“My Dream Speech”

Independence of Punjab-Khalistan

June 6, 2019 Speech 5:30 pm, Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC
 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh! I am pleased and honored to be here today to lay down before the reason and the plan for independence of Punjab-Khalistan

Today, here at the Lincoln Memorial, we are propelling our campaign for the independence of Punjab Khalistan one step further to the next level.

We are fighting this legal war for the liberation of the people and land of Punjab from the repressive Indian regime.

After declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 in Philadelphia the people of the United States of America liberated their country from the British rule to protect their rights; the rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Under similar circumstances, in this case of Punjab, a long history of massacres and repression by the successive Indian governments since 1947 has left the people of Punjab with no choice but to exercise their right to self-determination to liberate Punjab from the repressive and draconian Indian rule.

Only in an independent Punjab, can the Punjabis safeguard these rights.

There has been systematic attack on Punjabi economic resources, Sikh religious freedom, and Sikhs’ freedom of speech, assembly and association. There has been systematic denial of our religion, denial of our language, and denial of our identity and denial of justice.

Since the adoption of the UN Charter, the right to self-determination has been confirmed through international treaties and declarations. Most significant are International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the ‘ICCPR’) and the International Covenant on economic, social and cultural Rights (the ‘ICESCR’) of 1966 (in force from 1976). Together referred to as the Bill of Rights, these two treaties are considered to be the cornerstone of international human rights law.

The right to self-determination applies to a group of peoples. Sikhs are peoples under the International law: Sikhs share a common history, religion, language, culture, and historically a territory, the country of Punjab with distinct boundaries and treaties with other countries like Briton and France and Genocide of Sikhs was carried out by India in 1984.

Under the international law Sikhs fulfil all the requirements, and are thus entitled to exercise their right to self-determination.

On June 6th, 1984, 35 years ago Indian Army invaded Golden Temple Amritsar (Operation Blue Star) killing thousands of innocent Sikh pilgrims and Sikh freedom fighters. Indian government chose this particular day to attack the Golden Temple Amritsar in order to kill maximum Sikhs, this being one of the busiest day in Sikh history when the pilgrims arrive in rather large numbers for the commemoration of martyrdom-day of the fifth Sikh Guru-Guru Arjan.

Indian government simultaneously attacked 37 other Gurdwaras and had practiced the attack well in advance by building a replica of Golden Temple in remote mountains. The attack was well planned not only to teach the Sikhs lesson but also to defeat them mentally and physically, so that they would never ask for their rights again.

We shall not be defeated, we shall never be defeated.

We have chosen this place, the Lincoln Memorial, where Dr. Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963 made his dream speech and stated that THERE WILLL BE SOME DAY WHEN ALL PEOPLE ARE TREATED EQUAL. Similarly; I am making my dream speech, the dreams which we all share together, cherish and hold close to our hearts:

  1. I have a dream and firm belief that someday the people of Punjab will live in independent country of Punjab, the land of the free and the brave.
  2. I have the dream that all the people of Punjab will rise to the belief that all people are created equal and Punjab will be the land of human, social and gender equality.
  3. I have a dream that the people of Punjab will never again have to undergo massacres, unspeakable tortures, and gang rapes, and extrajudicial killings.
  4. I have a dream that the land of Punjab which is soaked and fertilized with the blood of its martyrs will produce sons and daughters who will uphold the truth, liberty and justice for all.

In independent Punjab, there will be religious freedom and tolerance of other faith.

It is this place, where the stature of Abraham Lincoln stands witness to the end of Slavery of African Americans 166 years ago, in 1863.

Sikhs are enslaved politically, economically, religiously and linguistically. It is this place from where we are moving forward to end the slavery of the people of Punjab.

It is this place, where Sikhs have gathered from all over the world and reaffirm the previously made declarations that ONE-day the Punjab will be an independent country.

Sant Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale’s Declaration that an attack on Darbar Sahib by Indian Govt will lay down the foundation of Khalistan. That foundation was laid down 35 years ago on June 6, 1984 with the blood and flesh of the Sikh martyrs killed by Indian army invasion of Harmindar Sahib (Golden Temple Amritsar) the Sikh Vatican. And now we are building that country.

The declaration of independence of Punjab was made on January 26, 1986 by Damdami Taksal and AASSF from Darbar Sahib, reaffirmed on April 29, 1986 by Sarbat Khalsa (the Global Sikh Congregation) from Akal Takhat Sahib, and Sarbat Khalsa in October 2015 in Amritsar.

Honoring these declarations, today, we are taking this campaign much further, to every corner of the world from Sikh Nation to the United Nations and the United States of America.

The Sikhs have performed the highest form of service for the freedom of others. And these very same people for whose freedom we paid with our lives, have been savagely carrying out our Genocide, repression and persecution. It is important to realize that India does not see anything wrong with it.

Therefore, for Punjabis “independent Punjab Khalistan is the only option”.

 Now we are well-trenched into fighting this war, a peaceful, legal and democratic war, for the freedom of our own. And we shall not quit until the Punjab becomes an independent country.

My message to you all is that, it is not only correct and our right, but also our moral responsibility to be a part of Referendum 2020 campaign to exercise our right to self-determination. My call to the Sikh Nation: Let’s all join together and support the independence of Punjab-Khalistan.

We must unite together. Let’s leave our petty differences behind, leave your hypothetical ideology behind that some that thing will work out to be just fine. But they never do, unless you act decisively in timely fashion. The time to act is now. Act now, to support the right to self-determination and Referendum 2020.

May God bless us with the independent country of Punjab! May God bless America, the home of the free and the brave!

-Bakhshish Singh Sandhu MD, President Council of Khalistan
June 6, 2019, Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, USA