Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Anthony Forman in recognition of his important work as a community activist in East New York. Tony, as he is known to his family and friends, grew up in the community of East New York in Brooklyn. A graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, he went on to receive a B.A. Degree in theater and an M.S. Degree and Advanced Certificate in guidance and counseling from the School of Education at Brooklyn College. As part of his academic training in the theater, Tony appeared in several Off Broadway stage productions and worked as a professional model. While pursuing his degrees from the School of Education, he designed a community-based training program for ex-offenders who lack education or job skills. Tony is also a dedicated husband and family man with three sons. Through his work as the office manager for my Pennsylvania Avenue district office, Tony has continued his focus on at-risk young adults. He is a Community Action Board member with the Department of Youth and Community Development. He has also established the East New York Scholarship Fund to assist at-risk youth from low income, resource- deprived communities like East New York. Moreover, because Tony is bilingual in Spanish and English, his work with constituents in need of immigration assistance has been invaluable to the community. In addition to his community work, Tony is an accomplished entrepreneur. He is currently President and Chief Executive Officer for his company, NUBN Prince Enterprises, a partner in Trucomm Construction Company, and a consultant for KRL Group, LLC and the Crescent Consulting firm. These businesses are all based on the principle of empowering one's community through ``TCI,'' total community involvement. Mr. Speaker, Anthony Forman has been truly committed to improving the quality of life for his fellow residents in the East New York community. 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 community activist.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I noticed in the April 3 issue of the Washington Post that Gurcharan Singh Tohra, a Sikh who led the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikhs' highest administrative body, which administers all the Sikh places of worship, called Gurdwaras, in Punjab, died April 1 in a hospital in New Delhi. He was 79 years old. On behalf of my colleagues in the U.S. Congress, I would like to extend my sympathies to Mr. Tohra's family. In this time of loss for them, we all pray for them and for the departed. However, it is important to have the record reflect the actions that Mr. Tohra took against his own people. The Council of Khalistan published a press release on April 6 which details the betrayal of the Sikhs by Mr. Tohra. It is excellent reading and I recommend it to my colleagues. In that press release, the Council of Khalistan took note of Mr. Tohra's invitation to the Indian government to launch its military attack on the Golden Temple, the most sacred of Sikh shrines, in June 1984, in order to eliminate his political rival, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was a strong advocate of an independent Sikh state, Khalistan. Sikhs will be commemorating this brutal attack on June 5 here in Washington. The Indian forces simultaneously attacked 125 Sikh Gurdwaras throughout Punjab and murdered over 20,000 Sikhs in these attacks alone. They shot bullet holes in the Sikh holy scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib. They took young Sikh boys ages 8 through 13 out in the courtyard and shot them at point blank range. Meanwhile, Mr. Tohra, who had said that the tanks would have to roll over his body to get to the Temple, came out with his hands up. The Golden Temple complex is also the headquarters of the SGPC. Mr. Tohra was also in a longstanding political alliance with the corrupt Parkash Singh Badal, who was thrown out of office after running the most corrupt government in Punjab's history--a regime so corrupt that the voters chose the Congress Party, which organized and carried out the Golden Temple attack, rather than re-elect Mr. Badal. Mr. Tohra also was an ally of the Indian government, first under the Congress Party and then under the current regime of the BJP. This is the same Indian government that has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs, Mr. Speaker. It is also holding over 52,000 Sikhs as political prisoners, some since the 1984 attacks! With Mr. Tohra gone, new leaders must emerge. I call on my Sikh friends to make sure that these new leaders are strong supporters of freedom for the Sikhs of Punjab, Khalistan. And as the beacon of freedom, I urge the United States to take action to help liberate the Sikh Nation and all the nations seeking their freedom from India, including Kashmir, predominantly Christian Nagalim, and others. The time has come to stop our aid to India until it respects the basic human rights of all people within its borders and to demand that India act like the democracy it says it is by holding a free and fair vote on the matter of independence for Khalistan, for Kashmir, for Nagalim, and for all the other nations seeking their freedom. This is the democratic way and self-determination is the essence of democracy. It is also the only way to prevent leaders in the mode of Gurcharan Singh Tohra from emerging again to connive with the Indian government to keep the Sikhs in slavery. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's press release on Mr. Tohra into the Record at this time. G.S. Tohra Passes Away at 79 Washington, DC, April 6, 2004.--Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the longtime President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), which runs all the Gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) in Punjab, died of a heart attack April 1 in New Delhi. He was 79 years old. ``We offer our sympathies and prayers to Mr. Tohra's family,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, which leads the struggle for independence for the Sikh homeland, Khalistan, as declared on October 7, 1987. ``We pray for them in their time of loss and may Guru bless this departed soul,'' he said. ``However, it is better to leave a legacy of service and sacrifice rather than a legacy of betrayal as Tohra did,'' he said. ``What Tohra did in life will remain a part of the history of the Sikh Nation. He will not be remembered as a friend of the Sikh Nation,'' Dr. Aulakh said. Tohra connived with the Indian government prior to its invasion of the Golden Temple, the center and seat of the Sikh religion. The Golden Temple is the headquarters of the SGPC. He joined with Harchand Singh Longowal and others in inviting the Indian government to attack the Golden Temple to murder pro-Khalistani leaders Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, and others, even while they were telling the Sikh Nation that Indian tanks would ``have to roll over our dead bodies'' to get to the Temple. From June 3 through June 6, 1984, the Indian government carried out Operation Bluestar, a military attack on the Golden Temple and over 125 other Sikh temples throughout Punjab. More than 20,000 Sikhs were killed in Operation Bluestar. Longowal was assassinated by a patriotic Sikh for his betrayal of the Sikh Nation. ``Sikhs can never forgive or forget the attack on the Golden Temple,'' said Dr. Aulakh. On Saturday, June 5, Sikhs will gather in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of this brutal massacre and desecration. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians since 1948, over 85,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' According to a study by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), 52,268 Sikhs are being held in illegal detention as political prisoners without charge or trial. In September 1995, human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra was kidnapped by police for publishing a study documenting that the Indian government secretly cremated thousands of Sikh youth by declaring them ``unidentified bodies'' after torturing and murdering them. He was murdered about six weeks later while in police custody. His body was never returned to his family. Police SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna murdered former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Singh Kaunke. Although Tohra was not corrupt like former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, he maintained an alliance with Badal, even though he once said publicly that he would not even go near Badal's grave. The Badal regime was the most corrupt in Punjab's history. In 1993, Tohra urged Sikhs to ``prepare for the long struggle'' to liberate Khalistan, yet he maintained a political alliance with the Indian government, first with the Congress Party (which carried out the Golden Temple attack) and then with the militant Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP.) ``It seems as if there were two Gurcharan Singh Tohras,'' Dr. Aulakh said. 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 into taking their share with India on the promise that Sikhs would have ``the glow of freedom'' in northwest India. 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. ``Tohra worked with the Indian government in its most brutal efforts to suppress the Sikh Nation's effort to realize the Guru's blessing by reclaiming its sovereignty,'' he said. ``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 if India is truly a democracy, it should accept the sovereignty of the Sikh Nation,'' he said.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, April 13 is Vaisakhi Day, the anniversary of the founding of the Sikh Nation in 1699. The Sikhs love freedom as we do, Mr. Speaker. They have a long tradition of fighting oppression wherever it rears its ugly head and they have a history of self-rule. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Sikhs in America and the Sikhs around the world a happy Vaisakhi Day. The Council of Khalistan, the organization that is leading the Sikh movement to liberate their homeland, Khalistan, recently published an open letter to the Sikhs, a Vaisakhi Day message. It urged the Sikhs to use the opportunity to liberate their homeland. The letter called upon them to remember the Sikh Nation's heritage of freedom. The letter pointed out the suffering of the Sikhs at the hands of the Indian government. That repression has taken the lives of over 250,000 Sikhs in the last 20 years, in addition to over 50,000 Sikhs who were picked up, tortured, killed, and secretly cremated, declaring their bodies ``unidentified.'' Another 52,000-plus are being held as political prisoners, according to the Movement Against State Repression, a Punjabi human-rights organization. In addition, India has killed more than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 85,000 Kashmiri Muslims, and tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities. Yet the U.S. taxpayer continues to be taxed to send foreign aid to this brutal country. The letter calls on the Sikhs to take the opportunity of Vaisakhi to demand a free and independent Khalistan by means of slogans, by peaceful resistance, and by bringing forth new leadership. It takes note of the death of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, and the political collapse of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to call for new leadership that supports freedom for Khalistan. It notes the seminar held on Khalistan last year, which shows that the desire for freedom remains strong in Punjab. This letter makes a very strong case for a sovereign, independent Khalistan and it does a good job of exposing the brutal tyranny that India has inflicted on the Sikh Nation. Mr. Speaker, how can we, as the bastion of freedom, sit idly by and close our eyes to this terror? The time has come to stop U.S. aid to India. This may be the most effective way that we can influence them to stop the repression of Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities. And if India is the democratic state that it says it is, it should conduct a free and fair vote on the question of independence. This Congress should put itself on record urging India to do this as soon as possible. That is the democratic way to settle issues, and we should use our influence to help this occur. Mr. Speaker, the letter from the Council of Khalistan is very informative. For the information of my colleagues and the public, I would like to insert it into the Record. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, April 6, 2004. Vaisakhi Day Message to the Sikh Nation: Sikhs Will Celebrate Vaisakhi Day April 13 Dear Khalsa Ji: On April 13, the Sikh Nation will celebrate Vaisakhi Day, observing the 305th anniversary of the day Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth. The Guru granted sovereignty to the Sikh Nation, saying ``In Grieb Silrhin Ko Deon Patshahi.'' We must remind ourselves of our heritage by raising slogans of ``Khalistan Zindabad'' and beginning a Shantmai Morcha to liberate our homeland, Khalistan. Every morning and evening we recite, ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.'' Now is the time to act on it. Do we mean what we say every morning and evening? The Sikhs in Punjab have suffered enormous repression at the hands of the Indian regime in the last 20 years. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. In addition, over 50,000 Sikh youth were picked up from their houses, tortured, murdered in police custody, then secretly cremated as ``unidentified bodies.'' Their remains were never even given to their families! Over 52,000 Sikhs sit in Indian jails as political prisoners without charge or trial, according to the Movement Against State Repression (MASR.) Some of them have been in illegal custody for 20 years! The Indian government forgot the Sikh tradition. Sikhs can never forgive or forget the Indian government's military attack on the Golden Temple and 125 other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab. Over 20,000 Sikhs were murdered in those attacks, known as Operation Bluestar, including Sant Janail Singh Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, and over 100 Sikh religious students ages 8-13 who were taken out into the courtyard and shot. These attacks accelerated the Sikh independence movement and deepened the desire for independence in the hearts of Sikhs, a fire that burns brightly in the hearts of the Sikh Nation to this day. Sant Bhindranwale said that the attack on the Golden Temple would ``lay the foundation stone of Khalistan'' and he was right. Late in 2003, former Member of Parliament Atinder Pal Singh organized a seminar on Khalistan at Baba Makhan Shah Labana Hall, Sector 30, Chandigarh. This shows that the flame of freedom is still burning in the hearts of Sikhs. It is time to take action to free our homeland. Repression and genocide of this magnitude at the hands of the Indian government is unparalleled in the late part of the 20th century. India should be ashamed of the genocide it has committed against Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities. With the passing of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, new leadership must emerge at the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC.) In addition, new political leadership must emerge with Prakash Singh Badal under indictment. Mr. Badal's time is not long either. He has had cancer already and he is an old man. This new leadership must be committed to the cause of freeing our Sikh homeland from the repression and brutality of the Indian government by reclaiming our lost sovereignty in a free and independent Khalistan. Khalsa Ji, at this time of Vaisakhi, the whole Khalsa Panth must be energized to reestablish a sovereign, independent Khalsa Raj by freeing our homeland, Khalistan. It is time for Sikhs to look back at our history of persecution and suffering over the past 20 years. The Hindu government of India, whether run by the Congress Party or by the BJP, wants minorities either subservient to Hinduism or completely wiped out. The Indian government and its allies have tried to weaken the Sikh religion by saying that Sikhism is part of Hinduism. If that is true, why have they murdered so many Sikhs? Hindus practice idol worship; Sikhism is monotheistic, worshipping only one God. Hindus believe in the caste system; Sikhs believe in the equality of the whole human race. Remember the words of Guru Gobind Singh: ``Recognize ye all the human race as one.'' In spite of the fact that the religions believe completely opposite things, Hindus desire to engulf Sikhism just as they did with Jainism and Buddhism in India. They think that Buddhism is part of Hinduism because Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was born in India. Similarly, Guru Nanak was born Hindu, so they proclaim Sikhism to be part of Hinduism. Yet Guru Nanak said that he was ``neither Hindu nor Muslim.'' Jesus was born Jewish. Does that mean that Christianity is merely part of Judaism? On this auspicious occasion celebrating the birth of the Khalsa Panth, we must bring back our Khalsa spirit. We must remember our heritage and tradition of ``Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah'' by committing ourselves to freeing our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan, from Indian occupation. We need a new Sikh political party which has a dedication to the interests of the Sikh Nation as its sole objective, to establish Khalsa Raj by liberating Khalistan, severing all political ties with India. If the BJP wants Hindu Raj, it cannot object to Khalsa Raj. The Indian government wants to break the will of the Sikh Nation and enslave them forever, making Sikhism a part of Hinduism. This can only be stopped if we free Punjab from Delhi's control and reestablish a sovereign, independent country, as declared on October 7, 1987. We must recommit ourselves to freeing our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan. Raise slogans of ``Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah,'' ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa,'' ``Khalistan Zindabad,'' and ``India out of Khalistan.'' Use this Vaisakhi to launch a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan. Last year's seminar on Khalistan shows that the flame of freedom still burns brightly in Punjab in spite of the Indian government's brutal repression. Perhaps this is why India is afraid to hold a free and fair vote on the subject of independence. The essence of democracy is the right to self- determination. Remember the words of Professor Darshan Singh, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, during the celebration of Guru Nanak's birthday: ``If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh.'' He was only reiterating the Guru's blessing, ``In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon Patshahi.'' The time to achieve our independence is now. Always remember our heritage: Raj Kare Ga Khalsa; Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah. Freedom for Khalistan is very close. Panth Da Sewadar, Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on August 14, there will be a parade in Washington, DC to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikh religion. It was the revelation of the Sikh Gurus and it is the basis for the Sikh religion and way of life. In June 1984, during India's military assault on the Sikhs at their most sacred shrine, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, and 125 other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab, an original of the Guru Granth Sahib was riddled with bullet holes by Indian forces. This was a gratuitous insult to the Sikh people and a coordinated denigration of their religion. It made it clear to them that there is no place for them in supposedly democratic, supposedly secular India. This will be a major celebration for the Sikh people, over half a million of whom live here in America. They are productive, committed citizens who contribute to every walk of American life and who share a commitment to bring the freedom they enjoy to their brothers and sisters back home in Punjab, Khalistan. There was even a Sikh who served in Congress, Dalip Singh Saund. In addition to the August 14 parade, there will also be a seminar here in Washington on June 5 to commemorate this momentous occasion. Mr. Speaker, we are a diverse country. Our strength has always been the ability to preserve our individuality and diversity while creating a unified society. In that spirit, I would like to take this opportunity to honor the Sikhs of America and worldwide on the 400th anniversary of the Guru Granth Sahib. Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan published an excellent press release about the events that are coming up to celebrate this event, which I would like to place in the Record at this time. 400th Anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib--Remember Bullets Pierced Through Guru Granth Sahib in 1984 Reserve Saturday, August 14, 2004 for a Memorable Celebration, Parade in Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., March 24, 2004.--On August 14, Sikh from around the East Coast will observe the 400th anniversary of the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scriptures. There will be a parade in Washington, D.C. to mark the occasion. The Guru Granth Sahib was dictated 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. In addition, there will be a seminar on Saturday, June 5 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Guru Granth Sahib sponsored by the International Conference on Sikh Studies along with Sikh Gurdwara and institutions of North America. 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. ``This parade and this anniversary will be 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. 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 since 1948, over 85,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' 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 pro-Fascist organization that is the parent organization of the ruling 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 Sahtb is the reigning Guru of the Sikh Nation and reminds us of our heritage and we must offer a fitting celebration,'' he said.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, next month the Sikhs will celebrate one of their most important holidays, Vaisakhi Day. On this day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh constituted the Sikh Nation. He issued a blessing of sovereignty to the Sikhs, a blessing they are looking to reclaim. Vaisakhi Day is one of the most important Sikh holidays and there are over 500,000 Sikhs in this country, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish them all a happy Vaisakhi Day. Hopefully, they will use the occasion to work for freedom for their people. It is an interesting coincidence that Vaisakhi Day happens to fall on the birthday of Thomas Jefferson, author of our Declaration of Independence, who wrote: ``We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute new government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.'' Mr. Speaker, the Indian government has done everything it can to destroy the safety and happiness of Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities living within the country. Is it any wonder that all these groups are seeking their freedom from India's brutal rule? India has murdered over a quarter of a million Sikhs in the past 20 years. It holds over 52,000 of them as political prisoners. More than 300,000 Christians in Nagaland have been murdered by the Indian government, and Christians seem to be targets everywhere else in India too. India has killed over 85,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and that doesn't count the thousands who have been killed in places like Gujarat. Yet India continues to proclaim loudly that it is a democracy. As Jefferson noted, the central principle of a democratic state is ``the consent of the governed.'' How can India claim to have the consent of the minorities it governs so brutally while killing tens of thousands of them? It doesn't make sense to me. The essence of democracy is the right to self-determination. We must do what we can, Mr. Speaker, as a country dedicated to the principle of liberty. We should stop U.S. aid to India until it respects human rights and we should use whatever influence we can to get India to hold a free and fair plebiscite on the question of independence, under international observation. The Council of Khalistan has issued a very informative letter in honor of Vaisakhi Day, which contains a lot of useful information about the occasion and the atrocities that have been committed by India against the Sikhs and others. Therefore, I would like to put it in the Record now, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Vaisakhi Day Message to the Sikh Nation: (By Dr. Gurmit Sigh Aulakh) In 1699 on Vaisakhi Day, 305 years ago, Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth. The Guru granted sovereignty to the Sikh Nation, saying ``In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon Patshahi.'' It is this spirit instilled in the Sikh Nation by Guru Gobind Singh that led them to fight tyrants like lions until they defeated them. We always remember it by reciting every morning and evening, ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.'' Now is the time to act on it. Do we mean what we say every morning and evening? Punjab is the gateway to India. Many invaders have come from the West--the Moguls, the Afghans, and others--to conquer and established their rule in Delhi. Sikhs saw this unprecedented persecution at the hands of invaders and rulers. Banda Singh Bahadur established the first Khalsa Raj in Punjab in 1710, lasting until 1716. Then the Sikh missals again established their rule in the various regions of Punjab in 1765. Maharajah Ranjit Singh established Sikh Raj with Lahore as its capital in 1799, 100 years after the initiation of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhs ruled Punjab under Maharajah Ranjit Singh in the true Sikh tradition, the well being of everybody (Sarbat Da Bhalah). Hindus, Muslims, and Christians were all part of the Sikh government. The Sikh army included Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. A Christian, General Ventura, was in charge of the infantry. The period from 1799 to 1839, when Maharajah Ranjit Singh died, was the Golden Age of Punjab. The sovereign Sikh state of Punjab was recognized by China, Russia, and the European countries. It was the dominant power in South Asia at that time. Sikhs conquered Kashmir from Afghanistan in 1819, making it part of Punjab. The British conquered us in 1849 with the help of their planted agents the Hindu Dogra brothers, Pahara Singh, etc., who connived with the British and betrayed the Sikh Nation. As a reward to the Dogra brothers for their betrayal, the British sold them Kashmir for Rs400,000. At the time of independence in 1947, the Sikh leadership was fooled into taking their share with India by the dishonest Hindu leaders Nehru and Gandhi, while the Muslims got their own sovereign country, Pakistan. Nehru and Gandhi promised that Sikhs would have the glow of freedom in Punjab, but instead we got unprecedented persecution at the hands of the Indian government. In June 1984 they attacked the Golden Temple and 127 other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab. Over 20,000 Sikhs were murdered in those attacks, known as Operation Bluestar, including Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, and over 100 Sikh religious students ages 8-13 who were taken out into the courtyard and shot. If Sikhs cannot protect the sanctity of the Golden Temple, then the Sikh Nation cannot survive as a nation. The Golden Temple attacks set off a wave of repression and genocide that resulted in the murder of over 250,000 Sikhs at the hands of the Indian government. Over 50,000 Sikh youth were picked up from their houses, tortured, murdered in police custody, then cremated by being declared ``unidentified bodies.'' Their remains were never even given to their families! Over 52,000 Sikhs sit in Indian jails as political prisoners without charge or trial, many since 1984. Repression and genocide of this magnitude at the hands of the Indian government is unparalleled in the late part of the 20th century. India should be ashamed of the genocide it has committed against Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities. Khalsa Ji, at this time of Vaisakhi, the whole Khalsa Panth must be energized to reestablish a sovereign, independent Khalsa Raj by freeing our homeland, Khalistan. India is not one nation. It is a polyglot empire thrown together under one roof for the administrative convenience of the British colonialists. It has 18 official languages. History shows that such countries are doomed to fall apart. India will collapse just like the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Soviet Union, and other multinational states such as Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. The cracks are appearing and India is crumbling. The clock is ticking. The Kashmir issue has been internationalized. The United States is now involved in the issue. On December 5, President Bush told me ``I am aware of the Sikh and Kashmiri problem.'' There will be a referendum in Kashmir under international supervision. Kashmir will either be independent or become part of Pakistan. It will not remain within India. As L.K. Advani predicted, ``When Kashmir goes, India goes.'' This time we agree with Mr. Advani. Kashmir will go and India will disintegrate. Khalsa Ji, bring back your Khalsa spirit. Look at Advani having a yatra of India and coming to Amritsar. Punjab belongs to the Khalsa Panth, not to India. He has no right to show Hindu dominance in Punjab. Shame on the Akali leaders like Badal, Tohra, and others who have joined hands with the BJP, which is the political arm of the RSS. We need a new Sikh political party which has a dedication to the interests of the Sikh Nation as its sole objective, to establish Khalsa Raj by liberating Khalistan, severing all political ties with India. If the BJP wants Hindu Raj, it cannot object to Khalsa Raj. The Sikhs in Punjab have suffered enormous repression at the hands of the Indian regime in the last 20 years. The Indian government wants to break the will of the Sikh Nation and enslave them forever, making Sikhism a part of Hinduism. This can only be stopped if we free Punjab from Delhi's control and reestablish a sovereign, independent country, as declared on October 7, 1957. Then Punjab will be a member of the United Nations and we will have Ambassadors in almost 200 countries. Khalsa Ji, remember that a free Khalistan will bring economic prosperity to Punjab farmers. They will be able to sell their produce internationally which will fetch them much higher prices than they are getting now from the Indian government. The Indian government fixes prices of produce so low that farmers get deeper and deeper in debt while they sell fertilizer, seeds, and insecticides to the farmers at artificially high prices. The Indian government has diverted Punjab river water to neighboring states without any compensation to Punjab. Punjab farmers are forced to pump subsoil water for irrigation. This is expensive and brings salinity to soil, which lowers the crop production. Remember, 3 million (30 lakh) Sikhs live outside India. The outside Sikhs are free, prosperous, well educated, professional, and committed to establishing an independent, sovereign Khalistan. The Indian government does not have any control over the Sikh diaspora. Outside Sikhs have exposed the atrocities committed on the Sikhs by the Indian government. Outside Sikhs have also preserved the true history of the Sikhs since 1984 by documenting every incident in the U.S. Congressional Record while the Indian government tries to alter Sikh history. Outside Sikhs are committed to a continuing effort to free Khalistan. Remember the words of Professor Darshan Singh, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, during the celebration of Guru Nanak's birthday: ``If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh.'' He was only reiterating the Guru's blessing, ``In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon Patshahi.'' The time to achieve our independence is now. Khalsa Ji, remain in Charhdi Kala. Always remember our heritage: Raj Kare Ga Khalsa; Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah. Freedom for Khalistan is very close.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Guam (Mr. Bordallo), who has been active on these issues for a number of years and has been a strong voice in the House of Representatives.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 522 and in solidarity with all those who are troubled by the fact that heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular disease claim the lives of more than half a million women each year. A report released by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention indicates that, despite major progress in reducing death rates from heart disease and stroke, these conditions contribute substantially to the Nation's health care crisis. According to the CDC, the epidemic of heart disease and stroke can be expected to continue with an increasing burden and widening disparities unless unprecedented public efforts are mounted to arrest and reverse it. With statistics showing that heart disease currently takes the lives of more women than men, and one in three women die of heart disease, a challenge has been placed at the feet of our public health and health care systems. It is imperative that all that can be done is indeed done to ensure that our mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters are made aware of the risk of heart disease and they receive the quality of care needed to live long, healthy lives. I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for bringing this problem to our attention because this is a worthwhile cause. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder), the primary sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. First of all, I would like to congratulate the gentleman from Arkansas for moving this resolution forward. Some people say, well, it's not going to do anything, but I think it does several things. Number one, I think it makes us focus on the fact that there is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed, and I think that this resolution does that. I think it calls our attention to the fact that there are some serious problems and that we need to address them, and that in order to address them, that we are probably going to need some additional resources in order to do so. This resolution indicates the fact that it is something that we cannot ignore. We must address the issue and we must address it now. I would just like to commend him again for the outstanding job that he has done in bringing this matter to our attention. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3926, the Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act. I would like to commend the work of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working in a bipartisan manner to craft this important legislation and for working to encourage more efficient and widespread organ donation activities. Each day in America, nearly 70 people receive an organ transplant, and while this number is amazing, there are other numbers that are far more troubling. At day's end, 18 people on an organ transplant waiting list will have died because not enough organs are available. Nearly 85,000 men, women and children are currently awaiting life-saving transplants, and every 13 minutes another name is added to the national transplant waiting list. According to the Institute of Medicine, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences, report Organ Procurement and Transplantation, many factors have been found to affect the organ donation rates, including the attitudes of the donor's family, the policies and practices of hospital staff and organ procurement organizations, and the manner in which individuals are approached about a donation. Sadly, while most Americans indicate that they support an organ donation, only about 50 percent of the families who are asked to donate a loved one's organs agree to do so. Equally perplexing is the interplay between cultural attitudes and race/ethnicity and how this affects rates of organ donation among racial/ethnic minority groups. The IOM reports that the perception of fairness and effectiveness in distribution of donated organs is as important as other factors in affecting donation rates beneficially. Members of racial/ethnic minorities comprise approximately 25 percent of the population, yet represent close to 50 percent of patients on organ transplant waiting lists. More than half of those who die while patiently waiting for their gift of life are people of color. The Organ Donation and Recovery Improvement Act establishes grants to States that will be used to assist in carrying out organ donation awareness, public education and outreach activities, and programs designed to increase the number of organ donors within a State. Finally, Mr. Speaker, the bill directs the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality to conduct studies to ensure that efforts to increase organ donation and improve the recovery, preservation and transportation of donated organs are not done in vain. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3926, and I am proud to stand here and to say that this is something that we should do and we should do it right away. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee). (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee) for his moving statement about how important this is. I think he really summed it up. I also thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), and of course the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), and many, many other Members who made this a reality. And I would like to thank the staff that also worked on this bill, because this is life- saving legislation. I think when it comes to saving lives, I think we should try to move as quickly as possible. I hope we can move this bill through the House and it becomes law, and we can make certain that we save lives of people.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the Sikhs will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the compilation of their holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, this year. As you may know, there are over 500,000 Sikhs in the United States and about 25 million worldwide. Observances will include a seminar on June 5 at George Washington University and a parade on August 14 here in Washington. In June 1984, the Indian government launched a military attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the center and seat of the Sikh religion, and 125 other Sikh Gurdwaras throughout Punjab in which over 20,000 Sikhs were murdered. Indian forces shot bullets through the Guru Granth Sahib, which was a major desecration and an insult to the Sikh people and the Sikh religion. They took over 100 young Sikh boys outside and shot them at point blank range. Mr. Speaker, the Golden Temple attack made it clear to the Sikhs that there is no place for them in India's Hindu nationalist theocracy. It is against this background that they declared their independence on October 7, 1987, calling their country Khalistan. The Golden Temple attack is unacceptable to all civilized people. We must work to ensure that human rights are respected in India and that nothing like the Golden Temple attack, the Gujarat massacre, or the campaign of violence against Christians occurs there again. We can help bring that about by stopping our aid to India until it learns to observe basic human rights. We can also help by putting this Congress on record in support of a free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, as India promised the United Nations in 1948, in primarily Christian Nagaland, and wherever the people are seeking independence. This is the democratic way to settle the issue and India claims to be a democracy, so why are they afraid of holding a free and fair vote? Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan has published a press release on the 400th anniversary of the Guni Granth Sahib and the 20th anniversary of the Golden Temple attack. It is very informative, so I would like to insert it into the Record at this time. 400th Anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib; 20th Anniversary of Golden Temple Attack Washington, D.C., March 10, 2004.--On June 5, Sikhs from around the East Coast will observe the 400th anniversary of the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scriptures. During India's June 1984 attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the center and seat of the Sikh religion, the Guru Granth Sahib was pierced by Indian Army bullets. The Sikh Nation will never forget the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib. Political power is essential for the survival of the Sikh Nation. The Council of Khalistan, the organization leading the Sikh struggle for independence, will hold a demonstration Saturday, June 5, from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. in front of the Indian Embassy at 21st and Massachusetts Ave. NW in Washington, D.C. It will commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the attack on the Golden Temple and 125 other Sikh Gurdwaras in Punjab, in which over 20,000 Sikhs were killed, including such major Sikh leaders as Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, and others who had taken refuge in the Darbar Sahib complex. The Indian army killed over 100 young religious students, ages 8 to 13. They were taken out into the courtyard and asked whether they supported Khalistan. When they answered ``Bole So Nihal,'' they were shot. ``This attack, along with simultaneous attacks on 125 other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab, was the clearest sign that there is no place for Sikhs in India,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. ``It is a brutal, tyrannical, fundamentalist Hindu nationalist theocracy,'' he said. ``Sant Bhindranwale said that if the Indian government invaded the Golden Temple, they would lay the foundation of Khalistan,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``He was right. The movement for Khalistan is strong in Punjab. Just last year, seminars were held on the subject. The fire of freedom burns bright in the hearts of Sikhs.'' ``The brutal attack on the Golden Temple and the 20-year wave of repression it set off must never be forgotten,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``Both the Congress Party and the Akalis are complicit in this criminal act against the Sikh Nation,'' he noted. . . . ``India needs to be reminded that 20 years later, Sikhs have not forgiven nor forgotten this brutal atrocity. The younger generation must be reminded of this terrible atrocity.'' In addition to the protest, there will be a seminar on Saturday, June 5 at George Washington University to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib. It will be sponsored by the International Conference on Sikh Studies along with Sikh Gurdwaras and institutions of North America. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians since 1948, over 85,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' 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 Swayamsewarak Sangh (RSS), a pro-Fascist organization that is the parent organization of the ruling 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. 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 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. ``India should also allow self-determination in Christian Nagaland, Kashmir, Assam, and the other nations fighting for freedom. This is the only way to bring lasting peace to South Asia.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, elections have been scheduled in Punjab for May 10. They are part of India's national elections. The Sikhs in Punjab must seize this opportunity. Just changing the faces accomplishes nothing. Replacing one set of oppressors with another is not an exercise in democracy; it is merely proof of the need for independence from the tyranny that is the reality of daily life in Punjab. The Council of Khalistan recently put out an open letter to the Sikhs in Punjab, Khalistan. They called for Sikhs to use these elections to elect officeholders who are committed to freeing the Sikh homeland, Khalistan. Mr. Speaker, this is the only way to end the repression that has killed over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, with more than 52,000 being held as political prisoners. Some of the prisoners are army officers who refused to participate in the brutal military attack on the seat of the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple, in 1984. Others are simply those who participated peacefully in the movement to liberate Khalistan. India claims to be a democratic country. It also claims that there is no support for Khalistan. Why not simply hold a vote on the issue, the democratic way? Instead, this country that loudly proclaims that it is secular and democratic imposes the most brutal repression on the Sikhs and other minorities such as Christians in Nagaland and elsewhere, Muslims in Kas-hmir and throughout the country, Tamils, Dalit ``Untouchables,'' Bodos, Assamese, Manipuris, and others. I join with the Council of Khalistan in urging the Sikhs and all the minorities suffering under Indian oppression to vote for honest candidates committed to freedom for their people. This is the best thing that they can do to free themselves from this brutal tyranny. We can help by stopping American aid to India until all people's basic human rights are respected and by declaring our support for a free and fair plebiscite on the question of independence. These measures will press India to begin living up to the democratic values that they so loudly proclaim. I would like to place the Council of Khalistan's message to the Sikh Nation regarding the elections into the Record at this time. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, March 2, 2004. Open Letter to the Sikh Nation Punjab Elections Set for May 10 Opportunity for Sikh Nation to Claim Freedom Choose honest leadership committed to Sikh Freedom--Don't miss this peaceful, democratic opportunity to liberate Khalistan Dear Khalsa Ji: WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Louise and James McNeil in recognition of their 75th wedding anniversary, celebrated December 27, 2003. Louise and James McNeil, of Fayettville, North Carolina, were married on December 5, 1928. They have been blessed with 12 children, 1 adopted son, 48 grandchildren, 76 great grandchildren, and 29 great-great grandchildren. James still works for his real estate business, McNeil & Sons Real Estate Investments, managing several rental properties that he owns. He started the company in 1960. He started working as a sharecropper and, in 1942, he had saved enough money to buy his first farm, a 25-acre tract. Later that year, James bought another 62 acres with a house on it. He now owns a 160- acre farm. Additionally, Louise has always been heralded as an inspiration for her family. Mr. Speaker, Louise Scott McNeil and James McNeil have dedicated their lives to each other for an incredible 75 years of matrimony. As such, they are more than worthy of receiving our recognition today, and I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable couple.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Medgar Evers College for adding a Baccalaureate degree program in Social Work to its curriculum. Social Work is an invaluable profession for creative and positive change in our communities, and I commend Medgar Evers for fulfilling this vital social need. The announcement of this degree program coincides with National Social Work Month. Being a social worker myself, I know the vital role this profession plays in empowering individuals and enhancing social well-being. Social workers are able to reach the most disaffected members of our communities. People who otherwise would have fallen through the cracks are taught to identify and manage the underlying environmental forces behind their social problems. There are approximately half a million social workers actively involved in helping individuals with various needs in areas such as health, mental illness, diversity, children, families, aging, poverty, human rights, and social injustice. Despite the far-reaching benefits of social work, it is a profession in need of new members. Nearly three fourths of all social workers were born before 1960, and their median age is 50. Programs like the one being started at Medgar Evers are essential for preparing a new generation of social workers to address the complex problems facing society today. Social workers are on the front lines, battling the many social problems plaguing our communities. The very nature and goal of social work is to help people. I cannot think of a profession more worthy of praise or more significant in impact. Medgar Evers College faithfully serves the community by fulfilling its mission of meeting ``the educational and social needs of Central Brooklyn through the development and maintenance of high quality, professional career-oriented undergraduate degree programs in the context of liberal education.'' The creation of a degree in Social Work is another step forward in this fine educational tradition. I know that my own education in social work has been invaluable in both my personal and professional lives, and I am happy that Medgar Evers is supporting this noble and important profession. Mr. Speaker, Medgar Evers College is working hard to serve its community through the addition of a Social Work degree to its curriculum. As such, it is worthy of receiving our recognition today, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in honoring this truly remarkable institution.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay tribute to Stephen and Terri Kevelson, who are being honored by the esteemed Young Israel of Avenue J on the occasion of the synagogue's 25th Annual Dinner. The Young Israel of Avenue J has provided great leadership for both the 10th Congressional District and for all New Yorkers. I stand today to acknowledge two people on whose backs the foundation and ideology of this great institution has persevered. Our city and our nation need demonstrations of kindness, strength, and commitment to the success of our local communities, and the Kevelsons have provided us with just that. The Kevelsons have a unique understanding of both the spiritual and communal needs of the residents of the 10th Congressional District, and have used that knowledge in ways that provide us not only the functional benefits of their work, but also a shining example of what community dedication truly means. From their work in forwarding the Flatbush Mikva, to their involvement with Chaim Berlin and the Young Israel movement the Kevelson's has constantly and consistently served our community above and beyond the call of duty. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to bring to the halls of Congress examples of individuals and organizations who have selflessly devoted their existence to the betterment of those around them. I congratulate both the Young Israel of Avenue J and Stephen and Terri Kevelson on this joyous occasion, and wish them continued success in all their endeavors.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the unsung American heroes. Every day in this great Nation, there are people who work hard, raise their families and contribute to the fabric of the community. They are largely unrecognized in these ivy-covered halls and their names are unknown. Today, I would like to raise my voice to honor one of the unsung heroes of Brooklyn, NY. Mrs. Bertha A. Woodard Johnson is the daughter of the late Sadie Woodard and Richard Wallace. She was born in Chester, SC, and reared by her mother and grandmother. Bertha spent a life providing services for the needy, with a particular vocation of serving children and the elderly. She has worked tirelessly to improve their quality of life through active participation and personal generous donations of her time and talent. This passion to help people led her to become a caregiver and nurse for over 45 years. Before retiring in 1990, she received numerous awards and accolades for her dedicated service, including ``Nurse of the Year.'' Bertha has served the community through her leadership activities in her church and mentoring activities with young people. In addition to her active involvement in the community, Bertha, the wife of Charlie C. Johnson, mother of five children, seven grandchildren, and three great grandchildren, has been a strong pillar of her family. Mr. Speaker, Bertha Woodard Johnson has demonstrated great dedication in her life to her family, devotion to her patients and commitment to the people of Brooklyn. 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, the House is to be commended for swift action this week on S. 1881, The Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act. This bill removes the barriers that would have prevented the program from functioning as intended. I am particularly pleased about the provisions concerning third party inspections, which were included in the bill. The training for the third party inspection program is complete and with passage of S. 1881, the program will finally get underway. S. 1881 also rightly includes an 18-month delay in the implementation of the labeling provisions in section 301 of MDUFMA. During this time, questions concerning the requisite scope of the labeling requirement can be resolved. The agency, industry and the Congress have an interest in reaching a solution that permits the identification of the manufacturer of some categories of products by the end user, yet maintains flexibility for the many other products produced by FDA regulated industries. I am certain all interested parties will continue to work toward that balanced solution. And I look forward to finalizing the labeling provisions in a manner, which meets the concerns of industry, consumers and the FDA.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Bertha Woodard Johnson. Bertha Woodard Johnson is the daughter of the late Sadie Woodard and Richard Wallace. She was born in Chester, South Carolina and reared by her mother and grandmother. Mrs. Johnson spent a life providing services for the needy, with a particular vocation of serving children and the elderly. She has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life through active participation and personal generous donations of her time and talent. This passion to help people led her to become a care giver and nurse for over 45 years. Before retiring, she received numerous awards and accolades for her dedicated service including ``Nurse of the Year.'' In a recent celebration in my district, where people came together to pay tribute to Bertha Johnson, they came from all over. They came from Tampa, Florida. Pastor Giles, of course his wife, Deacon Jackson, her daughter Mary and of course Natalie and Ramona. They just came from everywhere to celebrate the life of Bertha Johnson. She is a person that had done so much to improve the quality of life for so many. There were people there who said ``I would not be able to be where I am if it had not been for Bertha Johnson.'' Not her children but people that she influenced, people that she encouraged to do positive things this life. It was the most moving experience I think I have ever encountered. And I would like to take this opportunity to salute Bertha Johnson; her husband, Charlie Johnson; and all of the Johnson family for the outstanding job that they have done in terms of improving the quality of life for people down through the years and to listen to folks call her Mother that were not even her children but they came and were supportive of her because of the fact that she made such a difference in their lives. There are not too many people around that have the influence and have been able to give the kind of support that Bertha Woodard Johnson has given to so many but recognizing that she could not have done that without the support of her husband, Charlie Johnson, who has been right there by her side and she was able to go out and do things on behalf of people. I would like to say to the House here today we take the time now to salute Bertha Woodard Johnson for the outstanding work that she has done down through the years and say to those that came to encourage her we salute them as well because we can say without any reservation that Bertha Johnson has made a difference and it is a life well lived. We continue to support her and we know that she will continue to do great things on behalf of the people not only in the area where she lives but throughout this Nation. We salute Bertha Johnson on this day.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my special order at this time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I noticed the other day that India is dissolving its Parliament on February 6. They will be having new elections soon, perhaps as soon as March. These elections, unlike ours, change faces, but don't seem to change policy. The repression of minorities continues no matter who wins. This repression has killed over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947, over 85,000 Kashmiri Muslims since 1988, and tens of thousands of other minorities. More than 52,000 Sikhs, as well as tens of thousands of other minorities, continue to be held as political prisoners. Yet India cites elections like the ones upcoming to show that it is a democracy. That isn't very democratic for the minorities, is it, Mr. Speaker? As I have said before, the mere fact that they have the right to choose their oppressors doesn't mean they live in a democracy. Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, has issued an open letter to the Sikhs in Punjab on the elections urging the Sikhs in Punjab to reject all major parties and vote for candidates inclined to support the freedom of Khalistan, the Sikh homeland that declared its independence on October 7, 1987. That is the only way the Sikhs can survive. The Akali Dal is corrupt, he points out, and the Congress Party organized the June 1984 attack on the Golden Temple, the seat of Sikhism. We can support this cause by stopping U.S. aid to India until human rights are fully observed for all people there and by declaring our support for a free and fair vote on the subject of independence for Khalistan, for Kashmir, for Nagalim, and for all the minority nations of South Asia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to put the Council of Khalistan's open letter on the upcoming elections into the Record at this time. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, February 4, 2004. Open Letter to the Khalsa Panth Parliament Dissolved; Elections Coming Sikhs Must Stop Supporting Corrupt Badal, Who Diminished Image of Sikh Nation Only in a Free Khalistan Can Sikhs Prosper Akali Leadership Controlled by Indian Government Dear Khalsa Panth: WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently, the French National Assembly enacted a law banning religious symbols such as ``conspicuous crosses,'' yarmulkes, Muslim headscarves, and Sikh turbans from schools. Many religious organizations spoke out against it, including many Sikh organizations. Belgium is thinking about such a law also. The Council of Khalistan wrote a letter on February 11 noting that none of the other Sikh organizations mentioned the persecution of Sikhs in India or their struggle for freedom in their communications about this law. Yet a free and sovereign Sikh homeland, Khalistan, would have put the Sikhs in a much stronger position to protest these discriminatory and unfair rules. The letter, brought to me by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, the tireless fighter for freedom in South Asia, calls on Sikh organizations to stand up to the repression by working for freedom for the Sikh people. In my years of public service, I have had the privilege of knowing many Sikhs. They are hardworking people and they are very supportive of the cause of freedom. Yet the Indian government's response is to step up the repression in the name of Hindutva--total Hindu domination of every facet of life in the subcontinent. An Indian Cabinet minister even said that everyone who lives in India must either be a Hindu or be subservient to Hindus. Over a quarter of a million Sikhs have been killed by the Indian government in the last 20 years, Mr. Speaker. More than 52,000 are political prisoners. Even one political prisoner is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. Even one government murder is unacceptable, especially when no one is punished for it and especially when the country where it happens proudly proclaims its commitment to democratic values. Over 200 years ago, Americans fought to achieve our independence from an overbearing British monarchy. Today, the Sikhs fight for their freedom by peaceful means, which the Indian government falsely describes as terrorist. We are the beacon of hope for the freedom- loving people of the world, Mr. Speaker. We owe it to them and to ourselves to help them if we can. One way to help is to stop aid to India as long as these egregious human rights violations continue. Everyone is entitled to live in peace and freedom, to go to work and enjoy life with the family and friends. Yet minorities in India are unable to do that because militant Hindus aligned with the RSS, the parent organization of the ruling party, and the government itself in many cases commit terrible acts of violence against Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, Assamese, Bodos, Tamils, Manipuris, and other minorities. This is unacceptable and the hardworking taxpayers of our country should not be called upon to support it. Another measure that we can take is to declare our strong support for freedom through a free and fair plebiscite on independence where it is sought. India is a multinational state and history shows that such states do not survive. By helping to ensure that democracy is allowed to work for the cause of freedom and self-determination, we can make sure that whatever changes occur in the subcontinent happen peacefully. Mr. Speaker, I don't mean to be long-winded, so I will stop here and place the Council of Khalistan's excellent open letter into the Record. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, February 11, 2004. Open Letter to Sikh Organizations and Institutions: An Appeal to the Khalsa Panth only in a free khalistan can sikhs prosper--every sikh must work to liberate khalistan Dear Khalsa Panth: Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! Recently, France passed a law banning the wearing of turbans and other religious symbols such as yarmulkes, Muslim head scarves, and ``conspicuous crosses'' in schools. This is a major violation of religious rights. Belgium is considering a similar law. Sikhs must do whatever we can to protest this unfair, discriminatory action. Because Sikhs are slaves in India, there is nobody to defend the Sikh interests internationally. Recently, an issue came up of the French banning the wearing of turbans in school. If Khalistan were free, the Sikh Nation could call the French Ambassador and tell him to stop this harassment of Sikhs. Our Ambassador to France would tell the French government the same thing: the turban is part of the Sikh religion and Sikhs should not be harassed. When Khalistan is free, we will be in a much stronger position to fight such offenses against our religion. We will be able to exert influence that we cannot bring to bear now. This is just one more reason that the liberation of Khalistan is essential. Yet prominent Sikh organizations like the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), SMART, the Sikh Coalition, and other organizations refuse to mention the oppression of the Sikhs by the Indian regime and the struggle to liberate Khalistan. They are more concerned about their positions than about the Sikh people. These organizations are heavily infiltrated and often controlled by operatives of the Indian government. We appreciate the British Sikh Federation, which continually promotes the cause of Sikh rights and freedom for Khalistan. These other organizations must promote the cause of Sikh freedom as well. Whenever they have the opportunity to communicate with the outside world, they should promote freedom and independence for Khalistan. The Guru granted sovereignty to the Sikh Nation, saying ``In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon Patshahi.'' The Sikh Nation must achieve its independence to fulfill the mandate of the Guru. We always remember it by reciting every morning and evening, ``Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.'' Now is the time to act on it. Do we mean what we say every morning and evening? I urge Sikhs to unite and take action to liberate our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan. It is time to start a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan from Indian occupation. Never forget that the Akal Takht Sahib and Darbar Sahib are under the control of the Indian government, the same Indian government that has murdered over a quarter of a million Sikhs in the past twenty years. The Jathedar of the Akal Takht and the head granthi of Darbar Sahib toe the line that the Indian government tells them. They are not appointed by the Khalsa Panth. The SGPC also is controlled by the Indian government that has brutally murdered our people. These institutions will remain under the control of the Indian regime until we free the Sikh homeland, Punjab, Khalistan, from Indian occupation and oppression and sever our relations with the New Delhi government. The Indian government invaded and desecrated the Golden Temple and 125 other Sikh Gurdwaras throughout Punjab to murder Sant Bhindranwale and 20,000 other Sikhs during June 1984 in Punjab. If Sikhs will not even protect the sanctity of the Golden Temple, how can the Sikh Nation survive as a nation? The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, according to figures compiled by the Punjab State Magistracy and human rights groups. These figures were published in Inderjit Singh Jaijee's excellent book, The Politics of Genocide. According to the Movement Against State Repression (MASR), the Indian regime admitted to holding 52,268 Sikhs as political prisoners. They are being held without charge or trial, some of them since 1984! How can a democratic state hold political prisoners? The regime has made over 50,000 Sikhs ``disappear'' by picking them up, torturing and murdering them, and then secretly cremating them, declaring them ``unidentified.'' Their bodies are not given to their families. The bodies of Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke and Sardar Jaswant Singh Khalra, who were murdered by the police, were never given to their families. Other minorities also feel the lash of Indian repression. India has killed over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland since 1947 and murdered priests, raped nuns, burned churches, and destroyed Christian schools and prayer halls. They expelled missionary Joseph Cooper from the country after militant Hindu nationalists beat him up so badly that he had to be in the hospital for a week. Missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burned to death while sleeping in their jeep by a mob of militant Hindus chanting ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. Since they were allied with the pro- Fascist RSS, the parent organization of the ruling BJP, they were able to commit this atrocity with impunity. Muslims were massacred in Gujarat while the police were under orders to stand aside and let the massacre occur, a frightening parallel to the 1984 Delhi massacres of Sikhs. A policeman told an Indian newspaper that the Gujarat massacre was planned in advance by the government. This kind of treatment of its minorities only confirms the kind of country that India, is. It is a fundamentalist Hindu theocracy, not secular or democratic at all. Remember what Narinder Singh, a spokesman for the Golden Temple, told America's National Public Radio in 1997: ``The Indian government, they are always boasting that they are democratic, that they are secular. They have nothing to do with a secularism, nothing to do with a democracy. They just kill Sikhs just to please the majority.'' Remember the words of Professor Darshan Singh, former Jathedar of the Akal Takht: ``If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh.'' The time to achieve our independence is now. India is not one country. It is a polyglot empire thrown together under one roof for the administrative convenience of the British colonialists. It has 18 official languages. History shows that such countries are doomed to fall apart. India will collapse just like the AustroHungarian Empire, the Soviet Union, and other multinational states. Soon Kashmir will be free from Indian occupation. Now America is involved in it. As L.K. Advani predicted, ``When Kashmir goes, India goes.'' We agree with him and we urge the Indian government to hold a free and fair plebiscite on the question of independence and to sit down with representatives of the Sikh Nation to negotiate the boundaries of a sovereign, independent Khalistan. We want to make sure that India's collapse happens peacefully like that of Czechoslovakia, not violently like the breakup of Yugoslavia. The essence of democracy is self-determination. It is time for India to act like the democracy it claims to be. When I met President Bush on December 5, he personally told me, ``I am aware of the Sikh and Kashmiri problem and we stopped India and Pakistan from going to nuclear war.'' The Sikh diaspora has a moral responsibility to help the Sikh Nation to achieve its sovereignty by freeing Khalistan from Indian occupation. The time has come to liberate our homeland. Sikhs must claim their birthright by liberating Khalistan. Only by freeing Khalistan will we put an end to this corruption and restore control of Punjab and its assets to the people, to whom it rightfully belongs. A free Khalistan is a must for the survival of the Sikh nation and will provide an optimal environment for the Sikh Nation to progress to its optimum potential politically, religiously, and economically. Panth Da Sewadar, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council of Khalistan.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on January 26, India celebrated its Republic Day, the anniversary of the adoption of its Constitution. Now if it would only live by that constitution. The Council of Khalistan organized a successful protest outside the Indian Embassy here in Washington. While India celebrated, minorities are being killed. India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland, over 85,000 Kashmiri Muslims, and tens of thousands of other minorities. There are tens of thousands of political prisoners, according to Amnesty International. These include over 52,000 Sikhs, a study from the Movement Against State Repression showed. That doesn't sound like a republic to me. People came to the protest from all over the East Coast. They chanted slogans like ``Khalistan Zindabad,'' ``Long live Khalistan,'' and many others. They educated the public about the repression of minorities in India while the attendees at the Ambassador's party celebrated India's freedom. We salute India's freedom, but it is time that these benefits extended to everyone within its borders, not just the Brahmin elites and their friends. It is time for the repression to end and for the minorities to live in freedom too. Mr. Speaker, this kind of repression is unacceptable in any country, but especially in one that proclaims itself democratic. Perhaps they feel that this repression is necessary to hold the country together, since India is not a single nation but many nations thrown together under one banner, much like the Soviet Union or the Austro-Hungarian Empire. History shows that such nations cannot long survive. Now I know you're wondering what America can do to help. We should uphold and support the principle of self-determination for all people. The right to self-determination is the cornerstone of democracy. The time has come to end our aid to India so that all the people there can enjoy the glow of freedom. The best way to secure the blessings of liberty for everyone within India's artificial borders is to stop aiding the tyrants who oppress them with U.S. taxpayer dollars. The other thing that we must do, Mr. Speaker, perhaps equally important, is to take a stand for the essential right of self- determination by putting this Congress on record in support of a free and fair plebiscite with international monitoring on the question of independence for all the minority nations of the subcontinent. This will ensure them the opportunity to enjoy the full rights of free people. Mr. Speaker, the Council of Khalistan issued an outstanding press release on its Republic Day protest. I would like to insert it into the Record at this time for the information of my colleagues and the public. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, January 26, 2004. Sikhs Protest Indian Genocide on Republic Day Demand Freedom for Sikh Nation of Khalistan. No Democracy for Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Others Sikhs from around the East Coast demonstrated in Washington, D.C. today to protest the ongoing genocide against the Sikh Nation and other minorities by the Hindu fundamentalist, terrorist Government of India. They raised slogans of ``Khalistan Zindabad'', ``India out of Khalistan,'' ``2-4-6-8, India is a Fascist state,'' and other slogans. India's Republic Day celebrates the day in 1950 when India adopted its Constitution. But what India calls ``Republic Day'' is Genocide Day for the minority peoples and nations of South Asia. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 300,000 Christians since 1948, over 85,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits, and others. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government's murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' 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! ``India is not a democracy for Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, and other minorities,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, which leads the Sikh Nation's struggle for independence. ``The rights guaranteed in the Indian constitution are not enjoyed by non-Hindus,'' he said. ``While India celebrates, Sikhs and others are dying,'' he said. ``Is that something to celebrate?'' Christian missionary Joseph Cooper was expelled from India after a mob of militant Hindu nationalists allied with the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), a pro-Fascist organization that is the parent organization of the ruling BJP, beat him so severely he had to spend a week in the hospital. In 2002, 2,000 to 5,000 Muslims were attacked 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. Indian police arrested human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra after he exposed their policy of mass cremation of Sikhs, in which over 50,000 Sikhs have been arrested, tortured, and murdered, then their bodies were declared unidentified and secretly cremated. He was murdered in police custody. His body was not given to his family. The police never released the body of former Jathedar of the Akal Takht Gurdev Singh Kaunke after SSP Swaran Singh Ghotna murdered him. Ghotna has never been brought to trial for the Jathedar Kaunke murder. No one has been brought to justice for the kidnapping and murder of Jaswant Singh Khalra. ``It is good that American pressure has forced India and Pakistan to talk about Kashmir,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``But the atrocities still continue. Khalistan, Kashmir, and all the nations of South Asia have the right to self-determination,'' he said. ``In a democracy, you cannot rule the people against their will.'' On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared its independence from India, naming its new country Khalistan. On December 5, Dr. Aulakh met President Bush. ``I am aware of the Sikh and Kashmiri problem,'' President Bush told him. 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. India is ruled by Hindu theocrats whose agenda is ``Hindu, Hindi, Hindutva, Hindu Rashtra,'' or total Hindu domination of every facet of Indian life. An Indian Cabinet minister said that everyone who lives in India must be a Hindu or subservient to Hindus. 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. ``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. ``India should also allow self-determination in Christian Nagaland, Kashmir, Assam, and the other nations fighting for freedom to bring peace to South Asia.'' ``As Professor Darshan Singh, a former Jathedar of the Akal Takht, said, `If a Sikh is not for Khalistan, he is not a Sikh','' Dr. Aulakh noted. ``We must continue to press for our God-given birthright of freedom,'' he said. ``Without political power, religions cannot flourish and nations perish.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, as an American and a Democrat, it was not good news when I was informed by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, that Senator John Kerry, the frontrunner for my party's nomination for President, had made a speech in Oklahoma on January 31 in which he described the Sikhs as terrorists. This is a mistake on Senator Kerry's part and one I hope he will correct promptly. I have been following South Asian affairs for some time now and I can tell you that Sikhs are committed to freedom. I have met members of the Sikh community here in the United States, which is half a million strong, and they are hardworking people who are dedicated to their families, their religion, America, and freedom for their Sikh brothers and sisters back home in Punjab, Khalistan. The Indian government has been oppressing the Sikhs ever since independence. Shortly after India got its independence, the Indian government sent out a memo describing Sikhs as ``a criminal class'' and ordering police to take special measures to suppress them. This is shameful. Since 1984, India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs, according to the Punjab State Magistracy and human-rights organizations. They hold over 52,000 political prisoners. Some have been in illegal custody without charge or trial for 20 years, Mr. Speaker. Two decades! Is that a democratic way to do things? India's propaganda machine is working overtime to maintain this false picture of Sikhs as a ``criminal class'' devoted to terrorism. They have even hired two lobbying firms, expensive ones, to carry out this work. Unfortunately, it appears that they managed to misinform the Senator from Massachusetts on this matter. I am sure he will correct himself soon, and I urge him to do so. In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, it is up to us to do what we can to press for democracy in the subcontinent. Cutting off India's aid would be a good start. This is one of the most effective ways to promote basic human rights for everyone in South Asia. Another very effective means would be to call on India to hold a free and fair vote on the question of independence, the democratic way. By doing this, we help bring the glow of freedom and the blessings of liberty to everyone in that troubled part of the world. I also call on Senator Kerry to recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Sikhs and the others fighting to free themselves from the yoke of Indian oppression. That they are doing so by peaceful, democratic, nonviolent means shows that the Indian government's picture of them as terrorists is false. I await the Senator's correction. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to add the Council of Khalistan's letter to Senator Kerry requesting a correction and repudiation of his statement to the Record so that people can see the real situation in South Asia. Council of Khalistan, Washington, DC, February 11, 2004. Senator John F. Kerry, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Kerry: I am writing to you today on behalf of half a million Sikh Americans and over 25 million Sikhs worldwide to say that your remarks equating Sikhs with terrorists were offensive to the Sikh community. While giving a speech in Oklahoma, you referred to ``the Sikhs in India'' as an example of terrorism. Sikhism is an independent, monotheistic, revealed religion, not a part of any other religion. Sikhs are distinctive by our religion, language, and culture from any other people on Earth. Sikhs ruled Punjab from 1710 to 1716 and again from 1765 to 1849. Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians all participated in the government. Sikhs are a separate nation and people. At the time of India's independence, three nations were to receive sovereign power: the Muslims, who got Pakistan, the Hindus, who got India, and the Sikhs. Sikhs took their share with India on the solemn promise that Sikhs would enjoy ``the glow of freedom'' in Punjab and no law affecting Sikh rights would be passed without our consent. Instead, almost as soon as the ink was dry on India's independence, Nehru sent out a directive describing Sikhs as ``a criminal class'' and ordering police to take extraordinary measures against us. Since June 1984, India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs, according to figures compiled by the Punjab State Magistracy and human rights groups and published in the book The Politics of Genocide by Inderjit Singh Jaijee. A report from the Movement Against State Repression (MASR) shows that India admitted to holding 52,268 Sikhs as political prisoners. Some have been in illegal custody since 1984! Tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political prisoners, according to Amnesty International. Indian forces carried out the March 2000 massacre in the village of Chithisinghpora, according to two independent investigations. Indian forces were caught red-handed trying to set fire to a Sikh Gurdwara and Sikh homes in a village in Kashmir. Sikh and Muslim villagers joined hands to stop them. The book Soft Target, written by two Canadian journalists, Zuhair Kashmeri of the Toronto Globe and Mail and Brian McAndrew of the Toronto Star, shows conclusively that the Indian government blew up its own airliner in 1985, killing 329 innocent people, to blame it on the Sikhs and have an excuse for more repression. Other minorities such as Christians and Muslims, among others, have also felt the lash of Indian repression. Over 300,000 Christians in Nagaland have been killed by the terrorist Indian regime. Nuns have been raped, priests have been murdered, churches have been burned, schools and prayer halls have been destroyed, all with impunity. A mob of militant Hindus affiliated with the parent organization of the ruling BJP murdered missionary Graham Staines and his two sons by burning them to death while they slept in their jeep, all the while chanting ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. India threw missionary Joseph Cooper from Pennsylvania out of the country after he was beaten so severely that he had to spend a week in the hospital. A Christian religious festival on the theme ``Jesus is the answer'' was broken up by police gunfire. Almost two years ago, Muslims were massacred in Gujarat while police were ordered to stand by and do nothing, according to Indian newspaper reports. One newspaper quoted a policeman as saying that the Indian government planned the massacre in advance. This is an eerie parallel to the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi, in which police were locked in their barracks while the state-run radio and television called for more Sikh blood. An Indian Cabinet minister was quoted as saying that everyone who lives in India must either be a Hindu or be subservient to Hindus. This kind of religious fanaticism as state policy is dangerous and anti-democratic. We would not want it in America; why should we support it in India? On October 7, 1987, Sikhs declared their independence from India, naming their new country Khalistan. We are committed to liberating Khalistan by peaceful, democratic, nonviolent means. History shows that multinational states such as Austria-Hungary, the Soviet Union, and India are doomed to fall apart. We intend to see that this happens peacefully, in the manner of Czechoslovakia, not violently like Yugoslavia. Yet simply supporting a sovereign, independent Khalistan is what India calls terrorism. The 20,000 Sikhs who were murdered in the June 1984 attack on the Golden Temple and 37 other Sikh Gurdwaras throughout Punjab were not terrorists. They were seeking refuge from the Indian government's tyranny. Yet the Indian government insists on describing them as ``terrorists,'' as if repeating it often enough will make it true. Senator Kerry, we respectfully request that you apologize to the Sikh Nation and the Sikh community in the United States for your remark. I urge you to support measures to bring freedom to all the people of the subcontinent. Sikhs share the commitment to freedom you showed when you fought in Vietnam and in your service in public office. There was even a Sikh member of Congress in the late 1950s, Dalip Singh Saund of California. We look forward to working with you in the future to bring the blessings of liberty to everyone in the subcontinent. If you would like any further information or would like to meet about these issues, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council of Khalistan.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Marvin L. Lifshutz in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments in the field of health care law. Marvin has specialized in the representation of health care professionals for 40 years. He has represented individual physicians, medical groups, medical staffs at hospitals and medical societies. He represents private practices and hospital-based practices for a variety of specialty clients, including the negotiation of exclusive contracts for employees, independent contractors and chiefs of departments. In the area of managed care, he has created the organizational structures for independent practice associations and their by-laws, negotiated contracts with health maintenance organizations as well as union health care contracts. He has also formed large and small groups of health care providers in setting up medical clinics. Marvin has assisted in mergers as well as the purchase and sale of medical practices for all subspecialties. He has also represented health care providers who provide Medicare or Medicaid services in the State of New York. Marvin currently represents physicians and physician groups in managed care negotiations and also represents companies acquiring management service organizations (MSOs) that are in the process of going public. With such a wealth of information, he has shared his expertise on health care law with business, health and legal groups. He lectures at the State and County Medical Societies as well as the health care division of the C.P.A. Society on issues of medical practices, managed care, hospital staff privileges, limited partnerships and asset protection for physicians. Marvin also has several medical societies as clients and has lectured at many hospitals to the attending medical staff on different health care issues. Additionally, he has lectured to residents at different hospitals throughout New York State. Marvin also represents large health care groups in negotiating different contracts for various HMOs. He has formed many multiple specialty groups with MSOs and has negotiated with investment bankers who are acquiring many health care groups which are going to be taken public. Marvin has served as a consultant to a number of hospitals on different matters that pertain to their needs, and in conjunction with other groups he has performed compliance studies for large health care organizations. Mr. Speaker, Marvin L. Lifshutz has demonstrated exceptional skills and knowledge in the field of health care law and continues to provide important representation in this 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.