The Tribune – Anna embarks on ‘Jantantra Yatra’ in Amritsar; says it’s 2nd freedom struggle

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 31. Anti-corruption crusader and social activist Anna Hazare today embarked on “Jantantra Yatra” after paying homage to the martyrs at the Jallianwalla Bagh while dubbing it as the “second freedom struggle” and vowing that they will not let the sacrifices of martyrs go waste.

Anna set out on his one-and-a-half year campaign after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple and the Durgiana Mandir along with his group of supporters here this morning.

Addressing a gathering from atop a specially designed vehicle in front of the Jallianwalla Bagh, Anna said though the British have left, India continued to suffer from ills like corruption, hooliganism and lootings even today.

“The country may have got freedom, but it seems the Whites have been replaced by the Blacks”, he said adding they would follow the path of non-violence during the campaign while reiterating that they will neither contest nor support any party in the forthcoming General Elections.

Anna said they will sensitise people and seek their views on the issues confronting the country during their campaign from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. “I know a large number of people are in deep slumber, but we hope to wake them up and mobilise support for our campaign. I don’t know how many of the people will come forward, but we are optimistic that we will be able to garner the support of around six crore people over the next one-and-a-half years. If we succeed in our aim, the government will have to bow before the ‘Jan Shakti’ (people’s power) and frame laws and policies in the interest of the common man.”

He made a fervent appeal to the people to join the “Jantantra Yatra” which will support the candidates with clean image and proven track record in the next Lok Sabha elections. Dwelling on the current political scenario, Anna asked, “What future can the country have when 163 members in the Parliament have criminal past and 15 ministers of the Union government are tainted?”

He warned that those at the helm of affairs would have to bring in Jan Lokpal Bill and initiate electoral reforms like the ‘Right to Reject’ to stay in power or else the people will vote them out. Accompanied by former Army Chief General V K Singh, he proceeded towards Jalandhar in a cavalcade of six vehicles.

Earlier, reacting to Operation Bluestar after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple, Anna said only “ignorant people” could attack such a pious place which spreads the message of peace and communal harmony. He also stated that the culprits of 1984 anti-Sikh riots will be punished one day.

The SGPC presented him a ‘siropa’ (robe of honour) and a set of books. Anna was virtually in tears while paying tributes to the martyrs at the Jallianwalla Bagh.

Meanwhile, Punjab BJP president Kamal Sharma met Anna Hazare in the morning. State BJP vice-president Rajinder Mohan Singh Chhina said Sharma reached Amritsar when he came to know about Anna’s visit.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130401/main3.htm

BBC News – Indian general who led Golden Temple raid stabbed in London

Monday, 1 October 2012. The Indian general who led a 1984 raid on Sikh militants in Amritsar’s Golden Temple has been stabbed in London.

Lt-General Kuldeep Singh Brar sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries when four men attacked him.

The 78-year-old is thought to still be a target for extremist Sikhs, but there has been no suggestion yet as to the identity of his attackers.

Lt General Brar’s Operation Bluestar left around 1,000 people dead.

The army raided the Golden Temple in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar in June 1984 to flush out armed Sikh militants who were fighting for an independent homeland of Khalistan.

Reports on the exact number of people killed vary but it is thought about 1,000 people were killed in the ensuing struggle, including women and children on pilgrimage and soldiers.

Lt General Kuldeep Singh Brar was one of the key architects of the operation.

He was attacked on Old Quebec Street in the Oxford Circus area of London on Sunday night by unknown assailants, with no suggestion so far that his attackers were Sikhs.

After spending the night in hospital he was released on Monday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19790926

375.The Man in Blue – 1984, Let’s remember, but not in anger

It is this year 25 years since the June invasion of Harmandr Sahib and later in the year the killing of Indira Gandhi followed by the organised pogroms against Sikhs in Delhi and in other states ruled by Congress.

In India people like Pradhan Mantri Manmohan Singh are telling us that it is time to forget. I strongly disagree with him. I think we should remember, but we should not look back in anger.

I am a Sikh but I am not from Panjab. My family members were not killed during the invasion of Harmandr Sahib, my family members were not killed during the Delhi pogrom, my family members were not abused by the security services in Panjab. That makes it is easier for me not to be angry.

Guru teaches that ‘Krodh’ (anger) is one of the ‘panj chor’ (five thieves). Anger does more damage to you than to the person you are angry with. Anger eats up your soul. I do get angry at times, which is bad enough, but I calm down fairly quickly. It is far more damaging when you keep feeding that anger. It is a sure way of losing your connection with God.

Why should we not forget ? No group should forget its history, not the good parts, not the bad parts. The past shapes the future, the past made us who we are. The issue is not forgetting or remembering, the issue is dealing with the violence and human rights abuses of the eighties and early nineties.

I think that India and the Sikhs need a reconciliation process, which is not about punishing people, but about looking at what went wrong and why it went wrong. In that process both parties should be willing to admit to acts of violence and injustices committed.

Sikhs should admit that it was not just the security services who abused Human Rights, we should recognise that people who claimed to be Khalsas also committed injustices. Equally we know that ‘Sikhs’ in the security services were amongst the worst Human Rights abusers.

We should be realistic and admit that shouting Khalistan Zindabad and having pictures of Jarnail Singh and other ‘shahíds’ is not going to solve anything. Peaceful, patient and persistent campaigning on human rights for all, including the right to campaign for an autonomous or independent Sikh homeland, is the way forward.

We have to keep the pressure on MPs and Human Rights organisations, we have to raise a ‘stink’ every time a tainted politician or police man visits this country. We should clean up are act and stop the infighting in our Gurdwaré. And we should publicly admit that Sikhs in the UK or the USA cannot determine the future of the Panjab.