Witness has different view of events leading up to Air India explosion



VANCOUVER, Jun 2004
CBC News

A Sikh separatist will face cross-examination Wednesday at the Air India trial in Vancouver.

Gurmit Singh Aulakh, the president of the Council of Khalistan, a group seeking an independent Sikh state, was one of two witnesses who testified Tuesday that Sikhs were shocked after the Indian government raided the Golden Temple in 1984. But that didn't mean people were advocating violent retaliation.

Crown prosecutors contend the raid on the temple, the holiest shrine in Sikhism, was the impetus for two bombings the next year which targetted India's national airline.

Both witnesses are from the United States and both attended a New York convention held a few weeks after the Golden Temple raid.

Co-accused Air India bomber Ajaib Singh Bagri delivered an emotional speech at the gathering.

The Crown contends Bagri called for the killing of thousands of Hindus. But Aulakh testified the raid left Sikh's is a state of shock and looking for ways to respond. But he said that didn't mean people were planning to fight back using violence.

Earlier, the Crown questioned another Sikh separatist, Amarjit Singh Buttar. He revealed he was pleased that Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikhs after the raid.

Buttar also testified he attending meetings of the Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh militant group that's on Canada's list of terrorists organizations.