absurd.  Creation of Khalistan is a means to end this absurdity.

When India disintegrates, it is our right and responsibility to be prepared to govern Punjab and whatever other parts of Balkanised India choose to join us. 

TV Coverage of Khalistan Rally in Punjab

I wonder how many Khaliblog readers were aware of a huge Khalistan Rally in Jagraon, Punjab on 28 September of this year?  Approximately 2 lakh (2,00,000) attended and it was broadcast on ChardiKala TV.  

The ChardiKala TV coverage is available on Youtube through SikhRevolution.  The whole playlist can be found at Khalistan Rally at Jagraon-September 28, 2010.  

I strongly urge you to go to the link and watch the rally.  It's in Punjabi language, but even if you don't understand Punjabi very well (or at all), it's still uplifting and inspiring to watch.  Unfortunately, due to some people misusing some of SikhRevolutions videos, I cannot embed them here, so I would strongly urge you to go watch them in Youtube.  While you are there, you might also like to subscribe to SikhRevolution at their channel page.  Just click to go there.

An interesting note.  When originally the three of us started this blog, we were told that no one from India (OK) would want to read something with Khalistan in its title because no one in India (OK) is interested in Khalistan anymore.   I notice, looking at the sidebar, that we have had more readers in that country than in any other.  I realise that a few of these readers are GOI agents, but most are not.

I would like to personally thank those of you who have been loyal readers over these last almost four years.  Our first rather tentative post was on 26 January 2007 and now we are nearing 500 posts.  We were all newbies and didn't understand about search engines and search terms and the like.  We all reasoned that out of the millions of blogs in the blogosphere, no one would ever find our little personal effort.  We were astounded to discover that the word "Khalistan" seemed to draw readers.  Along the way, the other two writers left to pursue other projects and follow different dreams, so now I am here writing alone whatever I feel like sharing with you.

I am not sure what this blog has meant to anyone else; to me it is a child of my heart and mind and spirit.  At present, at least, it is my legacy.  I pray that the posts about what happened to us in 1984 will be read and encourage other survivors to record their experiences, as well.  It is difficult, but worth the effort.  This is our history and it can be told properly only by us, especially by those of us who lived it.

I am also endeavouring to encourage the Sikh Quam to regain and remain in chardi kala as we move toward the day when the establishment of our homeland will be the Hukam of Vaheguru.  Let us prepare ourselves and be ready for whatever happens, following in the footsteps of our physical and spiritual ancestors.

KHALISTAN ZINDABAD!

Most sincerely and with highest regards,

Harinder Kaur
Mai

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - Athletes' Village at Commonwealth Games, Delhi, India (OK)

Not one picture, but 13...

Games due to start 3 October 2010

Courtesy of : BBC Sport, 23 September 2010

UPDATE - Slumdog Sikhs

A couple of days ago, I received this comment from Gurpreet Singh, prodocer of Slumdog Sikhs. I am certain that my readers will be interested in reading it:

Gurpreet Singh said...

WJKK, WJKF

The Youtube link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ

Besides pls also watch other videos on achievements so far. I am also giving a link to albums on Picasa:
21st June Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/6212009?authkey=Gv1sRgCPadmcip3dTr8wE&feat=directlink

Visit to Khaddor Sahib: Link - http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/KhadoorSahibTrip27June09?authkey=Gv1sRgCKW3rLb557nHtAE&feat=directlink

15th July meeting of appx. 22 Gurudwaras to discuss Sikh issues and an attempt to unite them http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/HeadsVolunteersFrom20Gurudwaras?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ27s5fSjNvGugE&feat=directlink

Gurudwara Sahib

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ

--k progress: 17th July 2009 http://picasaweb.google.com/gbpksehgal/20090719?authkey=Gv1sRgCLvnq87nrLWuzwE&feat=directlink

Monday, 20 July, 2009

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THE OLD POST

I received this letter from IHRO today. Please read the letter and watch the video. Before going any farther, let me say I know nothing of this particular group. They seem legitimate. I do know that the conditions that our sister and brother Sikhs are living in are disgusting. I also know that we are, on the whole, a wealthy community and have the resources to alleviate these subhuman conditions.

Beyond that...idols in the Gurudwara Sahib? A lizard running across Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji? What they state at the end is absolutely true. Moist eyes will accomplish nothing. Action must be taken. I leave it to you, my dear ones to choose what action you will or won't take.

The letter:


Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Ki Fateh

SLUMDOG SIKHS - A DOCUMENTARY ON THE PLIGHT OF SIKHS IN DELHI
Video Link: Watch Video

A study, conducted by SHS representatives, on Sikhs living in Delhi’s Sultanpuri Area has found that nearly 100% per cent of Sikhs of the area live here in sub-human conditions.
The plight of Sikhs of the area is presented through this documentary. Kindly visit the link below. Your suggestions are welcome. For any details contact info@sikhbusinesspages.com


Also Visit us at : Sikhs Helping Sikhs

We need volunteers to work on this project, so please come forward and help these Sikhs. Till now we have got a committment from various individuals and organisations for sponsoring 110 children in the area. We also have commitments from some individuals for reconstruction of Gurudwara Sahib.


"Save Life.. Register at www.Blood4All.co.in"
Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Ki Fateh







http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ

--

Slumdog Sikhs

I received this letter from IHRO today. Please read the letter and watch the video. Before going any farther, let me say I know nothing of this particular group. They seem legitimate. I do know that the conditions that our sister and brother Sikhs are living in are disgusting. I also know that we are, on the whole, a wealthy community and have the resources to alleviate these subhuman conditions.

Beyond that...idols in the Gurudwara Sahib? A lizard running across Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji? What they state at the end is absolutely true. Moist eyes will accomplish nothing. Action must be taken. I leave it to you, my dear ones to choose what action you will or won't take.

The letter:

Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Ki Fateh

SLUMDOG SIKHS - A DOCUMENTARY ON THE PLIGHT OF SIKHS IN DELHI
Video Link: Watch Video

A study, conducted by SHS representatives, on Sikhs living in Delhi’s Sultanpuri Area has found that nearly 100% per cent of Sikhs of the area live here in sub-human conditions.
The plight of Sikhs of the area is presented through this documentary. Kindly visit the link below. Your suggestions are welcome. For any details contact info@sikhbusinesspages.com


Also Visit us at : Sikhs Helping Sikhs

We need volunteers to work on this project, so please come forward and help these Sikhs. Till now we have got a committment from various individuals and organisations for sponsoring 110 children in the area. We also have commitments from some individuals for reconstruction of Gurudwara Sahib.


"Save Life.. Register at www.Blood4All.co.in"
Waheguru Jee Ka Khalsa Waheguru Jee Ki Fateh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1s4CJ5-pQ

--

We Will Never Forget

For a couple of years, I have been thinking about this twenty-fifth anniversary of the carnage of 1984. I have been fervently hoping that the Sikh community would wake up the world about the atrocities of that year in India, in fact the atrocities that seem to be a part of everyday life in that country, that legal fiction doomed ultimately to failure. I have been hoping we could awaken the masses of oppressed people especially in India and stir them to action. I have been looking forward to the chance of using this year as a springboard to accomplishment, a big step toward the establishment of our homeland from the rubble of what was India.

And I still am.

Imagine what we could accomplish if the various oppressed groups who cope with discrimination on a daily basis - the Dalits, the Tribals, the Christians, the Muslims, the Hindu Widows...I could go on and on...and, of course us Sikhs - imagine that we all worked together to end the injustices meted out to us by the corrupt Republic of India. It almost boggles the mind. India will disintegrate one day. The only question is, how will Bharata Mata fall? Will it be peaceful, as in the old Soviet Union, or will it be by horrible bloodshed as it was at the time of Partition when the Raj was divided and our Punjab was torn into two bloody pieces? Time will tell.

What I had not anticipated was the emotional toll that reliving, on a daily basis, the horrors of that time would have on me. Those events are so much a part of me, with me 24/7/365 that it is rather like being a woman; I am a woman, of course, it's always there, always a part of who I am, but I don't sit thinking about it all the time. I don't relive the oppression wrought upon my sisters throughout the ages, the oppression that continues even now, in both obvious and subtle ways. In the same way, I generally don't sit and relive all that happened. It's just there. Now, however, it has become very immediate to me. Looking at the old pictures, the candidacies of Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, remaking the pictures of the burnt Akal Takht, over and over, is taking its toll on me. I hope it doesn't show too much. And I most fervently hope that it will prove worth the effort and pain involved. I have great faith that the efforts of all of us survivors who have taken this burden on ourselves will be richly rewarded.

And now, yet another petition, an important one from the good folks at the 1984 Accountability Project. This one calls for a full international investigation into the role of that rascal rajiv gandhi as well as the culpability of the congress party in the slaughter of Sikhs in November 1984. If you care about the sacrifices of our shaheeds at that time, as well as the well-being of us survivors, please take a minute to sign this petition.

SOLIDARITY FOREVER!

http://www.nov1984.org/

The November 1984 Accountability Project seeks to obtain justice for the thousands of innocent Sikhs who were murdered, tortured, raped, beaten, and burnt alive during the massacres in Delhi and throughout India in November, 1984. During this carnage, Sikhs were burnt alive with petroleum in the streets, women were gang raped, some by police, and infants were put to death. To date, the people responsible for organizing this carnage are yet to be brought to justice.

We seek and an independent international inquiry into former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi's and the Congress party's role in planning, organizing and executing the November 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms in New Delhi, India and the immediate removal of Rajiv Gandhi's name from all public monuments, airports, roads, stadia, parks, sports awards, and professorships.

Join the quest for justice. Sign the petition http://www.nov1984.org/petition/#Signdemanding justice for the victims of the 1984 pogroms.
November 1984 Accountability Petition Demands

• An independent international inquiry into Rajiv Gandhi's and the Congress party's role in planning, organizing and executing the November 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms in New Delhi, India and
• The immediate removal of the name of former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, from all public monuments, airports, roads, stadia, parks, sports awards, and professorships.
  

"The blackened, stiff corpses lay against the walls… with their eyes open. The burn victims were Sikhs, identifiable only by the steel bracelets worn on their wrists."
(Washington Post, Nov. 3, 1984)

"Like being a Jew in Czarist Russia or Nazi Germany" Violence makes Sikhs fear for their future in India."
(New York Times, Nov. 11, 1984)

"When the history is written of the horrors that followed the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the 32nd block of Trilokpuri Colony will be remembered as a place where civilization disintegrated."
(LA Times, Nov. 6, 1984)

******************************

Petition

To: Justice Navanetham Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Cc: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, India
Cc: President Barack Obama, United States of America
Cc: President Hans-Gert Pöttering, European Parliament
Cc: Louis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor, International Criminal Court

Respected Justice Pillay,

We, the undersigned, call for

An independent international inquiry into Rajiv Gandhi's and the Congress party's role in planning, organizing and executing the November 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms in New Delhi, India

and the immediate removal of the name of former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, from all public monuments, airports, roads, stadia, parks, sports awards, and professorships.

By conservative estimates, 4000 Sikhs were killed in the first week of November 1984 on the streets of India's capital. Organized armed groups, equipped with lists of Sikh households, overtook the city, as a curfew was imposed, and law enforcement was either absent or facilitated the atrocities.

These organized massacres followed the assassination of Rajiv's mother, the Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, by two Sikh bodyguards, who were avenging the attacks against Sikh shrines in June, 1984. On June 4, 1984, a major Sikh religious holiday, Indira Gandhi had ordered Indian troops to storm the holiest of the Sikh gurdwaras, Darbar Sahib, and 31 other gurdwaras, resulting in the brutal deaths of thousands of innocent pilgrims.

Rajiv had been sworn-in as the new Prime Minister immediately after the assassination, and very soon thereafter, the carnage against Sikhs ensued. For four days following this, Sikhs were killed with complete impunity in New Delhi under express orders from many prominent politicians such as H.K.L. Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar, and Jagdish Tytler – of Rajiv's political party.

In the April 26^th, 2009 edition of the Indian Express, an eye-witness quotes Tytler as telling a crowd, "I had assured you that you kill Sikhs and nothing will happen to you. I had given a promise to the Centre. Despite this, by killing least number of Sikhs, you have lowered my prestige." This on-the-spot involvement of high ranking party members, and inaction and worse on the part of the police, complete with names of perpetrators in many cases, was first documented by a group of human rights activists (all non-Sikh) in the report, "Who Are the Guilty?," within a month of this massacre.

Shortly afterwards, Rajiv commented at a rally, "But, when a mighty tree falls, it is only natural that the earth around it does shake a little." Not only that, Rajiv promoted politician Bhagat to the rank of cabinet minister, and rewarded Tytler with an appointment as minister of state. The assiduous efforts made ever since then by the Indian state to shield the guilty of 1984 are now fully documented in the book, "When a Tree Shook Delhi," by Manoj Mitta and H. S. Phoolka. We submit that such an extensive and intensive cover-up, which still continues as the Indian Express article of April 26, 2009 cited above clearly shows, would have been impossible to initiate, and sustain for so long, unless Rajiv was deeply implicated in these mass murders from the very beginning.

International criminal law recognizes the primacy of holding the one with the maximum responsibility most guilty in order to break cycles of impunity. "Command responsibility" holds a superior legally responsible for human rights violations by subordinates if the official knew or should have known about these violations but failed to prevent them or punish those who committed them.

We therefore call for an inquiry into Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party's responsibility for the November 1984 massacres. The dozen odd kangaroo courts and commissions set up by the Indian government over the past 25 years have served to do nothing more than insult the intelligence of the Sikh community in general, and the surviving relatives of the victims in particular, who still continue to suffer due to the carnage that was unleashed on the streets of Delhi. This partisan record of Indian courts and the inaction by the government in the past 25 years necessitates that such an inquiry be held by an international body, one that is acceptable to Sikhs world-wide.

We also call for the immediate removal of Rajiv Gandhi's name from all buildings, awards, monuments, etc. This rampant and tasteless glorification of a very doubtful political character is a constant daily re-victimization of the Sikhs, and a reminder to them of the justice that has almost totally eluded them so far.

That "history repeats itself" couldn't be more true than in the parallel between the Sikh massacres of 1984 under the Congress party leadership and the Muslim massacres of 2002 under the Bhartiya Janta Party leadership. Narendra Modi should similarly be indicted and tried for his instigation and planning of ostensible pogroms that left thousands of Muslims dead. We call for justice to all, regardless of which Indian party is in control, and regardless of the faith or class of the victims.

Rajiv Gandhi's heirs are deluding themselves if they think that they can make the Sikhs forget the facts about 1984. At the very least, they should have desisted from naming even small-town parks in the Punjab after him. Unless their objective in so doing was not to let the Sikhs forget 1984? For, they are only succeeding in constantly reminding the Sikhs of their humiliation, by confronting them, day in and day out, with the name, and often the picture, of the person whom the Sikhs hold the most culpable.

W3I :JUST FOR LAUGHS

WARNING: Any Bharata Mata (BM) Lover, should probably skip this post and go do something else.

Most of my W3I (What's Wrong With India?) posts are dead serious. This one is a little more light-hearted.
In my exploration of all sorts of things on the Internet, I came across the preamble to the Constitution of India.

I read it. Then I read it again. Liberte, equalite, fraternite. It seems to have borrowed something from the French. As I am 3/8 French, I appreciate that. As for India being a secular state, I have decided to modify the flag of the Republic of India to show her true "secularism."

THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

PREAMBLE

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens:

JUSTICE, social, economic and political;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;
EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all

FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation;

IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of
November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO
OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

W3I: The Sad And Disgusting Affair Of Jagdish Tytler - Part One

************************************************************

Note: I went looking for the latest Sikhtoon and found this instead:

Quotes of the week
"I am happy today that truth has prevailed. I will fight the election and I am hundred per cent sure that I will get the votes of all sections of the society."

JAGDISH TYTLER, 1984 genocide accused after getting cleared by India's Central Bureau of Investigation - April 2nd, 2009
************************************************************

I had not intended to write about "Sikh issues" under the W3I title, but this one belongs nowhere else.

I wrote this yesterday and, upon showing it to some friends, it was strongly suggested that some of what I had written could, perhaps, be problematic. I have edited out those parts. Please note that this is not censorship; I have voluntarily removed these.

[Edited]
.

Let me digress from Tytler's case for a moment and give a short course in US Constitutional law. The First Amendment to the US Constitution, the beginning of the Bill of Rights reads:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

These rights are very broad and have been very liberally interpreted by the US Supreme Court. In the USA, where I currently reside and to whose laws I am bound, the "freedom of speech," which is interpreted as "freedom of expression" is very liberal and taken very seriously. Hate speech is "protected speech," even the burning of the national flag is, legally, "protected speech." Hurting the feelings of any community is "protected speech." I believe that a public blog, such as this one is, is also protected as "freedom of the press," equally liberally interpreted. Even most pornography is legal, although there are rather strict limits to broadcast TV and non-pay radio - called the "public airways." So I have two Constitutional protections to protect me. I am free to say almost anything.

[Edited]

A friend of mine in Punjab has described the feelings of the people there. Here is an e-mail I received yesterday morning:

waheguru ji CBI gave clean chit to TYTLER.. y this is so ji, such a
corrupt country.. no one our side.. dear ji wat wl happen nw.. is
this hukam of waheguru ji..

Evidently, many are in a state of shock. Bleeding Punjab continues to bleed. We are crying, crying tears of sadness and pain, of course, and also tears of anger of rage, of frustration. We must not let our emotions overwhelm us. We must act rationally and calmly. After, we are looking for, in fact, demanding justice. Our people continue to be mocked by the Government of India, in this case by the CBI. I am no expert in the Laws of India, so I must ask, "Have we really tried every peaceful means of bringing this criminal to justice? Is there nothing further to be done?" These are honest questions. What are the answers?

We believe that this [man] is responsible for the deaths of many of our people in and around Delhi in November, 1984. As most readers of this blog will already know, the dead include all of my immediate nuclear family, as well as two brothers and some cousins. We have been waiting nearly 25 years, not waiting patiently, but waiting.


Now this. And these two [people]. Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar are on the Congress Party ticket. I wonder at the sanity of any Sikh who would vote Congress with those two standing for office. (Of course, my own sanity has been questioned by those opposed to the establishment of Khalistan, but that is not relevant here.)

Can you believe that this Jagdish Tytler is gloating. Look at the look on his face. He says he is "happy that the truth has come out." I wonder what definition of "truth" he is using. Of course he is happy. He dodged a bullet on this one. Or did he? Bribery, I am told, is common in such cases. He even claims, according to the Times of India, that Sikhs have always voted for him. Is he insane or are we?

"WHY KHALISTAN? WHAT'S WRONG WITH INDIA?"

Probably the question I get asked most often is: Why do you want Khalistan? What's wrong with India?


The answer to the first question can be short and sweet, or it can be long and complicated, but it always must involve the second. You could, of course, simply look at the blog header pictures. " But that was 25 years ago! Get over it!"

So I have decided to answer the second. I will be publishing articles, current articles, here that answer that question. I'm not sure exactly what I will come up with, but I rather imagine they will cover topics such as poverty, pollution, corruption, caste and the like. I can imagine that groups of people, such as Dalits, Muslims, Christians, even Naxalites will also turn up. I really don't know. We will find out together. I might anger some people. Correction, I will anger some people. I promise, though, that I will tell the truth as reported by the Indian press; I will not exaggerate. Where will this all end? I don't know. Really, I have no idea.

This I do know, we Sikhs built India before there was a country called "India." We were the ones who fought and died and were imprisoned, tortured and executed by the British in the freedom struggle so that Mohandas K. Gandhi and his followers could claim a "nonviolent independence."


We have worked hard. After Partition, our hearts broken by the broken promises of Nehru and Gandhi, we picked up the pieces and marched forward to benefit the nation that had betrayed us. Our farmers in Punjab have fed the nation. Our soldiers have defended the nation. Our businesspeople have largely sustained the economy of the nation.


For these contributions, we are being treated to Sardar jokes, being portrayed in Bollywood as thugs and buffoons, being condemned as terrorists and, in general, being disrespected.

In short, we have lived this old saw:

WE THE WILLING LED BY THE INCOMPETENT HAVE BEEN DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE
UNGRATEFUL. WE HAVE BEEN DOING SO MUCH WITH SO LITTLE FOR SO LONG, WE ARE NOW
QUALIFIED TO DO EVERYTHING WITH NOTHING.

Some of us are sick and tired of all this.

That said, this article came to me through IHRO a couple days ago. It is about a tribal woman in Assam who has shown great courage and class in not letting herself be humiliated into silence. Let it be the first in this series.

Stripped Assam woman in poll bid

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

A tribal woman who was stripped and assaulted in India's north-eastern state of Assam is to contest the parliamentary elections.

Laxmi Oraon has been nominated by the regional Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF).

She was stripped by locals when she took part in a rally in 2007 demanding better tribal rights.

Pictures of Ms Oraon running naked across a market in Assam's capital Guwahati caused outrage in India. (Note: To preserve the dignity of the lady, I haver chosen not to use these pictures.)

Ms Oraon had joined the rally in November 2007 along with thousands of Adivasi tribespeople, who mostly work as labourers in Assam's 800 tea gardens.

The rally turned violent and the Adivasis started vandalising shops and beating up policemen and locals before they were overwhelmed by a huge number of local people.

Ms Oraon was stripped and beaten before an Assamese man took off his T-shirt, covered her and dragged her to safety.

'Taunted and teased'

Nearly 16 months later, Ms Oraon has been offered a ticket to contest the Tezpur parliamentary constituency.

"She is a symbol of Adivasi exploitation, of minority exploitation in Assam. We want her to contest the parliament polls on our ticket and she has agreed," AUDF general secretary Hafiz Rashid Choudhury said.

Ms Oraon said while accepting the nomination: "I may not win but I want to make a point. That the Adivasis will no longer take the exploitation lying down."

The AUDF is a Muslim-dominated party but claims to represent other minorities in Assam - among them the Adivasis, whose ancestors were brought from central India to work in Assam's tea estates by the former British rulers.

Assam's ruling Congress party claims to represent minorities fairly, but the AUDF has increasingly sliced into the Congress area of influence among the minorities, especially the state's 30% Muslim population.

"Our party has been set up to represent the interest of all minorities, so we cannot ignore the exploitation of the Adivasis," Mr Choudhury says.

"And Laxmi is a living symbol of this exploitation."

After her humiliation, Ms Oraon has often appeared in the media - particularly in the state of Jharkhand, where her ancestors came from.

She was an honoured guest at the launch of a book by the leader of the Jharkhand Disom party, Salkhan Murmu, in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi last April.

Ms Oraon also finished her school leaving examinations last year.

"My humiliation did not end with the stripping and beating. It followed me to the examination centre, where I was taunted and teased," she told journalists.

Ms Oraon and her family have accused the ruling party of trying to "bribe" her to stay quiet after the stripping episode. Congress firmly denied the charge.

It says it handled the issue fairly, setting up a judicial inquiry commission to identify the culprits and punish them.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7934133.stm

Published: 2009/03/10 09:20:29 GMT

© BBC MMIX

A Thought On Republic Day.

First, I am not an Indian. I am a Canadian. So maybe I should just be quiet and let you guys have your holiday. OK, but I do have a question.

What do Sikhs have to celebrate about a Constitution that defines us as Hindus?

Just asking.

As for the picture, I find it both ironic and amusing. I have no idea what the Hindi says. I thought about cutting it off and then decided to keep it. Would someone please enlighten this illiterate-in-Hindi Canadian?

And, oh, yeah, KHALISTAN ZINDABAD!

Pictures From Srinigar, Kashmir

No Comment Necessary

LIST OF MAJOR RIOTS IN INDIA

FROM MY INBOX:

On 05/09/2008, Khalistan News Bureau khalistannewsbureau@gmail.com wrote:

LIST OF MAJOR RIOTS IN INDIA

HINDU INDIA & HISTORIC RECORDS OF VIOLENCE

EVIDENCE OF GOVERNMENT SPONSORED HINDU TERRORISM

Disclaimer: - Statistics in this flyer are of independent Writers, News Papers, Statements, Books, Video Docs., Websites etc. It is speaking of truth from historic records, however Reader may or may not necessarily agree with Title, Data, Words, Language or Angle of Provision. Purpose of this flyer is to keep people aware of history to protect country & humanity from crimes against humanity. Sikhs In India live under great threat to their Life, Identity faith & culture. Let's Help Protecting Them & other Minorities.

REQUEST: - This flyer requests to Intl. Govt. Intelligence Agencies & Domestic Police Services to seriously monitor Hindu Radicalism & its effects on world. Also it's control over Federal & State governments In India thus making INDIA A TERRORIST STATE.

RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN INDIA INCLUDES ACTS OF VIOLENCE BY FOLLOWERS OF HINDUTVA AGAINST FOLLOWERS AND INSTITUTIONS OF OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS, OFTEN IN THE FORM OF RIOTING.

HINDUISM, THE LARGEST RELIGION IN INDIA, ACCOUNTS FOR 80% OF THE POPULATION;

ISLAM, THE SECOND LARGEST RELIGION ACCOUNTS FOR 13% OF THE POPULATION

BUDDHISM, JAINISM, AND SIKHISM TAKEN TOGETHER ACCOUNT FOR 3% OF THE

POPULATION; AND CHRISTIANITY ACCOUNTS FOR 2% OF THE POPULATION.

THE HYPOCRITICAL BUT POSING AS DEMOCRATICPOLITICAL PARTY LEADERS ALWAYS TRY TO PLEASE 80% OF HINDU VOTERS BY SPREADING HINDUTVA THUS PROMOTING THE HINDU RADICALISM & ETHNIC CLEANSING. IN SUCH ATTEMPTS OF TERRORISM THE HINDU RADICALISM GETS STRONGER & TERRORISED MINORITIES BECOME MERCIFUL VICTIMS. THERE ARE 2 MAIN PARTIES OF HYPOCRITICAL INDIA, BJP & CONGRESS. TO PLEASE HINDU RADICALS CONGRESS PROMOTES OPPRESSION ON MINORITIESWHEREAS BJP DIRECTLY PROMOTES HINDUTVA MEANS PURE HINDU NATION. FOLLOWINGS IS THE LIST OF EVENTS OF GENOCIDE.

Calcutta Riots or Direct Action Day Riots - The manslaughter On 16 August 1946 left 4000 people dead within 72 hours in the city of Calcutta and 100,000 residents of the city were left homeless. Violence in Calcutta sparked off further religious riots in the surrounding regions of Noakhali, Bihar, UP, Punjab, and the North Western Frontier Province.

REFERENCES:-Hindu Communalism and Partition1932-47. Cambridge Univ. Press; Time -26 Aug 1946; Partition of India: Legend and Reality. Oxford Univ. Press

Partition Riots - The Rioting and Dislocation associated with partition In 1947 costed 500 000 Lives.

REFERENCES:-World Almanac 1984 : 200,000, Hammond 500,000, Eckhardt: 800,000, D.Smith 1,000,000, B&J: 1,000,000 (1945-48), Hartman: 1,000,000, Stanley Wolpert (In A New History of India -1993): 1,000,000, Collins and Lapierre (In Freedom at Midnight-1975) cite these following sources: Khosla, Stern Reckoning: 500,000, Moon, Divide and Quit: 200-250,000, Hodson: The Great Divide: 200-250,000, Chanduli Trivedi- governor of Punjab: 225,000, P. Johnson puts the death toll at 200-600,000. In addition to some of the Collins and Lapierre sources, he cites these authorities: Stephens, Pakistan (1963): 500,000, Edwardes, Last Years of British India (1963): 600,000. The median of these 14 estimates is 500,000.

BhagalpurRiots - The Rioting occurred 4 Times In Bhagalpur1924, -36,-46 And -89.1989 left 1900 dead.

The hindu radical men were found guilty of killing and burying 116 Muslims in Bhagalpur in the northern state of Bihar in 1989. A court in India has convicted 14 Hindus of mass killings of Muslims.

REFERENCES: - BBC Report: Hindus 'guilty of Muslim deaths' , (Reported By By Amarnath Tewary) AND World Encyclopedia, Bhagalpur has an average literacy rate of 68%, with 70% of the males and 62% of the females literate. 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Hyderabad Riots - In December 1990 riots took 1,000 civ.& 1,000 radicals totalling 2,000 lives.

From 1978 to 1984 riots were like annual festivals. No of total deaths is hard t o retreive. But in 1988, it was

reported that the streets of Hyderabad were littered with bodies of right from Hirabad to Latifabad claiming

more than 400 deaths.Some other Rioting also occurred In 1948, 1978, Sept 07, 1983, 1988, & 1992.

REFERENCES: - The Vanishing Glory of Hyderabad (Sindh, Pakistan)". UNIOR Web Journals,. "Hyderābād City - Imperial Gazetteer of India v. 13, p. 321", "Pakistan Backgrounder". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Retrieved on 2008-04-14

1984 Delhi Sikh Massacre – BLOOD SHED IN CAPITOL OF COUNTRY

The 1984 Sikh massacre left 4800 Sikhs dead & 1,50,000 homeless. Then Prime Minister of India,Rajiv Gandhi, son of Indira Gandhi, made an insensitive statement at Boat Club in New Delhi on November 19th 1984, on the birthday of Indira Gandhi, "Some riots took place in the country following the murder of Indiraji. We know the people were very angry and for a few days it seemed that India had been shaken. But, when a mighty tree falls, it is only natural that the earth around it does shake a little." If this is justification of massacre by a prime minister then the whole regime reflects as Terrorist Regime.

References:-Swadesh Bahadur Singh (editor of the Sher-i-Panjâb weekly): "Cabinet berth for a Sikh", Indian Express:31-5-1996., The Tribune -When the big tree fell, Publik Asia, 16-11-1989, A life sentence, http://www.mha.nic.in/Nanavati-I.pdf ,Fresh probe into India politician, BJP to govt: Clear stand on anti-Sikh riots' witness, 1984 riots: CBI to re-investigate Tytler's role, The attorney defending Nov 1984 riot victims in Delhi.Contains important affidavits and other documentation, 1984 Sikhs', Kristallnacht: 5-part video. Times of India Report On the 20th Anniv. of the riots,Anti-Sikh riots a pogrom: Khushwant, When A Tree Shook Delhi-By Ad.H.S.Phoolka, http://www.carnage84.com/, www.ensaaf.org.

Ayodhya Riots - In 1992 Riots between Hindus and Muslims left 2350 Dead.(avg of Ref)

Hindu hardliners with help of state destroyed the Babri mosque in the northern town in 1992, rioting around the country claimed an estimated 2,000 lives.

REFERENCES: - AP 2Mar2002: 2,000; Irish Times 2March2002: 2,000.; National Post 1March2002: 3,000 (1992-93

Gawakadal massacre - The death-toll was over300.

On Jan 20, 1990, in Indian occupied Kashmir near Gawakada bridge of Srinagar city, the Indian paramilitary troops of the CRPF (Federal Police) opened fire on a group of unarmed Kashmiri protesters, including women and children. No federal government investigation was ever ordered into the incident. As a result, the state government then lead by Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah resigned, and the state went under President's rule.

REFERENCES: - Amnesty Report, NHR Comm. Report, BBC News Aug 16, 2007, Human Rights Watch Report-2006, Victoria Schofield- Kashmir in Conflict)

Bombay Riots - December 1992 & January 1993 riots took 1000 lives.

Wilful burning of shops, killings and the destruction of property occurred in distinctively different kinds of

areas. A judicial commission of inquiry has found that the Shiv Sena (Army Of Angel – Hindu Terrorist Group)-a member party of India's governing coalition and the dominant partner in the two-party alliance that rules the State Of Maharashtra-fomented and organized communal riots in Bombay in Jan1993.

REFERENCES: - Srikrishna Commission Report, Maximum City: Bombay lost and found, BBC, New York Times, Indian Muslim News and Information

Kashmir & Jammu Civil War - Total casualties of civil war from 1989 To 2000 is 34093. (avg of Ref.)

According to various following sources total death toll is calculated on avg. of resources basis.

REFERENCES:-US State Department Report In 2000 (To Date Since 1989) Militants: 10,727, Civilians: 8,000 killed by militants, 2,600 killed in crossfire,Security personnel: 2,000, TOTAL: 23,327.;.Times of India 6 January 2001 (To Date Since 1990)Militants: 12,336,Civilians: 11,600,Security personnel: 2,282; TOTAL (Since 1990): 26,421.;BBC Reporting 2000: 34,000.;4.AP Sources 3 July 2001- Indian government

Reports:30,000+;Human rights activists and opposition leaders: 60,000-80,000,plus 2,500-3,000 Muslim men missing at hands of security forces. Report On 4 Jan. 2001 By Bloomberg: 34,000 milit. & civ. Denver Rocky Mtn News 23 May 1999 : 25,000; Ploughshares 2000 Report: 20-40,000.

Gujraat Bloodshed - The 2002 Gujarat Massacre claimed 2400 Lives.

Gujarat Massacre contained Series of communal Attacks of Hindus on Muslims in the Indian State of Gujarat between Feb and May 2002. More than one hundred and fifty thousand people were displaced. An international fact finding committee formed of experts from US, UK, France, Germany and Sri Lanka said that "sexual violence was being used as a strategy for terrorising women belonging to minority community in the state.

(There is history of some other Riots where causalities were less than 50. Such incidents

considered to be routine fashion of INDIA can not be listed on these two pages as it is a huge list)

"Hindu society can be assured safety only by setting up Hindu suicide squads"

Bal Keshav Thackeray (Admirer Of Hitler & Shiv Sena Supremo) ON June 17, 2008 Ref: News Papers Of June 18&19,2008

After Years of Oppression on Minorities the Hindu Leaders Still Feels That they need Hindu SuicideSquads.

Hindu Nationalist Parties In India:- Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (All India Hindu Council); Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha; Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Shakti Dal; Akhil Bharatiya Jan Sangh; Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad; Akhil Bharatiya Shivsena Rashtrawadi; Akhand Hindustan Morcha;

Apna Hindu Ram Bhakat Party Arya Sabha (Group of Nobles); Bharatiya Hindu Sena (Indian Hindu Army); Bharatiya Janashakti; Bharatiya Janata Party; Bharatiya Swadeshi Sangh (Indian Self-rule Union); Hindu Ekta Andolan Party; Hindu Praja Party; Hindu Samaj Party; Hindu Shiv Sena; Hindu Swaraj Sangathan Rashtriya Hindu Sangathan; Rashtriya Hindu Morcha; Ramrajya Marg; Ram Sena Rashtrawadi; Samrath Bharat; Shivrajya Party (Rule of Shiva Party);Shiv Sena (Army of Shivaji) :Hindu Nationalist Parties Worldwide:- Bangladesh: - Banga Sena, Bir Banga Hindu Prajatantra; Bir Banga

Sena Swadhin Bangabhumi Andolan, Udbastu Unnayan Parishad; Indonesia: - Indonesian Dharma Awakening Party; Mauritius:- Independent Forward

Bloc; Nepal:- Nepal Shivsena; Sri Lanka :-All Ceylon Hindu Congress; Suriname :-Progressive Reform Party (Suriname)

WHAT DOES THE WORLD OBSERVE…

" ""I IIN NND DDI IIA AA' ''S SS I IID DDE EEN NNT TTI IIT TTY YY AAS SS AA NNU UUC CCL LLE EEA AAR RR S SSO OOC CCI IIE EET TTY YY I IIS SS UUN NND DDE EER RR CCHHA AAL LLL LLE EEN NNG GGE EE BBY YY HHI IIN NND DDU UU NNA AAT TTI IIO OON NNA AAL LLI IIS SST TTS SS. .." ""

Madam Madeleine Albright (Former USA Secretary of State And Former US Ambassador To UN)

The govt. of India has murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, in excess of 200,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, almost 60,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Tamils, Manipuris, Dalits,and others. The State Department reported that between 1992 and 1994. The Indian government paid over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for murdering Sikhs. Two Canadian

journalists published a book called Soft Target in which they proved that the Indian government blew up its own airliner in 1985 just to blame the Sikhs. In this light, the United States must declare India a terrorist state. We must then impose all the sanctions that we impose on any other terrorist state. This will be a good step towards ending the terrorism and restoring freedom to all the people of South Asia.HON Edolphous Towns (In US House of Representatives TUESDAY, OCT 6, 1998)

To Hindus, an independent India, freed after nearly 1,000 years of alien rule (first Muslim, then British)

and rid of a sizable portion of its Muslim population by Partition, had an obligation to assert an identity

that would be triumphantly and indigenously Hindu. – New York TimesMarch 02, 2002 By SHASHI THAROOR

WHAT DOES THE SIKHS OBSERVE…

" ""I II BBL LLA AAMME EE TTHHE EE I IIN NND DDI IIA AAN NN S SST TTA AAT TTE EE FFO OOR RR TTE EER RRR RRO OOR RRI IIS SSI IIN NNG GG TTHHE EE MMI IIN NNO OOR RRI IIT TTI IIE EES SS && PPU UUT TTT TTI IIN NNG GG UUS SS TTO OO DDE EEA AAT TTHH . .." ""

Simranjit Singh Mann (FORMER-MP(INDIA)MEMBER SGPC, FORMER IPS (INDIAN POLICE SERVICES)OFFICER)

This flyer reflects that Sikhs, their Identity, their faith & their culture are not safe in India.

What Do You Feel? What Do You Think?

By Mail

Parmjit Singh Dakha

President

Dal Khalsa Alliance

1700 Shattuck Ave, # 303

Berkeley, CA 94709

510 – 774 – 5909

dalkhalsaalliance@gmail.com

www.khalistannews.com

www.dalkhalsaalliance.org

www.dalkhalsausa.org

--
WHY TRY TO FIT IN? YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!