Statement by Former Senior SGPC Member on White House Response to Sikh Genocide Petition - Manjit Singh Calcutta Questions Response by the White House on Sikh Massacres
Posted: 03 Apr 2013 01:18 PM PDT
AMRITSAR SAHIB (April 3, 2013)–Long term ally of S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra (former SGPC President) and a senior SGPC member himself, Manjit Singh Calcutta has stated that the White House’ decision on the Sikh genocide petition “is gravely erroneous” and as it has only considered the dictionary meaning of the term ‘Genocide’ and a limited period of Sikh massacre in November, 1984.”
Statement by Calcutta comes after the White House openly condemned the Sikh massacre post 1984 in India, but refused to declare it a genocide.  He further alleged that the Sikh massacre in India is the “worst form of genocide”.  Bhai Manjit Singh’s strong words against the Indian Government also put a question in front of the White House as to why it has refrained to recognize such a vast scale massacre by the Indian Government?  Calcutta also appealed to Sikh organizations based in the US to take up this matter with the Obama Administration.
Calcutta stated that, “the Sikh genocide by the then Indian Government had twin purpose, it was not merely loss of life and economy but was against the separate Sikh religious identity. The State terrorism against the Sikhs was not one event but it continued for the entire period beginning early 80′s to 1995. During the period there was no rule of law and the police and paramilitary forces hunted for the turbaned Sikh youth especially in the rural areas of Punjab.”
“Thousands fake encounters took place, dead bodies of Sikh youth were thrown in rivers and canals or burnt at cremation ground declaring them falsely as unclaimed. The inhuman torture of thousands of Sikhs taken into illegal custody and thus the entire Punjab was terrified to the extent that an entire generation was lost to the Sikh Panth. The Sikh youth aged between 15-35 years were forced to abdicate the Sikh identity of uncut hair and turban. It’s fatal affect continues unabated till now in the form of apostasy. It is the worst form of genocide.”