India: Then and Now
Thank you for providing accurate coverage of the elections, or lack of them, in Punjab, India, in the article "Punjab Sends Mixed Message to India's Ruling Party," Feb. 24. However, as Sikhs throughout Punjab consider their successful boycott of elections under the Indian constitution as a clear mandate for independence, the message sent is not "mixed" but crystal clear: The Sikhs want outright independence for Khalistan.
On Oct. 7, 1987, the Sikh nation declared independence from India, forming the separate country of Khalistan. Since 1984, more than 100,000 Sikhs have been killed by Indian government forces.
India, a country with 14 official languages and vastly diverse cultures, is not unlike the former Soviet Union. Clamoring with dissension, India is currently engulfed with movements for independence from Punjab to Kashmir, from Nagaland to Assam. Clearly, the time for freedom on the subcontinent has arrived.
Despite attempts by Indian police to force Sikhs to vote under the threat of retaliation, Sikhs persevered in making the boycott virtually complete. The Indian government holds no legitimacy among the Sikhs. The Sikh nation has delivered to the Indian government a clear mandate for Khalistan. Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, Washington , President, Council of Khalistan
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