Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Sonny Hall, the President of Transport Workers Union of America International, in commemoration of his 50 years of dedicated service to the union. As the International President of TWU, Sonny Hall represents more than 110,000 men and women employed in the nation's transportation and allied industries. Hall was elected to this post at the Unions 19th Constitutional Convention in October 1993. Previously Sonny had served as President of TWU Local 100, the largest local union of TWU, representing nearly 38,000 members who operate the New York City subway system and both public and private bus lines. Sonny, served in virtually every union position from Shop Steward on up. He was named President of Local 100 in May, 1985 and subsequently elected to full three-year terms in December 1985, 1988 and 1991. He joined TWU in 1950 as a Bus Cleaner for the old Omnibus Corp. and became a Bus Operator in 1957. In between, he served tours of duty in both the Marines and the Army. Mr. Hall was elected an International Vice President at TWUs 17th Constitutional Convention in September 1985. He was appointed Executive Vice President by the International Executive Council on January 9, 1989, and was elected to that post for a four-year term at the Unions 18th Constitutional Convention in October, 1989. Sonny was elected Secretary-Treasurer to the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department in 1995 and President of that organization in 1998. He was elected to the AFL-CIO's Executive Council at the Federation's Convention in October 1995. In addition to the aforementioned duties, Sonny is also a Board Member of the Mount Sinai Hospital Health and Safety Department; on the Board of Governors of the New York Chapter Arthritis Foundation, and the President's Advisory Council of the Deborah Heart and Lung Center of the Deborah Heart and Lung Foundation. He also serves as President of START (Safe Transit And Rail Transportation). Sonny holds a B.A. from the Cornell Labor College and studied military and criminal law at the University of New Mexico. He is the son of a retired New York City Bus Operator, now deceased, who served the riding public for 30 years and was an early member of Local 100. Mr. Speaker, after 50 years of dedicated service to the TWU, Sonny Hall is stepping down as International President of TWU. During this time, he has worked hard to improve the lives of TWU members, their members and all of organized labor. As such, he 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. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the SPY Act, which would greatly improve the privacy of consumers' online computer use. A lot of hard work has been put into this legislation. First and foremost, I would like to commend the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono), the primary sponsor of the bill. Without her hard work, insight and persistence on this issue, we would not be here today. As the primary Democratic sponsor, I have been proud to work with her on this bill, and I salute her for all her efforts. I also want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Barton) for his strong commitment to this issue and leadership in getting our bill to the floor. I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Stearns), the gentleman from Michigan (Ranking Member Dingell), and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ranking Member Schakowsky), who have all made substantial contributions. I would also like to acknowledge all of the staff that have worked so hard to make this day a reality. There is no debate that spyware is a serious problem, one that is growing and becoming more harmful every day. Spyware software, which is downloaded without the computer owner's knowledge, invades our privacy by recording and transmitting personal information, monitoring the Web sites we visit, or even stealing documents from our computers. Other programs hijack our computers by changing our home page or forcing us to click through multiple screens until we download a spyware program. Today's legislation would give consumers new tools to prevent these harmful activities from happening. Under the bill, consumers would have to receive a clear and concise warning about the spyware program. Second, consumers would have to provide their affirmative consent before the program could operate on their computer. Finally, consumers must have the option to easily disable any harmful spyware program on their computer. While some consumers may want to share their information to receive free games or other discount offers, all consumers have the right to make that choice. This legislation would help ensure that consumers who do not want these programs secretly operating in the background, recording personal information, are not on their computers. Finally, Madam Speaker, any time we legislate on highly technical matters, there is always a danger in stifling innovation or making the use of legitimate software too burdensome. It is a very difficult tightrope to walk, but I think we have done an excellent job in walking that line. This bill addresses many of the concerns raised, while at the same time retaining meaningful notice and consent to protect consumers' privacy. This is a classic example of what we can accomplish when we work together, and we have worked together to make this day a reality. Through much hard work, we have carefully crafted a strong, bipartisan consumer protection bill; and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation because it is needed and needed desperately.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently, Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh spoke to the General Assembly of the United Nations. He was met with protests from Sikhs, Muslims, and other protestors. Although Dr. Singh is a fine economist, his speech masked the reality of life in India. He spoke out against terrorism but he failed to note that India has inflicted a reign of terror on its people while sponsoring terrorism in the Pakistani province of Sindh, according to the January 2, 2002 issue of the Washington Times. He spoke of cooperation against poverty, ignoring the fact that 40 percent of the people in his country live on less than $2 per day and farmers in Punjab are forced to accept prices for their crops that provide them with a less than subsistence wage, forcing them to go deeply in debt to stay alive. He spoke of eliminating weapons of mass destruction but India started the nuclear competition in South Asia. He spoke of democracy while basic human rights are being violated. Over 52,000 Sikhs and tens of thousands of other minorities languish in Indian prisons as political prisoners. India has killed over 250,000 Sikhs, over 89,000 Kashmiris, over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, and tens of thousands of other minorities. Yet India continues to proclaim its democratic principles. The irony is that India seeks a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. How can it be on the Security Council when it cannot live up to the most basic principles of freedom? Mr. Speaker, it is time for the United States to take action. We must cut off our aid to India until it lets all people within its artificial borders be free. We must go on record in support of self-determination for the people of Kashmir, as India promised in 1948, and for all the other peoples seeking freedom, such as the Sikhs of Khalistan and the Christians of Nagaland, among others. Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan issued an excellent and informative press release on the protests against Dr. Singh. I am inserting it into the Record now for the information of my colleagues. [From the Council of Khalistan, September 29, 2004 India Must Live by Principles of Democracy--Seeks UN Security Council Seat But Violates Principles It Proclaims As Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to the United Nations General Assembly, Sikhs, Kashmiri Muslims, and other oppressed minorities of South Asia gathered at the United Nations Building in New York to protest his appearance. They demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners, the firing of Cabinet ministers who were involved in genocide against Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, and other minorities, and sovereignty for the peoples and nations of South Asia. ``If India seeks to be a permanent member of the Security Council, it must learn to practice the principles of democracy,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, which leads the Sikh struggle for freedom. ``In 1948, India demanded a free and fair plebiscite in Kashmir. That plebiscite has never been held,'' he said. ``Similarly, India must grant self-determination to Khalistan, Nagaland, and the other countries seeking their independence,'' he said. While Prime Minister Singh spoke of ``a world in which a free people could together pursue a destiny of shared prosperity,'' the farmers of Punjab are forced to accept less than subsistence prices for their crops. Half the population of India lives below the international poverty line. Dr. Singh spoke of a global coalition against terrorism, but his government gives only lip service to the War on Terror. India sponsors cross-border terrorism in Sindh, according to the Washington Times of January 2, 2002. Although he spoke against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, it was India that began the nuclear competition in South Asia. Dr. Singh spoke of ``democracy as an instrument for achieving both peace and prosperity,'' yet India denies the most basic of democratic freedoms to the Sikhs and other minorities living within its borders. India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to figures compiled by the Punjab State Magistracy and human- rights groups and reported in the book The Politics of Genocide by Inderjeet Singh Jaijee. It has also killed more than 89,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, and thousands of Christians and Muslims elsewhere in the country, as well as tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits (``Untouchables,'' the dark-skinned aboriginal people of South Asia), Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities. 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! Amnesty International reported that tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political prisoners. We demand the immediate release of all these political prisoners. Recently, another church was burned in India. This is part of a pattern of violence against Christians that has been going on since Christmas 1998 with the approval of the Indian government. Nuns have been raped, priests have been murdered, prayer halls and schools have been vandalized. A Christian religious festival was broken up by police gunfire. 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. ``Although Sikhs gave 80 percent of the sacrifices for India's independence, India has massacred Sikhs since achieving independence,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared its independence from India, naming its new country Khalistan. ``Only a sovereign, independent Khalistan will end the repression and lift the standard of living for the people of Punjab,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Democracies don't commit genocide.'' 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. ``As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, `if a Sikh is not a Khalistani, 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. India claims to be a democracy. It is time it recognized the right of self-determination for all people in South Asia.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, today the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Shays and I have joined to introduce H.R. 5166, The Armed Forces Voluntary Immunization and Health Justice Act of 2004. In the 104th Congress, Mr. Shays and I joined in holding several oversight hearings on the cases of Persian Gulf Syndrome that were affecting our military men and women returning from the first Persian Gulf War. Those hearings served as the impetus for causing the Department of Defense to seriously re-examine and re-vamp its system of diagnosis, treatment and compensation for Persian Gulf War veterans. I know that the work we did on that issue made a difference in the lives of those service members who agreed to risk their lives for us. However, our concerns about the health of veterans and active duty military members did not end with those hearings. We have worked together to craft a bi-partisan solution to provide members of the military with the ability to make informed decisions about immunization for anthrax and smallpox. The right to informed consent is enjoyed by every citizen, except those in the military. If enacted, this bill would prohibit the Department of Defense from mandating immunization against anthrax and/or smallpox if a soldier believes that the risk to his or her health status outweighs the benefit of immunization. Service members have experienced adverse health effects from these vaccines including heart, respiratory, and skin problems. In one well- known case, a soldier died from the adverse effects of a vaccine. Despite the known risks, many soldiers have been required to take these vaccines. As a result, many have decided to leave the service rather than run the risk of vaccination. Unfortunately, many honorable soldiers have been punished solely for refusing to accept these vaccines. Our legislation would assure that soldiers who want to serve are not faced with this agonizing choice. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill and join us in assuring that members of our military have the ability to determine whether or not to take these vaccines.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following article for the Record: [From the Taiwan News, Aug. 30, 2004] Lee Rules Out Assassination in Shooting Investigation U.S.-based forensic expert Dr. Henry Lee who was investigating the March 19 shooting of President Chen Shui- bian has concluded that the incident was not an assassination attempt. Lee, who handed his analysis to a Taiwan government official in the U.S. early yesterday, said that he was unable to issue a conclusive report, but advised that his findings in examining the forensic evidence could help criminal investigators in their own probe. ``An important finding on the bullets, one made of copper and the other of lead, is that they both have clear barrel marks,'' Lee said to reporters in New York after he submitted his 130-page report and a CD containing 150 photos to Andrew Hsia, director general of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Saturday morning local time. ``This means a chance for clearing up the case, as long as (criminal investigators) can find out the right (gun) barrel,'' Lee said. ``This case was not a political assassination because (in such a case) a more powerful weapon than a homemade pistol would have been used,'' he told reporters. He further advised that criminal investigators in Taiwan should crackdown on illegal firearms and ``check (the barrel marks) of all seized firearms to find the gun.'' His findings could also help in locating the factory at which the illegal gun was made, the forensic expert said, adding that he was still uncertain whether or not the two bullets were fired from a single gun or from two guns with the same make of barrel. The analysis Lee presented in New York yesterday was the final report following four months of advanced scientific examinations carried out by him and his colleagues. According to Lee, his analysis of the evidence had helped him to reach a more precise conclusion regarding the location of the ``hot zone'' area from which the shots were fired. He acknowledged that on his trip to Taiwan earlier this year he had had difficulty solving the case because of the shooter's use of a homemade handgun. The chance of clearing the case would be improved once criminal investigation agents could find the gun, Lee said at the time. Lee made a three-day trip to Taiwan in April at the invitation of State Public Prosecutor General Lu Ren-fa, who had hoped to solve the case before his retirement in September. Speaking with reporters in New York, Lee stressed that his investigation was free of any political influence. ``We'll let the evidence speak (for itself),'' he said. ``The report is presented according to evidence and has nothing to do with political disputes or (the shooter's) motive, neither is it involved with the ongoing criminal investigation,'' he said. He further noted that it would be better if the details of his analysis were published by Lu or by the Taiwan criminal investigative authorities. Lee sealed the report before presenting it to Hsia, who is responsible for delivering it to Taipei. Prosecutor General Lu is anticipating that he would receive the document today. Commenting on the ``truth commission'' proposed by the opposition parties in Taiwan to conduct an independent probe into the incident, Lee said that he hopes ``the committee will examine the truth (found by forensic evidence) and give the criminal investigators more room to solve the case.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Dr. V. Simpson Turner, Sr. for the 39th anniversary of his pastoral leadership and spiritual guidance of the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church and the Brooklyn Commununity. Dr. Turner earned his Bachelor's Degree at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts; a Master's of Religious Education at Biblical Seminary of New York City; a Master's of Sacred Theology at New York Theological Seminary; and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University School of Theology in Administration. He is married to Laura B. Turner, an outstanding educator and a New York State Certified Secondary School Principal. They have two children: Reverend Vivian R. Pittman and Reverend V. Simpson Turner, Jr., both of whom are ordained ministers at the Mt. Carmel Baptist Church; son-in-law, Deacon/Trustee Jerald Pittman; daughter-in-law, Lady Selena Turner; grandchildren, Kenya and Nathan Botley, Jerald Ali Pittman, Joelle Pittman, V. Simpson Turner III and Seteena Eliza Laura Turner; and great grandchildren, Rasaun Botley and Vivian Botley. Dr. Turner has been active in numerous civic and charitable organizations. He has served on the Board of Trustees for Gordon College, the Baptist Home for the Elderly, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Baptist Medical Center. He has served as the Chairman of the Department of Communications for the Council of Churches in New York City and as a former president of the North American Baptist Fellowship of the Baptist World Alliance and the Baptist Minister's Conference of Greater New York. He was also a former member of the Board of Directors for Religion in American Life, a former member of the Brooklyn Borough President's Community Board #3, and was elected to the Board of Directors of the New York Bible Society in New York City in 1990. More recently, in June 2002, Dr. Turner was elected Secretary of the 7,000 members Hampton University Minister's Conference. Finally, he was an Adjunct Professor on Urban Concerns at Alliance Theological Seminary in New York. For his efforts, Dr. Turner has been honored by many community groups including the City of New York; the Bureau of Child Welfare; the United Builders Association; the Boy Scouts of America; and the YMCA. The Governor of New York appointed him to the New York State Commission on Health Education and Illness Prevention. In 1990, Dr. Turner was appointed Chairman of the Billy Graham Crusade in New York City where the Great Lawn in Central Park held the largest crowd ever to attend a Billy Graham meeting in North America. Also, in the spring of 1990, as editor of the Baptist Progress, Dr. Turner received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for meritorious service in writing. Dr. Turner produces and directs a weekly radio show known as ``The Black Religious Experience'' as well as a public affairs Cable TV program known as ``The Public Wants To Know.'' He is the author of ``Compassion for the City,'' which is used throughout the country as a textbook for those going into urban ministry. Dr. Turner has been instrumental in implementing several important community programs and resources such as a Homework Center, a High School Equivalency Program, a referral service to New York City Technical College, a Senior Services and handicapped Bus Ministry, a Radio Ministry, a Shut-In and Outreach Ministry, a Carillons Ministry, a ``Sing, Spell, Read and Write'' Educational Ministry, and a Soup Kitchen Ministry. Several college graduates began their college careers at Mt. Carmel as part of the then NYC Community College extension, which Dr. Turner helped to operate. On January 4, 2004, Dr. Turner celebrated his 39th Anniversary as Pastor of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. He had a vision to combine his church and an apartment building into a Church and Educational complex. In the spring of 1993, Dr. Turner realized his vision of building affordable housing. Today, the 78 units, known as the Mt. Carmel Town Houses are occupied by new homeowners. Mr. Speaker, Dr. V. Simpson Turner, Sr. has been a tireless advocate for his community and a spiritual leader for 39 years at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. As such, he 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, Pakistan has installed a new Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz. His installation was reported in the newspapers September 2. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Aziz on his new position. Mr. Aziz takes the helm in Pakistan at a critical time for the people and nations of South Asia. I wish him well in his time as Prime Minister and I hope that he will dedicate himself to pursuing peace in the subcontinent. The best way to achieve peace in South Asia, Mr. Speaker, is to work for self-determination for everyone in the region. Only by allowing everyone in the subcontinent to enjoy this cornerstone of democracy can all the peoples and nations live in peace, freedom, and prosperity. I would also urge Mr. Aziz to work for a more open border so that Sikhs and Muslims, as well as members of other minorities, can trade and travel freely and raise their standard of living by doing so. This will be good for Pakistan and for India. Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan issued a press release congratulating Prime Minister Aziz, which I intend to insert into the Record. Congratulations to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Washington, D.C., September 10, 2004.--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today congratulated the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz, on his ascension to the position. ``I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Prime Minister Aziz and wish his government well,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``I hope that this will be a step forward for peace in South Asia,'' he said. ``Prime Minister Aziz has done excellent work on Pakistan's finances,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``We are sure that he can bring that wisdom and expertise to all areas of life in his country,'' he added. ``Prime Minister Aziz must stand firm, as President Musharraf has done, in supporting the interests of freedom for the oppressed people in South Asia,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``We urge him to work to open the border, enhance trade in the border regions, establish peaceful relations, and assist the cause of freedom, not just in occupied Kashmir, but wherever people are struggling to be free,'' he added. ``We look forward to easy passage to visit the birthplace of the first Sikh guru, Guru Nanak, in Nankana Sahib.'' ``Only when all people and nations in South Asia have freedom and self-determination can the subcontinent live in peace, prosperity, and dignity,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``Prime Minister Aziz has influence by virtue of his position,'' he said. ``We urge him to use it for the benefit of the people of Pakistan and all the people of the subcontinent by supporting freedom and self-determination.'' The Council of Khalistan was constituted to lead the struggle to liberate Khalistan, the Sikh homeland which declared its independence on October 7, 1987. It is the government pro tempore of Khalistan. Khalistan has been under Indian occupation since then. India has sent over 500,000 troops to Punjab, Khalistan, and over 700,000 to neighboring Kashmir to suppress the independence movements there. Yet India is on the verge of collapse. As former Home Minister L.K. Advani said that ``if Kashmir goes, India goes.'' At the time of India's independence, Sikhs were equal partners in the transfer of power and were supposed to receive their own sovereign 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. That promise was broken immediately after independence was achieved. 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. ``Sardar Atinder Pal Singh's question of 14 years ago is still the question facing the Sikh Nation: Why don't we liberate Khalistan?,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar, said, `If a Sikh is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh','' he noted. 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 (the aboriginal people of the subcontinent), and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' A report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) shows that India is holding 52,268 Sikhs as political prisoners without charge or trial. Some have been in illegal custody since 1984! ``We must move forward with the cause of Sikh freedom,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Only in a free Khalistan will the Sikh Nation prosper and get justice,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``India should act like a democracy and allow a plebiscite on independence for Khalistan and all the nations of South Asia,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We must free Khalistan now.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month Sikhs around the world celebrated the 400th anniversary of the first installation of their holy scriptures, known as the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib, written in the lifetimes of the 10 Sikh Gurus, contains the writings of the Sikh Gurus as revealed to them and some writings by other saints who share their basic philosophy. When the Indian military attacked the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sikhism's holiest shrine, in June 1984, they shot bullet holes through the Guru Granth Sahib. There was a major celebration of the anniversary in Amritsar, which was attended by the Indian President, Abdul Kalam; by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh; and by the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Buddhism, among many others. Apparently, India was trying to maintain its false front of secularism. But the people of South Asia know better. The Guru Granth Sahib established Sikhism as a monotheistic religion that believes in the equality of all people. Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh Gurus, who consecrated the Guru Granth Sahib, made independence a basic principle of the religion. As you know, India continues to oppress the Sikhs. Over 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered at the hands of the Hindu militant Indian government. In addition, the Indian regime has murdered over 89,000 Muslims in Kashmir, over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, and tens of thousands of other minorities. They are holding over 52,000 Sikhs as political prisoners, according to the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) and tens of thousands of other minorities, according to Amnesty International. The only way to preserve basic human rights for minorities in India is to stop all aid and trade until India observes these basic liberties. And we should also go on record in support of self- determination for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan, the Muslims of Kashmir, the Christians of Nagaland, and the minority nations of South Asia. That will help bring freedom, prosperity, peace, and stability to this troubled region. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to place the Council of Khalistan's press release on the celebration into the Record for the information of my colleagues. 400th Anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib Washington, DC, Sept. 10, 2004.--On September 1, Sikhs gathered in Anuitsar to observe the 400th anniversary of the first installation of the Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scriptures, at Darbar Sahib, the holiest of Sikh shrines. Indian President Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Buddhism, attended the celebration. Sikhs remember that bullets pierced through the Guru Granth Sahib during Operation Bluestar, the Indian government's military attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, in 1984. The Guru Granth Sahib was written by the Sikh Gurus as revealed to them by God. It was written at the time in which they lived. It also includes the writing of other saints of that time which fit the philosophy of the Sikh Gurus. ``This anniversary is a joyous occasion for the Sikh Nation as we celebrate the Sikh way of life as given to us by the Gurus,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan, the government pro tempore of the Sikh homeland, Khalistan, leads the struggle to liberate Khalistan, which declared its independence from India on October 7, 1987. Sikhism is an independent, monotheistic religion that believes in the equality of the whole human race. The tenth and last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, declared the blessing ``In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon Patshahi,'' conferring sovereignty on the Sikh Nation, which is culturally, linguistically, and religiously distinct from any other people in the world, including Hindu India. ``We must honor the Guru by reclaiming our lost sovereignty,'' Dr. Aulakh said. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, over 89,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and others. Christians and Muslims have also been murdered in other parts of the country. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' According to a study by the Movement Against State Repression, 52,268 Sikhs are being held in illegal detention as political prisoners without charge or trial. Some of them have been held since 1984! Christian missionary Joseph Cooper was expelled from India after a mob of militant Hindu nationalists allied with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), a fundamentalist, pro- Fascist organization that is the parent organization of the BJP, beat him so severely he had to spend a week in the hospital. In 2002, 2,000 to 5,000 Muslims were murdered in Gujarat while police were ordered to stand aside, reminiscent of the 1984 Delhi massacres of Sikhs. Indian newspapers reported that the government planned the Gujarat massacre in advance. India is not one country; it is a polyglot thrown together by the British for their administrative convenience. Sikhs ruled Punjab until 1849 when the British conquered the subcontinent. Sikhs were equal partners during the transfer of power from the British. The Muslim leader Jinnah got Pakistan, the Hindu leaders got India, but the Sikh leadership was fooled by the Hindu leadership promising that Sikhs would have ``the glow of freedom'' in Northwest India. The Sikhs took their share with India on that promise. For that mistake, Sikhs are suffering now. ``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. ``Democracies don't commit genocide,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Only in a free and sovereign Khalistan will the Sikh Nation prosper. In a democracy, the right to self-determination is the sine qua non and India should allow a plebiscite for the freedom of the Sikh Nation,'' he said. ``The Guru Granth Sahib is the reigning Guru of the Sikh Nation and reminds us of our heritage of freedom,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``It is appropriate that it received a fitting celebration.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh has called for an opening of the border between India and Pakistan at Wagah, about halfway between Amritsar, Punjab, and Lahore, Pakistan. Such an opening would help the farmers of Punjab to get higher prices for their produce than the less-than-subsistence prices the Indian government pays them. It would also make it much easier for Sikhs to make religious pilgrimages to the birthplace of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, in Nankana Sahib, which is also in Pakistan. Chief Minister Singh is right. The border should be opened. This would be a significant step towards peace in the region. It would greatly reduce the need for India and Pakistan to expend exorbitant resources on their military rivalry. Instead, the cross-border contacts would strengthen the emerging relationship between the two countries. Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to call on both the governments of India and Pakistan to open this border. Let the people, money, and ideas flow freely. By opening the border at Wagah, India would be able to begin to end its repression that has claimed the lives of over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 300,000 Christians since 1976, over 89,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thousands of other minority people. This repression must end if India is to be taken seriously as a member of the international community. We should cut off India's aid and trade until such time as it respects human rights. Opening the border at Wagah would be a first step. We should also go on record in support of all people in South Asia enjoying the basic democratic right to self determination. Mr. Speaker, I am inserting the press release from the Council of Khalistan into the Record at this time. [From the Council of Khalistan] Open Wagah Border for Trade Washington, DC, September 10, 2004.--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today endorsed the demand of Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab, to open the border at Wagah, about halfway between Amritsar and Lahore. This would allow direct trade between Punjab and Pakistan. ``The distance between Amritsar and Lahore is only about 35 miles, less than the distance between Washington and Baltimore in the United States,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Why not allow trade between these neighbors?,'' he asked. ``Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is to be praised for asking to open this border,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``His stand will help keep the fires of freedom lit in the Sikh Nation,'' he added. ``This is more than all his Akali and Congress predecessors have done for the people of Punjab,'' Dr. Aulakh noted. ``We fully support opening this border,'' he said. ``This is the wise thing for Punjab and the Sikh Nation,'' he added. ``It is another step forward for the freedom and self- determination of the Sikh Nation. It will help secure the prosperity of the Sikhs in Punjab, Khalistan.'' ``Opening trade through the border at Wagah will bring peace in the subcontinent,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``This will enable the farmers of Punjab to get higher prices for their products and help Pakistan to overcome its shortages,'' he said. ``If India truly cares about the well-being of the people, it must open the border at Wagah immediately'' Dr. Aulakh also called for bus service across the border so that visitors can more easily visit the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru, at Nankana Sahib. ``We are the same people. The same language is spoken on both sides of the border. Opening this border benefits everybody and it is much better to open the border than to spend all this time and money constantly preparing for war,'' he said. Khalistan is the independent Sikh homeland declared on October 7, 1987. It has been under Indian occupation since then. 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. The Council of Khalistan is the government pro tempore of Khalistan, the Sikh homeland. ``If India will not open this border, it is clear that there is no place for Sikhs in India,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``Sardar Atinder Pal Singh's question of 14 years ago is still the question facing the Sikh Nation: Why don't we liberate Khalistan? As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar, said, 'If a Sikh is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh','' Dr. Aulakh noted. 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 (the aboriginal people of the subcontinent), 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! ``We must move forward with the cause of Sikh freedom,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Only in a free Khalistan will the Sikh Nation prosper and get justice,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``India should act like a democracy and allow a plebiscite on independence for Khalistan and all the nations of South Asia,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We must free Khalistan now.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in recognition of the tireless work of the Joshua Foundation, operating out of our capital city of Albany, New York, to bring much needed life-saving medicines to the poor regions of Africa. I want to especially applaud the work of Mr. Lorenzo Hodges, founder of the Joshua Foundation, for his vision and determination in his efforts to help save the lives of adults and children in Africa by providing medicines to treat HIV/AIDS, malaria, diphtheria and other debilitating diseases. Mr. Speaker, as I understand it, the Joshua Foundation has served to provide humanitarian aid in the form of medicines and clinical support facilities in Kenya and most recently in Tanzania to ensure that deprived areas in these countries receive the medical supplies they need. My further understanding is that the Joshua Foundation has plans underway for additional deliveries of medicines to Liberia, Mozambique and a second delivery to Tanzania. It is well known, Mr. Speaker, that while health care is often available to those who can afford it, the challenge is to provide these basic medicines to those who can't. To this end, the humanitarian efforts of Mr. Hodges and the Joshua Foundation must not go unrecognized. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in this expression of recognition and support for the continuing humanitarian work of the Joshua Foundation in Africa.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, while I intend to vote for the Morocco Free Trade Agreement, I want to stress to the administration how important it is to respect the report language on ``Western Sahara'' which was included in this bill by my colleague, the gentleman from Washington, Mr. McDermott. This language reflects the sentiment voiced in a recent bipartisan letter to the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick. Under no circumstances should the U.S. proceed with the implementation of a free trade agreement that does not categorically exclude the terrority known as the Western Sahara. The U.S., as well as the international community, does not recognize Morocco's sovereignty over Spain's former colony. Morocco has steadfastly refused any efforts by the United Nations to permit a free and fair referendum on self- determination for the Sahrawi people of Western Sahara. We should not permit Morocco to use the agreement to further its illegal occupation of Western Sahara. I urge the administration to take these concerns seriously and to implement a free trade agreement that does not violate the sovereignty and rights of the people of Western Sahara.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw your attention to the recently announced approval by the Federal Government for a California biotechnology firm to license three experimental drugs from Cuba. This decision is especially interesting in the light of the fact that the administration also recently unveiled new measures to further tighten Cuban embargo restrictions. The contradictory actions of this administration, combined with a continued focus on maintaining an embargo that has done nothing to change the status of the Castro regime, reveal a profound lack of interest in truly improving the lives of average Cuban citizens. What is really at stake is President Bush's electoral votes in Florida this November, rather than an ethical and constructive approach to U.S.-Cuba relations. These new embargo restrictions deserve to be reexamined in terms of whether they are necessary to United States-Cuban policy and whether they may, in fact, worsen already unnecessarily tense relations with Cuba, as well as lead to counter productive reactions on the island. I urge my colleagues to read the following research analysis on the increasingly unproductive United States policy toward Cuba that was recently authored by Lindsay Thomas, a research associate at the Washington-based Council on Hemispheric Affairs: The mammoth street demonstration witnessed in Havana on June 21 was a glaring example of yet another counter- productive, anti-Castro initiative fathered by Washington policymakers. The latter may be long on raw ideology, but demonstrably, are short on reality. On that day, tens of thousands of Cubans gathered in front of the U.S. Interests Section (the official U.S. presence in Havana) to warn Washington against resorting to any preemptive military action against the island. The Bush administration, following the practice of all of its predecessors, has maintained a cordon sanitaire around Cuba, but ended up having to waive the penalties against the international business community mandated by the ill-reputed Helms-Burton legislation. Nor is the U.S. winning many backers with its patently self-serving Florida electoral strategy masked as a foreign policy. The Bush administration has been so obsessed with wooing Miami, that it has fallen victim to its own immoderacy, recently cutting remittances and limiting packages and visits from exiles to their Cuban relatives. By its cut offs, the White House has displayed the same venomous lack of humanity and blind fury that was seen with the Elian Gonzalez affair. Now, even many of those being wooed--Cuban expatriates--are lashing back at Bush for daring to curb family ties in a craven hunt for votes. By a series of malevolent initiatives specifically aimed at worsening U.S.-Cuban relations, Secretary of State Colin Powell invoked the latest phase of a foreign policy drive whose anointed mission was to place Florida into President Bush's win column in November, even though such a demarche could mortally wound his already fading reputation on regime issues. The motivation for such a sterile approach was prompted not so much by any genuine threat posed by Cuba to any conceivable U.S. regional security interests, but almost entirely by domestic political factors. The predictable Castro response: defiance in the form of the June 21 demonstration, which provided yet another opportunity for the Cuban leader to return to his popular base to seek reaffirmation in a spectacular show of political thunder. But the question remains, when will Washington realize that attempting to isolate Cuba internationally and pressuring it internally at best will only fail or induce more Cubans to attempt immigrating to the U.S.--something that U.S. officials aren't particularly anxious to encourage. Despite its specious claim of ``hastening democracy on the island,'' arguably, the Bush administration's latest policies do the opposite--purposely escalating U.S.-Cuban tensions while further legitimizing Castro in the eyes of many islanders. President Bush's mean and nasty acts serve to undermine his professedly lofty intentions, as they confirm Cuba's role as a David daring to stand up to Goliath's benighted outrages. For almost half a century the U.S. has attempted to isolate Castro's Cuba, even though predictably, these initiatives have always backfired. In reality, it is Washington's Cuba policy that has ended in the dock, not Cuba, with only dependent states like Chile and Costa Rica cheering Washington onward. Meanwhile, for 12 years the U.N. has voted overwhelmingly to end the U.S. embargo that is almost solely honored by this country. With decades of converting ``democracy'' rhetoric into self-serving demagoguery aimed at asphyxiating the Cuban economy and immiserating its population, Washington's relations with Havana remain non-negotiable, beyond the purview of the constructive engagement now routinely employed toward Libya, North Korea, Vietnam and China. Nor would Castro's death instantly transform Washington's embargo strategy into a success story. In fact, it might only underline that the U.S. fomented the deterioration of Cuban society while it bided its time for the right moment to initiate yet another intrusion into the internal affairs of a hemispheric nation. Clearly, neither Castro nor any other likely successor has indicated any intention to fall on their sword to guarantee another Bush term. Meanwhile Washington's thinking by now is so petrified that it is incapable of moving past its Cold War strategy of continually escalating threats and bringing distress upon an innocent population, to encourage what it disingenuously calls ``democratic change.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me begin by commending both the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis); the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Platts), the chairman of the subcommittee; and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member, for their tireless efforts in forging a consensus for H.R. 4259, the Department of Homeland Security Financial Accountability Act, of which I am a proud cosponsor. Our work today will move us one step closer to ensuring that the critical resources utilized for protecting our Nation will finally have an appropriate level of management and oversight. In an era of soaring Federal deficits, along with challenges in managing a dynamic workforce from distinct legacy agencies, the exemption of DHS's CFO from the requirements of all other Cabinet-level CFOs is irresponsible. Therefore, I am happy to say that the bill before us today is a well-crafted compromise forged after months of negotiation and deliberative discussions. There are several key provisions contained in this legislation. Most importantly, however, the bill amends the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 to include the Department of Homeland Security, ensuring that the DHS CFO is subject to the same reporting requirements, oversight responsibilities, and congressional scrutiny required for all major Cabinet-level positions. The CFO is in the executive branch. Through thoughtful analysis and consideration, there have been several significant improvements made to this legislation, which I am happy have occurred. These include a provision requiring the CFO to be a Presidential appointee subject to Senate confirmation. The specific language would require the CFO to report directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and authorization for the DHS CFO to become part of the statutorily created CFO Council. To address the need for stronger fiscal oversight, the bill requires DHS to annually review its internal financial controls, ensuring that agency standards for financial management and accountability remain intact. By adding these provisions to the bill, we are strengthening the accountability, management, and oversight responsibilities of the new Department. As we all recognize, Madam Speaker, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security was an unprecedented effort by Congress to increase our Nation's preparedness and responsiveness to domestic security threats. The Department is one of the largest in the Federal Government, consisting of 22 legacy agencies, and has perhaps the most important mission of any Federal agency as we struggle to counteract new threats to our domestic security. To conclude, this is a necessary step forward if we are to develop an efficient and effective agency that is ready to achieve its purpose of protecting our citizens, infrastructure, and borders. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for his outstanding work in terms of bringing about a coalition to be able to work out some of the disagreements that we had, to be able to come up, I think, with a very strong bill. So I would like to salute him for that. I would like to salute the staff on both sides, the Democratic side and the Republican side, for their hard work as well. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a man who has touched the lives of countless Americans and helped to put smiles on the faces of kids young and old. Jack Valenti has served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Motion Picture Association for almost 40 years. Texas born and Harvard educated, Jack has led several lives: a wartime bomber pilot, advertising agency founder, political consultant, White House Special Assistant, and movie industry leader. He earned a B.A. from the University of Houston and a M.B.A. from Harvard. In his current role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Motion Picture Association, Jack has presided over and led the American film and television industry as it has confronted a sea change in the landscape of the industry, both in the United States and abroad. Born in Houston, Texas, Jack was the youngest (age 15) high school graduate in the city. As a young pilot in the Army Air Corps in World War II, Lieutenant Valenti flew 51 combat missions as the pilot- commander of a B-25 attack bomber with the 12th Air Force in Italy. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with four clusters, the Distinguished Unit Citation with one cluster and the European Theater Ribbon with four battle stars. In 1952, he co-founded the advertising/political consulting agency of Weekley & Valenti. In 1955 he met the man who would have the largest impact on his life, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson. Jack's agency was in charge of the press during the visit of President Kennedy and Vice President Johnson to Texas. Jack was in the motorcade (six cars back of the President) in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Within an hour of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Jack was aboard Air Force One flying back to Washington with the new President as the first newly hired Special Assistant to the President. On June 1, 1966, Jack resigned his White House post to become the third man in MPAA's history (founded in 1922) to become its leader. Jack has written four books (three non-fiction): The Bitter Taste of Glory (World Publishing); A Very Human President (W.W. Norton Co.); Speak Up With Confidence (Wm. Morrow Co.), and the political novel, Protect and Defend (Doubleday). His most recent book is an updated revision of Speak Up With Confidence (2002, Hyperion). Jack has written extensively for America's preeminent newspapers and magazines. He is one of the few public figures who actually writes his own speeches. France has conferred upon him its highly prized Legion d'Honneur, the French Legion of Honor. Jack has been awarded his own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. He has also been named a Life Member of the Directors Guild of America. Mr. Speaker, America and the rest of the world will greatly miss Jack Valenti. His watchful and caring eye has helped bring joy to countless children and adults alike, and I wish him a very happy and healthy retirement.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Constantine Lincoln Stewart for his public service for the City of New York and his volunteer efforts to educate our children. Lincoln, as he is more affectionately known, currently serves as a senior policy advisor in the Office of Policy Management with the New York City Comptroller's Office. As a Senior Policy Advisor, he conducts research and analyzes public policy issues affecting education, the infrastructure, public safety, and technology. He has worked in the Comptroller's Office for the last 17 years. Lincoln is also an adjunct professor at York College in Jamaica, New York. He tutors students of all ages throughout the city. He enjoys the opportunity to be a positive influence on young people. Lincoln especially likes working with students in the areas of math and science. These areas are traditionally viewed as problematic for women and people of color. Lincoln emphasizes that it is the student's duty to take responsibility for his or her own education. He often tells his students that the international community is providing opportunities for ambitious African-American, Latino, female and immigrant youths. Lincoln was born in Jamaica. He is the second of Samuel and Lethe's five children. He received his degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of the West Indies. After graduating, he immigrated to Brooklyn in 1980. He quickly resettled in West Texas after accepting an offer as a chemical engineer with the Phillips Petroleum Company. Two years later, he returned to Brooklyn and attended Baruch College where he earned his Masters of Business Administration. Lincoln is the loving husband of Charmanie Harris Stewart, his wife, partner, and friend for 17 years. He is the proud father of three gifted children: Lincoln, Jr. is currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps; Anika is an honors student; and Din, his youngest son, attends St. Raymond's Catholic School. Mr. Speaker, Constantine Lincoln Stewart has dedicated his professional career to serving his community while still finding time to tutor children throughout the area. As such, he 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, the Legislative Assembly of Punjab recently annulled a longstanding agreement that allowed the diversion of water from Punjab to other states. According to the Tribune of Chandigarh, whose article I will be inserting in the Record at the end of my remarks, the Legislative Assembly asserted the sovereignty of Punjab in doing so. The newspaper reports that the bill passed by the Legislative Assembly says that ``as a sovereign authority [Punjab] considered it its duty to uphold the Constitution and the laws and to protect the interests of its inhabitants.'' Apparently, all parties supported this measure. We congratulate them on taking this step forward to protect the interests of the people of Punjab. I urge them to continue claiming, promoting, and establishing the sovereignty of Punjab. Mr. Speaker, we know that the people of Punjab have been severely oppressed by the tyrannical Indian government. Over a quarter of a million Sikhs have been killed since 1984, according to the Punjab State Magistracy. The Movement Against State Repression reports that 52,268 have been taken as political prisoners, held without charge or trial, some as long as 20 years. According to the Punjab Human Rights Commission, about 50,000 Sikhs have simply been made to disappear by being arrested, tortured, killed in police custody, declared ``unidentified bodies,'' and secretly cremated, without their remains even being given back to their families. Similar repression has been visited on Christians, Muslims, and other minorities. Yet India continues to say that it is the world's largest democracy. If India is truly a democracy, it will allow the will of the people to be carried out in regards to the diversion of water. It will allow the people--Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and everyone living under Indian rule--to enjoy the full range of human rights. And it will allow self-determination for these sovereign states. Until that happens, Mr. Speaker, we should not provide any aid to India. And we should take a stand for self-determination, which is the cornerstone of democracy, by supporting a free and fair plebiscite on independence in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in predominantly Christian Nagaland, and everywhere that people seek their freedom from Indian rule. The assertion of sovereignty by the Punjab Legislative Assembly is a good first step. They should act to claim their sovereignty by severing their ties to India. We should take a stand by letting them know that when they do, we will be there with them. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, I would like to insert the Tribune article into the Record at this time. Punjab Annuls All Water Pacts, Cong, Akalis Join Hands on Issue Chandigarh, July 12--A special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today unanimously passed the Punjab Termination of Agreements Bill, 2004, thereby ``knocking down'' the very basis on which the Supreme Court had passed its order on construction of SYL--Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal on June 4, last. This Bill annuls the December 31, 1981, agreement between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan signed by the three Chief Ministers in the presence of the late Ms. Indira Gandhi and also all other agreements relating to the water of the rivers, Ravi and Beas. This, the Bill says, was done in ``public interest''. The annulment has come after 23 long years with two staunch political rivals, the Congress and the Akalis, joining hands to protect the state's riparian rights. Immediately after the Bill was passed, the Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh, accompanied by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, PPCC president, Mr. H.S. Hanspal, Ms. Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa and a team of legal experts went to Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor, Justice O.P. Verma (retd.), to request him to give his assent to the Bill, as the dead-line for compliance with the Supreme Court order was July 15. The combined delegation spent an hour with the Governor. The Raj Bhavan sources said, ``The Bill is being examined.'' Capt. Amarinder Singh told TNS that he had not discussed the Bill with Ms. Sonia Gandhi. ``Why involve her? When I go to Delhi, I shall brief her''. Presenting the Bill to the House, Capt. Amarinder Singh made an emotive speech giving facts, figures and background to the entire issue of sharing of river waters and steps taken in the recent past to protect and safeguard the interests of Punjab, particularly the farmers and save nine lakh acres going dry and barren, which would affect the livelihood of 1.5 million families. The Bill says that Punjab was proud of its position in the Indian union, felt equal concern for its neighbours and as a sovereign authority also considered it its duty to uphold the constitution and the laws and to protect the interests of its inhabitants. Under the 1981 agreement, flow series were changed from 1921-45 to 1921-60, which had the result of increasing the availability of Ravi-Beas waters from 15.85 MAF to 17.17 MAF. The allocation of water made to the states concerned under that Agreement was as under: Haryana (non-riparian) 3.50 MAF, Rajasthan (non-riparian) 8.60 MAF, Delhi (non-riparian) 0.20 MAF, Punjab (riparian) 4.22 MAF and Jammu and Kashmir (riparian) 0.65 MAF. Under clause IV of this agreement, Punjab and Haryana withdrew their respective suits from the Supreme Court. But the controversy rages on. The issue has become emotive. Referring to the broad clauses of the proposed Bill, Capt. Amarinder Singh maintained that riparian and basin principles were ignored all along and allocation of the Ravi-Beas waters had always been affected by ``ad hoc decisions and agreements, dictated by prevalent circumstances''. Here was a typical case involving ``emotive'' issue of impending transfer of water from ``deficit'' Ravi-Beas basin to the ``surplus'' Yamuna basin. Never any reliable and scientific study of hydrological, ecological and sociological impact of such large scale trans- basin diversion from Punjab to Haryana and Rajasthan had been undertaken. Besides this transfer, diversion was even contrary to the National Water Policy guidelines, he added. Capt. Amarinder Singh pointed out, ``Non-riparian and non- basin states of Haryana and Rajasthan are not only not entitled to any Ravi-Beas waters, even their current allocation and utilisation is totally disproportionate to the areas alleged to be falling in the Indus basin. Therefore, Punjab, as a good neighbour, has accepted such utilisations by Haryana and Rajasthan as `uusages by sufferance' but not as a matter of any recognition of their rights''. He supported this hypothesis, when he posed the question, ``Does Punjab have surplus water and do the claimants of our water a legal right to it? Then, he paused for effect, ``The answer to this question is a resounding ``no'', and went on to give the following picture: All three rivers, the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej, flow through the present Punjab and none through either Haryana or Rajasthan. No part of territories of these states fall within the basin areas of the Ravi and the Beas, although, according to unsubstantiated report of the Irrigation Commission, only 9,939 sq. kms. within Haryana fall in Indus basin, against 50,305 sq. kms. of Punjab. Again, the present utilisation by Haryana was about 5.95 MAF, about 4.33 MAF from Sutlej and about 1.62 MAF from the Ravi-Beas water, through the existing systems. Also out of 17.17 MAF of ``surplus'' Ravi-Beas water, only 4.22 MAF was allocated to Punjab, a riparian state, against higher quantities to Haryana and Rajasthan. From the total surplus availability of 11.98 MAF of the Beas water, Punjab has been allocated 2.64 MAF. Therefore, justifying the annulling of the December 31, 1981, agreement and all other agreements relating to the Ravi and the Beas, the Bill seeks to present the fact that ground realities have since undergone a sea change from that date and Punjab settlement of July 24, 1985, under the Rajiv- Longowal Agreement. Therefore, this had made the implementation of that 1981 agreement ``onerous and injurious'' to the public interest. The availability of the Ravi-Beas water, 1717 MAF, as on December 31, 1981, has been reduced to 14.37 MAF, as per the flow series of 1981-2002. Haryana has been given 4.65 MA under the Yamuna agreement of May 12, 1994, which will be further augmented by the Sarda-Yamuna link. In the meanwhile, irrigation requirements have increased in Punjab. ``The Punjab settlement, except one para 9, relating to allocation of the Ravi-Seas water, has remained unimplemented in letter and spirit, to date. ``In these circumstances, the terms of 1981 agreement were `onerous, unfair, un-reasonable and contrary to the interests of the inhabitants of the Ravi-Beas basin, who have law-full rights to utilise water of these rivers'. Is the Bill justified? Will it tantamount to contempt of the court? In his well prepared speech, Capt. Amarinder Singh has addressed such questions, as well. Armed with the House resolution of June 15 that aims to protect the rights of Punjab, legal opinions and all-party resolution of June 12, the Chief Minister said. ``This mandate enables the government to find ways and means to protect the people from adverse consequences of the Supreme Court judgment of June 4. The state had been advised that the obligations arising from an agreement or the contract did not fetter the powers of the legislature to enact a law in public interest. ``We have been further advised that it is a well settled law that the legislature is competent to remove or take away the basis of judgment by law and thereby it does not encroach upon the exercise of the judicial power of the judiciary and the legislative action within its competence, do not commit a contempt of court. However, final decision in all these matters lies in the court, as any law enacted by this august House is subject to a judicial review''. When the Bill had been introduced, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal stood up to express the collective anguish of the opposition that on such an important item, involving the question of ``life and death'' had been treated lightly by the government and till noon today ``we had no idea of what the agenda was all about nor we had received copy of the Bill or what it was all about''. Mr. Badal said the traditions and conventions of the House were being eroded, day-by-day. ``It was also a disgrace that even the information inviting us to meet the Governor after the House had passed the resolution was sent by the Congress president, Mr. H.S. Hanspal, who was not involved in this in any which way. How can we discuss anything at such a short notice? We are against political confrontation and are available 24 hours for any thing related to the interests of the state and are willing to support the government''. Thereafter, the Speaker, Dr. Kewal Krishan said he had received a resolution sent by four Akali MLAs, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Mr. Gurdev Singh Badal and Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal, for the consideration of the House. Then, he ruled that since a comprehensive Bill was being presented, they could express their views while speaking on that. Mr. Manpreet Singh Badal and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh suggested that certain provisions, including Clause 78, in the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, be also annulled. BJP's Tikshan Sud, said though a ``belated step'', the Bill was a welcome and offered full co-operation but rued that the Opposition be given due place and respect. On this the Captain had stated in his reply that whatever steps were required to be taken to protect Punjab's interests would be taken in consultation with the legal experts. The speakers, including Mr. Bir Devinder Singh and Mr. Jeet Mohinder Singh spoke in the context of historical background, stressing time and again on the riparian principles. Mr. Bir Devinder Singh recalled how even the British Government had sought a certificate from Punjab that it will protect its own interests under the riparian rights while selling water to Rajasthan. Mr. Bir Devinder Singh even cautioned to be prepared following the enactment of the Act, terminating 1981 and other agreements since new situation would develop. Mr. Jeet Mohinder Singh wondered if the Bill would stop the construction of SYL. He was for adding a new amendment in the form of a clause in the Eastern Punjab Canal and Drains Act, 1873 that permission of the state Assembly should be mandatory to dig or construct any canal that carries water beyond the boundaries of the state. rare bonhomie in house The discussion on the Bill was, however, not without the usual political punches and colour. There were moments when some ministers and opposition members took pot shots blaming either side for having failed Punjab and messed up the water issue. Some Opposition members said had such a Bill been brought forward 23 years ago, Punjab would have been spared the agony. Even the Bill says that in the wake of large-scale militancy, the Punjab settlement was reached, which however, had remained unimplemented in letter and spirit. For once, the House was in a serious mood. There were no political skirmishes, though usual jibes were heard. The Governor's and Speaker's galleries were packed. But it was the Captain's day all the way. Having worked overtime to get this Bill prepared, presented and passed by the House, he responded to the collective anguish of the opposition, expressed by Mr. Badal, with utmost humility and courtesy, acknowledging all what Mr. Badal had said. But then he point by point not only explained the unusual circumstances, including race against time, under which the Bill in as prepared and thus could not be circulated earlier, giving the members a chance to prepare themselves. Capt. Amarinder Singh was apologetic and said so repeatedly taking the wind out of the sails of the Akalis. He showed faint starchiness in his voice, when he responded to some of the observations of Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, saying, ``We are together here for an important task, not for rhetoric and emotive outbursts. We cannot allow Punjab to go back into the grip of violence''. Warming up, he concluded, ``We will resort to all legal and constitutional means to seek justice. Already enough bloodshed has taken place. Even all the bodies have not been counted, so far. We shall fight to the end but within the parameters of laws, rules and the constitution. I will be willing to resign, if need be, for the sake of Punjab. The time is not for blame game. We have all made mistakes in the past. We are rectifying the same after 23 years. Come, lets join hands, close ranks. I appreciate the Opposition's cooperation''.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan wrote to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva to ask them to help keep the world aware of the repression of minorities, including Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and others, in India. The letter pointed out that over 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered by the Indian government, along with more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 88,000 Muslims in Kashmir, Muslims and Christians throughout India, and other minorities such as Dalits, the dark skinned aboriginal people of the subcontinent, Assamese, Bodos, Manipuris, Tamils, and others. Over 52,000 Sikhs and tens of thousands of other minorities are being held as political prisoners. The letter pointed out that the government has been involved in atrocities such as the massacre of Muslims in Gujarat and the massacre of Sikhs in Delhi and that it has not punished those who have carried out atrocities against Christians nor the killer of Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke. Such atrocities are unacceptable in any country, but especially in one that claims to be democratic. We must take a stand for freedom. It is time to stop our aid to India and go on record in support of self-determination for all the people seeking their freedom there. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place Dr. Aulakh's letter to the Human Rights Commission into the Record at this time. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, July 13, 2004. Madam Justice Louise Arbour, High Commissioner, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Plaise des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland. Dear Justice Abrour: As the Chief Prosecutor for the International Court of Justice, you helped to bring the persons who committed massacres, genocide, and pogroms on the innocent people of Bosnia to justice. Your work for human rights around the world is well known and we salute you for it. It is because of that record that I am writing to you today about the plight of the Sikhs and other minorities in India. The plight of the Sikhs and other minorities in India is deplorable. India claims to be ``the world's largest democracy'' and claims that it is a secular country, but in practice it is not. As Narinder Singh, a spokesman for the Golden Temple, told America's National Public Radio, ``The Indian government, all the time they boast that they are democratic, that they are secular, but they have nothing to do with a democracy, nothing to do with a secularism. They just kill Sikhs just to please the majority.'' Unfortunately, Sikhs are not the only victims of this brutality. Other minorities such as Christians, Muslims, even the Dalits (called ``Untouchables'') are persecuted in India. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, over 88,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988. Christians and Muslims have been murdered in other parts of the country as well, along with tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuri's, Tamils, and other minorities. According to the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners under the repressive TADA law, which expired in 1995. Amnesty International reports that tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political prisoners. These prisoners are held without charge or trial in ``the world's largest democracy,'' some of them since 1984! That is 20 years in illegal detention. Their whereabouts are unknown. They might have been killed while in police custody. Sardar Jaswant Singh Khalra looked at the records of the cremation grounds at Patti, Tam Taran, and Durgiana Mandar and documented at least 6,018 secret cremations of young Sikh men ages 20-30. These young Sikhs were arrested by the police, tortured, murdered, then declared unidentified and secretly cremated. Their bodies were not even returned to their families. They have never officially been accounted for. The Punjab Human Rights Commission estimates that about 50,000 such secret cremations have occurred. For exposing this horrendous atrocity, Sardar Khalra was abducted by the police on September 6, 1995 while he was washing his car, then murdered in police custody. The only witness to his kidnapping, Rajiv Singh Randhawa, has been repeatedly harassed by the police. Once he was arrested for trying to hand a petition to the then-British Home Minister, Jack Straw, in front of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Police SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna tortured and murdered Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke and has never been punished for doing so. K.P.S. Gill, who was responsible for the murders of over 150,000 Sikhs in his time as Director General of Police, is still walking around scot-free. He was even involved in leading the Indian Olympic field hockey team. His trip to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 was protested by the Sikh community in the United States, which is over half a million strong, but he was allowed to come to the Olympics on an Olympic Committee visa. Immediately after the Olympic hockey game, he was shipped back to Punjab as a threat to peace and an affront to the Sikh community. 50 members of the U.S. Congress from both parties wrote to the President protesting his appearance in the United States. In addition to this, the Indian government attacked the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the center and seat of the Sikh religion, in June 1984, as well as 224 other Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) throughout Punjab. Sikh leaders Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, and others, as well as over 20,000 Sikhs were killed in these attacks. The Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, written in the time of the Sikh Gurus, was shot full of bullet holes by the Indian Army. Over 100 young Sikh boys ages 8 to 13 were taken out into the courtyard and asked if they supported Khalistan, the independent Sikh state. When they answered with the Sikh religious incantation ``Bole So Nihal'' they were summarily shot to death. Unfortunately, other minorities have also suffered greatly under the boot of Indian repression. In March 2002, 5,000 Muslims were killed in Gujarat while police were ordered to stand by and let the carnage happen, in an eerie parallel to the Delhi massacre of Sikhs in November 1984 in which Sikh police officers were locked in their barracks while the state-run television and radio called for more Sikh blood. Christians have suffered under a wave of repression since Christmas 1998. An Australian missionary, Graham Staines, and his two young sons, ages 8 and 10, were burned to death while they slept in their jeep by a mob of Hindu militants connected with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), an organization formed in support of the Fascists. The mob surrounded the burning jeep and chanted ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. None of the mob has ever been brought to justice; instead the crime has been blamed on one scapegoat. Mr. Staines's widow was thrown out of the country after the incident. An American missionary, Joseph Cooper of Pennsylvania, was expelled from India after being beaten so severely that he had to spend a week in the hospital. None of the persons responsible for beating Mr. Cooper has been prosecuted. Churches have been burned, Christian schools and prayer halls have been attacked and vandalized, priests have been murdered, nuns have been raped, all with impunity. Police broke up a Christian religious festival with gunfire. Amnesty International has not been allowed into Punjab since 1978. Even Castro's Cuba has allowed Amnesty into the country more recently. What is India hiding? My organization, the Council of Khalistan, is leading the Sikh struggle for freedom and sovereignty. Working with the Congress of the United States, we have internationalized the struggle for freedom for the Sikhs and all the people of South Asia since the Council of Khalistan's inception on October 7, 1987, the day that the Sikh Nation declared its independence from India. We have worked to preserve the accurate history of the Sikhs and the repression of minorities by India by preserving the information in the Congressional Record. We continue to work for freedom for the Sikh Nation. Self-determination is the essence of democracy. On behalf of the Sikh Nation, I am asking the Human Rights Commission to expose India's reign of terror to the international community. It is time for India to be held to account for its tyrannical rule covered by a veneer of democracy. Please do not let India hide behind a false claim of democracy and secularism. By shining the light on India's terroristic rule, you can help bring freedom and basic human rights to all the people of the subcontinent. Thank you in advance for your attention to this situation and for helping the people of South Asia. Sincerely, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council of Khalistan.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Richard Jones Jr. in recognition of contributions to the community through his professional work and civic endeavors. Richard is a police officer in the New York City Police Department and is assigned to the Transit Division's Kings County Task Force. He is also an independent associate for Pre-paid Legal Services. A Bedford Stuyvesant resident, Richard is the father of three lovely children. Shawntice is an honor student. His two active sons are Sirrichard and Khaliq. Richard's devotion to his family is unmatched. Richard is a founding member of the civic association; ``Black Men Who Care Inc.,'' which was founded in 1998 to creatively occupy the spare time of the youths residing in Brooklyn. During the winter, the organization developed a mentorship program to help youth after school. This program targeted young men between the ages of 12 and 15. In spite of the organization's name, it has come to include members of all races and both genders. Richard is the Treasurer and Director of Sports and Recreation. Each week, he spends many hours with the organization, planning and coordinating future activities. The organization emphasizes etiquette, self-respect, respect for one's neighborhood, and respect for elders. For his continued community service, Richard received the Isaac Liberman Service Award in 1999 from the Hundred Year Association of New York. As an independent associate with Pre-paid Legal Services, Richard is providing an opportunity for hard working middle class people to obtain quality legal services. With the help of Richard's efforts, more people, regardless of their income status, will have access to quality attorneys. Mr. Speaker, Richard Jones Jr. has dedicated his time to improving the community as a member of law enforcement and a civic leader. As such, he 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 Norma Cirino in recognition of her public service and volunteer efforts to strengthen the community. Norma has worked for the New York City Department of Probation for five years. In this short time, she has made an unforgettable mark on the Department and the East New York community. She was born and raised in East New York. Norma is well known in her ``home neighborhood'' of East New York. She attends all of the 75th Precinct Council, Community Board #5, and Cabinet meetings. She serves on several boards of community organizations. In 2000, she created the annual Department of Probation ``East New York Family Day.'' This event gathers law enforcement, elected officials and community residents at Thomas Jefferson Field for a great day of family fun. This event has drawn over 1,000 participants each year. More than 150 sponsors and many community organizations have made this event possible at no cost to the public. Norma has also developed ``Afternoon with Santa.'' This event is held during the Christmas season and involves probation officers reading stories and distributing toys to the children of the Cypress Hills Housing Development. Norma consistently conducts community outreach and develops affiliations with community organizations and residents. Hundreds of East New Yorkers have been employed, received health services or educational opportunities through referrals received from Norma. Norma has linked community-based organizations to community service work, crews. The work performed by these crews has improved the quality of life in East New York. She has also increased the community's voice in the criminal justice system by helping people report crimes and connecting them with criminal justice services. Finally, she has helped change the community's perception of law enforcement through her affiliation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Weed and Seed program. Norma graduated from Maxwell High School. She takes pride in the East New York community where she lives with her daughter Stephanie, who is the light of her eyes. Her sisters, Lydia and Rosa, her brother, Anthony, all of her nieces and nephews, and her mother live in the community as well. Mr. Speaker, Norma Cirino has dedicated her time to improving the community through both her professional and volunteer efforts. 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 John C. Whitehead for his continued dedication to public service. John was born in East New York and raised in Bedford Stuyvesant by his loving parents, Jesse and Mary. The ninth of twelve children, he was educated in the New York public school system. John previously served his country proudly as a member of the United States Army and Reserves. He has vast experience with many civic groups and community-based organizations. John is a founding member of the youth organization Black Men Who Care. He is the Chief Executive Officer and an Executive Board Member. He is a member of the Men's Caucus for Congressman Ed Towns where he is a Congressional diplomat and Chairman of this year's awards dinner. John is also an executive board member of Community Board No. 5 which serves East New York. John is deeply involved with a number of community organizations. He is an Advisory Board Member of NIA Theatrical Production Company and New York City Works, a Special Advisor to the Committee To Honor Black Heroes, and a member of Black Watch. John has served as a supervisor and youth counselor for the Vanguard Urban Improvement Association, which was founded by Albert Vann (City Councilman and Former Assemblyman), and is the former vice-president of the Spring Creek Tenants Association. John is currently employed by the New York City Department of Sanitation as well as being a licensed paralegal. He has served as Vice-President of the United States Steel Workers Local No. 2, and has worked as a security supervisor for Burns Security. John is a single parent of six wonderful children: John Jr., Jeffrey, Jatina, Dakeem, Jay and Justin. By his example of community service, love of neighbor and a strong work ethic, he strives to teach his children that they can be successful in any endeavor they undertake. John's greatest focus and concern is to be the voice for those hard- working taxpayers who are not being heard. They need and deserve someone to ensure the delivery of quality services to their community. Mr. Speaker, John C. Whitehead has continued to strengthen and improve the community through his wide array of civic activities. As such, he 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, the Legislative Assembly of Punjab recently annulled a longstanding agreement that allowed the diversion of water from Punjab to other states. According to the Tribune of Chandigarh, whose article I will be inserting in the Record at the end of my remarks, the Legislative Assembly asserted the sovereignty of Punjab in doing so. The newspaper reports that the bill passed by the Legislative Assembly says that ``as a sovereign authority [Punjab] considered it its duty to uphold the Constitution and the laws and to protect the interests of its inhabitants.'' Apparently, all parties supported this measure. We congratulate them on taking this step forward to protect the interests of the people of Punjab. I urge them to continue claiming, promoting, and establishing the sovereignty of Punjab. Mr. Speaker, we know that the people of Punjab have been severely oppressed by the tyrannical Indian government. Over a quarter of a million Sikhs have been killed since 1984, according to the Punjab State Magistracy. The Movement Against State Repression reports that 52,268 have been taken as political prisoners, held without charge or trial, some as long as 20 years. According to the Punjab Human Rights Commission, about 50,000 Sikhs have simply been made to disappear by being arrested, tortured, killed in police custody, declared ``unidentified bodies,'' and secretly cremated, without their remains even being given back to their families. Similar repression has been visited on Christians, Muslims, and other minorities. Yet India continues to say that it is the world's largest democracy. If India is truly a democracy, it will allow the will of the people to be carried out in regards to the diversion of water. It will allow the people--Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and everyone living under Indian rule--to enjoy the full range of human rights. And it will allow self-determination for these sovereign states. Until that happens, Mr. Speaker, we should not provide any aid to India. And we should take a stand for self-determination, which is the cornerstone of democracy, by supporting a free and fair plebiscite on independence in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in predominantly Christian Nagaland, and everywhere that people seek their freedom from Indian rule. The assertion of sovereignty by the Punjab Legislative Assembly is a good first step. They should act to claim their sovereignty by severing their ties to India. We should take a stand by letting them know that when they do, we will be there with them. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, I would like to insert the Tribune article into the Record. [From the Tribune (Chandigarh), July 13, 2004] Punjab Annuls All Water Pacts: Cong, Akalis Join Hands on Issue (By P.P.S. Gill) Chandigarh, July 12.--A special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today unanimously passed the Punjab Termination of Agreements Bill, 2004, thereby ``knocking down'' the very basis on which the Supreme Court had passed its order on construction of SYL--Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal on June 4, last. This Bill annuls the December 31, 1981, agreement between Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan signed by the three Chief Ministers in the presence of the late Ms Indira Gandhi and also all other agreements relating to the water of the rivers, Ravi and Beas. This, the Bill says, was done in ``public interest''. The annulment has come after 23 long years with two staunch political rivals, the Congress and the Akalis, joining hands to protect the state's riparian rights. Immediately after the Bill was passed, the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, accompanied by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, PPCC president, Mr H.S. Hanspal, Ms Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Mr Partap Singh Bajwa and a team of legal experts went to Raj Bhavan to meet the Governor, Justice O.P. Verma (retd.), to request him to give his assent to the Bill, as the dead-line for compliance with the Supreme Court order was July 15. The combined delegation spent an hour with the Governor. The Raj Bhavan sources said, ``The Bill is being examined.'' Capt Amarinder Singh told TNS that he had not discussed the Bill with Ms Sonia Gandhi. ``Why involve her? When I go to Delhi, I shall brief her''. Presenting the Bill to the House, Capt. Amarinder Singh made an emotive speech giving facts, figures and background to the entire issue of sharing of river waters and steps taken in the recent past to protect and safeguard the interests of Punjab, particularly the farmers and save nine lakh acres going dry and barren, which would affect the livelihood of 1.5 million families. The Bill says that Punjab was proud of its position in the Indian union, felt equal concern for its neighbours and as a sovereign authority also considered it its duty to uphold the constitution and the laws and to protect the interests of its inhabitants. Under the 1981 agreement, flow series were changed from 1921-45 to 1921-60, which had the result of increasing the availability of Ravi-Beas waters from 15.85 MAF to 17.17 MAF. The allocation of water made to the states concerned under that Agreement was as under: Haryana (non-riparian) 3.50 MAF, Rajasthan (non-riparian) 8.60 MAF, Delhi (non-riparian) 0.20 MAF, Punjab (riparian) 4.22 MAF and Jammu and Kashmir (riparian) 0.65 MAF. Under clause IV of this agreement, Punjab and Haryana withdrew their respective suits from the Supreme Court. But the controversy rages on. The issue has become emotive. Referring to the broad clauses of the proposed Bill, Capt Amarinder Singh maintained that riparian and basin principles were ignored all along and allocation of the Ravi-Beas waters had always been affected by ``ad hoc decisions and agreements, dictated by prevalent circumstances''. Here was a typical case involving ``emotive'' issue of impending transfer of water from ``deficit'' Ravi-Beas basin to the ``surplus'' Yamuna basin. Never any reliable and scientific study of hydrological, ecological and sociological impact of such large scale trans- basin diversion from Punjab to Haryana and Rajasthan had been undertaken. Besides this transfer, diversion was even contrary to the National Water Policy guidelines, he added. Capt Amarinder Singh pointed out, ``Non-riparian and non- basin states of Haryana and Rajasthan are not only not entitled to any Ravi-Beas waters, even their current allocation and utilisation is totally disproportionate to the areas alleged to be falling in the Indus basin. Therefore, Punjab, as a good neighbour, has accepted such utilisations by Haryana and Rajasthan as `usages by sufferance' but not as a matter of any recognition of their rights''. He supported this hypothesis, when he posed the question, ``Does Punjab have surplus water and do the claimants of our water a legal right to it?'' Then, he paused for effect, ``The answer to this question is a resounding `no''', and went on to give the following picture: All three rivers, the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej, flow through the present Punjab and none through either Haryana or Rajasthan. No part of territories of these states fall within the basin areas of the Ravi and the Beas, although, according to un-substantiated report of the Irrigation Commission, only 9,939 sq. kms. within Haryana fall in Indus basin, against 50,305 sq. kms. of Punjab. Again, the present utilisation by Haryana was about 5.95 MAF, about 4.33 MAF from Sutlej and about 1.62 MAF from the Ravi-Beas water, through the existing systems. Also out of 17.17 MAF of ``surplus'' Ravi-Beas water, only 4.22 MAF was allocated to Punjab, a riparian state, against higher quantities to Haryana and Rajasthan. From the total surplus availability of 11.98 MAF of the Beas water, Punjab has been allocated 2.64 MAF. Therefore, justifying the annulling of the December 31, 1981, agreement and all other agreements relating to the Ravi and the Beas, the Bill seeks to present the fact that ground realities have since undergone a sea change from that date and Punjab settlement of July 24, 1985, under the Rajiv- Longowal Agreement. Therefore, this had made the implementation of that 1981 agreement ``onerous and injurious'' to the public interest. The availability of the Ravi-Beas water, 1717 MAF, as on December 31, 1981, has been reduced to 14.37 MAF, as per the flow series of 1981-2002. Haryana has been given 4.65 MA under the Yamuna agreement of May 12, 1994, which will be further augmented by the Sarda-Yamuna link. In the meanwhile, irrigation requirements have increased in Punjab. ``The Punjab settlement, except one para 9, relating to allocation of the Ravi-Beas water, has remained unimplemented in letter and spirit, to date.'' In these circumstances, the terms of 1981 agreement were ``onerous, unfair, un-reasonable and contrary to the interests of the inhabitants of the Ravi-Beas basin, who have law-full rights to utilise water of these rivers''. Is the Bill justified? Will it tantamount to contempt of the court? In his well prepared speech, Capt. Amarinder Singh has addressed such questions, as well. Armed with the House resolution of June 15 that aims to protect the rights of Punjab, legal opinions and all-party resolution of June 12, the Chief Minister said. ``This mandate enables the government to find ways and means to protect the people from adverse consequences of the Supreme Court judgment of June 4. The state had been advised that the obligations arising from an agreement or the contract did not fetter the powers of the legislature to enact a law in public interest. ``We have been further advised that it is a well settled law that the legislature is competent remove or take away the basis of judgment by law and thereby it does not encroach upon the exercise of the judicial power of the judiciary and the legislative action within its competence, do not commit a contempt of court. However, final decision in all these matters lies in the court, as any law enacted by this august House is subject to a judicial review''. When the Bill had been introduced, Mr Parkash Singh Badal stood up to express the collective anguish of the opposition that on such an important item, involving the question of ``life and death'' had been treated lightly by the government and till noon today ``we had no idea of what the agenda was all about nor we had received copy of the Bill or what it was all about''. Mr Badal said the traditions and conventions of the House were being eroded, day-by-day. ``It was also a disgrace that even the information inviting us to meet the Governor after the House had passed the resolution was sent by the Congress president, Mr H S Hanspal, who was not involved in this in any which way. How can we discuss anything at such a short notice? We are against political confrontation and are available 24-hours for any thing related to the interests of the state and are willing to support the government''. Thereafter, the Speaker, Dr Kewal Krishan said he had received a resolution sent by four Akali MLAs, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal and Mr Manpreet Singh Badal, for the consideration of the House. Then, he ruled that since a comprehensive Bill was being presented, they could express their views while speaking on that. Mr Manpreet Singh Badal and Capt Kanwaljit Singh suggested that certain provisions, including Clause 78, in the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, be also annulled. BJP's Tikshan Sud, said though a ``belated step'', the Bill was a welcome and offered full co-operation but rued that the Opposition be given due place and respect. On this the Captain had stated in his reply that whatever steps were required to be taken to protect Punjab's interests would be taken in consultation with the legal experts. The speakers, including Mr Bir Devinder Singh and Mr Jeet Mohinder Singh spoke in the context of historical background, stressing time and again on the riparian principles. Mr Bir Devinder Singh recalled how even the British Government had sought a certificate from Punjab that it will protect its own interests under the riparian rights while selling water to Rajasthan. Mr Bir Devinder Singh even cautioned to be prepared following the enactment of the Act, terminating 1981 and other agreements since new situation would develop. Mr Jeet Mohinder Singh wondered if the Bill would stop the construction of SYL. He was for adding a new amendment in the form of a clause in the Eastern Punjab Canal and Drains Act, 1873 that permission of the state Assembly should be mandatory to dig or construct any canal that carries water beyond the boundaries of the state. Rare bonhomie in House The discussion on the Bill was, however, not without the usual political punches and colour. There were moments when some ministers and opposition members took pot shots blaming either side for having failed Punjab and messed up the water issue. Some Opposition members said had such a Bill been brought forward 23 years ago, Punjab would have been spared the agony. Even the Bill says that in the wake of large-scale militancy, the Punjab settlement was reached, which however, had remained unimplemented in letter and spirit. For once, the House was in a serious mood. There were no political skirmishes, though usual jibes were heard. The Governor's and Speaker's galleries were packed. But it was the Captain's day all the way. Having worked overtime to get this Bill prepared, presented and passed by the House, he responded to the collective anguish of the opposition, expressed by Mr Badal, with utmost humility and courtesy, acknowledging all what Mr Badal had said. But then he point by point not only explained the unusual circumstances, including race against time, under which the Bill in as prepared and thus could not be circulated earlier, giving the members a chance to prepare themselves. Capt. Amarinder Singh was apologetic and said so repeatedly taking the wind out of the sails of the Akalis. He showed faint starchiness in his voice, when he responded to some of the observations of Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, saying, ``We are together here for an important task, not for rhetoric and emotive outbursts. We cannot allow Punjab to go back into the grip of violence''. Warming up, he concluded, ``We will resort to all legal and constitutional means to seek justice. Already enough bloodshed has taken place. Even all the bodies have not been counted, so far. We shall fight to the end but within the parameters of laws, rules and the constitution. I will be willing to resign, if need be, for the sake of Punjab. The time is not for blame game. We have all made mistakes in the past. We are rectifying the same after 23 years. Come, lets join hands, close ranks. I appreciate the Opposition's co- operation''.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Numerous reports and commissions have documented the civil rights problems at USDA. For those who might not be aware of this history, let me give the Members a brief overview. In 1965, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found discrimination in USDA program delivery and in USDA treatment of minority employees. In 1970, a USDA employees focus group report concluded the agency was insensitive to the issues regarding equal opportunity and civil rights. In 1982, the Civil Rights Commission found that USDA's Farmers Home Administration had failed to place adequate emphasis on dealing with the crisis facing black farmers and saw indications that the agency may be involved in the very kind of racial discrimination that it should be seeking to correct. In 1990, the Committee on Government Operations of the United States House of Representatives found that Farmers Home Administration practices were one of the key causes of the drastic decline in black farmer ownership. In 1997 and 1998, CRAT, a special team within the USDA, found systemic discrimination in employment and farm assistance programs. In 1998 the Congress passed a measure which helped African American farmers pursue legal claims against the USDA. In 1999 a Federal court entered a consent decree which allowed many black farmers to recover damages for the years of discrimination they faced at the hands of the USDA. Let me say to the Members, given this sad and sorry history, I must oppose this amendment on that note, to say that we need to have technical assistance, but we need to look at what we are doing. And just to say we are going to do something that really is not going to accomplish anything is not the way to go. So on that note I must oppose the amendment.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Sharon Devonish-Leid in recognition of her dedication to strengthening the community. Sharon is a Community Relations Specialist for the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office in the Community Relations Bureau. In this capacity, she serves as the link between the community, the police, and the DA's office. Ms. Devonish-Leid is responsible for four police precincts (93rd, 69th, 73rd, and 75th), and two police service areas (1 and 2). In this capacity, she has developed the Young People's Law program in the Community Relations Bureau. This program is an offspring of the People's Law School program, which District Attorney Hynes developed to educate adults about the criminal justice system. She is also responsible for developing the East New York College and Career Fair at Maxwell High School. Additionally, she has implemented other informational fairs and conferences that bring important information to our communities. Sharon has always had a passion for the field of law. In fact, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, with merit, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Even as an undergraduate, she participated in community programs that helped others. These experiences helped her develop her interest and skills in community relations. Prior to joining the Community Relations Bureau, she worked as a senior paralegal in various bureaus in the District Attorney's office. She worked as a legal secretary in the Eastern District office of the United States Attorney General. Sharon's biggest love is working with our community's young people as she is always willing to volunteer her knowledge and experience to help others. Remarkably, she plans to serve as an example to our students by continuing her education in law school. Mr. Speaker, Sharon Devonish-Leid has been a shining star in the community by bringing residents and law enforcement together. 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 Keith Alexander Glascoe. This weekend a street in New York City will be dedicated and named in honor of Keith Alexander Glascoe. This is a fitting tribute to an honorable man. In his life, he traveled down many streets and by-ways. The message of his life was to always keep moving down the road and to never be sidetracked by any obstacles. As we know, he played football from the time he was a child. He had the rare ability to be both a team player and an outstanding individual player. He not only contributed to several championships on his high school and college teams, he also had the rare opportunity to try out for the New York Jets and played professional football in Italy. As a testament to his ability to move between many arenas, this athlete was also an actor. And I think that the fact that he was able to accumulate so many acting credits in such a short period of time, not only speaks to his talent, but also his perseverance. Few people have this kind of uncommon versatility coupled with determination. But Keith was not only a determined person, he was a concerned person. He wanted to make things better for others. So this athlete and actor, added public servant to his list of credits. This is why he worked at New York City's Child Welfare Agency and this is why he went to work for the New York City Fire Department. And this is exactly the right street to name in honor of Keith because it is situated between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr Boulevard and Malcolm X Boulevard. Keith's street belongs between these two streets that are named after two African-American men who devoted themselves to improving the lives of ordinary people. Keith Glascoe was the kind of man who saw a problem and wanted to find a solution. He was the kind of man who saw a need and sought to fill it. He was the kind of man who helped others. And gave his life in the process of doing so. That is why it is fitting that we name this street after this great public servant.