Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, today, we will commemorate the 140th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation with the passage of H. Con. Res. 36. In recognition of today's action, Mr. Speaker, I also want to honor the memory of Annie Lee Pinchback, a matriarch of one of America's historic Black families. Annie Lee Pinchback was born to the late James Lucius and Elizabeth Booker on November 7, 1911. Known as Mama to all, Annie Lee was educated in the Danville Virginia School System, graduating from West Mollen High School in Danville, Virginia. At an early age, she married the late Mr. William T. Pinchback, a direct descendent of the nation's first African-American Governor, P.B.S. Pinchback. Five children were born out of their union: Mrs. Elizabeth Crosland, Mrs. Gloria Tucker, Mr. James Lucius Pinchback, Mrs. Canzada Allaway and Mr. Harry T. Pinchback. She and her husband relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to live with her aunt. In later years, she moved to Brooklyn, New York. For forty years, Annie Lee worked as a seamstress at Admiral Embroidery in the New York City Garment Center. In 1936, she made Mount Lebanon Baptist Church on the Hill on Howard Avenue and Herkimer Street, her church home. Annie Lee served there as an usher; was a member of the Helping Hand Club; and served as Treasurer of the All- State Club. She also sang in the R.A. Laws Ensemble Choir and the Sanctuary Choir until her health failed her. In 1962, she met the late Worthy Matron, Sister Fannie Johnson and joined the Order of Eastern Star, Maria Chapter #18 O.E.S. of Brooklyn, New York. While Annie Lee departed this life on November 26, 2002, her memory will live on through her brother and sister as well as her five children, her eighteen grandchildren, forty-six great-grandchildren, and thirteen great-great-grandchildren. I would urge my colleagues to take note of the great life and work of the great woman, Annie Lee Pinchback who is more than worthy of the recognition that we will bestow her today.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, recently, the Canadian courts accepted a plea bargain from Inderjit Singh Reyat in a case related to the bombing of an Air India jet in 1985 that killed 329 people. The plea covers up the clear and strong evidence that the Indian government itself blew up the airplane. The book Soft Target, written by Canadian journalists Zuhair Kashmeri of the Toronto Globe and Mail and Brian McAndrew of the Toronto Star, shows that the story agreed to by Mr. Reyat matches a story first suggested in 1985 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). A Sikh named Lal Singh reported that he was offered ``two million dollars and settlement in a nice country'' for false testimony in the case. He turned down that offer. There are some questions about whether the evidence in Reyat's first trial was valid, according to the National Post. Canadian Member of Parliament David Kilgour wrote a book called Betrayal: The Spy Canada Abandoned about a Polish-Canadian double agent who was approached by the Indian government to carry out a second bombing. Soft Target shows that the Indian Consul General in Toronto knew more than the RCMP and the Canadian Security Investigative Service (CSIS) in the early hours of the investigation. Why did his daughter and wife, a friend of his who was an auto dealer, and the director of North American operations for the Indian government all cancel their reservations on the doomed flight at the last minute, Mr. Speaker? Even if the Indian government's story that a Sikh carried the bomb onto the plane is true, it implicates them. The person they have identified is associated with a Sikh activist named Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan, who was identified in the book Chakravyuh: Web of Indian Secularism as someone who has been supported by the Indian government and has worked at its behest, including cooperating with them on the attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar in June 1984. Thus, even the Indian government's own version of the story places the blame squarely on the Indian government. Back on July 26, 1992, the, India Monitor reported the arrest in Bombay of a Sikh named Manjit Singh in connection with the Air India case. The RCMP, however, said it knew of no Manjit Singh and he was not a suspect. The Indian government has been desperately trying to pin its crime on the Sikhs for years. The Council of Khalistan has issued an excellent press release on the Reyat case. I would like to place it in the Record at this time, Mr. Speaker. Canadian Courts Cover Up Indian Complicity in Bombing Reyat Plea Matches RCMP Story Suggested in 1985 Questioning Washington, DC., Feb. 12, 2003.--The recent plea bargain by Inderjit Singh Reyat in the 1985 Air India crash is the result of a concerted Indo-Canadian effort to cover up the Indian government's own responsibility for this atrocity that killed 329 innocent people, said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, which leads the Sikh Nation's struggle for independence. The book Soft Target, written by respected Canadian journalists Zuhair Kashmeri of the Toronto Globe and Mail and Brian McAndrew of the Toronto Star, clearly established that the lndian government is responsible for the bombing. The book quotes an investigator from the Canadian Security Investigative Service (CSIS) who said, ``If you really want to clear up the incidents quickly, take vans down to the Indian High Commission and the consulates in Toronto and Vancouver, load up everybody and take them down for questioning. We know it and they know it that they are involved.'' Mere hours after the incident, while the CSIS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were still retrieving the passenger list stored in the Air India computer, Indian Consul General Surinder Malik called the Globe and Mail to tell them to look for an ``L. Singh'' on the passenger manifest. How could Malik have known this? ``L. Singh'' turned out to be a Sikh named Lal Singh. Lal Singh told an Indian newspaper that he was offered ``$2 million and settlement in a nice country'' to testify falsely against the three individuals that Canada has charged with the bombing, an offer he refused. Curiously, Consul General Malik knew more details about the case than the police did. Malik had pulled his wife and daughter off the flight suddenly, claiming that his daughter had a paper to write for school. A Canadian auto dealer who was a friend of Malik's cancelled his reservation on the flight at the last minute, as well. So did Siddhartha Singh, head of North American Affairs for external relations in New Delhi. In addition the sister-in-law of the head of the Canadian wing of Dal Khalsa cancelled her reservations. Dal Khalsa is a political party formed by Zail Singh, who was President of India when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. How did all these people affiliated with the Indian government come to cancel their reservations at the last minute? The story told in court in connection with Inderjit Singh Reyat's plea bargain matches in significant detail the story pressed upon him at the time of his initial arrest in November 1985, which he denied. An RCMP agent named Glen Rockwell told Reyat that he could get off the hook if he said that others hatched the bombing plot and sought his assistance and that he didn't know what he was doing. Reyat replied ``I didn't help killing those people. No way.'' He said that Talwinder Singh Parmar, who has since been murdered by the Indian police, wanted to send some kind of explosive device to India. These details match the ``statement of facts'' at Reyat's trial. The Indian Consul General planted a story in the Globe and Mail claiming that Reyat was given a parcel to carry onto the flight by Jagdev Nijjar, whose brother was in the inner circle of Jagjit Singh Chohan, who claims to be a Khalistani leader, but who was exposed in the book Chakravyuh: Web of Indian Secularism by Professor Gurtej Singh IAS in letters showing that he connived with the Indian government in planning the attack on the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Chohan is also tied to Dal Khalsa. If the Indian government really believes that Chohan's followers were involved in the incident, then why wasn't Chohan arrested when he returned to India last year? A Member of the Canadian Parliament, David Kilgour, confirms the Indian government's involvement. In his book Betrayal: The Spy That Canada Forgot, he writes about a Canadian-Polish double agent who was introduced to Indian government agents. They asked him to join in their plot to carry out a second bombing of an Air India jet, telling him that ``the first one worked so well.'' The evidence clearly continues to show that the Indian regime blew up its own airliner to damage the Sikh freedom movement,'' said Dr. Aulakh. ``This is consistent with the pattern of Indian government efforts to protect its tyrannical rule over the minorities of South Asia'' The government of India has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, more than 200,000 Christians since 1948, over 85,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, and tens of thousands of Tamils, Assamese, Manipuris, Dalits (the aboriginal people of the subcontinent), and others. Last March, the Indian government murdered 2,000 to 5,000 Muslims in Gujarat, according to the newspaper The Hindu. Over 52,000 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners. The Indian Supreme Court called the Indian government murders of Sikhs ``worse than a genocide.'' On October 7, 1987, the Sikh Nation declared the independence of its homeland, Punjab, Khalistan. No Sikh representative has ever signed the Indian constitution. The Sikh Nation demands freedom for its homeland, Khalistan. ``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 and all the nations of South Asia,'' Dr. Aulakh said.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to Mrs. Clementine Wrenn Odom is often referred to as ``The Tax Lady,'' because in the late 1940's she began to help farmers with their income tax filings and soon found herself in the tax business. For her services, a farmer would often give her ham, bacon, vegetables or other perishable items. She received so much that she purchased a freezer! When asked what she charged, her reply was usually ``whatever you can afford to give me'' and to this day she has served four generations of families. She was born February 15, 1916 in Smithfield, Virginia to Fred Douglas and Norma Whitehead Wrenn. Although formal education for African-Americans ended after 6th grade, she attended boarding school in North Carolina and then went on to attend Virginia Union University and graduated from Virginia State College. Her teaching career came to an end when she married Mr. Woodrow Odom, a Hampton Institute graduate who came to Isle of Wight County as an agricultural extension agent. In 1960, Mrs. Odom accompanied her husband to Ghana, West Africa where he was Extension Advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture. She established the first Head Start Center in Isle of Wight County, Virginia and neighboring counties. She taught in a one-room school for 12 years in Surry County, Virginia until 1937 and never let a child's need go unmet. When the African-American students at the school wanted to form a band, she went to the music director at Virginia State College for guidance and organized the fundraisers and got several of the instruments donated. Mrs. Odom is an accomplished musician and mastered the piano and pipe organ at an early age. She taught piano lessons in her home and was organist and director of music at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. She is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including Woman of the Year (twice) and the ``Pinnacle of Success'' award; but she still considers her family her greatest achievement. She has three daughters and a son, ten grandchildren (one deceased) and one great-granddaughter. Her children and eight of the nine grandchildren are college graduates, several with advanced degrees. Mr. Speaker, I hope that all my colleagues today will join me in paying special tribute to not only an everyday ordinary woman, but also a woman who has done extraordinary things in her time! I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, today, along with my colleagues, Mr. Upton and Mrs. Wilson, as original co-sponsors, I re-introduce the ``Telecommunications Development Fund Improvement Act.'' The Telecommunications Act of 1996 included an important provision, which I co-sponsored with the former Subcommittee Chair, Mr. Fields, to expand the availability of investment capital to small businesses in the telecommunications industry working to develop new technologies to improve telecommunications services to under-served urban and rural communities. The 1996 Act created the Telecommunications Development Fund (``TDF'') and financed the Fund from interest collected on the initial deposits the FCC required of all bidders in the FCC's spectrum auctions. Currently, in order to qualify to participate in FCC auctions of spectrum for telecommunications services, the FCC requires prospective bidders to deposit a specified dollar amount with the FCC. Under the legislation adopted in 1996, the FCC places these deposits--sometimes called ``up-front payments''--in an interest-earning account. A ``successful bidder'' is identified through the auction process. The ``deposits'' of the unsuccessful bidders that had been held by the FCC are returned to these bidders without interest. The principal amount of the successful bidder's deposit is paid to the U.S. Treasury. The interest earned on the upfront payments of all the bidders is remitted to the TDF. Prior to the 1996 Act, tens of millions of dollars of bidders' deposits had been held in non-interest bearing accounts. By requiring that these funds be held in interest-bearing accounts, Congress provided a mechanism to finance the important goals of the TDF without any budgetary impact, without requiring any appropriations and without imposing either new taxes or fees. To date, fifty million dollars has been collected--at no cost to the taxpayer or the regulated industry-- from interest earned on spectrum bidder's deposits. But more could be done to make telecommunications products and services available to under-served communities--rural and inner city--of every kind. Once the successful bidder has been identified through the auction, a formal licensing process gets underway. At that time, the successful bidder is required to increase the amount of the deposit held by the Federal Government to 20 percent of the amount of the successful bid. The remainder of the successful bid is payable when the license is issued. Typically, a number of months pass between when the successful bidder is identified and when the license is formally issued by the FCC. The interest that could be earned on the additional deposits-- sometimes called ``down payments''--during the licensing process represents a significant source of funding for the TDF. Unfortunately, despite the language of the 1996 Act--which makes no distinction between bidders' ``up-front payments'' and successful bidders' ``down payments,'' referring to both simply as ``deposits,''-- the FCC has not required increased ``down payment'' deposits of initially successful bidders to also be placed in interest bearing accounts for the benefit of the TDF. As a consequence, small telecommunications companies, and the people in under-served urban and rural areas that might have been the beneficiaries of the technology these companies are working to develop, have been deprived of access to tens of millions of dollars of additional investment capital that the TDF could have made available. This additional source of investment capital would have come from the interest that could have been earned on the additional down payment deposits during the period between the identification of the successful bidder and the issuance of the license. The Telecommunications Development Fund Reform Act (``TDFIA'') rectifies this drafting oversight to close the loophole created by the FCC. The TDFIA renames the bidders' initial deposits as ``up-front payments'' and preserves existing law treatment of the interest earned on these payments. The TDFIA also defines the additional deposits made by successful bidders as ``down payments'' and treats these down payments the same way as existing law treats the bidders' initial deposits/up-front payments, i.e., the down payment funds will be required to be placed in an interest-bearing escrow account and, upon issuance of the license, the interest earned will be required to be remitted to the TDF. The amendments made by the TDFIA are purely prospective in effect, applying only to future FCC spectrum auctions. The amendments would have no effect on existing down payments held by the FCC in connection with previously conducted auctions. In particular, the TDFIA would have no effect on the controversy or pending litigation related to the so- called ``NextWave'' licenses, and would not affect any bidder's entitlement to a refund of deposited funds or any bidder's claim for payment of interest on any refund. The FCC does not oppose these provisions of the TDFIA. Finally, the 1996 Act requires the TDF to satisfy the requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (``FCRA''), 2 U.S.C. Sec. 661 et seq., prior to making loans. Except for this reference, the FCRA applies only to loans made by Federal Government agencies. One of the purposes of the FCRA was to ``place the cost of [Federal] credit programs on a budgetary basis equivalent to other Federal spending.'' 2 U.S.C. Sec. 661(2). Consistent with this purpose, among the provisions of the FCRA are requirements for ``budgetary authority'' in an appropriations act to cover the cost of new Federal loans or loan guarantees, 2 U.S.C. Sec. 661c(b), and application of budgetary accounting requirements to loans subject to the FCRA, 2 U.S.C. Sec. 661c(d). These requirements have no logical application to the TDF's funds, which are not subject to congressional appropriations or the Federal budget process. The Office of Management and Budget, to which administration and oversight of the FCRA is entrusted, concurs with this view. Imposing the requirements of the FCRA on loans made by the TDF has erected an insurmountable barrier to the use of loans by the TDF as a financing option, notwithstanding the intent of the 1996 Act that the TDF be authorized to make loans to credit-worthy small businesses. By making TDF subject to FCRA, TDF would be required to obtain appropriations before it could make loans to prospective borrowers. Requiring the TDF to comply with the FCRA makes no sense from a policy standpoint (TDF receives no appropriated funds) and can only be explained as a drafting error. The TDFIA repeals this requirement to enable the TDF to enjoy the same flexibility in making loans as any other non-governmental entity. The amendment to the TDF's loan authority made by the TDFIA preserves the requirement that the TDF comply with any other ``applicable'' Federal law in making loans to eligible small businesses. The amendment to the TDF's loan authority made by the TDFIA is narrowly focused and does not affect the existing substantive criteria of the 1996 Act under which the TDF is authorized to make loans. Madam Speaker, I hope that the Commerce Committee will schedule hearings on this important technical amendment to the 1996 Telecommunications Act and report the Bill to the full House for consideration early in this Session. I invite my colleagues to join me in passing this important legislation at a time when infusion of additional capital investment into struggling small telecommunications companies may help create jobs, stimulate new technology and expand telecommunications services to under-served urban and rural areas of the nation suffering from the current economic slowdown. This legislation can stimulate important economic activity without enactment of new taxes, appropriation of additional federal funds or any adverse effect on the federal budget deficit. I recommend it to my colleagues for their consideration and thank Mr. Upton and Mrs. Wilson for their support of this worthy endeavor.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Alma Matilda Walters on the occasion of her 100th birthday, which will take place next week on February 22nd. Mrs. Walters was born on February 22, 1903, in Palmetto Point, St. Kitts, British West Indies. She immigrated to the United States in her early teens and like so many immigrants of that era, she entered the U.S. through Ellis Island. Mrs. Walters eventually settled in Jersey City, New Jersey, married and raised her first five children (Delores, Irene, Marjorie, Florence and John) there. Her first marriage ended in divorce and she was forced to raise her children as ``a single mother'' well before the phrase became a part of today's popular culture. Mrs. Walters did so while working as a church assistant and domestic worker to the Lerner family, the owners of the Lerner clothing store chain. Mrs. Walters worked as a nurse's aide at Community Hospital in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood for many years. She was an active member of Local 1199 and participated in union activities during her working years as well as after her retirement in 1977. She was also an active member of the Miller Avenue Block Association and a life-long Democrat. Later in life, she met and married M/Sgt. Ulysses Walters. The Walters traveled throughout the United States and lived in Texas, Oklahoma and Georgia before returning to Brooklyn, New York in 1963. Together, they adopted a son, Frank Edward. Mrs. Walters' husband, Ulysses, died in 1975. Mrs. Walters resided at 399 Miller Avenue in the East New York section of Brooklyn from 1964 until the spring of 2000 when she suffered a hip fracture and needed extensive nursing care. She is currently residing at the Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Mrs. Alma Matilda Walters currently has 96 direct descendants who are alive. This number includes six generations. She is an outstanding example of a woman who came to America to improve her own life and contributed in many ways to the success of her family, children and community. She struggled and endured during some of the most difficult times in our history. Although she only had the equivalent of an eighth grade education, she always inspired each of her children to be the best at whatever they chose to do in life. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the lifetime achievements of this remarkable woman, Mrs. Alma Matlida Walters, as she celebrates her 100th birthday on February 22, 2003.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me in recognizing the importance of National Burn Awareness Week. Burn Awareness Week is February 2-8, and provides an opportunity to educate children and families about the risks that lead to unfortunate and tragic accidents, particularly for the youngest and most vulnerable-- our babies and children. Unfortunately, infants and young children face greater risks from burn injuries than adults or older children. They rely more on the adults around them to ensure their environment is safe and free from potential burn-causing hazards. That is why in addition to treating over 20 percent of all pediatric burns in the Nation at their four national burn centers in Boston, Galveston, Cincinnati and Sacramento, Shriners Hospitals focus on education and prevention of burn injuries. The Shriners Hospitals for Children is a unique charitable organization that has never sought nor received federal, state, local or third party funding of any kind. Additionally, Shriners Hospitals are distinctive in that they offer full physical, psychological, and emotional care to all the children they treat. The annual budget for the 22 orthopaedic and burn hospitals totals over half a billion dollars, and has an active patient roster of over 156,000 children. It is obvious how important the Shriners Hospitals are to the health of our children. The Shriners Hospitals are 100 percent free, despite the fact that they will spend $1.5 million dollars on children every 24 hours in 2003. In recognition of Burn Awareness Week, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to commend such charitable organizations as the Shriners Hospitals that contribute greatly to the care, education, and research necessary to treat and work to prevent children's burn accidents. I also intend to support the Shriners Hospitals' efforts by sponsoring a bill that will help to prevent burn accidents by strengthening the flammability standards for children's sleepwear. I hope my colleagues will help to support me in this effort.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on January 28, the New York Times ran an article about New Jersey lawyer Ravinder Singh Bhalla. Mr. Bhalla won a significant victory for civil rights when he got the rules changed regarding searches at our prisons. Mr. Bhalla went to visit a client at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where I am from. The guards would not let him in because he refused to remove his turban. Mr. Bhalla informed the guards that the turban is not a hat, but is a religious symbol required of all observant Sikhs. Mr. Bhalla is of the Sikhs faith. He cited his first amendment right to practice his religion and his fourth amendment protection against unreasonable searches, nothing that he had already passed through the metal detector. He also cited his client's sixth amendment right to see his lawyer, a right that could not be exercised unless Mr. Bhalla was allowed into the prison. Mr. Bhalla took his case to the Federal District Court in Newark. Then on January 17, the Federal Bureau of Prisons changed the policy, saying that turbans, prayer shawls, yarmulkes, and other religious items do not have to be searched. I commend the Bureau of Prisons for this enlightened decision, and I commend Mr. Bhalla for taking a stand on principle. By doing so, he has raised awareness of the rights of the Sikhs in this country and made all Americans more conscious of civil rights for all members of our diverse society. Sikhs have been subjected to attacks and violence in the wake of the horrible September 11 attacks. A Sikh gas station operator was murdered in his gas station in Arizona simply because he wore a turban. All in all, there have been over 300 attacks on Sikhs. These attacks stem mostly from ignorance coupled with Americans' legitimate anger at the events of September 11. Because Osama bin Laden wears a turban, some ignorant people assume that anyone who wears a turban is a terrorist and an enemy of this county. Nothing could be further from the truth, as Mr. Bhalla showed us. There are over 500,000 Sikhs in this country and they are proud Americans who contribute in all walks of life from law and medicine to farming. One Sikh American, Dalip Singh Saund, served two terms in the House in the late fifties and early sixties. African-Americans have been through the civil rights struggle; in some ways we are still fighting it. As Mr. Bhalla says, Sikhs are going through many of the same things. By taking a stand for his rights, Mr. Bhalla has expanded Americans' awareness of Sikhs and expanded our tolerance as a society, something that benefits us all. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the New York Times article on Mr. Bhalla into the Record. [From the New York Times, Jan. 28, 2003] How One Man Took a Stand and Changed Federal Policy Toward the Sikh Community (By Ronald Smothers) Newark, Jan. 27.--When guards at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center demanded last September that a Newark lawyer let them search his turban before being admitted to visit a client, they may have not have known much about the traditions of his Sikh faith. ``To a Sikh, removing his turban in public is the same as a strip-search and as intrusive as asking a woman to remove her blouse,'' said the lawyer, Ravinder Singh Bhalla. But Mr. Bhalla, 29, knew quite a bit about the traditions of American law. Born in New Jersey of immigrant parents and educated at the University of California, the London School of Economics and Tulane University Law School, he knew his rights and was not afraid to list them, one by one. There was his First Amendment right to practice his religion, including the ritual public wearing of the head covering, he told the guards. Then he expounded on his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches, since he had already passed through the metal detector without setting off alarms. Finally there was his client's Sixth Amendment right to the lawyer of his choice--a right that could be exercised only if Mr. Bhalla forfeited his own rights. Mr. Bhalla refused to remove his turban, and the guards refused to let him in. But on Jan. 17, the federal Bureau of Prisons issued a clarification of its search policy, after Mr. Bhalla asserted all of these rights in Federal District Court here, before the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Justice in Washington and, armed with letters of support from a host of Sikh groups, directly to the Bureau of Prisons hierarchy. Dan Dunn, a spokesman for the bureau, said that religious garments like turbans, prayer shawls or yarmulkes need not be considered part of the routine searches of personal effects that prison guards must make of visitors. They could be searched, he said, if there is a ``reasonable suspicion that the person is about to engage in or is engaging in criminal activity.'' What Mr. Dunn described as a simple clarification of policy is being hailed as a milestone by Mr. Bhalla and others. They say that by treating searches of religious garments as distinct from other personal-effects searches and subjecting them to stricter requirements, the agency is recognizing their intrusiveness. ``This marks a significant improvement in agency policy,'' said Harpreet Singh, the director of the Sikh Coalition, an amalgam of groups representing the nation's estimated 500,000 Sikhs. The group was founded just after Sept. 11, 2001, when many Sikhs found themselves the objects of suspicion at airports and elsewhere. Since the terror attacks, he said, his group has won concessions from the federal Department of Transportation on airport security searches of Sikhs, given the faith's prohibitions against removing turbans, as well as the requirement among the more devout that they carry a ``kirpan,'' or dagger. Under the department's revised procedures, turbans will not be searched unless there is a positive reading on a metal detector. For their part, Sikh groups have agreed that it is legitimate to require those carrying daggers to secure the items in their checked luggage. ``But the broader significance of all of this is that we are educating a broader range of people about Sikhs and our rights,'' Mr. Singh said. Sikhism, a monotheistic religion, dates back to the 15th century in the Punjab region of what is now India. Its doctrine has evolved through a succession of prophets or gurus, and in an atmosphere of persecution by the larger numbers of Hindus and Muslims in South Asia. One of Sikhism's main requirements is that adherents not cut their hair, which is considered a visible testament to their connection with their creator, especially in times of persecution. Mr. Bhalla said many people mistakenly believe that the Sikh turban is a hatlike garment molded in one piece. It is actually a long swath of cotton, 3 feet by more than 15 feet, which takes Mr. Bhalla 15 minutes each morning to fold and carefully wind onto his head. In taking on Mr. Bhalla at the gates of the Metropolitan Detention Center, guards may have picked the wrong person, said Gerald Krovatin, a New Jersey criminal lawyer in whose firm Mr. Bhalla works. Mr. Krovatin said that last November his colleague was one of the founding members of the national Sikh Bar Association and the only one among the estimated 50 Sikh lawyers in the country who is a criminal litigator. Perhaps the seminal moment for Mr. Bhalla came in a federal courtroom in Newark when he was just 13. He and his father were attending a hearing for two Sikh community leaders whom the United States attorney's office was trying to extradite to India as suspected terrorists. Mr. Bhalla recalled that SWAT teams and snipers were stationed outside the court, and plainclothes agents shadowed his and his father's every step because the judge and the prosecutor had reported receiving death threats. It turned out that the prosecutor in the case was the one sending the death threats, apparently in an effort to heighten the sense of danger. Mr. Bhalla said the incident taught him how ``ridiculous'' sterotyping and prejudice could be. ``Right now Sikhs are going through some of the same things that African-Americans went through, and like them we are learning the importance of having some political power and knowing how the system works,'' he said. ``But we are just starting.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was outraged to learn that a Christian missionary, Joseph Cooper, an American, was recently expelled from India. You see, Mr. Cooper came to the Indian government's attention after its radical, violent Hindu nationalist allies beat him so badly that he spent a week in an Indian hospital. He was expelled from the country on leaving the hospital. Mr. Cooper was expelled simply for preaching, in another demonstration of the religious intolerance that characterizes India's ``secular democracy.'' India has also demonstrated its secularism and tolerance when states ruled by the ruling BJP, such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, enacted laws prohibiting anyone from changing his or her religion, unless the person is changing to Hinduism. A Cabinet minister said that everyone who lives in India must either be Hindu or be subservient to Hindus. The expulsion of Mr. Cooper brings to mind the disturbing case of Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who was burned to death along with his two young sons while they slept in their jeep. After this murder, Mr. Staines's widow was also expelled from India. A mob set fire to the jeep and chanted ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. Since Christmas 1998, nuns have been raped, priests have been murdered, churches have been burned, schools and prayer halls have been attacked, and other acts of violence against Christians have been committed. Over 200,000 Christians in predominantly Christian Nagaland have been murdered by the Indian government. It would be bad enough if Christians were the only victims of this violent radicalism, Mr. Speaker, but they are not. Sikhs, Muslims, and other minorities are also being victimized and terrorized. More than 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered by the Indian government since 1984. Two reports have confirmed that Indian forces killed 35 Sikhs in the village of Chithisinghpora in March 2000. Indian forces were caught red-handed trying to burn down a Gurdwara (a Sikh place of worship) and some Sikh homes in a village in Kashmir. 52,268 Sikhs are being held as political prisoners, according to a report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR.) Some of them have been in this illegal detention since 1984! I am proud to have been a signer and sponsor of a letter to President Bush last year asking him to help free these political prisoners. In addition to over 52,000 Sikhs, tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held as political prisoners, according to Amnesty International. Between 2,000 and 5,000 Muslims were murdered in Gujarat last spring. According to Indian newspapers, the police were ordered to stand aside and do nothing to stop the massacre, in an eerie parallel to the 1984 Delhi massacre of Sikhs. The Indian press also reported that the Indian government planned the Gujarat massacre in advance. Over 85,000 Muslims have been murdered in Kashmir. In addition, tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities have been killed by the Indian government. Mr. Speaker, all of these acts have either been carried out by government forces or by radical Hindu nationalists who are part of the umbrella organization known as the RSS, which was formed in support of the Fascists. The ruling BJP is the political arm of the RSS. This is unacceptable. America must take a stand. We must work to stop these killings and attacks and to get all political prisoners freed. It is time to cut off our aid and trade with India and we should pass a resolution in support of self-determination for the Sikh homeland of Punjab, Khalistan, for Kashmir, Nagaland, and everyone else seeking freedom from radical Hindu repression. The essence of democracy is the right to self-determination. As the leader of the democratic world, we must hold India to these standards of true democracy. Only then will everyone in South Asia live in freedom, dignity, prosperity, and peace. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place an article from The Hindu on Mr. Cooper into the Record at this time. U.S. Missionary Attacked Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 14.--A 60-year-old American national and Protestant missionary, Joseph Cooper, was grievously injured when he was attacked by a 10-member armed gang of suspected RSS activists near a gospel convention venue at the Koppam Harijan colony in the Kilimanoor police station limits near here late on Monday night. Police said that seven other persons, including a preacher and his family accompanying Mr. Cooper, were also injured in the attack. Mr. Cooper, hailing from New Castle in the U.S., sustained a deep cut on his right palm. He is under treatment at a private hospital here. Mr. Cooper had come to Kilimanoor to speak at the Koppam Protestant Convention organised by the Puliyam Friends Bible Church. He and his fellow church members were waylaid by the armed gang while they were being escorted back to their vehicles from the convention venue at around 9:45 p.m., police said. The assailants first exploded a cracker to create panic. They detained the missionary and other preachers for a few minutes before attacking them with short sticks, swords and crowbars. Among those injured are the preacher Benson (37), his wife, Sali Benson, children Joy and Judith, Jayakumar and Mercy Christudas. Police said the attackers fled when other church members rushed to the rescue of Mr. Cooper. The injured were rushed to the Medical College Hospital. In a statement to police, Mr. Benson alleged that the attack was carried out by local RSS workers led by an autorickshaw driver. Police have arrested Raju (34), a former Kilimanoor RSS functionary. The Circle-Inspector (Kilimanoor), D. Rajagopal, said there was no history of communal discord at the Koppam Harijan colony where about 60 families lived. Some of the families practised both the Christian and Hindu faith. When contacted, the SP (Rural), T.K. Vinod Kumar, said that police raids were on to arrest the rest of the accused. RSS and BJP workers, meanwhile, took out a march to the Kilimanoor police station demanding the release of those arrested. When contacted, the RSS Jilla saha karyavah, R. Santhosh, said that his organisation had nothing to do with the attack. He alleged that the speeches made by the U.S. missionary and other preachers at the convention were ``communally inflammatory'' and ``insulting to practitioners of the Hindu faith''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, in 2000, the website www.tehelka.com exposed the fundamental corruption of the Indian government. They did a video expose showing high-ranking government officials, including the Defense Minister, as well as the President of the ruling BJP, taking bribes. At that time, it was recording 30 million hits a week. It was quite embarrassing for the Indian government. On January 6, The Guardian reported that the Indian government has struck back at tehelka.com. It has harassed their contributors. It sent its agents to investigate tehelka, searching its offices and harassing its workers. The website has had to reduce the staff from 120 people to four. All the office furniture has been sold and the site is scraping for money. Clearly the government has set out to destroy tehelka.com, and it appears to be succeeding. Meanwhile, the corrupt officials they exposed are still in their posts. This shows that India is intolerant of free speech and free journalism. It reminds me of the old joke; ``You have every right to your own opinion as long as it agrees with mine.'' That's the state of free speech and the free press in India. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are cornerstones of a democracy, along with the right to self-determination. The government campaign to shut down tehelka.com is another piece of evidence that India, despite its claims, is not a democracy but an authoritarian police state. Mr. Speaker, why are U.S. taxpayers--your constituents and mine-- being asked to pay taxes to support this kind of radical, fundamentalist tyranny? We should stop our aid to India until real freedom exists there, including the right of a free press, the right to freely practice any religion a person chooses without the threat of being killed by the government and without anti-conversion laws, and the right of all the peoples of the subcontinent to decide their futures in a free and fair vote. We should work for self-determination, which is a basic right, by promoting a plebiscite on the question of independence in Christian Nagaland, Muslim Kashmir, the Sikh homeland of Punjab, Khalistan, and wherever else it is sought. And we should demand the release of all political prisoners in India and an end to its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. America is a free country. We seek freedom not just for ourselves, but for all people of the world. These measures will help secure the blessings of liberty to all the people of the world's most troubled region and allow them to enjoy the glow of freedom. Mr. Speaker, I am inserting the Guardian article on the tehelka situation into the Record at this time. [From the Guardian, Jan. 6, 2003] Website Pays Price for Indian Bribery Expose (By Luke Harding) Tarun Tejpal is sitting amid the ruins of his office. There is not much left--a few dusty chairs, three computers and a forlorn air-conditioning unit. ``We have sold virtually every thing. I've even flogged the air conditioner,'' he says dolefully. Twenty months ago Tejpal, editor in chief of tehelka.com, an investigative website, was the most feted journalist in India. He had just broken one of the biggest stories in the country's history--an expose of corruption at the highest levels of government. His reporters, posing as arms salesmen, had bribed their way into the home of the defence minister, George Fernandes, and handed over K3,000 to one of the minister's colleagues. The journalists found many other people prepared to take money--senior army officers, bureaucrats, even the president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata party, who was filmed shovelling the cash into his desk. The scandal was deeply embarrassing for the BJP prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mr. Vajpayee sacked Mr. Fernandes and ordered a commission of inquiry. The scandal promoted a mood of national catharsis, and congratulations poured in from ordinary Indians tired of official corruption. Tehelka, which had only been launched in June 2000, was receiving 30 million hits a week. But the glory did not last. ``I had expected a battle. But we had not anticipated its scale,'' Tejpal said yesterday. ``The propaganda was started the next day.'' Nearly two years later, he has been forced to lay off all but four of his 120 staff. He has got deeply into debt, sold the office furniture and scrounged money from friends. ``They drop by for dinner and leave a cheque behind.'' The website,which once boasted sites on news, literature, sport and erotica, is ``virtually defunct''. George Fernandes, meanwhile, is again the defence minister. The saga is a depressing example of how the Kafkaesque weight of government can be used to crush those who challenge its methods. In the aftermath of the scandal, the Hindu nationalist-led government ``unleashed'' the inland revenue, the enforcement directorate and the intelligence bureau, India's answer to M15, on Tehelka's office in suburban south Delhi. They did not find anything. Frustrated, the officials started tearing apart the website's investors. Tehelka's financial backer, Shanker Sharma, was thrown in jail without charge. Detectives also held Aniruddha Bahal, the reporter who carried out the expose, and a colleague, Kumar Badal. Badal is still in prison. ``It got to the stage that I used to count the number of booze bottles in my house to make sure there wasn't one more than the legal quota,'' Tejpal recalls. The government commission set up to investigate Operation West-End, Tehelka's sting, meanwhile, started behaving very strangely. ``The commission didn't cross-examine a single person found guilty of corruption. It was astonishing,'' said Tejpal. Instead, it spent its days rubbishing Tehelka's journalistic methods. The official campaign of vilification against the website has attracted protests from a few of India's prominent liberal commentators, such as the veteran diplomat Kuldip Nayar and the respected columnist Tavleen Singh. Tehelka's literary supporters, who include Salman Rushdie, Amitav Ghosh and VS Naipaul, Tejpal: Kafkaesque situation have also expressed their outrage. But in general, India's civil society has reacted with awkwardness and embarrassment to the website's plight. ``I read all of Franz Kafka when I was 19 and 20, but I only understand him now,'' Tejpal wrote in a recent essay in the magazine Seminar. ``He accurately intuited that all power is essentially implacable and malign.'' The treatment of the web-site's investors has scared away anybody else from pumping money into Tehelka. The company owes K620,000. Mr. Vajpayee's rightwing government has bounced back from the scandal and is expected to win the next general election in 2004. Last month, it won a landslide victory in elections in the riot-hit western state of Gujarat after campaigning on a virtually fascist anti-Muslim platform. The murky world of arms dealing goes on. Tony Blair and his ministers are still trying to persuade the Indian government to buy 77 British-made Hawk jet trainers, but the billion- pound deal remains mysteriously stuck over the price. Tehelka's expose was not about ``individuals'', but about ``systemic corruption'', Tejpal insists. He admits that his sting operation would have gone down badly with any government, but says that the BJP's response was venomous. ``The degree of pettiness has been extraordinary. They have a crude understanding of power and a lot of that stems from the fact they are in power for the first time. Our struggle is emblematic of a wider issue: can media organizations be killed off when they criticize governments.'' The gloomy answer appears to be yes. Last night Balbir Punj, a leading BJP member of parliament, claimed the government had nothing to do with the website's collapse. ``Just because you do a story exposing the government doesn't mean the gods make you immortal,'' he said. ``Many other [internet] portals have closed down. The boom is over.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, much has happened while we were in recess. In Dulena, India, five Dalits, the dark-skinned ``Untouchables,'' the lowest caste in India's repressive caste system, were murdered because of a rumor that they had killed a cow. Cows are revered in Hinduism. According to the Washington Post, family members stated that at least one of the Dalits was murdered by the police because the Dalits refused to pay them a bribe. The remainder were killed by upper-caste Hindus after the police planted a rumor that the Dalits had killed a cow. To make this case even more offensive, charges have been filed against the five Dalit victims, but no charges have been filed against the police who were involved in these murders. In Hindu-dominated India, apparently the life of a cow is worth more than those of five humans. What kind of country protects cows but engages in the massive killing of minorities? Dalits are converting in large numbers in order to escape from this oppression, prompting the BJP to pass laws in the states it controls banning anyone from converting to any religion other than Hindu. Unfortunately, this is part of a long pattern of Indian tyranny against the Dalits. Tens of thousands of Dalits have been killed by the Indian government. In an incident several years ago, a Dalit constable went into a Hindu temple on a rainy day and he was stoned to death. A little Dalit girl was blinded by her teacher when she drank water from the community pitcher. And Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities have suffered from similar persecution. As you know, over 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered since 1984, over 80,000 Kashmiri Muslims have been killed since 1988, and over 200,000 Christians have been killed in Nagaland, in addition to tens of thousands of Assamese, Bodos, Manipuris, Tamils, and others. Mr. Speaker, this is not the conduct of a democratic state. If America wants to live by its principles and help spread democracy, it must take action against this kind of repression. India has already been declared a country that violates religious freedom, which seems to be confirmed by these latest incidents. It is time to impose the sanctions that this status brings. We should also cut off our aid and trade with India until human rights are respected and declare our support for self-determination for all the peoples of South, because self-determination is the very essence of democracy. These measures will help bring real freedom, peace, prosperity, and stability to all the peoples and nations of the subcontinent. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Council of Khalista's press release on the killing of these five Dalits into the Record at this time. [lsqb]Council of Khalistan, Press Release, Oct. 29, 2002[rsqb] 5 Dalits Murdered on Rumor of Cow Killing Fundamentalist Hindu Fascist Police Kill One Because They Did Not Get a Bribe, Then Incite Villagers to Murder Other Four--Life of a Cow Worth More Than 5 Human Lives in Hindu Theocracy WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 29, 2002--Five Dalits, the dark- skinned ``Untouchables,'' were murdered in Dulena, India, about an hour outside Delhi, on a rumor that they had killed a cow. According to a report in the Washington Post, family members stated that one of the Dalits was murdered by the police because the group refused to pay a bribe, then the upper-caste police planted the rumor that the Dalits had killed a cow to get the upper-caste village residents to kill the other four. Cows are revered in Hinduism. No charges have been filed against the killers, but charges have been filed against the five Dalits. Dalits, also called ``Untouchables,'' are the lowest casts in the Hindu social structure. Tens of thousands of Dalits have been murdered by the Indian government. Several years ago, a Dalit constable entered a Hundu temple on a rainy day and was stoned to death by upper-casts Brahmins. A few years ago, a five-year-old Dalit girl was hit by her teacher and blinded for drinking water from the community water pitcher. ``This act of Indian tyranny shows that in India, the life a cow is worth more than the lives of five humans,'' said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. The Council of Khalistan, the government pro tempore of Khalistan, leads the peaceful, democratic, nonviolent movement to liberate Khalistan from Indian occupation and tyranny. ``This shows that India is not a democracy but a Hindu theocracy in which the lives of lower castes are worthless,'' he said. ``Are these the acts of a democratic country or a fundamentalist Hindu police state?,'' he asked. ``The Sikh Nation sympathizes with the Dalits,'' he said. ``Dalits and other minorities must resist India's racist tyranny.'' Dalits have not been the only ones oppressed. All minorities have suffered under the boot of Indian repression. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. Over 80,000 Kashmiri Muslims have been killed since 1988. More than 200,000 Christians have been killed since 1947, along with tens of thousands of Dalits, Tamils, Assamese, Bodos, Manipuris, and other minorities. In February 42 Members of Congress wrote to President Bush to get 52,268 Sikh political prisoners released from Indian prisons. Since Christman 1998, Chrisitans have felt the brunt of the attacks. Priests have been murdered, nuns have been raped, churches have been burned, Christian schools and prayer halls have been destroyed, and no one has been punished for these acts. Militant Hindu fundamentalists allied with the RSS, the pro-Fascist parent organization of the ruling BJP, burned missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons to death. Recently, fundamentalist Hindu fascists murdered about 5,000 Muslims in Gujarat with the connivance of the police. ``This pattern of oppression and tyranny helps to explain the existence of 17 freedom movements within India's artificial borders,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``We support the aspirations of the Dalits and all the minorities of South Asia. We must end India's tyranny and brutal violations of Sikh human rights and those of other minorities,'' he said. ``The time has come to launch a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan from Indian occupation,''said Dr. Aulakh. ``Sikhs are a separate nation and ruled Punjab until 1849. No Sikh representative has signed the Indian constitution,'' Dr. Aulakh said. Sikhism is a sovereign, independent, monotheistic, divenely revealed religion that believes in the equality of the whole human race, including gender equality. Sikhs pray every day for the well being of the whole world. ``The people of South Asia must have self-determination now,'' Dr. Aulakh said. ``India is on the verge of disintegration,'' he said. ``The Kashmir issue has been internationalized. America is now involved in South Asia. Self-determination in Kashmir is the only solution,'' he said. ``In a democracy you cannot rule the people against their wishes. Khalistan will be free by 2008.''

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, in Punjab, there are elections coming up for the SGPC, the organization that is in charge of all the Gurdwaras, or Sikh temples, in India. According to the Times of India, members of the Shiromani Akali Dal, which used to run the state government until it lost the state elections to the Congress Party earlier this year, are being arrested in connection with these elections. Many members of the party are going into hiding. The Akali government under the leadership of Parkash Badal was the most corrupt government in Punjab's history. They came up with a new term for bribery. They called it ``fee for service.'' You didn't get the service unless you paid the fee. And they did nothing to get Sikh political prisoners released or to bring police officers who committed murder and other atrocities against the Sikhs to justice. I was proud to be one of the 42 Members of this House from both parties who signed a letter earlier this year asking President Bush to work for the release of these political prisoners. We all support the prosecution of corrupt and brutal officials who were responsible for crimes against the people. However, those who committed these crimes should be brought to justice for these crimes. They and their followers should not be arrested merely for belonging to the Akali party. A democracy does not arrest people for their political affiliations. A democracy does not hold political prisoners. Yet these things are happening today in India, which says that it is the ``world's largest democracy.'' A report from the Movement Against State Repression showed that India admitted to holding 52,268 Sikhs as political prisoners. Some have been there since 1984. Tens of thousands of other minorities are also being held, according to Amnesty International. More than 250,000 Sikhs have been murdered by the Indian government. It has also killed over 80,000 Kashmiri Muslims, over 200,000 Christians in Nagaland, and tens of thousands of other minorities as well. Priests have been killed, nuns have been raped, churches have been burned, prayer halls and schools have been attacked by members of the RSS, the pro-Fascist parent organization of the ruling BJP. Indian soldiers were caught red-handed trying to set fire to some Sikh homes and a Gurdwara in a village in Kashmir. The government has been implicated in the mass murders of Muslims in Gujarat this spring and in the March 2000 massacre of 35 Sikhs in Chithisinghpora. It is clear that the true face of India is not democratic at all, but it is a Hindu theocratic tyranny. The political arrest of members of the opposition party underline the fact that India is not democratic. Therefore, it is not worthy of U.S. support. We should stop our aid to India and our trade with that corrupt, theocratic state. We should make a public declaration of support for self-determination for Punjab, Khalistan, for predominantly Christian Nagaland, for Kashmir, and for all the peoples and nations seeking their freedom from India. This is the best way to bring real freedom, peace, stability, and security to everyone in that troubled region. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the Times of India article into the Record at this time. [lsqb]The Times of India, Nov. 12, 2002[rsqb] Beards Were Tied Up, Blue Discarded (By Ks Dhaliwal) Jalandhar/Beas/Rayya.--Gurcharan Singh Channi heard the knock on the door at 2.30 am of November 7. He guessed right. It was the early morning swoop. He slipped out of the back door. From then on till Monday he remained underground, travelling to Nadda Sahib, boldly giving interviews to various TV channels, moving on to Chandigarh, Ludhiana. Only on Monday he reached Harminder Sahib along with thousands of others who were on the run after the Punjab Police went into an overdrive to arrest SAD (Badal) leaders in view of the SGPC elections. Channi is the general secretary, Jalandhar urban unit, SAD (Badal). Many more like Channi reached Harminder Sahib on Monday in disguise. They hoodwinked the nakas en-route by rolling up their flowing beards, switching over from the traditional Akali blue turban to maroon, coffee colour and sky blue. They even got past nakas adopting urban styles. Instead of the kurta pajama, they switched to trousers, shirts and neckties. Hundreds of them were taken out of buses. At Nadkodar Chowk on Monday all bearded men were barred from boarding buses. Sucha Singh Langah tied up his beard to get into the Golden Temple. Sarwan Singh Phillaur, who was under house arrest, also managed to give police the slip. Venturing out from Jalandhar many followed circuitous routes through link roads. One popular route used to reach Amritsar was from Jalandhar to Tanda, Hargobindpur Sahib, Mehta Chowk, Mattewal, Majitha bypass and then the Golden Temple. It took double the time as they traversed twice the distance. Some went from Jalandhar to Kapurthala, Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran, Amritsar. Armarjit Singh took his wife and sister-in-law along posing at the nakes that the latter was sick and was being taken to the hospital. Resham Singh Thiara, who contested the last assembly elections from Nawanshabr on an Akali Dal ticket, posed as a businessman from Delhi. Buses entering Punjab on Monday were halted at over 40 nakas on way to Jalandhar. ``It was only by evening that the nakas appeared to relent as news spread and probably the signal was beeped to relax the check after the government probably realised that it was having a damaging effect on the psyche of the people,'' said Thiara. SAD members shout anti-government slogans at the Golden Temple Complex, on Monday.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Pastor Jacob N. Underwood, Sr. for instigating many innovative programs to help the ones in need within his community. Pastor Underwood answered the call to the Christian ministry in 1960. In 1962, he was ordained a Baptist minister at the Holy Sacred Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. He began to evangelize in the community doing outreach and persistently seeking unity of his community. He had a vision of a church in the community that would teach ``God's Plan of Salvation'' and relating this plan to the needs of the total person. Encouraged by his church and family's support, he organized what is currently Grace Baptist Church of Christ, located in the East New York section of Brooklyn. He also organized the Grace Housing Development Fund Inc., from which the church sponsored community housing which was built in 1972 to accommodate 168 families. He has contributed to his community in several aspects by serving on local, state, and national committees. He has served on the local school board, and on the East New York Civil Rights Committee. Pastor Underwood was also the first elected Chairman of East New York Community Cooperation, and President of the New York Progressive State Congress. He also twice served as Moderator of the N.Y.M.B.A.; as Chairman of the Brownsville/East New York Clergy Association, as President of the New York Progressive State Convention from 1992-1995, as Corresponding Secretary of the Presidents' Department of the Progressive National Baptist Convention and he served as the President of the African American Clergy and Elected officials of Brooklyn from 1998 to 2000. Pastor Underwood has also contributed by sponsoring housing and food programs in East New York. He was able to feed and provide clothing to 125 people in need by establishing a soup kitchen. In 1973, he instituted one of the first day care centers in East New York. Today, his vision has been expanded to an elementary and junior high school that currently serves approximately 300 students. In 1995, Pastor Underwood led the church in a $1.5 million bond drive to enlarge the Grace Baptist Church of Christ with 12 multipurpose rooms for the benefit of the school and church. In order to increase the educational facilities to accommodate at least an additional 100 students, Pastor Underwood is presently leading the way for a $2.5 million drive. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Pastor Jacob N. Underwood, Sr. for his leadership and contribution to his community. Pastor Underwood is a Doer of the Word. For over four decades, he has served as a preacher, teacher, leader, brother, mentor, friend, comforter, advocate, counselor, and innovator. His endeavors and accomplishments deserve our praise and appreciation.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. Louis Gouveia, a native of Pomeroon, British Guyana who was born on December 23, 1899 in recognition of his 102nd birthday celebration. Mr. Louis Gouveia is the last of ten siblings. Mr. Gouveia completed high school and worked with his father for several years prior to coming to the United States in 1921. He did various odd jobs before obtaining his license as a taxi driver. Mr. Gouveia married Doris Jardine from Grenada on February 10, 1924. They were blessed with four children, three boys, and one girl. His loved ones adore him dearly. Mr. Gouveia enjoys reading the newspaper daily and keeping abreast of current events. Throughout his life, he has traveled to various countries like Haiti and England as well as the African continent. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Gouveia, who now resides at the Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, is a pleasant person who participates to his fullest capacity in everyday life activities, and as such, he is more than worthy of receiving recognition today.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Doris Robinson, who was born on October 29, 1901, in recognition of her 101st birthday celebration. Doris Robinson migrated to New York in the 1920's. In 1925, she earned a bachelor's degree in Social Work from Howard University in Washington, DC. Mrs. Robinson was a teacher in the New York City public school system for several years. She also earned a Master's in Social Work from Fordham University. Doris Robinson has traveled extensively to China and Uganda, as well as the Caribbean islands. Through her travels she has been able to share her experiences with her family and community. She is very devoted to her family and has been an inspiration to all those around her. Mr. Speaker, Ms. Doris Robinson, who now resides at the Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, has devoted her life to serving her family and community. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving recognition today.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mrs. Mary Suliman, born September 2, 1898, in recognition of her 104th birthday celebration. Mary Suliman migrated from Newbern, North Carolina to New York over sixty-two years ago. She married Mr. Samona Suliman from New Jersey and had two beautiful children, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. All of Mary's loved ones call her ``Nana.'' She worked as a hairdresser in her Brooklyn community for several years. As a retired person her hobbies have included dancing, reading, watching television and singing. Mrs. Suliman's favorite songs are ``Down by the Cross'' and ``Bye--Bye Black Bird.'' She continues to be loved by her family unconditionally and admired by others in the community. Mr. Speaker. Mrs. Mary Suliman, who now resides at the Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, has devoted her life to serving her family and community. As such, she is more than worthy of receiving recognition today.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mrs. Grace West-Payne, who was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, on September 4, 1902 in recognition of her 100th birthday celebration. Once Mrs. West-Payne completed her elementary education, she worked as a domestic helper and married Mr. Thomas Payne. They moved to Brooklyn, New York over sixty years ago, where she continued her trade as a domestic worker. Mrs. Grace West-Payne is an active member of Bethel Baptist Church. Her hobbies include singing and reading. Her favorite song is: ``If it wasn't for him (God) I'd be nothing.'' Mrs. Grace West-Payne also has a favorite saying: ``Let Good Girls Be Good and Boys Be Good''. Mr. Speaker. Mrs. West-Payne, who now resides at the Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, has devoted her life to serving her family and being a community leader, and as such, she is more than worthy of receiving recognition today.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Tessie Reed who was born on September 5, 1897 in New York City. Her parents, William and Mary Reed, were originally from the Commonwealth of Virginia. She attended school in New York City until the age of 9. After the death of her mother, she moved to Virginia to live with her maternal grandmother. Ms. Reed worked as a Nurse's Aide at the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital fourteen years, as well as at the movie theatres for some years. Her hobbies include poetry, church activities and gospel music. Ms. Reed's favorite poem is ``REST AT THE END OF MY JOURNEY'' by Sally Martin. Her loved ones reside in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Ms. Reed has been a member of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn since 1932. She is known, for her gospel songwriting and her musicals, which are prized by Cornerstone's members. One of her dearest songs is ``Something Changed Me.'' Ms. Reed was a member of the Metropolis Gospel Union Choir and its President for three years. It was one of the first gospel choirs in Brooklyn. Ms. Reed is still a member of Cornerstone's Gospel Choir and she served on the Board of the Atlantic Terminal Senior Citizens Center. She was also a member of Queen Esther Chapter # 21 Eastern Stars. Mr. Speaker. Ms. Tessie Reed, who now resides at the Marcus Garvey Nursing Home, at the young age of 105, is more than worthy of our recognition today.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give honor and praise to the National President of Church Women United, USA, the Reverend Jerrye Gray Champion. Rev. Champion is one of the most learned and accomplished women to ever hold this position within the Church Women United organization. An Associate Pastor with Tanner African Methodist Episcopal Church in Phoenix, Arizona, she holds not only a Masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary but also masters degrees in library science and public administration as well as a B.A. in English and Speech and a doctoral certification in Clinical Pastoral Education. As a certified clinical chaplain, Rev. Champion holds specialties in numerous trauma and intensive care areas. She is also credentialed in pastoral, spiritual, and bereavement counseling; spirituality and healing; and biomedical ethics. Before entering the ordained ministry, the Reverend had careers in education, public policy and corporate administration. In the 1970's and the 1980's, she directed the Scottsdale Public Library and also served for six years in the cabinet of former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt. Rev. Champion has served at the local, state, area, conference branch, district, national and connectional levels in Church Women United and the Women's Missionary Society of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She has been continuously active in these organizations throughout her entire adult life. As the eldest of five children born to The Rev. Dr. Alfred David Gray and Valerie Geeston Gray, and a third generation minister, her church activism should come as no surprise. As Rev. Champion has said in describing her own ministry, ``my love of God and ability to love God's people just as they are wherever they are in the experience of life is my strongest gift for ministry and leadership''. As a wife, mother and grandmother, Rev. Champion's ability to balance a busy career with her pastoral duties, organizational responsibilities and her family life make her a truly remarkable person. And she readily admits that her success is due to the genuine love and support that she has received from her family. Mr. Speaker, I hope you will join me in recognizing one of America's most gifted theologians and church leaders, the Reverend Jerrye Gray Champion.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize and congratulate the Republic of China on Taiwan on the occasion of its 91st National Day on October 10, 2002. Those of us from New York City are mindful that President Chen Shui- bian lost no time in condemning the horrific attacks of September 11, 2001 and in offering his country's unequivocal and generous support. Following the attacks, President Chen immediately acted to: (1) reinforce protection for U.S. personnel and facilities in Taiwan; (2) heighten security at airports and harbors; (3) provide government and private Taiwanese donations of approximately $20,000,000 for relief funds to New York City; (4) initiate a plan to prevent money laundering schemes that could benefit terrorists; and (5) increase the exchange of intelligence with the U.S. New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area are home to hundreds of thousands of Americans of Taiwanese descent. We are very proud of the Taiwanese heritage of so many of our citizens. Their many contributions have made our community a better place in which to live. Taiwan is also an economic powerhouse with the 12th largest economy in the world and the seventh largest U.S. trading partner. U.S. exports to Taiwan make it one of the largest export markets for many states including New York. The 23 million people of Taiwan enjoy a vibrant democracy and human rights. With more than 90 political parties, elections at all levels of government are hotly contested through free and fair means. In fact, President Chen is a former political dissident himself. Taiwan's constitution guarantees its citizens extensive political, personal and religious freedoms. Further, President Chen has committed Taiwan to many international human rights treaties. Finally, as we know from this country's generosity to New York City, Taiwan has always been as Secretary Colin Powell noted recently ``a generous contributor to the international community.'' Over the years, it has sent 10,000 experts to train technicians in developing countries. It also has provided direct financial assistance to Kosovo and Afghan refugees to name a few. October 10 is a time to celebrate a great friend of our country--one that shares in our ideals and freedoms. Let us hope that the cooperation between our two nations continues to grow even stronger and that we will continue to support efforts to bring Taiwan further into the community of nations worldwide.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that this resolution ignores the political realities that are present in a tinderbox like the Middle East. It is naive to think that unilateral American action in the Middle East will achieve lasting security, but it is downright foolish to ignore the United Nations' potential as a partner in eliminating Saddam's chokehold on world security. This resolution merely pays lip service to any meaningful coalition building or endorsement of U.N. findings without establishing an international coalition. We leave the fate of the Iraqi people to uncertainty and without the hope of meaningful nation building or distribution of aid. America cannot achieve this alone or on its own. The world is watching us to see how a superpower acts which has defeated its dragons and is now confronted by malignant dictators of developing powers. Make no mistake about it, Saddam Hussein is a dictator who resorts to the most heinous of atrocities to silence his opponents. As the world's sole superpower, we must be careful that our allies do not grow resentful of us. We need to make certain that they are included in any sort of action that we as a Nation might decide to take. That has not happened, and I must vote no on the resolution. Let me close by saying I am concerned as anyone in this Chamber about national and international security. I served in the United States Army, but I am not convinced that we should put our young people in harm's way. We should not do that; and, therefore, I will vote no on this resolution and hope that many of my colleagues would join us. This is the wrong way to go.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I am saddened by the action that we take here this afternoon, honoring one of the house's greatest gentlemen, Benjamin Gilman, upon his retirement after 15 terms in Congress. Ben has been a friend and supporter of many of us on the other side of the aisle. His compassion for serving others is legendary. Whether it was fighting for the creation of the select committee on hunger or freeing political prisoners in Cuba, Ben was a stalwart in protecting the rights of others. He brought that same concern for others to his role as the ranking member of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee from 1989 to 1993 which had oversight over civil service and postal employees. Ben has continued to be a voice of reason on the successor to this committee, the House Government Reform Committee. Having traveled with him on several anti-drug Codels, I know how committed he has been not only in fighting drug trafficking but also in working for the resources necessary to assist those affected by drug abuse. For his entire congressional career, Ben was known as someone from ``upstate New York''. Within the New York delegation, that simply means that Ben is not from New York city. While he may not hail from ``the big apple'', he is one of ``New York's finest'' and it has been an honor and a pleasure for me to serve with him and to call him my friend. Ben, please know that you will be sorely missed even by those of us who are not from your side of the aisle or from upstate New York. I can only wish you well and to thank for your years of service to the people of New York and this nation.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, racial profiling of Sikhs continues in our country a year after terrorists attacked New York and Washington. According to the September 20 issue of the New York Times, two Sikh men were arrested while trying to fly from New York to Las Vegas for an Exxon convention. Mr. Wander could be facing up to 20 years in prison, according to the article. Gurdeep Wander and Harinder Pal Singh were headed to that convention on a Northwest Airlines flight after missing a previous connecting flight in Minneapolis. They were flying on the night of September 10 to avoid flying on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, but had to fly on the morning of the 11th after being delayed. Apparently, it is now a crime to fly if your hair is long and your skin is dark. Mr. Wander and Mr. Singh were late for their flight and ran on board. Right after them, a Hispanic man named Carlos Nieves rushed onto the plane. All that the two Sikh men carried was the shaving kits they had been given by the airline, because their luggage had already been forwarded to Las Vegas. The flight attendants said that they found three swarthy men rushing onto the plane suspicious. I can't help but wonder if they would have been suspicious of three white men rushing onto a plane. Right before departure, Mr. Wander got out of his seat and got the shaving kit the airline had given him. He asked to use the restroom. After a few minutes, the flight attendant asked him to sit down and he asked for a minute to finish up. After Mr. Wander came out, Mr. Nieves went to the restroom, followed by Mr. Singh. The flight attendant tried to prevent Mr. Singh from using the restroom, claiming that explosive devices could be assembled if separate individuals carried the components. Because of Mr. Wander's, Mr. Nieves's, and Mr. Singh's skin color, she clearly assumed that they were doing so. After the plane made an emergency landing in Arkansas, Mr. Singh, Mr. Wander, and an Egyptian man named Alaaeldin Abdelsalam were detained. All the luggage was taken out of the plane. Soon, the plane was surrounded by bomb-sniffing dogs. It is clear that Northwest Airlines detained these individuals because of their darker skin color. This is racial profiling, and it is wrong. It must be ended. The Transportation Department must put out an order banning racial profiling. Otherwise, it will be dangerous for any minority to fly. We must treat all passengers equally. No one should be detained for his or her skin color. It must be stopped now. I call on Northwest and all the airlines to end this racist practice and I hope that those who are victimized by this practice will get full recompense. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the New York Times article I referred to into the Record at this time. [lsqb]From the New York Times, Sept. 20, 2002[rsqb] Bound for Las Vegas, 2 Men Take a 9/11 Detour to Jail (By Edward Wong) Fort Smith, Ark., Sept. 19.--The distance between a convention in Las Vegas and a brick jail here in the lush plains of western Arkansas proved far shorter than Gurdeep Wander and Harinder Singh ever could have imagined. Mr. Wander and Mr. Singh, two gas station workers of Indian descent from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, boarded a Northwest Airlines flight on Sept. 10 from La Guardia Airport, bound for an Exxon convention. In one of the more Kafkaesque instances of air travel jitters, they landed in the county jail here on Sept. 11, and spent more than a week sleeping in orange jump suits between razor-wire fences. Today, Mr. Wander appeared in a federal courtroom and quietly listened as Judge Beverley Stites Jones said that she had found probable cause that he had intimidated a flight attendant. A grand jury will probably decide next week whether to indict him in the crime, which carries up to 20 years in prison. The story of how Mr. Wander and Mr. Singh, who was released on Wednesday, ended up here involves a missed plane connection, terrorism concerns, a surplus of facial hair and arguably poor judgment on the part of many people. Mr. Wander's lawyer, Matthew J. Ketcham, says his client is the victim of racial profiling and paranoia. Federal prosecutors argue that Mr. Wander scared a flight attendant when he refused to sit down, which resulted in the pilot's landing the Las Vegas-bound plane here. Mr. Wander, who is a 48-year-old American citizen, and Mr. Singh, a 41-year-old citizen of India, made it a point to travel on Sept. 10 because they wanted to avoid flying on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Ketcham said. Their plane arrived late in Minneapolis, and the two missed their connecting flight. The airline gave each a shaving kit, and they slept in a nearby hotel, Mr. Ketcham said. They caught a flight the next morning, barely making a connection to Las Vegas through Memphis. They rushed on board, followed by a Hispanic man named Carlos Nieves. Mr. Wander and Mr. Singh carried only their shaving kits, because their luggage had been forwarded. The three men sat in different parts of the plane. The sudden appearance of the men seemed suspicious to the three flight attendants, who asked burly passengers to keep an eye on them, said Deborah Summers, a flight attendant who testified here today. Right before takeoff, with the ``fasten seatbelt'' sign on, Mr. Wander left his seat at the rear to get his shaving kit from an overhead compartment. Ms. Summers said she noticed from his boarding pass that he had not taken his assigned seat next to Mr. Singh. Mr. Ketcham said Mr. Wander just wanted to stretch out because he had had little sleep. After the plane began ascending, and while the ``fasten seatbelt'' sign was still on, Mr. Wander asked Ms. Summers if he could use the restroom. She let him go. He stayed inside for 10 minutes, Ms. Summers said, prompting her to knock on the door. Mr. Wander opened the door, told her he needed to clean up and shut the door. She knocked again soon afterward. When he opened the door, he was shirtless and in the middle of shaving. The pilot urged her to check his razor, then told her to tell him to get out. After five exchanges, Mr. Wander sat down. ``He didn't refuse to leave,'' Mr. Ketcham said. ``She only asked him explicitly twice to sit down and he asked for a minute to finish up.'' Almost immediately, Mr. Nieves, who did not know the other two men, got up to use the same restroom. This was reported to the pilot, Capt. David McGuirk, who had ordered all passengers to stay in their seats. After Mr. Nieves left the restroom, Mr. Singh went to use it. By now, Ms. Summers said, she was trying to lock the restroom. She had learned that ``an explosive device can be assembled if separate individuals carry the components,'' an affidavit by an F.B.I. agent who questioned her said. Ms. Summers tried to dissuade Mr. Singh from using the same restroom, saying it was broken. Mr. Singh insisted, because another one in the rear was occupied, said George Lucas, a lawyer for Mr. Singh. He used the other restroom, then sat down next to Mr. Wander. While Mr. Singh was in the restroom, Captain McGuirk decided to make an emergency landing here. Soon, the plane was surrounded by police officers, fire trucks and bomb- sniffing dogs. The three men, along with a native of Egypt living in Louisiana named Alaaeldin M. Abdelsalam, were told to remain in their seats, Mr. Ketcham said. ``It's no coincidence that these dark-skinned men were singled out,'' he said. The plane's luggage was pulled out, and a dog raised an alert at Mr. Abdelsalam's bag, which was blown open with a water cannon. He was arrested, along with Mr. Wander and Mr. Singh. Mr. Nieves was released after questioning. Mr. Abdelsalam was released after he explained that he worked in an oil field and that his chemical-stained boots and hard hat were in his bag. The authorities let Mr. Singh go on Wednesday after he agreed to pay a $500 civil penalty. As for Mr. Wander, Mr. Cromwell said the intimidation charge ``is warranted.'' Mr. Wander was released today on a $25,000 bond. Ms. Summers, prosecutors and Northwest Airlines said the flight crew's actions were based on the behavior of the men, not on their skin color. Mr. Singh could not be reached for comment, and Mr. Wander did not make a public statement today. After his release, he piled into a car with family members to return to his home in Washington, N.J. Apparently, no one wanted to fly.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I am saddened by the action that we take here this week, honoring one of the House's greatest Members, Benjamin Gilman, upon his retirement after 15 terms in Congress. Ben has been a friend and supporter of many of us on the other side of the aisle. His compassion for serving others is legendary. Whether it was fighting for the creation of the Select Committee on hunger or freeing political prisoners in Cuba, Ben was a stalwart in protecting the rights of others. He brought that same concern for others to his role as the Ranking Member of the House Post Office and Civil Service Commitee from 1989 to 1993 which had oversight over civil service and postal employees. Ben has continued to be a voice of reason on the successor to this committee, the House Government Reform Committee. Having traveled with him on several anti-drug codels, I know how committed he has been not only in fighting drug trafficking but also in working for the resources necessary to assist those affected by drug abuse. For his entire congressional career, Ben was known as someone from ``upstate New York''. Within the New York delegation, that simply means that Ben is not from New York city. While he may not hail from ``the Big Apple'', he is one of ``New York's finest'' and it has been an honor and a pleasure for me to serve with him and to call him my friend. Ben, please know that you will be sorely missed even by those of us who are not from your side of the aisle or from upstate New York. I can only wish you well and to thank for your years of service to the people of New York and this Nation.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 113 in honor of our late colleague, Patsy Mink. I had the honor to serve with her on the House Government Reform Committee after she returned to Congress in 1990. I was particularly struck by her passionate defense of progressive democratic policies. For example, Patsy's commitment to such policies led her to actively oppose the '95 Welfare Reform Act because of its implications for many poor women and their children. Her opposition helped to limit some of the more draconian provisions in the final version of the bill that was enacted into law. Patsy could always be counted on to defend the interests of all poor and disadvantaged Americans. But she will always be remembered for her leadership in guaranteeing equal opportunities for women in education and athletics. One of the first women of color elected to the House of Representatives, Patsy was a trailblazer who will be sorely missed not only here in Congress but also in her home State of Hawaii. I am proud to have known and served with her.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, the organization Human Rights Watch has issued a report on the violence earlier this year in Gujarat, India, entitled ``We Have No Orders To Save You.'' About 5,000 Muslims were killed in these riots, according to the newspaper ``The Hindu.'' News reports quoted a police official as saying that he was ordered not to intervene to stop the violence and save lives. Another published report said that the government of India pre-planned these riots. The report from Human Rights Watch confirms this. The riot was allegedly a response to the attack on a trainload of Hindus in Godhra. However, in the report, Human Rights Watch writes, ``Human Rights Watch's findings, and those of numerous Indian human rights and civil liberties organizations, and most of the Indian press indicate that the attacks on Muslims throughout the state were planned, well in advance of the Godhra incident, and organized with extensive police participation and in close cooperation with officials of the Bharatiya Janata party (Indian Peoples Party, BJP) state government.'' The BJP, which is the political arm of the pro-Fascist Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), also controls the central government in Delhi. ``The attacks on Muslims are part of a concerted campaign of Hindu nationalist organizations to promote and exploit communal tensions to further the BJP's rule,'' Human Rights Watch wrote, calling it ``a movement that is supported at the local level by militant groups that operate with impunity and under the patronage of the state.'' This report makes it clear that the Indian government supports terrorist groups that are murdering minorities all over India. India Today, India's largest newsmagazine, reported that the Indian government created the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which the U.S. government has labeled a ``terrorist organization.'' It has supported cross-border terrorism in Sindh, a province of Pakistan, according to the Washington Times. The book ``Soft Target'' shows that India shot down its own airliner to blame the Sikhs. It paid out over 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs. According to the ``Hitavvada'' newspaper, India paid the late governor of Punjab, Surendra Nath, $1.5 billion to foment terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir. Unfortunately, this violence is all too reminiscent of previous incidents that took place before the BJP took power. In 1997, police gunfire broke up a Christian religious festival. And the violence in Gujarat was strangely reminiscent of the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in Delhi which cost 20,000 Sikhs their lives. It seems that in India, no matter who is in power, it is not safe to be a minority. Mr. Speaker, we must act. America can't just sit and watch this terrorism and repression unfold. India has already been put on the watch list of countries that violate religious freedom. We must cut off aid and trade with India until human rights are enjoyed by all, and we must support self-determination for all peoples and nations in South Asia. Then perhaps there will no longer be need for reports like the one recently issued by Human Rights Watch. Instead, everyone in the subcontinent will be able to have real democracy, freedom, stability, prosperity, and peace.