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[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 37 Introduced in House (IH)]

105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 37

  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Sikh nation should be 
 allowed to exercise the right of national self-determination in their 
                      homeland, Punjab, Khalistan.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 5, 1997

 Mr. Condit (for himself and Mr. Rohrabacher) submitted the following 
     concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
  Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Sikh nation should be 
 allowed to exercise the right of national self-determination in their 
                      homeland, Punjab, Khalistan.

Whereas the Sikh nation developed a national consciousness in the 17th century 
        and established an independent and sovereign state in 1765;
Whereas the independent and sovereign Sikh state was recognized by other 
        European and Asian states until conquest by the British in 1849;
Whereas the Sikh nation was the last nation to fall to British conquest in the 
        Indian subcontinent;
Whereas the Sikh nation was denied resumption of its independent state when the 
        British divided their conquered territory between India and Pakistan;
Whereas no Sikh has ever signed, and therefore ever ratified, the Indian 
        constitution;
Whereas the Sikh nation reasserted the independence of its state, known as 
        Khalistan, on October 7, 1987 and formed the Council of Khalistan naming 
        Washington DC-based Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh as its President to serve as 
        government pro tempore pending the end of Indian Government occupation 
        of Khalistan;
Whereas freedom is universally recognized as the birthright of all nations;
Whereas national self-determination is enshrined in article 1 of the United 
        Nations Charter;
Whereas an independent and sovereign Sikh homeland has been in the past and is 
        now economically, militarily, and politically viable;
Whereas Khalistan remains under Indian occupation;
Whereas an independent and sovereign Khalistan will be a force for peace, 
        leading India and Pakistan to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty;
Whereas an independent and sovereign Khalistan will serve as a buffer state 
        between India and Pakistan;
Whereas the struggle to liberate Khalistan known as Shantmai Morcha is a 
        peaceful and democratic one;
Whereas Sikhs are committed to the principles of freedom, justice, and 
        democracy;
Whereas an independent and sovereign Sikh nation will help spread democracy and 
        economic prosperity throughout all of South Asia;
Whereas an independent and sovereign Khalistan, nurtured by the Sikh tradition 
        of democracy and justice, would be a natural ally of the United States; 
        and
Whereas the struggle of the Sikh nation to establish an independent Khalistan 
        closely mirrors America's struggle for independence and democracy: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the Sikhs of Khalistan have 
the right to national self-determination in their homeland, Punjab, 
Khalistan; and be it further
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Congress that an 
internationally supervised plebiscite should be held in Punjab, 
Khalistan, on the question of independence, under international 
supervision, so that the Sikhs of Khalistan can determine their 
political future in a free and fair vote in accordance with 
international law.
                                 <all>
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