Pennsylvania General Assembly Resolution on 1984 Sikh Genocide Not Withdrawn

November 16, 2018 | By Parmjeet Singh

Chandigarh: Many of today’s newspapers in the Indian subcontinent published a fake news that the 1984 Sikh genocide resolution passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in United States of America is withdrawn. The fake is also published in various online media platforms.

Newspapers and media platform, including The Tribune, Business Standard, Navbharat Times, The Week, Punjabi vernacular Ajit, PTC Punjabi‘s website have carried a news reported by Indian news agency called PTI which says that the 1984 Sikh Genocide resolution (media reports did not use the term ‘Sikh Genocide’ here) passed by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania was withdrawn “as if it was not passed” following efforts by lawmakers and “members of the Indian-American community”.

The Indian media has attributed the news to the undisclosed source but the Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) was able to confirm from primary sources who openly declared under their names that the resolution stands in its originality and its not withdrawn.

Co-Sponsor Confirms that the 1984 Sikh Genocide Resolution is Not Withdrawn:

Mr. Santora, the co-sponsor of the house resolution no. 1160, confirmed that the resolution stands valid and is not withdrawn.

In a written communication (copy available with the Sikh Siyasat News), Mr. Santora said that “They were trying to reconsider the resolution and have a die all together. I put up a good fight and won” while confirming that the resolution validly stands.

Resolution Duly Available on Website of General Assembly of Pennsylvania:

The 1984 Sikh genocide resolution i.e. the House Resolution No. 1160 of 2018 passed by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania is duly available on the website of General Assembly of Pennsylvania.

⊕ READ RESOLUTION PASSED by GENERAL ASSEMBLY of PENNSYLVANIA

Response from American Sikh Congressional Caucus directors:

American Sikh Congressional Caucus committee directors S. Harpreet Singh and Dr. Pritpal Singh who were involved in efforts to get the fact of 1984 Sikh Genocide recognised said that the efforts on the part of Indian state to get the resolution withdrawn were part of policy of denial of genocide adopted by it. They said that the Indian media indulged into fake news in attempt to harm the authenticity of the resolution but the facts are facts. The 1984 Sikh Genocide is a fact and now various authorities are duly recognising it in their official resolutions and declarations. They said the resolution passed by the General Assembly of Pennsylvania is valid and its authenticity can’t be questioned by way of fake news.

Indian Media Also Attempt to Target Connecticut State Law on Sikh Genocide 1984 through Mis-Information in Fake News:

Upon analysing the news content published by various Indian media outlets today, the SSN found that in its fake news about Pennsylvania General Assembly resolution the media has also attempted to spread mis-information about Connecticut law declaring November 1 as the 1984 Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day every year.

“The resolution would have called for marking November 1 as ‘Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day globally’,” reads news published by The Week, Business Standard, The Tribune and PTC Punjabi. The same line is also reproduced in Punjabi translation of the news published by Ajit newspaper.

The fact is that the House resolution no. 1160 passed by General Assembly of Pennsylvania recognises the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide where as a bill (now law) passed by the Connecticut state official declares November 1 as 1984 Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day. These are two different recognitions but by clubbing it together and claiming that Pennsylvania “resolution would have called for marking November 1 as ‘Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day globally” the Indian media also tried to spread false news about withdrawal of the recognition of November 1 as 1984 Sikh Genocide Remembrance Day.

Denial as Eighth Stage of Genocide:

It is worth mentioning here that every genocide is followed by denial. According to genocide studies scholar Gregory H. Stanton denial is eighth and never ending stage of every genocide. The perpetrators of the Genocide never admit and deploy various tactics to deny the fact of genocide.

In Gregory H. Stanton’s own words: “DENIAL is the eighth stage that always follows a genocide. It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres. The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims. They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern until driven from power by force, when they flee into exile. There they remain with impunity, like Pol Pot or Idi Amin, unless they are captured and a tribunal is established to try them”.

Indian State’s Policy of Denial Against The Fact of Sikh Genocide of 1984:

The Indian state is denying the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide. Recently, during an event organised to remember the 1984 Sikh genocide in Connecticut state of USA, state senator Cathy Osten exposed India’s policy of denial and read out a para from a letter written by Indian consulate which justified the genocidal violence against the Sikhs and denied the fact of genocide.

Indian Media participation in the policy of denial:

The Indian media is hand in hand with the Indian state in their attempt to deny the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide.

Indian media does not endorse or use the term ‘Sikh genocide’ to refer to the events fo 1984 Sikh Genocide instead it uses inappropriate terms like anti-Sikh riots etc.

The Indian media had highlighted the Indian state’s opposition against 1984 Sikh Genocide motion passed by the Ontario provincial parliament in Canada last year. Indian media reports had attempted to tarnish the image of politicians and elected members of Ontario provincial parliament who had moved, supported and got passed the said resolution. The then MPPs Harinder Malhi (Liberal) and Jagmeet Singh (NDP) were specifically targeted by the Indian media former had introduced the motion and later has supported it cutting across the party lines. Despite Indian opposition the resolution was officially passed by the Ontario provincial parliament recognising the fact of Sikh Genocide 1984.

Indian Media Blacks Out Reports of International Recognition to the Fact of 1984 Sikh genocide:

Now, the Indian media has started completely ignore the reports of official recognition by foreign or international authorities to the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide.

Most of Indian media outlets did not carry the news of Pennsylvania general assembly passing the resolution recognising the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide.

Similarly, the Indian media did not report that the Connecticut state of USA had passed a law to recognise November 1 official day to remember the 1984 Sikh genocide every year. The similar move by 8 cities of the Connecticut state was also not reported by the Indian media.

It has also ignored the recognition of the fact of Sikh Genocide 1984 by the city council of Holyork by way of an official proclamation.

Embedded Danial in Media Reports:

Even if the Indian media carries these reports about international recognition for the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide the reports are so worded that they carry embedded denial. For example on October 20, 2018 Times of India (ToI) reported: “Pennsylvania recognizes 1984 riots as ‘Sikh genocide’.” The headline clearly says that the 1984 events were “riots” but Pennsylvania has recognised these riots as “Genocide”. So, when ever the Indian media outlets decided to carry such news they carry it denial embedded in it.

Ajit Newspaper Also Propagates the Indian state’s Policy of Denial:

Even the Punjabi vernacular Ajit has jumped into Indian state’s boots to propagate the denial of the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide. In its news the Ajit newspaper has referred the events of 1984 Sikh Genocide as “anti-Sikh riots” which shows that even this newspaper is propagating the Indian state’s policy of denial.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly resolution had recognised the fact of 1984 Sikh Genocide. In his research genocide studies scholar Gregory H. Stanton had found that often the perpetrators of the genocide coin different terms to deny the fact of genocide. In simple word the perpetrator state and his propagandists would say that the massacres that took place were not genocide and they call it by some other name.

In case of the 1984 Sikh Genocide the Indian state has coined the terms like Delhi riots, 1984 riots, anti-Sikh riots etc. to refer to the events of 1984 Sikh Genocide. By using these terms newspapers like Ajit are propagating the denial of the fact of 1984 Sikh genocide.

⊕ RELATED VIDEO – On Sikh Genocide 1984 Resolution Passed by Pennsylvania State Assembly:

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Related Topics: 1984 Sikh Genocide, Dr. Pritpal Singh (USA), Embedded Journalism, Indian Media, Indian State, November 1984, Sikh Diaspora, Sikh News Connecticut, Sikh News Pennsylvania, Sikh News USA, Sikhs in Connecticut, Sikhs in Pennsylvania, Sikhs in United States