dc16
- dEsPeraTe cRaNky -
A radical Sikh organization Dal Khalsa here today announced 72 hours long program of hunger strike to mount pressure on SGPC to build up memorial of slain militants who were killed during the Operation Blue Star in June 1984 in the holiest Sikh shrine Harmandhar sahib popularly known as Golden Temple.
However, Operation Blue Star was launched by Indian Army to flush out the hiding militants including their leader Jarnail Singh Bhindernwala in 1984, wherein 700 Sikh devotees and 250 militants were killed by the Indian Army besides demolishing the Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat) to ground.
SGPC executive body had passed resolution in February 2002 to build memorial in the Golden Temple premises or Akal Takht building in the memory of those who were killed by the Indian Army during the operation Blue Star.
Today, following a marathon meeting of party’s working committee attended by former militants and Sikh hardliners, the president of the organization H S Dhami said the silence of Akali leadership to build up memorial to 1984 martyrs even after 26 years of the deadly attack was an attempt at ‘assassination of memory of martyrs’.
Dhami said, “We are announcing that in case SGPC fails to take any initiative within the next one week (by June 1), we would be left with no option but to stage a silent sit-in to register our protest outside the main entrance gate of Teja Singh Samundhari Hall (known as mini Sikh parliament) in the premises of Golden Temple for 72 hours continuously starting from June 3 up till June 6.
Dhami said, “ Our senior most party leader Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib who has served life imprisonment in Pakistani jail for hijacking a plane to protest against the arrest of Sant Jarnail Singh in 1981 would sit on hunger strike for 72 hour starting from June 3 up till June 6 morning”.
“By sitting silently and observing hunger strike for 72 hours, we will pay homage to martyrs. We always believe that June 6 was a day when all Sikhs moderates and hardliners should join hands and come under one umbrella (read Akal Takht) to remind and curse the Indian state for attacking our holiest shrine, killing our leadership and ruining our community’s pride and honour.
Recalling their group’s attempts in reminding the SGPC management to honour their promise, he said representatives of Panthic bodies led by Dal Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committee and Damdami Taksal leadership submitted a memorandum to SGPC executive member Karnail Singh Panjoli and Secretary Dalmeg Singh on behalf of the president Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar.
Addressing the media persons Dhami advised Makkar to break silence and take the lead as it was high time to lay the foundation stone of the memorial as the Sikhs would be observing the 26th anniversary Operation Blue Star of Golden Temple attack, next week.
However, Operation Blue Star was launched by Indian Army to flush out the hiding militants including their leader Jarnail Singh Bhindernwala in 1984, wherein 700 Sikh devotees and 250 militants were killed by the Indian Army besides demolishing the Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat) to ground.
SGPC executive body had passed resolution in February 2002 to build memorial in the Golden Temple premises or Akal Takht building in the memory of those who were killed by the Indian Army during the operation Blue Star.
Today, following a marathon meeting of party’s working committee attended by former militants and Sikh hardliners, the president of the organization H S Dhami said the silence of Akali leadership to build up memorial to 1984 martyrs even after 26 years of the deadly attack was an attempt at ‘assassination of memory of martyrs’.
Dhami said, “We are announcing that in case SGPC fails to take any initiative within the next one week (by June 1), we would be left with no option but to stage a silent sit-in to register our protest outside the main entrance gate of Teja Singh Samundhari Hall (known as mini Sikh parliament) in the premises of Golden Temple for 72 hours continuously starting from June 3 up till June 6.
Dhami said, “ Our senior most party leader Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib who has served life imprisonment in Pakistani jail for hijacking a plane to protest against the arrest of Sant Jarnail Singh in 1981 would sit on hunger strike for 72 hour starting from June 3 up till June 6 morning”.
“By sitting silently and observing hunger strike for 72 hours, we will pay homage to martyrs. We always believe that June 6 was a day when all Sikhs moderates and hardliners should join hands and come under one umbrella (read Akal Takht) to remind and curse the Indian state for attacking our holiest shrine, killing our leadership and ruining our community’s pride and honour.
Recalling their group’s attempts in reminding the SGPC management to honour their promise, he said representatives of Panthic bodies led by Dal Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committee and Damdami Taksal leadership submitted a memorandum to SGPC executive member Karnail Singh Panjoli and Secretary Dalmeg Singh on behalf of the president Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar.
Addressing the media persons Dhami advised Makkar to break silence and take the lead as it was high time to lay the foundation stone of the memorial as the Sikhs would be observing the 26th anniversary Operation Blue Star of Golden Temple attack, next week.
