April 4, 2007
VAISAKHI DAY MESSAGE TO THE SIKH NATION
Vaisakhi Day Should Be Celebrated in Freedom
“In Grieb Sikhin Ko Deon Patshahi” –
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Freedom Lies in the Heart of the Sikh Nation;
No Force Can Suppress It Political Power Is Essential for the Survival of the Sikh Nation

Dear Khalsa Ji:

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH!

On April 13, the Sikh Nation will celebrate Vaisakhi Day, observing the 308th anniversary of the day Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa Panth. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family and friends and all Sikhs a Happy Vaisakhi Day. As you know, Vaisakhi Day is the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa. On Vaisakhi Day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh baptized the Sikhs and required them to keep the five Ks. He made the Sikhs into saints and soldiers, giving the blessing “In grieb Sikhin ko deon Patshahi” (“I give sovereignty to the humble Sikhs.”) Just two years after his departure from this earthly plane in 1708, the Sikhs established their own independent state in Punjab. Today we struggle to regain the sovereignty that Guru Gobind Singh bestowed upon us over 300 years ago.

We must remind ourselves of our heritage by raising slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad” and beginning a Shantmai Morcha to liberate our homeland, Khalistan. Every morning and evening we recite, “Raj Kare Ga Khalsa.” Now is the time to act on it. Do we mean what we say every morning and evening?

Last week, Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon, Managing Editor of the International Journal of Sikh Affairs, representing the Council of Khalistan, presented a memorandum on Sikh sovereignty and the release of the Sikh political and non-political prisoners in India to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. The memorandum discussed the Human Rights Violations, persecution, torture, genocide of Sikhs since 1984 as well as the current situation in Punjab, Khalistan. The ongoing effort to reclaim the freedom that is our birthright took another step forward with this delivery.

The Sikhs in Punjab have suffered enormous repression at the hands of the Indian regime in the last 23 years. The Indian government has murdered over 250,000 Sikhs since 1984. In addition, over 50,000 Sikh youth were picked up from their houses, tortured, murdered in police custody, then secretly cremated as “unidentified bodies.” Their remains were never even given to their families! Over 52,000 Sikhs sit in Indian jails as political prisoners without charge or trial, according to a report by the Movement Against State Repression (MASR). Some of them have been in illegal custody for over 20 years!

Repression and genocide of this magnitude at the hands of the Indian government is unparalleled in the late part of the 20th century. India should be ashamed of the genocide it has committed against Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, and other minorities.

Recently, Chief Minister Badal backed off his promise to repeal Section 5 of the Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, the section that allowed the free transfer of Punjab’s river water to Haryana and Rajasthan to continue. This promise was essential to getting him elected. Although he is the leader of the Akali Dal, Badal has again shown that he is under the control of the Hindutva movement. It is time for the Sikh leadership to stop kowtowing to the Indian government and start protecting the interests of the Sikh Nation. He should immediately sever his alliance with the BJP. As every Sikh knows, the BJP is determined to destroy the Sikh religion and the Sikh Nation.

Dr. K.S. Aulakh (no relation) recently resigned as Vice Chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University after Mr. Badal ordered him to open the University gate, which had been closed because of robberies and a murder, something that he could not do. Dr. G.S. Kalkat, former Vice Chancellor of PAU and Chairman of the Punjab Farmers Commission, described this resignation as unfortunate and said there should be no political interference in the workings of the University could not be tolerated. Dr. Darshan Singh, former Dean of Postgraduate Studies at PAU; Dr. D.R. Bhumbla, former Vice Chancellor of Haryana Agricultural University; Prof. Pritpal Singh Kapur, former pro-Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University; Dr. Darshan Singh, former Dean of Postgraduate Studies at PAU; and Lt. Col. Chanan Singh Dhillon, retired President of the Indian Ex-Services League; among others, were also critical of Badal’s political interference. Dr. K.S. Aulakh was appointed by Mr. Badal several years ago when Badal was Chief Minister before, so this was an unusually courageous act on his part and he is to be saluted for it. Mr. Badal is Chief Minister of Punjab. Why doesn’t he even want to protect the students, faculty, and staff at PAU from robberies and murders?

Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti is another who is under Indian government control. A couple of years ago, he was quoted as saying, “We don’t want separate territory.” Apparently, Vedanti would rather maintain the oppression and the atrocities against the Sikh Nation than enjoy the glow of freedom, as promised to us at the time of independence. Has he forgotten our heritage of freedom? How can the spiritual leader of the Sikh religion deny the Sikh Nation’s legitimate aspiration for freedom and sovereignty? Is he not stung by the words of one of his predecessors, former AkalTakht Jathedar Professor Darshan Singh, who said, “If a Sikh is not a Khalistani, he is not a Sikh”? Is Akal Takht occupied by a person who does not believe in Sikh values and Sikh aspirations?

Sikhs can never forgive or forget the Indian government’s military attack on the Golden Temple and 125 other Gurdwaras throughout Punjab. Over 20,000 Sikhs were murdered in those attacks, known as Operation Bluestar, including Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, and over 100 Sikh religious students ages 8-13 who were taken out into the courtyard and shot. These attacks accelerated the Sikh independence movement and deepened the desire for independence in the hearts of Sikhs, a fire that burns brightly in the hearts of the Sikh Nation to this day. Sant Bhindranwale said that the attack on the Golden Temple would “lay the foundation stone of Khalistan” and he was right.

Khalsa Ji, at this time of Vaisakhi, the whole Khalsa Panth must be energized to reestablish a sovereign, independent Khalsa Raj by freeing our homeland, Khalistan. It is time for Sikhs to look back at our history of persecution and suffering over the past two decades.

The Hindu government of India, whether run by the Congress Party or by the BJP, wants minorities either subservient to Hinduism or completely wiped out. In spite of the fact that the religions believe completely opposite things, Hindus desire to engulf Sikhism just as they did with Jainism and Buddhism in India. They think that Buddhism is part of Hinduism because Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, was born in India. Similarly, Guru Nanak was born Hindu, so they proclaim Sikhism to be part of Hinduism. Yet Guru Nanak said that he was “neither Hindu nor Muslim.” Jesus was born Jewish. Does that mean that Christianity is merely part of Judaism?

On this auspicious occasion celebrating the birth of the Khalsa Panth, we must bring back our Khalsa spirit. We must remember our heritage and tradition of “Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah” by committing ourselves to freeing our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan, from Indian occupation. We need a new Sikh political party which has a dedication to the interests of the Sikh Nation as its sole objective, to establish Khalsa Raj by liberating Khalistan, severing all political ties with India.

The Indian government wants to break the will of the Sikh Nation and enslave them forever, making Sikhism a part of Hinduism. This can only be stopped if we free Punjab from Delhi’s control and reestablish a sovereign, independent country, as declared on October 7, 1987. We must recommit ourselves to freeing our homeland, Punjab, Khalistan.
Raise slogans of “Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah,” “Raj Kare Ga Khalsa,” “Khalistan Zindabad,” and “India out of Khalistan.” Use this Vaisakhi to launch a Shantmai Morcha to liberate Khalistan. In spite of India’s best efforts, they cannot arrest all of us. Their jails are overflowing as it is. We must keep the pressure on every day to force India to withdraw from our homeland and allow the glow of freedom in Khalistan.

The flame of freedom still burns brightly in Punjab in spite of the Indian government’s brutal repression. Perhaps this is why India is afraid to hold a free and fair vote on the subject of independence. The essence of democracy is the right to self-determination. The time to achieve our independence is now. Always remember our heritage: Raj Kare Ga Khalsa; Khalsa Bagi Yan Badshah. Freedom for Khalistan is closer than ever. We must rededicate ourselves to achieving it.

Panth Da Sewadar,

Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh
President
Council of Khalistan

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This material is circulated by the Council of Khalistan, which is registered with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington, DC under the Foreign Agents Registration Act as an agent of the Council of Khalistan, Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab.
The material is filed with the DOJ where the required registration is available for inspection. Registration does not indicate approval of the contents by the U.S. Government.