Amritsar : The 40th anniversary of June 1984 Ghallughara (massacre) by the then Congress government of India on Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib and Sri Akal Takht Sahib was marked at Sri Akal Takht Sahib today. After the bhog (concluding ceremony) of Sri Akhand Path Sahib (uninterrupted recitation of Guru Granth Sahib), the raagi jatha engaged the congregation with Gurbani Kirtan.
On this occasion, while giving a message to the Sikh community, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib THE HIGHEST Sikh temporal seat Giani Raghbir Singh expressed Qaumi (community’s) sentiment towards all the martyrs of June 1984 Ghallughara including Sant Giani Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale, Bhai Amrik Singh, General Shabeg Singh, Bhai Thara Singh and others and called the Sikh community to move forward by making the wounds of this Ghallughara a strength. He said that not releasing the Sikh prisoners and not punishing the perpetrators of the November 1984 Sikh genocide even after 40 years is an unfair treatment of the Indian government towards the Sikhs. Therefore, instead of repeatedly pleading to Delhi for the political, geographical and economic rights of Panth and Punjab, there is a need to flourish Khalsa’s humility based rule’s Sikh politics.
Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, referring to Sikh history, said that Sikhs played a leading role in the country’s freedom struggle against the British, but the promises made by the leaders of our own country were forgotten after independence. Even the government officials were issued orders to keep a suspicious eye on the Sikhs, terming them as a ‘criminal tribe’.
Jathedar said that after a fierce struggle, the Sikhs got the Punjabi state, but Punjab was deprived of the rightful river waters, the capital Chandigarh and many Punjabi speaking areas. The Sikhs were forced to start the Dharam Yudh Morcha on these issues of Punjab and the Anandpur Sahib Resolution to strengthen the federal structure of state. The Jathedar said this effort of Sikhs was crushed by the policy of repression and to avenge the opposition of the Akali Dal during the Emergency, the egoistic and tyrannical Prime Minister Indira Gandhi made the military enter Sri Harmandar Sahib on June 1, 1984, on the occasion when the Sikh Sangat was observing martyrdom day of fifth Sikh master Sri Guru Arjan Dev and brutally killed Sikh men, women, children and elderly by firing bullets. He said that this attack of June 1984 is the third Ghallughara for the Sikh community and its pain and wounds will never be erased from the Sikh subconscious.
Giani Raghbir Singh also remembered the martyrs of June 1984 Ghallughara and the sacrifices of the Dharmi Faujis (Army soldiers who left barracks in protest against military action at Central Sikh shrine) who left the barracks. He said that the secret plan of Indira Gandhi to commit the genocide of Sikh youth under ‘Operation Woodrose’ could not succeed due to the rebellion of Dharmi Faujis.
Marking the current crises of the Sikh community, the Jathedar emphasized the need to set a community agenda based on the welfare-of-all philosophy of Sri Guru Nanak Dev. The Jathedar said that collective efforts should be made to give a positive direction to the politics which is void of true values of righteousness and hard-working honest earning culture and to tackle the challenges like loss of Sikh values, environment, health, mother tongue and education from Punjab, the birthplace and homeland of Sikhs. He appealed to Sikhs to be bearers of high character taking guidance from proud Sikh history and said that serious efforts should be made to protect the future generations of the Sikh community from drugs.
On this occasion, family members of martyrs Bhai Ishar Singh, Bibi Satwant Kaur, Bhai Manjit Singh, Beant Singh, Bhupinder Singh Bhalwan and others were honoured by Akal Takht Sahib.
The SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, who attended the annual congregation of June 1984 Ghallughara, said that the oppression of the Sikh community by the Congress government in the month of June 1984 can never be forgotten. He said that Sikh history is a witness to the fact that the Sikh community has always responded to the oppression of opposing forces and tyrannical governments. He said that the martyrs of June 1984 are the wealth of the community. In response to a question, the SGPC President said that the government instead of apologising in the Indian Parliament for the Ghallughara, conspiracies are being hatched to weaken the community’s institutions. He said that the Sikhs are always targeted deliberately by governments, while the contribution of Sikhs to save the country’s culture is a part of history. He also said that the perpetrators of the June 1984 attack and the Sikh genocide of November 1984 were not punished, due to which there is resentment in the community.
