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Dal Khalsa talks tough as SGPC has failed to raise the memorial of 84 holocaust

March 10, 2011 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Amritsar (March 10, 2011): The Dal Khalsa hits out at the SGPC as it has failed to raise the memorial inside Darbar Sahib (Amritsar) complex in memory of those who were killed during army assault code named “Operation Blue Star” in June 1984.

Addressing the press conference at Amritsar party leaders Kanwar Pal Singh and Dr Manjinder Singh said the SGPC was rich in passing the resolutions but poor in implementing them. To step up their campaign to press the SGPC for building the memorial, they said “we would be making it public issue this year”.

“The SGPC was not listening to the popular demand of the Sikhs. We will organize public gatherings to create awareness amongst masses as election to general house of the SGPC was drawing nearer”. Describing the attitude and approach of the SGPC and SAD leadership as arrogant that smacks of hypocrisy, they said in order to shake them we would take whatever steps that were deemed necessary.

Notably, the SGPC executive committee under the presidentship of Kirpal Singh Badhungar passed a resolution to this effect on 20 Feb 2002. Again in 2005, executive meeting held under the presientship of Jagir Kaur at Anandpur Sahib on May 27 decided to lay the foundation stone of the memorial on the 21st anniversary of the storming of the Golden Temple complex. However, she backtracked from the decision at eleventh hour under political pressure.

While hailing the move of the Akal Takht jathedar to lay down the foundation stone of the Memorial at village Hondh Chiller in Haryana in memory of innocent Sikhs killed there, they wonder why the jathedar Gurbachan Singh was not pressing the same at Golden Temple.

The leaders of the Sikh group released the copy of the letter written afresh to SGPC president Jathedar Avtar Singh in the press conference.

Full text of the LETTER TO SGPC HEAD JATHEDAR AVTAR SINGH on Memorial Issue

Mr President:

While paying homage to victims of Sikh carnage at Akal Takht on March 4th, you made a commitment to build a memorial in memory of innocent Sikhs killed at village Hondh Chiller 26 years ago with the help and advice of aggrieved Sikhs.

Your statement reminded the audience of the resolution adopted at SGPC executive meet on Feb 20, 2002 to build a memorial in memory of those who tasted martyrdom during army attack in June 1984.

Bhai Mohkam Singh and S Simranjit Singh Mann, who were present on the occasion dared to remind you of the failure of the SGPC in not implementing its own resolution even after 9 years. In a shameless manner you skipped the issue that left the Sikh Sangat numb.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) to which you are also a member has declared on Nov 8 2009 at a public meeting that it would construct a memorial in Delhi in the memory of Nov 1984 carnage. The declaration has ended up as a mere news item in the columns of daily newspapers. Nothing has been heard of the project although almost 16 months have passed.

The Sikh Nation would like to know the reasons and force that is holding back the SGPC to implement its own resolution? Should we perceive SGPC’s inability to raise memorial as its weakness or fear of the state or both?

Last year Dal Khalsa members in order to awaken the SGPC out of slumber staged a 72 hours sit-in outside the main entrance gate of Darbar Sahib Complex. Passing the buck to the SAD president you told us that the agenda was very much on Sukhbir’s mind and after his return from abroad tour, it will be taken up for implementation. It’s almost 8 months and once again there is criminal silence on the part of the SGPC. You had chosen to stay silent or indifferent towards the cause of revering respect to martyrs.

From the day first we have one question and we are repeating it again, when will the foundation stone of the memorial be laid down? Mr President, we need the date.

The SGPC general elections are around the corner. Today, you are at helm of religious affairs, tomorrow who will be there, only Waheguru knows. We hope that after getting due “permission” from the president of the SAD (Badal), you will kick start this noble project without any delay.

Your truly
Kanwar Pal Singh
Spokesman
8 March 2011

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Related Topics: Dal Khalsa, June 1984 attack on Sikhs, SGPC

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