Reports on any pattern of extortion by government authorities toward the Sikh population of Punjab could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998.

India Today [Delhi]. Weekly. March 1997-June 1998.

Resource Centre. International/Indexed Media Review [Ottawa]. Weekly. March 1997-present.

_____. "India" country file. March 1997-present.

SAHRDC, Delhi. July 1997. Alternate Report and Commentary to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on India's Third Periodic Report under Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (WWW)

_____. n.d. Human Rights & Human Rights Instruments in India. (WWW)

Electronic sources: Internet, IRB Databases.

Oral sources:

Unsuccessful attempts to contact three oral sources.

One oral source did not provide information on the requested subjects.