AMRITSAR SAHIB, Punjab—Dal Khalsa and its allied groups have announced to take out a ‘Genocide Remembrance Parade’ from Gurdwara Ranjit Avenue to Akal Takht on the eve of army attack codenamed Operation Blue Star in June 1984.
The decision was taken at a meet of party functionaries presided by head Harpal Singh Cheema on May 30, 2017.
Outlining the programme, spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the young activists associated with the organization carrying saffron flags and images of martyrs would march on major lanes of holy city to remind the people of the third ghalughara that changed the course of lives of thousands of Sikh youth.
“Today, Congress has returned to power in Punjab. But it should not be construed that the Sikh people have forgotten or forgiven the party for perpetrating the attack”.
For the first time, the organization has decided to reach out to all Gurdwara managements urging them to organize Ardas Divas in memory of those who died during the army assault on June 6 at their respective gurdwaras and adopt resolution condemning India’s attack on Sikh faith. For this, a special letter is being sent to all gurdwara managements in which contents of the proposed draft resolution has been mentioned for adoption, said party release. “We want people at grass root level should get engaged. The entire responsibility to express Sikh pain should not be left to handful of representative groups and individuals. We all as a community should express our joint pain at all level”, said he.
He said the issue is still alive not only in India but at the global level even 33 years after the deadly attack. The wounds of the attack are still raw, said he. Significantly, the sensitive issue has surfaced in the parliament elections of Great Britain scheduled for June 8 where one of the contesting parties has promised in its manifesto to hold probe into the role of that country in this attack carried out by Indian government of that time. He said theirs working partner at international level ‘Sikh Federation UK’ has been consistently and tirelessly pressing for the probe since long.
He said the blood of innocent spilled on the sacred floor of Darbar Sahib cries for justice. No perpetrator has been held accountable for slaughtering hundreds of innocent pilgrims, looting invaluable religious books and arte-facts from Sikh Reference Library and damaging the edifice of Akal Takht.
Summing up the heinous attack on Sikh faith, he said, the BJP asked for it, the Congress than in government carried out and the whole of India reveled on it.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) has also announced to take out a remembrance march on June 5 in Amritsar. The march will start from Gurdwara Sri Lohgarh Sahib at 9:30 am and will conclude at Supreme Sikh throne Sri Akal Takht Sahib.
Speaking to Sikh24, S. Navdeep Singh Amritsar informed that the march will commence from Gurdwara Sri Lohgarh Sahib after the culmination of Sri Akhand Path Sahib. He added that Sri Akhand Path Sahib will be laid in the memory of June-1984’s martyrs on June 3 at Gurdwara Sri Lohgarh Sahib.
He informed that the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) S. Simranjit Singh Mann and Sarbat Khalsa appointed Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib will lead the march in which the common Sikhs will take part.
It may be recalled here that thousands of Sikhs had sacrificed their lives while defending the Sikh faith during Indian army’s invasion into holiest Sikh shrine Sri Harmandir Sahib in June-1984. The Indian army had demolished the symbol of Sikh dignity Sri Akal Takht Sahib by using Tanks under garb of arresting armed Sikh activists.