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• Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was very distressed to hear of the recent Indian nuclear test. This test moves the subcontinent closer than it has ever been to a devastating nuclear war and threatens the peace of South Asia and the world.

• Recently, the Rand Corporation, a widely-respected think tank, predicted a war between India and Pakistan. The Rand study predicted that this war could go nuclear. Unfortunately, this explosion in the Rajasthan desert brings that prediction dangerously close to materializing.

• No one can be sanguine in the face of such a grave threat, especially since India refuses to join the other nuclear states of the world in accepting the restraints of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Pakistan has said that it will sign the treaty when India does; it is the Indian government that refuses to let South Asia escape from the threat of nuclear war.

• It appears that even many supporters of India are worried about this dangerous test. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a pro-India think tank, reportedly said that this test would backfire on India. I am encouraged that a prominent organization that supports India has spoken out about the danger this test poses.

• America provides significant support for this nuclear campaign. India is one of the five largest recipients of aid from the hardworking taxpayers of the United States. We should end this aid immediately and impose tough sanctions on India to put the brakes on its aggressive nuclear effort. This will put pressure on India to focus its resources on development at home, where half the people live below the international poverty line, instead of trying to intimidate its neighbors to extend its empire.

• The Council of Khalistan recently issued a press release on this issue which speaks strongly and responsibly about measures America can take to make it clear to India that we will not allow it to turn the subcontinent into a theater of nuclear combat. I support the measures outlined in this release and I would like to place this release in the Record.

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Washington, D.C., May 11--Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today strongly condemned India for its test of three nuclear devices and called on the Administration and Congress to impose sanctions on India for that test. He also urged President Clinton to cancel his scheduled visit to India.

`India has been pursuing nuclear domination in South Asia for quite a while,' Dr. Aulakh said, `even though it is under no military threat.' According to a British documentary entitled `Nuclear India,' India uses only 2 percent of its development budget on health and 2 percent on education, but 25 percent of its development budget goes to nuclear development. India is one of the five largest recipients of U.S. aid. `It is time for the U.S. government to place sanctions on this imperialist state,' he said.

India has refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), Dr. Aulakh pointed out. `Without India's agreement to this treaty, how do we know that India won't spread its nuclear-weapons technology around to hostile countries like Iran?,' he asked. India has provided heavy water and nuclear submarines to the Iranian regime, according to newspaper reports.

`This nuclear test poses a serious danger to the world,' Dr. Aulakh said. `India has ballistic missiles currently aimed at Pakistan and it shows signs of a country preparing for a military attack,' he added. `India can no longer deny its ambition to achieve hegemony in the subcontinent, backed by nuclear weapons,' he said. He pointed out that two leaders of the ruling BJD recently called for Pakistan and Bangladesh to become part of India. `I view this nuclear test as an effort to scare India's neighbors into submission to its dreams of hegemony,' he said.

`Sanctions against South Africa led to the end of apartheid,' he said. `Sanctions against India will bring about an end to its aggressive nuclear weapons development.'

Dr. Aulakh called on President Clinton to cancel his visit to India. `Why should the President of the United States grant his symbolic blessing to this aggressive action against all the countries of South Asia?,' he asked. `We all want to have good relations with India, but it must pay the price for its destabilizing test,' he said. `By cancelling this visit, the President can make it clear that America will not support Indian military aggression or Indian hegemony in the subcontinent.'

`The best way to keep India from using its military resources to achieve dominance in South Asia to support Punjab, Khalistan and all of the subcontinent in their struggle for freedom.,' Dr. Aulakh said. `Punjab, Khalistan is a natural buffer between India and Pakistan. Sikhs are committed to make Punjab a nuclear-free zone now and in the future. We will not and cannot tolerate nuclear weapons in our homeland and the Sikh Nation will do all in its power to make all of South Asia nuclear-free.'