We, citizens of Connecticut and Massachusetts ask you to retract the citation (and Proclamation), which supports the Declaration of Sikh Independence. They were issued on your recommendation and presented by you.

This citation is an uncalled recognition of a separatist movement calling for the break-up of India. The Khalistani separatist movement has engaged in acts of terror over the last two decades. This citation is offensive to people in India and Indian American community in the state of CT and MA. The states have no right to interfere in the sovereignty of another nation. This act is causing irreparable harm to our Connecticut’s reputation in the country of India.

You have been misguided by some fringe organizations with nefarious intentions. We ask that you retract this citation immediately and ensure that our Federal government in Washington DC handles all foreign affairs matters in the future.

This act by the CT/MA General Assembly is of grave concern to many well-meaning and peace loving citizens of Connecticut who uphold the highest American values and expect the same to be reflected in such decisions. A few of of the concerns that the fringe separatist  'Khalistani' group imposes upon the larger peaceful and well-integrated Sikh community are:

- The Khalistani movement has its foundation and links to organizations that are designated 'Terrorist Organizations' by India and the European Union [1- a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i]
- Their violence against civilians resulted in over 20,000 deaths in just a decade [2]
- They were convicted for several heinous terrorist activities around the world such as the assassination of the Prime Minister of India [3] to a bombing of an international airliner [4] which was the worst aviation-related terrorist attack in the world before 9/11.

The act by the CT General Assembly also raises several disturbing moral and ethical issues such as:

- What the CT assembly seems to have been misled to give citation for - There is no record of any government anywhere in the world ever acknowledging or recognizing a 'Sikh Independence' to have ever taken place.
- The State of Connecticut should not get involved in domestic affairs of a Sovereign and Pluralistic Democratic Nation such as India
- Participating in favor of currently and potentially designated Separatist Terrorist Organizations would not only undermine our American values but also put our great state on the wrong side of History
- Separatist fringe groups have always existed in every nation including the USA, whose purpose is often to undermine the Nation and make themselves relevant. - They rarely represent the sentiments of the larger majority of their community - which is the case here for a fringe group of Khalistanis claiming to talk on behalf of all Sikhs.
- Sikh Gurus and innumerable Sikh followers later have sacrificed their life defending India and its culture. The Gurus are highly revered and celebrated as heroes by everyone in India and the Sikhs share a deep bonhomie and brotherhood with all Indian communities. Khalistanis, however, are known to have worked with Pakistani external intelligence agency called ISI [5, 6] and share an agenda with them to build a rift within the Indian community through nefarious and violent methods. They clearly don't speak for the majority of the Sikhs [7]. Understandably, the Khalistanis seem to have used their deviant methods to somehow convince the General Assembly into believing that the designated terrorist supporting Khalistani group are the victims. 

Bearing the above points in mind, I request the honorable General Assembly to please retract (or nullify) the aforementioned citation.

References:

[1] List of 9 references from ‘a)’ to ‘i)’

a) https://web.archive.org/web/20090601153833/http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/27/stories/2009052760101300.htm [Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) claims responsibility for Vienna attack]

b) https://web.archive.org/web/20090603054811/http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=13609 [Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) takes responsibility for Vienna temple massacre]

c) https://web.archive.org/web/20180503233101/https://mha.gov.in/banned-organisations [Ministry of Home Affairs - Banned Organizations - [Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)]

d) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2005/l_340/l_34020051223en00640066.pdf [“In December 2005 the European Union classified the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) as a terrorist organization”]

e) https://web.archive.org/web/20100928115333/http://www.mha.nic.in/uniquepage.asp?id_pk=292 [Ministry of Home Affairs - Banned Organizations - [Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)]

f) http://newdelhi.usembassy.gov/pr122106b.html [U.S. Court Convicts Khalid Awan for Supporting Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) - a terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths in India]

g) https://2001-2009.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2008/vol2/html/101353.htm [US Department of State - Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), a terrorist organization]

h)  https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-en.aspx#17 [Babbar Khalsa International - Terrorist Organization]

i) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRoCCwoEYI0&ab_channel=WION [Gravitas Plus: What is the Khalistan movement?]

[2] https://www.hinduamerican.org/issues/land-of-pure-khalistan#:~:text=The%20Khalistan%20movement%20peaked%20in,alike%2C%20including%20approximately%2012%2C000%20civilians [“The movement resulted in nearly 22,000 deaths of Sikhs and Hindus alike”]

[3] https://www.theweek.in/news/india/2021/09/09/exclusive-did-indira-gandhis-assassin-have-links-with-london-khalistanis.html [Did Indira Gandhi's [then Prime Minister of India] assassin have links with London Khalistanis?]

[4] Flight 182 (Canada), Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India; Major, John Charles (2010). Air India Flight 182: A Canadian Tragedy. Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182. p. 21. ISBN 9780660199269

[5] https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/sikh-extremists-in-canada-the-uk-and-italy-are-working-with-isi-or-independently/299753 [Sikh Extremists In Canada, The UK And Italy Are ­Working With ISI Or Independently]

[6] https://scroll.in/article/1002780/pakistans-isi-is-working-to-revive-the-khalistan-cause-india-must-be-vigilant [Pakistan’s ISI is working to revive the Khalistan cause]

[7] https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.economictimes.com/news/defence/sikhs-suffer-in-pakistan-while-isi-promotes-khalistan-agenda-report/amp_articleshow/78212990.cms [Sikhs suffer in Pakistan while ISI promotes Khalistan agenda: Report]