:dateline:Ami Bera is known to the California Sikhs for refusing to�formally condemn the Indian government for its role in the massacre of about 3,000 Sikhs by mobs and government officials in New Delhi and other cities in 1984. �While Bera is not a Sikh, being a�member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he was asked�to take a moral stand against the genocide of Sikhs by the Indian government in 1984.
As per latest information shared with Sikh24, during�his bid for re-election to the US Congress, Ami Bera has lost a key endorsement. �This is a major blow to his campaign.
Following message was posed by Inderjit Singh Kallirai, a local political enthusiast in Sacramento area –
California Democratic Party delegates in his district met today and declined to endorse Ami Bera for reelection to a third term in Congress.
This comes on the heels of his local Elk Grove Democratic Club and the county Democratic central committee declining to endorse him.
Now Bera has to take his show on the road to the state party convention and try to get the votes on the floor to secure the endorsement.
This is a serious slap in the face for an incumbent.
(Courtesy:�California GOP vice chair – Harmeet Dhillon)
UPDATED
The following press release was shared with Sikh24 –
CONGRESSMAN BERA FAILS TO GET ENDORSEMENT OF SACRAMENTO DEMOCRATS
On 1/31/16, in an unprecedented vote, Congressman Ami Bera (D) failed to receive the endorsement of Democrats in his own district (CD 7) for his reelection campaign. Local Democrats met to discuss his record and vote on endorsement, but he did not receive enough votes and now must go to the State Convention next month and try again.
�We are all Democrats and worked very hard to elect Congressman Bera, but we just don�t trust him anymore,� said Robert Longer, California Democratic Party Delegate and Legislative-Political Director for the Communications Workers of America Local 9421. �He is not the moderate he claimed to be. Time after time, he votes with the hard right wing of the Republican party. Perhaps he should change party registration so that voters know where he really stands.�
Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis, also a Democratic Party delegate, voted against endorsement, explaining, �Born and raised in this congressional district, I know the intricate needs of our communities from Rancho Cordova, where I grew up, to Folsom and Elk Grove. It is critical that our congressional representative be a champion for �Congressman Bera voted to remove labels from foreign meat, to ban state protections on genetically modified food, and to condemn President Obama,� explained Amar Shergill, local attorney and delegate. �It is a sad truth that when Congressman Bera is under pressure, he votes with Republicans to benefit multinational corporations at the expense of local families. We are very concerned that he is under the influence of those that care more about overseas investments than American jobs.�
�In 2014, Congressman Bera won re-election by a slim margin of just 1,455 votes. His failure to receive the endorsement of the delegates from his own local party is a clear indication that he has a lot of work to do if he is going to keep that margin of victory,� explained Karen Bernal, former Chair of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party. �However, he has only himself to blame, since his voting record on key issues is a complete abandonment of the values he claims to have in common with Democrats.�
1984 was the �Orwellian� era in Punjab .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
The police state mentality in Punjab remains to this day as does doublethink and newspeak. I don’t think you would raise this book for discussion if you actually read it Harinder as it is a scathing critique of the doublespeak kind of governance you actually champion for the Punjab. Orwell’s other masterpiece Animal Farm is even more pertinent and denunciating so I’d stay away from that one too as it vividly destroys your cheerleading for unthinking support for authority figures (out of fear of violent retribution from them).
I thank Sardar Inderjit Singh Kallirai for this post and hope Sikhs like myself residing in Amy Bera’s District pay heed and do what ever is needed to teach him a good lesson of ignoring such a crucial issue.
https://www.facebook.com/balbir.singh.355