Amritsar, June 6 – The 39th anniversary of Operation Blue star passed off peacefully amidst the slogans of Khalistahn Zindabad raised by supporters and activists of Radical Sikh outfits including activists of Shiromani Akal Dal Amritsar led by Member Parliament Simranjit Singh Mann and his associate former MP Dhian Singh Mand here today at the Akal Takht. Mann was also present on the spot.
Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa’s activists were also seen holding placards bearing portraits of slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhidnrawala, raising slogans of Khalisthan saying that the foundation of a separate Sikh homeland was ready.
Hundreds of Sikh youth led by Dal Khalsa carrying Khalistani flags, photographs of damaged Akal Takhat and Sikh killed Sikh leaders who ere were in June 1984, declared June 6 as a Khalistan Day.
The entire marbled periphery of Golden Temple near Akal Takht rendered with the slogans of Khalistahn Zindabad. Number of Sikh youth were holding banners and placards of “Khalistahn Zindabad”.
Jathedar Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat) Gyani Harpreet Singh in his message to Sikh community said need of the hour was Sikh preachers and scholars should visit to village to village to promote Sikhism to apprise the youth with rich Sikh tenets and Sikh history in order the unite them under the banner of Akal Takht. Since, presently youth in the rural Punjab were noticed being inclined to drug addiction. He said that Governments would never help the Sikh community to make them strong.
He said that Sikhs were never scared and panicked as what happened in 1984 with the community, rather all such bad incidents had made the Sikh community more bold and strong and Sikhs would continue their struggle to get justice and would never be scared to stand with truthfulness, he quipped.
Jatehdar alleged that conspiracies were being hatched to weaken the Sikh community socially, economically and politically. Now the time has come for the community to get united in order to be more powerful, strengthen economically and politically. He said that Sikh community didn’t have any positive hope from the Governments as it was attempting to take over Sikh religious institutions and also playing a vital role to divide the community by using all unfair means.
On this occasion, Jathedar as usual once again, announced slain militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhdindrawall and his supporter who were killed during army action in June 6, 1984 as martyrs and honored their family families at Akal Takht in the presence of SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami and other SGPC members.
On this occasion, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex Sikh religious body, displayed the bullet-ridden holy saroop (volume) of the Guru Granth sahib, the saroop, which was installed in the sanctum sanctorum at that time, was hit by a bullet during the army action in 1984.
The shutdown call is for business establishments, traders, banking, petrol pumps, and educational institutions while there would be no stoppage of transportation,” said Kanwar Pal Singh, secretary political affairs of Dal Khalsa.
It may be mentioned here that thirty eight years back Indian Army had attacked on Golden Temple with code name Operation Blue Star to flush out hiding militants in the Golden Temple. The Three days operation was ended up on June6th 1984 when body of militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala was found and identified.
Bhindranwala during his life time was strongly demanding separate Sikh home land by saying that community could have antonymous.
Since then every year in anger SGPC observe Operation Blue Star anniversary as a genocide day and honor the family members of Sikhs who were killed during the Army attack. During the Operation Blue Star nearly 3000 people including army personal were also reportedly killed. Operation Blue Star had also caused severe damage to the structure of Akal Takht.
