Srinagar: In a strong appeal to the visiting US President to intervene for the sake of justice, the Dal Khalsa on Sunday said Punjab, Kashmir and the North-East were separable limbs held together by brute force, draconian laws, political chicanery, and vested-interest oriented foreign policy of many countries including the US and an uninvolved United Nations.
In a communique addressed to President Barack Obama, the party’s president H S Dhami said "during the course of your visit, you were scheduled to discuss global counter -terrorism measures. May we submit that in this part of the world, like in many others, blatant and gross abuse of human rights of minorities have been the root causes for violence against the state”, states the memorandum faxed to the Ambassador US Embassy in New Delhi.
Welcoming the US President to India, he reminded Obama about the day-light carnage of 3000 plus Sikhs on the streets of New Delhi-the capital of this country 26 years ago, for which no police, paramilitary or political functionary has been brought to justice. “In such a scenario, we are left with no choice but to appeal to you for your intervention, said he.
In a statement to Agence India Press, he said we were sure that you will take this opportunity to go beyond the Indian mainstream and delve into the status and plight of peoples, like the Kashmiris, Sikhs, who were contesting the hegemony of the Indian state over the last many decades.
Partnership with India by the US was welcome for peace in the region, he said. However, both countries and more so the United States would have to focus on respect for human rights & rule of law, freedom and justice, said the leader of the Sikh political party.
He ruled that the Sikhs and Muslims in India have suffered persecution and discrimination because of their religious beliefs, which differ from the mainly Hindu-Indian heartland.
Pointing towards the US administration’s agenda for peace in South Asia as its one of the prime concerns, Dhami said peace was possible if people within the countries were given equal rights and opportunities. He was quick to add that so far, the international community has failed the Sikh people. He described the US president as the sheet anchor of exploring and achieving alternative goals.
He urged him to recognize the struggle for right to self-determination waged by ethnic and religious minorities in the periphery region of the country, which in recent times, has transformed from armed struggle to non-violent struggle.
He referred the report of the US Commission for International Religion Freedoms that placed India on the Watch List to drive his point home.
According to the Commission, India requires, “close monitoring due to the nature and extent of violations of religious freedom engaged in or tolerated by the government”