(SBU) India also remains a robust democracy, and the
Indian government and people are proud of their traditions of
rule of law and protection of human rights. India's free
press, including in Punjab, actively pursues and exposes
government excesses of all varieties, including torture and
corruption. The end of the Punjab insurgency in the 1990s
ushered in a dramatic decline in custodial deaths and torture
allegations. Nor do Sikhs face specific hardships; they are
notably prosperous as a people and fully integrated in Indian
civil society. For example, the current Indian Prime
Minister and Army Chief are Sikhs. Sikhs also enjoy personal
income higher than the national average, assets out of
proportion to their demographic numbers, and a higher
percentage of positions in the Armed Forces, police, and
bureaucracy than their numbers vis a vis the rest of the
population of India. Finally, now Sikhs overwhelmingly
oppose the efforts of Khalistani (pro-insurgency) Sikhs, and
the intensive police and security force anti-insurgency
efforts of the 1980s and 1990s are largely a thing of the
past. While we cannot guarantee absolutely that Cheema would
not face torture or other forms of custodial abuse, this
Mission believes that, for the factors outlined in this
cable, such treatment would be unlikely if Cheema were
removed to India, especially with robust monitoring by human
rights NGOs, local media, and Cheema's extended family. End
Summary.