Posted on 04/02/2002 9:25:28 AM PST by TBP
On the contrary, it has everything to do with democracy. Democracy is precisely about the tyranny of the majority: in a pure democracy, if 50.1% of voters vote to kill Sikhs, or blacks, or Jews, or gun owners, that's what's going to happen. No ifs, ands, or buts. The "power of the people" is total and absolute.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States endorsed a controversial anti-terrorism bill approved by the Indian parliament on Wednesday, saying it appeared to be consistent with democratic values and the constitution.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have attacked the bill, saying it could be used to harass innocent people and to target minority Muslims or opponents of the government.
But State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said: "It's important for governments to take steps against terrorism (and) to do it in a constitutional way. Other governments have also passed legislation that makes clear that they are going to take efforts to strengthen their legal systems, as the Indians have just done, within constitutional bounds.
"We do believe that that can be done consistent with democratic principles. We have done that. The Europeans have done that, and India seems to have done that as well."
The State Department said later that it was advising U.S. citizens to avoid the Kutch region in the western state of Gujarat, scene of recent conflict between Hindus and Muslims.
People traveling under the sponsorship of the U.S. government will postpone trips to Kutch, a statement said.
A travel warning on March 13 covered Gujarat but excluded the Kutch region. The statement did not explain the change.
In fact, this law should be amended to say that only Muslims or persons of no identifiable religion SUSPECTED of being Muslims, can be arrested.
There is no need to deprive any non-Muslim of any civil rights according to western customs....
It seems the good Dr. Aulakh has a lot to learn about democracy (mob rule).
Why do you continue to post false propaganda from an organization working for Punjabi terrorists?
It is time to outlaw a violent, inherently illegal movement, that is masquerading under the guise of "protected religious speech."
The minaret's shadow of death must be removed from our land, and the proponents of "kill the infidel" islamic fundamentalism... need to be expatriated OUT of our borders.
This outfit is a mere Pawn in the Islamic Terrorism emanating from Pakistan, into India, Nepal, Burma, Bangladesh, etc. I am sure this law is aimed at the Islamics and as well as the Sikh extremists, if they still happen to be a threat.
As far as 200,000 Christians being killed in India, this obvious and indicates what kind of Islamic-sponsored propoganda we're up against!
K.P.S. Gill is not a writer that I know of; he is the former police chief of Punjab, and a brutal one who presided over the deaths of thousands and took roughly the same action against the killers as the Catholic archdicese of Boston took against the child abusing priests -- i.e., transferring them somewhere lese where they could do their damage on new victims.
There is absolutely no relationship between Babbar Khalsa International and Council of Khalistan. Period. BKI is a militant organization, and the Council of Khalistan explicitly rejects militancy.
The Akali Dal was at one time the Sikh national political party. It has been infiltrated like many organizations and taken over by Indian government bootlickers. It no longer serves teh interest of its constitutency.
The fact is that the Akalis are in coalition with the Hindu nationalists. The Akali government was the most corrupt in Punjab's history. The Akalis -- all factions -- have not used their elective offices to advance Sikh interests. This is why they were massively rejected.
The Akali government in Punjab came to power on three promises: to bring the police officials who had committed atrocities and other acts of repression to justice; to appoint a commission to investigate allegations of police abuse; and to free political prisoners. They did none of these things. Now they are no longer in power. They would not even release their own report on the murder of Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, who was the highest-ranking Sikh religious leader. Captain Amarinder Singh, the new Chief Minister, has been asked to release it. Let's see if he does so. Presumably, it implicates high-ranking police officials in the Kaunke murder, including Swaran Singh Ghotna, a former SSP.
Why do you continue to post false propaganda from an organization working for Punjabi terrorists?
As I pointed out, it is your statement that the Council of Khalistan is "an organization working for Punjabi terrorists" that is false propaganda. The Council has repeatedly rejected militancy and terrorism from any quarter and has repeatedly called for a peaceful, democratic, nonviolent movement to liberate Khalistan. You don't have to agree with them, but be honest about the organization's goals and methods.
I believe this is the same kind of movement that Gandhi led for the liberation of India from the British. Was he a terrorist?
This is just another policy error by the Bush Administration. In America, the Supreme Court has ruled that you can only hold someone without charges for 48 hours (and Scalia and Thomas said that was too long.) In India, you're now allowed to keep tehm in "preventive detention" for up to 6 months.
There are still over 52,000 Sikhs being held as political prisoners under the previous TADA law, which expired in 1995. This is from a report by the Movement Against State Reperssion. Tens of thousands of Christians and other minorities also continue to be held as political prisoners. This law gives the government more power than TADA gave it. Do you not see the threat to basic human rights and civil liberties?
...the council of khalistan rejects militancy.Yes, of course it does. It is strictly a political organization working for Khali separatists, of whom the majority are militant. (Of course, Political donations help, don't they?)
Interesting what you say about the Akali Dal. Traitors to the Sikh cause, eh? And what Sikh "interests" have the Akalis forsaken?
The fact IS, your council is going nowhere, fast. The vast majority of Sikhs in Indian Punjab are very happy where they are, now.
..."an organization working for Punjabi terrorists"... the council has repeatedly rejected militancy and terrorism from any quarter and has repeatedly called for a peaceful, democratic, nonviolent movement to liberate khalistan.
Couple of things. 1)The militant Sikhs are not getting the answer, so don't tell me, tell them. 2)Which Khalistan are they trying to "liberate?"
I believe this is the same kind of movement that Gandhi led for the liberation of India from the British. Was he a terrorist?
Gandhi was asking the British for independence and not his own country. Your council only wants Indian Punjab liberated. What about Pakistani Punjab? Am I supposed to believe the Pakis will just let their part of the Punjab go? Why does dear Dr. Aulakh only lie about the Indians? Half of the Punjab is in Pakistan, right?
So if you have violence in your country, it's OK to trample on basic liberties? That is hardly a conservative position. It's more like Daschleism.
What an invitation to any tinhorn despot to foment violence so he can clamp down!
And report after report shows that India is fomenting a lot of the violence itself.
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