Bill Text: CA AR93 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Resolution 93

Bill Title: Relative to Saka Nakodar Day.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2024-06-13 - Read. Adopted. (Page 5851.). [AR93 Detail]

Download: California-2023-AR93-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly June 04, 2024

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

House Resolution

No. 93

Introduced by Assembly Member Bains
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Kalra, Lee, and Ortega)

April 10, 2024

Relative to Saka Nakodar Day.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

HR 93, as amended, Bains.

WHEREAS, On February 4, 1986, four unarmed and peaceful Sikh students, ~~namely~~ Ravinder Singh, Baldhir Singh Multani, Jhilman Singh, and Harminder Singh, were killed by State police in the Nakodar subdivision of Punjab, India (hereafter referred to as “State”) in an unprovoked firing while participating in protest against the desecration of the Sikh scripture “Sri Guru Granth ~~Sahib”~~ Sahib,” considered by all Sikhs to be the final, supreme, and living Guru after the lineage of 10 Sikh gurus; and

WHEREAS, The State authorities violated the freedom of ~~peacefulassembly,~~ peaceful assembly, which is endorsed by Article 20 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21 of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and Article 5 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders; and

WHEREAS, The dead bodies were secretly disposed of to conceal this extrajudicial killing; and

WHEREAS, The State government constituted a commission of judicial inquiry headed by a renowned jurist on this incident; and

WHEREAS, The Justice Gurnam Singh commission of inquiry submitted its report to the State government on October 31, 1986, but the government failed to place and discuss the report, along with the mandatory Action Taken Report, in the State assembly within six months of submission; and

WHEREAS, The State obscured the relevant parts of the judicial commission inquiry report and took no action. Not a single perpetrator has been brought to justice to date; and

WHEREAS, The victims’ families have been fighting for truth, justice, accountability, and closure for over 36 38 years; and

WHEREAS, This incident has now also received international attention as Dr. Iqtidar Cheema, serving on the United Nations Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Genocide and Atrocity ~~Crimes,” as those are essentially his exact words~~ Crimes, has raised it on various international forums; and

WHEREAS, The incident has come to be known as “Saka Nakodar” for the Punjabi word for massacre, “Saka,” and the region in Punjab, “Nakodar,” where it took place; and

WHEREAS, Sikh immigrants have been an integral part of our community and the United States for over 130 years, with the oldest gurdwara in the United States established in the City of Stockton in 1912; and

WHEREAS, Over one-half of Sikh Americans call California communities, including the Cities of Bakersfield, Fresno, Live Oak, Sacramento, San Jose, Stockton, and Yuba City, their home; and

WHEREAS, Sikh farmers make major contributions to the agricultural bounty of California, including, among many other crops, peaches, pistachios, okra, and raisins; and

WHEREAS, The United States and California advocate for the democratic and human rights of all people and stand in solidarity with the families of the victims of the Nakodar incident and the Sikh international community in their pursuit of truth and justice as they continue to build worldwide support; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly hereby condemns the hate crimes and human rights violations against Sikhs and declares February ~~4, 2024,~~ 4 of each year as Saka Nakodar Day; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.