Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Melady Jean-Baptiste, who came to this country without being able to speak English, and now, after earning multiple degrees in education, serves as a role model for all who know her. Melady Jean-Baptiste is a native of the city of Cap-Haitien in Haiti. She was born one of two daughters and three sons to a very loving, close knit, strong and progressive family. Her father immigrated to America at the age of 65 and began immediately to help his family immigrate. With her father in America, Melady attended the prestigious and elite College Regina Assumpta then continued at the Wetsal Secretarial School in Port au Prince. In 1979, a few short years after her father left, Melady immigrated to America. The family searched for a church home and while walking in their neighborhood, they came upon Holy Trinity Baptist Church. Melady and her family began to attend services regularly at the Church. They were the only non-English speaking people in the congregation. Melady not only learned to speak English by attending the Sunday School class but she learned the biggest lesson of her life; that religion and education go hand in hand. Melady remains a faithful, tithing member of Holy Trinity Baptist Church (the fourth oldest Black Church in Brooklyn) and serves on the Deaconess Board and as a former president of the Pastor's Aide Ministry and the Women's Missionary Union. Melady completed her two year degree at New York City Technical College (1987) her bachelor's four-year degree in less than four years, earning her B.S.W. at York College (1988). Two years later, she completed her M.S.W. in 1990 at Columbia University. Melady has also earned her a C.S.W., a Mono and Bilingual License and Certifications in Education. She is a member of a school based support team and uses her own life story to encourage students to not give up. She inspires many students to overcome learning difficulties and treats each child not as a social work case but as an individual who has an opportunity to succeed. She has enabled hundreds of children and families to overcome adverse moments in their lives and move effectively toward realizing their goals. Melady is the quintessential American immigrant success story. She not only has utilized education and her faith as tools for success but she has also served as a role model for others, including her family. Her sister Maryse has completed her professional nursing degree at Columbia University; her daughter Milady Jean-Baptiste Hartmann is a graduate of the Parsons School of Art & Design; and her second daughter, Tamar, stricken with a severe crippling form of rheumatoid arthritis as a child, completed her undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College and will begin her graduate studies next semester. Her mother, Melanie, at 83, continues to advance her education as well. Melady is the aunt of Melanie and Rogerst J-B. Charles; mother-in-law of Philippe Hartmann and grandmother of Caroline and Dahlia Hartmann. She is forever grateful for the possibilities America has given her through the wonderful, great natural resources of historical Black Churches, Black pastors and educational opportunities. Mr. Speaker, Melady Jean-Baptiste serves as an inspiration to us all. Her dedication to education has improved not only her life but those she comes in contact with everyday. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Patricia Ann Jones-Wynn in recognition of her strong commitment to her family, church and community. Patricia, the oldest of eight children born to the late Willoughby and Maranda R. Jones, hails from Hamilton, North Carolina. She graduated with honors from West Martin High School in Oak City, North Carolina. Pat holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secretarial Science, with a minor in Library Science from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. Upon graduation from college in 1962, Patricia relocated to Brooklyn, New York where she married Ernest W. Wynn, her childhood sweetheart. In Brooklyn, she commenced her professional career as a secretary for the Brooklyn Tuberculosis Association. Following the birth of her first child, Patricia embarked on the more challenging and rewarding career of a full time homemaker. In 1965 she gave birth to her second child. In 1973, with her children older and less dependent on her, Pat resumed her professional career by taking a position as the Administrative Assistant to Dr. William A. Jones, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. In this capacity, she not only performed secretarial and administrative duties, but she was also the coordinator of the church newsletter. Her duties also required extensive national and international travel. Pat continues to be an active, contributing member of the Bethany Baptist Church congregation. She is a member of the Bethany Choir, the North Carolina Club and the Scholarship Council where she is an aggressive fund-raiser for the graduating high school students. Upon leaving Bethany as an employee, she began work as a Principal Administrative Assistant for the Health and Hospital Corporation at Woodhull Hospital. Later, she secured employment with Paul J. Cooper Center for Human Services, (a human resource organization that works with the mentally challenged) where she worked until her retirement as Secretary to the CEO. Pat is a member of the Vannguard Independent Democratic Association and works each year with the Board of Elections. For Patricia's family and friend, she is a mentor, a confidant and one who is always there in a time of need. On her daily walks, she visits the sick and shut-in members of her congregation and community. She has cared for sick and terminally ill relatives and friends in her home and is committed to her mission to follow God's call to ``serve.'' Patricia has been married to Deacon Ernest Wynn for 42 years and is the mother of two children, Kalin Lamont and Kecia Nadine, mother-in- law to Stacey Patrice and grandmother to Anastasia and Maya. Mr. Speaker, Patricia Ann Jones-Wynn has chosen to dedicate herself to her family, church and community in all the choices she has made throughout her life. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Aileen Rosa-Arroyo who has dedicated her career to educating our children from toddler to adulthood. Aileen was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 9, 1962 and is the daughter of Judith Valentin and Gilberto Rosa. She is happily married to Miguel Angel Arroyo, Jr. of Long Beach, N.Y. and is the proud mother of three beautiful children, Alexandra, 14, Isabella Angelica 3 and Christopher Michael who is 10 months old. They reside with their children in Island Park, New York and are surrounded by loving and doting grandparents, Miguel and Lily Arroyo. Early in her education, Aileen distinguished herself as an excellent student. Graduating from the elite Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates, New York, she majored in English, Spanish and Music. She was then awarded a four-year scholarship for academic excellence to St. John's University, where she studied Communication Arts & Sciences, and did an internship at a television station in production and sales. Her graduate work is in Early Childhood & Elementary Education, completing a Master's Degree in Education and post-graduate work in Bilingual Education and English as a Second Language from Long Island University. Understanding the need for role models in a position of leadership in the educational field and in her community, she then went on to do her second Master's Degree in Supervision and Administration at The College of New Rochelle. Aileen is the Director of Education & Administration of one of the largest child-care facilities in the City of New York, The Grand St. Settlement Child & Family Center located in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. The facility services toddlers, pre-school and school-age children and has Head Start and Universal Pre-K Programs. She is an accomplished educator, holding NYS Permanent Licenses and Permanent Certifications in Supervision & Administration, Early Childhood & Elementary Education, Bilingual Education and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Her experience spans from pre-k to college, having worked as a teacher in the NYC and Long Island public schools for over 15 years and as a professor at both Touro and Boricua Colleges. Aileen has always been an active leader in our community. She has been honored three times with the Caritas Citation for Community Service and The American Legion Award for Community Service. She has received numerous decorations from the New York City Police Department for Dedicated Service, and the New York State Senate has presented her two citations for Community Service and Outstanding Leadership. The University of The State of New York has bestowed upon her Recognition for Professional Achievement. She is a member of the American Federation of School Administrators, the Council of Administrators & Supervisors, the New York State Association for Bilingual Educators, and Phi Delta Kappa Education Fraternity. Aileen has organized and implemented educational and training programs for children, teens and parents, and staff development for colleagues. She has spent her life giving to others. Her role as an outstanding educator and community leader impacts the lives of many in a positive fashion. Mr. Speaker, Aileen Rosa-Arroyo has been a leader in her community by ensuring that every member of her community has the opportunity to be educated and succeed. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Stephanie Arno for her commitment to public service and her church. Stephanie is one of five children born and reared in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn. She was educated in the New York City public schools. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University Center of New York at Binghamton and her Master of Arts in Political Science from Brooklyn College. Employed with the New York City Department of Probation for the past 16 years, Stephanie began her career as a Probation Officer Trainee in the Kings Adult Investigation Unit. She rose through the ranks to become Borough Director of her present assignment, Manhattan Alternative to Detention (MATD), Family Court Division. In 2002, one of Stephanie's noteworthy accomplishments is being the first President and founding member of the New York City Probation Guardians Association, Inc. In 2004, Stephanie was re-elected as President of the New York City Probation Guardians Association, Inc. The Probation Guardians Association, Inc. is a fraternal association for all African-Americans employed in NYC's Probation Department. A member of the Greater Allen Cathedral of New York, AME, her favorite scripture is from Isaiah 54:2-3, ``Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords; strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities''. [NIV] The legacy of Stephanie Arno is to be known as someone who understands that every child who proclaims to be a ``hard rock'' is actually a gem so let us mine our future with delicate hands. Mr. Speaker, Stephanie Arno has dedicated her professional career to public service through her work in the criminal justice system. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable person.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Mabel Muniz-Sarduy who has dedicated her professional career to educating our children. Mabel has been a student, community resident, teacher, Parent Coordinator, Assistant Principal and now Principal at P.S. 86 in the Bushwick community. As a student she attended the schools in District 32. As a community resident, she has been a youth leader and president of her block association. Mabel has a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Arts from Hunter College, a Masters Degree in Reading from Hunter College as well as a professional diploma from Long Island University in Administration. She began her professional career as a teacher at Saint Martin's of Tours, and then as a teacher at P.S. 86. Next, Mabel moved from the classroom to administration as a Parent Coordinator, an Assistant Principal at P.S. 106, and to her current position as the Principal at P.S. 86. Mabel strives every day to empower and create a positive image for the community she loves. She is a firm believer that through education you can change your life and impact many others. Holding high expectations, she continues to strive to make sure that our students, educators, parents and community residents are involved in the progress of our students. She is married with two beautiful boys, Rafael and Jeremy. Mr. Speaker, Mabel Muniz-Sarduy has ably served her community by dedicating her career to educating our students and thereby improving the lives of many New York City residents.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in expressing my concern about China's proposed anti-secession law, which is highly provocative and may cause a military confrontation across the Taiwan Strait. Specifically, the law assumes that China and Taiwan are now unified and that China has the right to punish anyone expressing separatist sentiments or engaging in separatist activities. Ultimately, China can legally push for unification of Taiwan by force, which is the worst scenario that we could possibly see. Understandably, the 23 million people of Taiwan are very upset over this proposed law, for they have lived under a full-fledged democracy, enjoyed the highest standard of freedom and human rights. A similar reaction occurred in Hong Kong when people there learned about the enactment of Article 23 of the Basic Law. Though some people might argue that any country could have the right to enact a domestic law, but if people's freedom and wellbeing might be endangered because of that, then the United States, should not stand by without protesting this threat to democracy. I hope the Chinese leaders will exercise their wisdom in not adopting this anti-secession law next month. I also hope the international community will join us in voicing their disapproval of this provocative law. Inaction by us will send a dangerous signal to China and encourage it to escalate its political rhetoric and belligerent actions against Taiwan, a beacon of democracy in that region. We do not need any military confrontation in the Taiwan Strait now or ever. Let us tell our Chinese friends in Beijing that they should learn to appreciate the contributions that the Taiwanese have made to the Chinese economy. They should also know that Taiwan stands ready to discuss and negotiate any issue with China. The Taiwanese people desire a peaceful coexistence with their Chinese brethren and have no desire to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on January 26, India celebrated its Republic Day, the anniversary of the adoption of its constitution. On that day a group of Sikh activists raised the Sikh flag at a Gurdwara in the city of Amritsar in accordance with Sikh tradition. For this, complaints were issued against 35 Sikhs and 31 have been arrested. Now eleven of them have had their bail denied, keeping them in detention. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that speaking out for Khalistan is not a crime, yet they are charged with ``sedition'' and ``making inflammatory speeches'' for raising a flag and speaking out for freedom for the Sikh homeland. Mr. Speaker, what kind of democracy is this? The Movement Against State Repression (MASR) was already reporting that India held 52,268 political prisoners. These activists add 11 to that number. This is just the latest illustration that exercising your freedom of speech can be a very dangerous thing in India if you are a minority. India has a pattern of repression. It has killed over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 90,000 Kashmiri Muslims, thousands of other Christians and Muslims throughout the country, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits (the aboriginal people of South Asia), Manipuris, Tamils, and others. The U.S. State Department reported in 1994 that the Indian government had paid over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs. One such bounty went to an officer who killed a three-year-old boy. We must not just sit and watch while a country that proclaims itself ``the world's largest democracy'' tramples on the most basic of democratic freedoms, such as the freedom to speak out and to hold a peaceful demonstration. That is not the hallmark of a democracy. It is the hallmark of a police state. The time has come to let India know that we are watching and to let them know that this is unacceptable. There are steps that we can take to support the rights of all people in south Asia. It is time that we take these steps. They include cutting off our aid and trade with India and putting the Congress on record in support of self-determination for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan, the Christian people of Nagaland, the Kashmiris, and all the people of South Asia who are seeking freedom. Only by exercising their right to self-determination, which is the essence of democracy, can the people there finally live in freedom, peace, and prosperity. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's very informative press release on the denial of bail to these Sikh activists into the Record at this time. [From Council of Khalistan] Bail Denied for 11 Sikhs Arrested for Hoisting Sikh Flag in Amritsar-- Is This Democracy, Freedom of Speech? Eleven Sikhs who were arrested for raising the Sikh flag on Republic Day, January 26, have been denied bail. Thirty-five Sikhs were charged and 31 are being held. They raised the saffron flag of Khalsa Raj at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj in Amritsar. They have been charged with sedition and ``making inflammatory speeches.'' Khalsa Raj Party President Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan said that they had raised the flag according to Sikh tradion. Punjab Pradesh Congress Party President Hanspal said, ``We will not allow them to raise their heads for Khalistan.'' Maninder Singh Bitta, President of the All-India Youth Congress, demanded that Dr. Chohan and others be deported to Pakistan, claiming they are Pakistani agents. Former Chief Minister Badal said, ``We will not permit the militancy to raise its head again.'' ``How can India call itself democratic when it suppresses a basic right like freedom of speech?,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, which leads the Sikh struggle for freedom. ``The Punjab and Haryana High Court has already ruled in the case of the late Colonel Partap Singh that speaking in support of freedom for Khalistan is not a crime,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``How can these activists be arrested for something that is not a crime?'' The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians since 1948, over 90,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, Bodos, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' According to a report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 Sikhs and tens of thousands of other minorities are being held as political prisoners in India without charge or trial. Some have been in illegal custody since 1984! We demand the immediate release of all these political prisoners. ``The Sikh Nation is indebted to the leaders of Dal Khalsa who raised the Sikh flag, including Harcharan Singh Dhami, President, Kanwarpal Singh Bittu, General Secretary, Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, and others,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``We praise Dr. Chohan for his remarks. But how can Sikhs like Badal, Hanspal, Bitta, and others call themselves Sikhs when they deny the Sikh aspirations for freedom? Clearly, they are doing the bidding of the Indian government, which controls them.'' The Sikh Nation declared its independence from India on October 7, 1987 and formed the Council of Khalistan at that time to lead the struggle for independence. When India became independent, Sikhs were equal partners in the transfer of power and were to receive their own state, but the weak and ignorant Sikh leaders of the time were tricked into staying with India on the promise that they would have ``the glow of freedom'' and no law affecting the Sikhs would pass without their consent. Sikhs ruled an independent and sovereign Punjab from 1710 to 1716 and again from 1765 to 1849 and were recognized by most of the countries of the world at that time. Sikhs do not accept the Indian constitution. No Sikh representative has ever signed it. Indian police arrested human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra after he exposed their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered, then their bodies were declared unidentified and secretly cremated. Khalra was murdered in police custody. His body was not given to his family. No one has been brought to justice for the kidnapping and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. The police never released the body of former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Singh Kaunke after SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna murdered him. He has never been tried for the Jathedar Kaunke murder. In 1994, the U.S. State Department reported that the Indian government had pad over 41,000 cash bounties for killing Sikhs. India is not one country; it is a polyglot thrown together for the convenience of the British colonialists. It is doomed to break up as they did. Last year, the Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a bill cancelling the government's daylight robbery of Punjab river water. The Assembly explicitly stated the sovereignty of Punjab. ``I urge the international community to help us free Khalistan from Indian occupation,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Freedom is the birthright of all people and nations,'' he said. ``The arrest and denial of bail for these activists for raising the Sikh flag and making speeches shows that there is no freedom for Sikhs within India,'' he said. ``As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, `If a Sikh is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh','' Dr. Aulakh noted. ``We must continue to press for freedom,'' he said. ``Without political power, religions cannot flourish and nations perish. A sovereign Khalistan is essential for the survival of the Sikh religion and the Sikh Nation.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, there are encouraging developments in the fight for freedom for minorities in India. It looks like the people of Nagaland are making progress in their negotiations with India to achieve autonomy. This is a potentially significant development that will begin, at long last, the unraveling of the web of Indian oppression. Can Kashmir and Khalistan be far behind? To add to this, the fire of freedom continues to burn as brightly as ever in Punjab, Khalistan. On December 7, a Sikh leader named Simranjit Singh Mann, who is a former Member of India's Parliament and has held events right here in the Capitol and met many Members of Congress, again spoke out for independence for the Sikh homeland, Khalistan. Mr. Mann put his party, the Akali Dal, Amritsar, on record for independence. He pledged that he would lead a peaceful movement for independence, which he said was a dream of the Sikh people that ``will be materialized one day.'' It looks like that day is getting closer. The government of Punjab acted last year to cancel all water agreements with the other states in India, by which Punjab's water was being diverted to those other states. In so doing, they declared the sovereignty of the state of Punjab. Imagine that, Mr. Speaker. They are openly claiming their sovereignty. This is good to see. Mr. Speaker, when India became independent, the Sikhs were supposed to get an independent state in Punjab. But the Indian leaders assured them they would have ``the glow of freedom'' there, so they stayed with India. Well, that ``glow of freedom'' has taken the lives of over 250,000 Sikhs as well as over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 89,000 Kashmiri Muslims, and tens of thousands of other minority people. It has resulted in 52,268 Sikhs being held as political prisoners under a repressive law called TADA that expired in 1995. It is time for real freedom for the Sikhs, the Nagas, the Kashmiris, and all people in the subcontinent. The essence of democracy is self-determination. If India wants to be treated as a democracy, it must allow self-determination and all other rights to all its citizens. We should not provide any money to India until it does. In 1948, India promised to hold a plebiscite to let the people of Kashmir decide their status. It's now 56 years later and they are still waiting. Similarly, the demand for self-determination in Khalistan, in Nagaland, and elsewhere has been met with nothing but violent resistance. Is that democracy, Mr. Speaker? Is that freedom? The Tribune, a newspaper in Chandigarh, Punjab, carried excellent coverage of Mr. Mann's remarks in its December 8 issue. I would like to place that article in the Record at this time for the information of my colleagues. [From the (Chandigarh, India) Tribune, Dec. 8, 2004] Mann Reverts to Sovereign Punjab Theme Ludhiana, Dec. 7.--Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) supremo Simranjit Singh Mann yesterday reverted to the theme of sovereign Punjab, declaring that his party would launch a peaceful movement to realise this dream. He said his party had never given up the demand for a separate and sovereign Punjab as the Sikhs' was a separate nationality, foundations of which had been laid down by Guru Gobind Singh himself. Mr. Mann, who was here to preside over a meeting of the party office-bearers at Gurdwara Akalgarh, said to ensure lasting peace in South Asia in the face of deep hostility between ``Hindu civilisation (India) and Muslim civilisation (Pakistan)'', it was in the interest of the people of the region to create a neutral and buffer sovereign state. He maintained that the foundations for a separate sovereign Sikh state had been laid down by Guru Gobind Singh and Banda Singh Bahadur followed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. This dream was furthered by ``Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale'' and ``would be materialised one day''. He said since both Pakistan and India had nuclear weapons, it was necessary that some buffer state should be created so that the two countries did not come face to face with each other. Mr. Mann refused to give the geographical outline of the ``sovereign state'' envisioned by him. He evaded an answer to a question whether it included the part of the state which is now with Pakistan. Welcoming the close cooperation between the Pakistani Punjab and the Indian Punjab, Mr. Mann claimed it was he who had initiated this move by demanding way back in 1990 that the border between the two Punjabs should be opened up for the people to cross over. To a question on the demand of the Dal Khalsa that ban on cow slaughter in Punjab should go, Mr. Mann said he or his organisation had nothing to do with that organisation (Dal Khalsa). At the same time, he said, he or his party would not like to hurt the sentiments of a majority of people as ``Hindus held the cow to be sacred and their sentiments should be respected''. Mr. Mann also accused Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal of having connived with Hindu organisations in demolishing the Babri mosque. He alleged that Mr. Badal had sent a special jatha, led by Mr. Avtar Singh Hit, to Ayodhaya on December 6, 1992, to join the kar sevaks for demolishing the Babri mosque.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have left?

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush). (Mr. RUSH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume. I want to thank my colleague, of course, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who has really distinguished herself in this body as a real leader for introducing this bill. This bill has the bipartisan support of 52 cosponsors and deserves the support of all the Members of the House. Mr. Speaker, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day was held on February 7 in cities and towns all over this country, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami and New Orleans, New York of course, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and many, many, more. This annual observance was created to encourage African Americans across the United States to get educated, get tested, and get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Now, some people may wonder, why is it necessary to have a day to reach out to the African American? And let me indicate to those that raise that question that I wish it was not necessary to have this kind of targeted outreach effort. But, unfortunately, it is not only necessary; it is vital to us that we do this. It is just so important. It is of vital importance because every day in this country 72 African Americans are infected with HIV. According to the Centers For Disease Control, African Americans make up approximately 13 percent of the population of the United States, but they represent 40 percent of the total AIDS cases reported in this country. In 2003, CDC revealed that more African Americans were reported to have AIDS than any other racial or ethnic group. In my own congressional district, the largely African American neighborhoods of Ft. Greene and East New York continue to experience the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in New York City. In the United States, nearly 406,000 people were living with AIDS at the end of 2003, and African Americans accounted for half of these AIDS cases. Among women, rates of HIV/AIDS diagnosis in African American women are 19 times higher than those of white women and five times higher than those of Hispanic women. Sadly, African Americans also suffer the vast majority of deaths caused by AIDS, accounting for more than half of all U.S. AIDS-related deaths in 2003. While these statistics are tragic, we must never shrug our shoulders and say nothing can be done. We must remember HIV/AIDS is totally preventable. So in the face of this immense human tragedy, we cannot give up. We must embrace the opportunity to encourage people to get educated, get tested, and get involved in the fight against AIDS. We must never forget that apathy and silence lead to ignorance, and ignorance leads to death. Members of this Congress must stand together to break the silence and reject the ignorance which is leading to the death of ordinary people in countless communities all over this land. Mr. Speaker, we must not only use the well of the House as a forum; we must, as I said, we must use our budget process to provide the necessary funding for this as well. That is why I hope that this body will move expeditiously on the reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act. Down through the years, this act has provided the primary source for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. We need to ensure that these funds will continue to be available to meet the needs of those who are affected by this disease. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to remember, more funding will save many more lives and stop the spread of AIDS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen). (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to say that I really appreciate the work of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) and all the other Members that worked on this, including the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Health, the chairman of the full committee and of course the ranking member of the full committee and all of the staff for all of the work they have done. This is an area that we really need to focus on. We need to work together on this issue to be able to see what we can do to bring it under control. It has been said over and over again that this is a disease that can be dealt with. The only thing we have to do is put some resources there and also work together. I think if we do that, we can bring this horrible disease under control. I want to thank all of those who worked so hard to make us focus on this because this is something that we cannot ignore. Some things you can ignore and they will go away. If we ignore this, it is going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. The time is now to put the resources behind it and deal with it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, many people indicated earlier on that the blacks did not have the intelligence to be able to be involved in aviation; and, of course, after a short period of time, they were proven wrong. I think about some of our great leaders who actually were a part of the Tuskegee Airmen. I think about Percy Sutton who was a great leader in the New York area and, of course, has done so many things for people. I think it came from his involvement with the Tuskegee Airmen and his being involved in Tuskegee University. Then Rosco Brown, who was known as one of the world's greatest educators, a person who headed one of our universities for a period of time; and I think about how all of them were involved with the Tuskegee Airmen. So there was no question about it. There were many that were qualified to do it, and they did a magnificent job. Their performance was unmatched, and I am so proud that this House today is recognizing them. I just want to say to the people who actually brought forth this resolution, I want to commend them on H. Con. Res. 26, because I think the time has come when we recognize the outstanding work of the Tuskegee Airmen. We should not just do it during the month of February because, first of all, when we think about their accomplishments, February is the shortest month of all. That within itself is sort of selfish. But the point is I think we need to do it 365 days a year, and if there is a leap year, we need to do it 366 days, because the job that they did and the things that they did on behalf of this country is something that we should continue to talk about daily.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, this past Wednesday, January 26, was India's Republic Day, the anniversary of the adoption of their constitution. It is a very important day in India's calendar. The Indian constitution is supposed to guarantee freedom for everyone and ensure everyone full human rights and democratic freedoms. However, in practice, it has not worked that way in the 58 years that India has been independent. I salute the ideals of the Indian constitution, but I cannot urge India strongly enough to start living up to them. Independent India has been no picnic for the minorities of India. They have suffered severe repression. Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and others have suffered greatly at the hands of democratic, secular India. That is why Sikhs in Washington, London, and even Amritsar protested on Republic Day. In Amritsar, the Sikh organization Dal Khalsa hoisted the Sikh flag and distributed flyers saying that the Indian flag ``is not our flag'' and the Indian constitution ``is not our constitution.'' No Sikh representative has ever signed the Indian constitution. Over a quarter of a million Sikh have been murdered at the hands of the Indian government, along with over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland and still more Christians elsewhere. Priests have been murdered throughout the country, nuns have been raped, churches have been burned, Christian schools and prayer halls have been vandalized. By now, the burning death of missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons and the beating of missionary Joseph Cooper are well known. In recent days, evangelist Benny Hinn had to travel under heavy security after being attacked and vandalized. Over 90,000 Kashmiri Muslims have been murdered, along with thousands of Muslims in other parts of the country. Recently, according to the BBC, the Indian government finally admitted that Muslims in Gujarat did not set the train fire that led to the massacre of 5,000 of them, a massacre that a policeman told an Indian newspaper was planned in advance by the Indian government. India forced Untouchables out of a refugee camp after the tsunami, according to Yahoo! News. The Washington Post reported that they were being given only the leftover food of Brahmins and India has refused all efforts by the international community to come and help them. Even though the very Indian constitution that Republic Day celebrates outlawed the caste system, it is alive and well to this day. Mr. Speaker, these are just the latest examples of the repression of minorities that continues to occur while India celebrates its secular, democratic constitution. This is unacceptable. In the President's recent Inaugural Address, he spoke about extending freedom to all the world. India is one place where that effort needs to be carried out before the country, a multinational, polyglot empire like Austria- Hungary, the Soviet Union, or Yugoslavia, falls apart. We must do whatever we can to ensure freedom and peace for all in the subcontinent. The best things we can do are to stop our aid and trade with India until human rights are respected and the violent repression ceases and to put ourselves on record in support of a free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir (as promised in 1948), in Nagaland, and throughout the minority areas of the subcontinent. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to place an article about Dal Khalsa's protest in Amritsar and a press release about the Council of Khalistan's protest here in Washington into the Record. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC. Sikhs Mark Indian Republic Day by Protesting Genocide, Repression Washington, DC, January 26, 2005.--Sikhs from all over the East Coast came to Washington today to mark Indian Republic Day by protesting the genocide and repression against the Sikhs and other minorities. They raised slogans such as ``India out of Khalistan'' and carried signs such as ``India: Democracy for Brahmins, Tyranny for Minorities.'' The demonstration was organized by the Council of Khalistan, which leads the struggle to establish a sovereign, independent Khalistan free from Indian occupation. On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared its independence from India, naming its new country Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan was established at that time to lead the peaceful, democratic, nonviolent movement to liberate Khalistan from Indian oppression. It is the government pro tempore of Khalistan, the Sikh homeland. Republic Day is the anniversary of the adoption of India's constitution, which is supposed to ensure a secular, democratic government. But the Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians since 1948, over 89,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, Bodos, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' According to a report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners in India without charge or trial. Some have been in illegal custody since 1984! Tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political prisoners, according to Amnesty International. We demand the immediate release of all these political prisoners. Indian police arrested human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra after he exposed their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered, then their bodies were declared unidentified and secretly cremated. Khalra was murdered in police custody. His body was not given to his family. No one has been brought to justice for the kidnapping and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. The police never released the body of former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Singh Kaunke after SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna murdered him. He has never been tried for the Jathedar Kaunke murder. In 1994, the U.S. State Department reported that the Indian government had paid over 41,000 cash bounties for killing Sikhs. Missionary Graham Staines was murdered along with his two sons, ages 8 and 10, by a mob of militant, fundamentalist Hindu nationalists who set fire to the jeep, surrounded it, and chanted ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. None of the people involved has been tried. The persons who have murdered priests, raped nuns, and burned Christian churches have not been charged or tried. The murderers of 2,000 to 5,000 Muslims in Gujarat have never been brought to trial. An Indian newspaper reported that the police were ordered not to get involved in that massacre, a frightening parallel to the Delhi massacre of Sikhs in 1984. ``Is Jaswant Singh Khalra celebrating? Is Jathedar Kaunke celebrating? Is Graham Staines celebrating?,'' Dr. Aulakh asked. ``How can a democracy celebrate the kind of violent repression that claimed their lives?'' When India became Independent, Sikhs were equal partners in the transfer of power and were to receive their own state, but the weak and ignorant Sikh leaders of the time were tricked into staying with India on the promise that they would have ``the glow of freedom'' and no law affecting the Sikhs would pass without their consent. Sikhs ruled an independent and sovereign Punjab from 1710 to 1716 and again from 1765 to 1849 and were recognized by most of the countries of the world at that time. No Sikh representative has ever signed the Indian constitution. History shows that multinational states such as India are doomed to failure. Countries like Austria-Hungary, India's longtime friend the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and others prove this point. India is not one country; it is a polyglot like those countries, thrown together for the convenience of the British colonialists. It is doomed to break up as they did. Last year, the Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a bill annulling all water agreements with the Indian government, preventing the government's daylight robbery of Punjab river water. Punjab needs its river water for its crops. In the bill, the Assembly explicitly stated the sovereignty of Punjab. Political leaders in Punjab have again called for an Independent Khalistan. ``This shows that the drive for freedom is still alive in Punjab,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``It is clear that India does not accept Sikhs,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``The Indian government continues to persecute and kill our Sikh brethren,'' he said. ``As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, `If a Sikh is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh','' Dr. Aulakh noted. ``We must continue to press for our God-given birthright of freedom,'' he said. ``Without political power, religions cannot flourish and nations perish. A sovereign Khalistan is essential for the survival of the Sikh religion.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently the Council of Khalistan issued a new year's message to the Sikh Nation. It is worth reading. My colleagues and the people should find it very informative. In the letter, the Council of Khalistan called again for the liberation of Khalistan. They noted the progress that has been made towards that goal in 2004 and the rising support among the political leadership in Punjab. They commended those leaders who have moved the Sikh homeland closer to freedom and criticized those who have supported India's brutal occupation of Khalistan in which over 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered and over 52,000 held as political prisoners without charge or trial, illegally. Some have been held since 1984. In addition, more than 89,000 Kashmiri Muslims, over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, Muslims and Christians throughout India, and other minorities such as Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and others are also being treated to brutal oppression by the Indian government. According to Amnesty International, tens of thousands of these minorities are being held as political prisoners. Freedom is the birthright of everyone and self-determination is the cornerstone and essence of democracy. Yet India, which proclaims itself democratic and secular, will not allow the free expression of the democratic will of the people of Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and the other areas seeking their freedom. Instead, it continues to hold them in subjugation by brutal force. India promised to hold a plebiscite on the status of Kashmir in 1948. It has never done so. Instead, it kills in massive numbers to hold onto its empire. But history tells us that multinational, polyglot empires such as India are doomed to fall apart. America is a beacon of freedom for the world. That is why so many people come from around the world to America. How often America has sent its troops to fight for freedom. Sometimes we may have made errors in judgment or strategy, but the intent is always to promote freedom. Can we not at least take peaceful, moderate measures to promote freedom in South Asia? Mr. Speaker, we must stand for freedom. We must do what we can. We should stop all aid to India, except direct aid to tsunami victims, until such time as all the political prisoners are released. We must stop the aid until democratic values prevail all through India and everyone within its borders can freely exercise his or her rights without fear of reprisals from the government. We must demand a free and fair plebiscite on the political status of Khalistan, Kashmir, Nagaland, and all those lands seeking their freedom from India. That will help bring freedom, peace, and stability to the subcontinent. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's new year message into the Record at this time. May Guru Bless the Khalsa Panth in 2005 With Freedom, Happiness, Unity, and Prosperity--Freedom Lies in the Heart of the Sikh Nation; No Force Can Suppress It (By Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh) Happy New Year to you and your family and the Khalsa Panth. May 2005 be your best year ever. I wish you health, joy, and prosperity in the new year. The flame of freedom continues to burn brightly in the heart of the Sikh Nation. No force can suppress it. All the political leaders in Punjab are recognizing it. Punjab's Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, was declared a hero of the Sikh Nation for asserting Punjab's sovereignty and preserving Punjab's natural resource, its river water, for the use of Punjab farmers by cancelling Punjab's water agreements. As recently as December 7, former Member of Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann again reverted to public support of Khalistan. He pledged that his party will lead a peaceful movement to liberate Khalistan. Obviously, Mr. Mann is aware of the rising support of our cause. Mann joins Sardar Atinder Pal Singh, Sardar D.S. Gill of the International Human Rights Organization, and other Sikh leaders in Punjab in supporting freedom for Khalistan openly. Jagjit Singh, President of Dal Khalsa, was quoted in the Deccan Herald as saying that ``the Indian government can never suppress the movement. Sikh aspirations can only be met when they have a separate state.'' There is no other choice for the Sikh nation but a sovereign, independent Khalistan. Every Sikh leader must come out openly for Khalistan. We salute those Sikh leaders in Punjab who have done so and urge more Sikh leaders to join the cause. Any organization that sincerely supports Khalistan deserves the support of the Sikh Nation. However, the Sikh Nation needs leadership that is honest, sincere, consistent, and dedicated to the cause of Sikh freedom. Leaders like Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan, Harchand Singh Longowal, Didar Bains, Ganga Singh Dhillon, the Akali Dal leadership, and others who were complicit in the attack on the Golden Temple cannot be trusted by the Sikh Nation. The evidence against them is clear in Chakravyuh: Web of Indian Secularism. The Sikh Nation cannot believe that these leaders will not betray the cause of Khalistan, just as they betrayed the Sikh Nation in 1984. We must be careful if we are to continue to move the cause of freedom for Khalistan forward in 2005 as we did in 2004. The Akali Dal conspired with the Indian government in 1984 to invade the Golden Temple to murder Sant Bhindranwale and 20,000 other Sikhs during June 1984 in Punjab. If Sikhs will not even protect the sanctity of the Golden Temple, how can the Sikh Nation survive as a nation? The Akali Dal has lost all its credibility. The Badal government was so corrupt openly and no Akali leader would come forward and tell Badal and his wife to stop this unparallelled corruption. The Council of Khalistan has stood strongly and consistently for liberating our homeland, Khalistan, from Indian occupation. For over 18 years we have led this fight while others were trying to divert the resources and the attention of the Sikh Nation away from the issue of freedom in a sovereign, independent Khalistan. Yet Khalistan is the only way that Sikhs will be able to live in freedom, peace, prosperity, and dignity. It is time to start a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan from Indian occupation. Never forget that the Akal Takht Sahib and Darbar Sahib are under the control of the Indian government, the same Indian government that has murdered over a quarter of a million Sikhs in the past twenty years. The Jathedar of the Akal Takht and the head granthi of Darbar Sahib toe the line that the Indian government tells them. They are not appointed by the Khalsa Panth. The SGPC, which appoints them, does not represent the Sikh Nation anymore. They have become the puppets of the Indian government and have lost credibility with the Sikh Nation. Otherwise they would behave like a real Jathedar, Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, rather than like Indian government puppet Jathedar Aroor Singh, who gave a Siropa to General Dyer for the massacre of Sikhs and others at Jalianawa Bagh. These institutions will remain under the control of the Indian regime until we free the Sikh homeland, Punjab, Khalistan, from Indian occupation and oppression and sever our relations with the New Delhi government. The Sikhs in Punjab have suffered enormous repression at the hands of the Indian regime in the last 25 years. Over 50,000 Sikh youth were picked up from their houses, tortured, murdered in police custody, then secretly cremated as ``unidentified bodies.'' Their remains were never even given to their families! More than a quarter of a million Sikhs have been murdered at the hands of the Indian government. Another 52,268 are being held as political prisoners. Some have been in illegal custody since 1984! Even now, the capital of Punjab, Chandigarh, has not been handed over to Punjab, but remains a Union Territory. How can Sikhs have any freedom living under a government that would do these things? Sikhs will never get any justice from Delhi. The leaders in Delhi are only interested in imposing Hindu sovereignty over all the minorities to advance their own careers and their own power. Ever since independence, India has mistreated the Sikh Nation, starting with Patel's memo labelling Sikhs ``a criminal tribe.'' What a shame for Home Minister Patel and the Indian government to issue this memorandum when the Sikh Nation gave over 80 percent of the sacrifices to free India. How can Sikhs continue to live in such a country? There is no place for Sikhs in supposedly secular, supposedly democratic India. Let us work to make certain that 2005 is the Sikh Nation's most blessed year by making sure it is the year that we shake ourselves loose from the yoke of Indian oppression and liberate our homeland, Khalistan, so that all Sikhs may live lives of prosperity, freedom, and dignity.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to mourn the passing of my predecessor and mentor, former Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. As the first African-American woman elected to Congress and the first African-American to seriously run for the office of the Presidency, Shirley was a trailblazer who opened the doors of opportunity for generations of women and minority politicians. Her advocacy for the education of the disadvantaged, Title IX, and early childhood education established her as one of the foremost education policymakers during her seven terms in Congress. But her legacy did not end there. Unmatched as a voice for social justice, Shirley fought for the interests of groups like veterans, Haitian refugees and day workers. A gifted orator, Shirley's ``unbought and unbossed'' political style allowed her to make friends and political alliances on both sides of the aisle. She was truly one in a million and I am honored to have been part of her Brooklyn political circle and to have worked along side her throughout her political career. Anyone who came in contact with Shirley Chisholm was forever changed for the better; she is one soul on this earth who is truly irreplaceable and she will be sorely missed by all of those who knew and loved her.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on December 8, the Tribune newspaper out of Chandigarh, Punjab reported that a former Member of Parliament, Simranjit Singh Mann, had endorsed sovereignty for the Sikh homeland, Khalistan. His endorsement is part of a rising tide that includes the Punjab government declaring its sovereignty when it ended its water agreements with the other states in India. I note that Mr. Mann said that the Sikhs are a separate nation and promised to lead a movement to liberate Khalistan. I hope that he keeps his promise. My friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan and an invaluable resource for information about South Asian affairs, has been saying the same things for several years. It seems that India's oppression that killed a quarter of a million Sikhs and keeps more than 52,000 of them as political prisoners has failed to dampen the desire and enthusiasm of the Sikhs for their own sovereign, independent country. I salute Mr. Mann's position. It is important for leaders in Punjab to speak out strongly for Khalistan. We can help from here, but the effort must be won in Punjab, Khalistan itself. Mr. Speaker, all peoples are entitled to live in freedom. The Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan made their choice on October 7, 1987 when they declared their independence from India, calling their new country Khalistan. India, which proudly claims to be democratic, refuses even to hold a free and fair vote on the question, just as India has never kept its promise of 1948 to hold a plebiscite on the future of Kashmir. How can a country do these things and claim to be democratic? Self- determination is the essence of democracy. A new Congress gives us a new opportunity to take a stand for freedom in South Asia and around the world. We should stop all U.S. aid to India until it allows full democratic rights and full human rights to all people living within its borders and we should strongly support a free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan, in Nagaland, in Kashmir, and wherever people seek their freedom on the question of independence. By promoting such a plebiscite, we promote democracy and human rights for all people in that troubled region. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert the Council of Khalistan's press release on Mr. Mann's remarks into the Record at this time. Mann Reverts To Supporting Khalistan Washington, DC, December 10, 2004--Once again, former MP Simranjit Singh Mann, leader of the Shiromani Alkali Dal (Amritsar), has staked out a position in support of a sovereign, independent Khalistan. Speaking in Ludhiana on December 7 at a meeting of his party, Mann said that the SAD (Amritsar) would launch a peaceful movement to achieve a separate and sovereign Sikh state, according to the December 8 issue of The Tribune (Chandigarh.) Mann claimed that his party had never given up this position. Mann reminded his party that Sikhs are a separate nationality. He said that the foundation for an independent Khalistan was laid by Guru Gobind Singh and furthered by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and that this dream ``will be materialized one day.'' Guru Gobind Singh gave sovereignty to the Sikh Nation (``In grieb Sikhin ko deon patshahi.'') Sikhs are a separate nation. Sikhs ruled Punjab up to 1849 when the British conquered the subcontinent. Mann noted that it is in the interests of all the people in the region to have a buffer state between India and Pakistan to help ensure lasting peace in South Asia, given the deep hostility between ``Hindu civilization and Muslim civilization.'' Mann's remarks show that the desire for Khalistan remains strong in the Sikhs of Punjab, said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, which leads the Sikh struggle for independence. Dr. Aulakh also cited the actions taken by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, such as declaring Punjab's sovereignty in stopping all water agreements between Punjab and other states, as moving toward this goal. On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared its independence from India, naming its new country Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan was established at that time to lead the peaceful, democratic, nonviolent movement to liberate Khalistan from Indian oppression. History shows that multinational states such as India are doomed to failure. Countries like Austria-Hungary, India's longtime friend the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, and others prove this point. India is not one country; it is a polyglot like those countries, thrown together for the convenience of the British colonialists. It is doomed to break up as they did. Recently, the Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a bill annulling all water agreements with the Indian government, preventing the government's daylight robbery of Punjab river water. Punjab needs its river water for its crops. In the bill, the Assembly explicitly stated the sovereignty of Punjab. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians since 1948, over 89,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' Indian police arrested human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra after he exposed their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered, then their bodies were declared unidentified and secretly cremated. He was murdered in police custody. His body was not given to his family. The police never released the body of former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Singh Kaunke after SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna murdered him. Ghotna has never been brought to trial for the Jathedar Kaunke murder. No one has been brought to justice for the kidnapping and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. According to a report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 Slikhs are being held as political prisoners in India without charge or trial. Some have been in illegal custody since 1984! Tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political prisoners, according to Amnesty International. We demand the immediate release of all these political prisoners. ``It is encouraging that Mr. Mann has comeback to demanding Khalistan,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. ``This is another step forward for the movement to liberate our homeland from Indian oppression.'' ``As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, `If a Sikh is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh','' Dr. Aulakh noted. ``We must continue to press for our God-given birthright of freedom,'' he said. ``Without political power, religions cannot flourish and nations perish. A sovereign Khalistan is essential for the survival of the Sikh religion.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Keyona Davis for her academic and extracurricular accomplishments as well as her commitment to the church and civic organizations. Keyona was born and raised in the borough of Brooklyn. She is the second daughter of Brenda and John Davis. Currently, she is a senior at the Brooklyn High School of the Arts, where she maintains a 3.0 grade point average and has been continuously on the Honor Roll. She is now enrolled in a Sociology course at New York City Technical College. Keyona is featured in ``Who's Who Among American High School Students.'' Keyona has been involved in many extra curricular activities that have helped shaped her to become the young woman she is today. For 2 years, she participated in a teen dance company that performed in competitions including the Eastern Dance Association, International Dance Challenge, and ESPN's own dance competition. She is a member of the Berean Baptist Church's Ministry of Sacred Dance where dance is used to present God's message. Keyona is a Girl Scout of the Greater New York area where she has acquired skills to assist in planning various scout activities and setting an example for young girls and her peers. Keyona gives back to her community by donating clothing and volunteering at her church's annual Thanksgiving feed the homeless program. As an independent young woman, Keyona has had many jobs since the age of 14. She was a camp counselor at the Professional Center for the Arts Dance Camp, clerical assistant at the Office of Children and Family Services, and at the New York State Child Support Office in 2002. She is currently a Senior Operations Specialist at Chase Bank. These employment experiences have helped Keyona grow mentally and gain an understanding of being a positive part of the workforce. After graduation this June, Keyona plans to be a pre-law student at a 4-year university. A long-term goal has always been to become a prosecutor and a part-time dance teacher. Iyanla Vanzant once said, ``Faith and fearlessness fuel your dreams!'' Keyona tries to live by this motto with her strong focus and dedication to things she loves. Mr. Speaker, Keyona Davis, through her accomplishments and maturity, serves as an outstanding role model for all of our young people in the community. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving our recognition today and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable young lady.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed to learn that on November 25, a gasoline station outside Richmond, Virginia was burned. It was owned by two Sikh brothers. From the graffiti that appeared on the charred remains, it appears that due to their turbans, the person who committed this horrible crime thought they were Muslims affiliated with Osama bin Laden. It is important to note that whoever the victims of this brutal crime were, it is a terrible act that must be fully and quickly prosecuted. Blaming all Muslims for the terrorist acts of a few is unfair, bigoted, and intolerant. But it is interesting that the victims of this crime were not even members of the targeted group. Sikhism is a distinct religion from any other, including Hinduism and Islam. It is monotheistic and believes in the equality of all, including equality for women. Our Sikh friends have made many contributions to this country as lawyers, doctors, engineers, farmers, computer specialists, and in many other fields. One Sikh, Dalip Singh Saund, was even a Member of this House from California, serving from 1959 to 1963. He was the first South Asian to be elected to Congress. The President of the Council of Khalistan, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, has written to the Chief of Police in Chesterfield County asking for a swift investigation of this incident. He received a prompt response from the police chief stating that the incident is being fully investigated and those responsible will be caught and prosecuted. It is unfortunate that incidents like this still occur in America. Three years after September 11, people are still attacking anyone they perceive as foreign. This must be stopped. This kind of hate crime does not advance America or its ideals; it only harms our national unity at a time when we are most in need of it. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place Dr. Aulakh's letter into the Record. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, November 29, 2004. Col. Carl R. Baker, Chief of Police, Chesterfield County Police Department, Chesterfield, VA. Dear Chief Baker: As you know, on November 24, a gas station owned by Sarabjit Singh and Sukhjinder Singh, two Sikhs, was set on fire. Graffiti, including ``Go back to Bin Laden,'' ``F*** Arab gas,'' and ``Never Again Indian Monkey N*****,'' was sprayed on a dumpster behind the charred station. This is clearly a hate crime and it is unacceptable. I urge you to prosecute this crime to the fullest possible extent. Do not let the people who perpetrated this crime think they can get away with it. This would be an unacceptable crime if the owners of the stations were Muslims, as the perpetrators apparently thought they were, or members of any other group. But they are not. They are Sikhs. Sikhism is an independent, monotheistic, revealed religion that believes in the equality of all people, including gender equality. It is not part of either Islam or Hinduism. The perpetrator of this crime didn't even hit the target he intended to hit! Sikhs are religiously, culturally, and linguistically distinct from any other people in the world. The Sikh Nation has declared its independence from India and is currently under Indian occupation. Sikhs are working to free our homeland, Khalistan. The incident at the gas station is a setback for the American ideal of freedom for all people and those responsible must be fully and swiftly punished to protect these Sikh businessmen and protect the system of freedom under law. I urge you to take all appropriate action to bring the criminals to justice. Sincerely, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President.