The Tribune – Operation Bluestar memorial nears completion

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 7. The work on the Operation Bluestar Memorial, coming up at the Golden Temple Complex, is fast nearing completion. It may take the final shape even before its deadline of June 6, the anniversary of the Army operation.

Being constructed near Akal Takht, the memorial’s construction work is almost 80 per cent complete. The Damdami Taksal, which is carrying out the work, claims it will be completed before June 6. Its foundation stone was laid on June 6 last year.

The memorial is coming up in the form of a gurdwara where Sri Guru Granth Sahib will be installed. The memorial building is octagonal in shape and has doors in three directions. The area of the memorial complex is 60×65 feet, out of which the building has been constructed on 31×31 feet area.

The memorial’s height has been kept two feet shorter than the adjacent Gurdwara Thara Sahib building to maintain the status of a gurdwara. A dome has not been built atop the memorial as Gurdwara Thara Sahib too doesn’t have it, though the building has been built on the pattern of other buildings in the Golden Temple Complex so that it looks a part of it.

Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said the construction part is almost over and white marble had been put on the inner and the outer walls of the memorial. “Currently, the artwork on the marble is underway and soon, precious stones will be engraved on them.”

The Damdami Taksal has brought special marble from Alwar, which Rajasthani firms usually import from countries like Iran, Afghanistan and Germany. The artisans have come from Agra and Makrana. The designs being made on the marble are identical to that of the Golden Temple and Akal Takht so that there is uniformity in appearance.

A special ceiling has been made so that the voice doesn’t echo inside the building. He said the history of various attacks on the Golden Temple in the past will be engraved on a stone, which will be put up there so as to acquaint the devotees.

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The Tribune – Rai: Sikh Mayor for Amritsar demand unjustified

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21. State BJP general secretary Manjit Singh Rai today condemned the demand for a Sikh Mayor in Amritsar. In a press statement, he said such demands were aimed at creating a rift between the Hindu and Sikh communities.

“It was a Muslim saint, Mian Mir, who laid the foundation stone of Sri Harmandar Sahib. The shrine doors are open to people from all castes and creeds. The demand to hand over the political leadership of this holy city to a particular religion is against the teachings of the Gurus.”

Rai said undoubtedly Amritsar was sacred for the Sikhs. But this did not mean that political posts should go to the Sikhs alone. The demand was unjustified as the entire Punjab was the land of the Gurus. “If things are to be decided on this principle, then the Prime Minister of a Hindu-dominated country would never be a Sikh. Neither would a Muslim be the country’s President. Neither Gaini Zail Singh would have been President of India, nor General JJ Singh the Army Chief,” Rai said.

“Punjab has already witnessed terrorism and issuing such statements would only mean disturbing the peace and tranquility of Punjab.” he added.

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The Tribune – Damdami Taksal wants Sikh as Amritsar Mayor

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 18. The Damdami Taksal today urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to have a Sikh as Mayor of the holy city. In a statement here today, Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said Amritsar was known as the spiritual centre of the Sikhs across the world. Therefore, it should have a Sikh mayor.

He said the Shiromani Akali Dal had seen a historic victory in Amritsar in the recent municipal elections, capturing 24 seats.

He said this demand should not be seen as that of a particular organisation or a political group. “ It is the desire of the entire Sikh community that a Sikh owing allegiance to the SAD should be appointed Mayor of Amritsar”.

He urged the SAD leadership to consider this demand seriously.

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The Tribune – Operation Bluestar Anniversary tomorrow; Sikh bodies may spar over memorial’s design

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 4. With the SGPC finally going ahead with its plan to build Operation Bluestar Memorial by starting its ‘kar sewa’ on May 20, the 28th anniversary of the Army operation on June 6 will be a different affair this time as for the past several years this demand had been hogging the limelight on the occasion. The SGPC today began an “akhand path” at the Akal Takht, the ‘bhog’ ceremony of which will take place on June 6.

While the Operation Bluestar anniversary in the past has witnessed all Sikh groups seeking the memorial in one voice, this time it may bring division on the issue to the fore. The demand of the memorial has been addressed, but it still has certain issues linked with it, which a section of Sikh bodies may raise on the occasion.

Outfits like the SAD (Amritsar), SAD (1920), Akhand Kirtani Jatha and the rival faction of the Damdami Taksal led by Ram Singh are likely to air their dissenting views regarding the SGPC handing over the ‘kar sewa’ of the memorial to Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh, besides the shape and design of the memorial. These outfits had kept away from the foundation stone laying ceremony of the memorial. But, they will participate in the anniversary. While opposing what they dubbed as “government-sponsored kar sewa”, they had contended that the ‘kar sewa’ should have been given to a “neutral and non-controversial” person or group.

Regarding the shape of the memorial, these groups had lamented that they were not taken into confidence and demanded that it should be more than “just a gurdwara”.

Coincidentally, like the memorial, 133 shopkeepers whose businesses adjoining the Golden Temple were ruined in the Operation Bluestar also got justice after a long wait of 28 years, as the Punjab and Haryana High Court recently ordered allocation of an alternative place for them.

However, another major demand pertaining to Operation Bluestar is yet to be addressed. This is regarding rare manuscripts and books allegedly taken away by the Army from the Sikh Reference Library in 1984.

While the Army authorities claimed that the library had caught fire during exchange of fire with the militants, the SGPC had accused the Army of “deliberately setting the empty library afire after taking the rare and invaluable material away”. The SGPC says it has time and again taken up the case of returning more than 1,500 books of the library and other articles with the Centre, but to no avail.

Rajoana to get ‘Zinda Shaheed’ title

The Akal Takht will honour Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Chief Minister Beant Singh assassination case, with the title of ‘Zinda Shaheed’ (living martyr) on June 6. Rajoana has been conferred with the title by the Akal Takht. Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur shall receive the honour from Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on her brother’s behalf.

He will be honoured with a plaque, a ‘siropa’ and a sword. Rajoana was sentenced to death and his execution was ordered by a Chandigarh court. However, the orders of his execution stand stayed as the case of his co-accused is pending in the Supreme Court and a petition to commute his death sentence is pending with the President . At present, he is lodged at the Central Jail in Patiala.

Dissenting Note

The 28th anniversary of Operation Bluestar on June 6 will be a different affair this time as for the past several years the demand for a memorial had been hogging the limelight.

Earlier, all Sikh groups had been seeking the memorial in one voice. This time round it may bring division on the issue to the fore.

Sikh outfits are likely to air dissenting views regarding the SGPC handing over the ‘kar sewa’ of the memorial to Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh

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The Tribune – Operation Bluestar Memorial’s ‘kar sewa’ starts

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 20. Twenty eight years after the Army stormed into the Golden Temple Complex and 10 years after the SGPC first passed a resolution supporting it, the foundation stone of Operation Bluestar Memorial was today finally laid by Sikh high priests in the presence of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh.

Thousands of activists of various Sikh organisations as well as devotees converged in the Golden Temple Complex for the launch of “kar sewa” of the memorial in the morning. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said the memorial had been a long pending demand of the Sikhs and the Sikh leadership was well aware of the community’s sentiments.

Reacting to various organisations’ resentment against handing over “kar sewa” to the Damdami Taksal, he said it was always easy to point fingers but difficult to accomplish a task. He said various Sikh organisations and personalities engaged in “kar sewa” were supporting Baba Harnam Singh in his effort. He appealed to the Sikh Sangat to donate generously for the construction of the memorial.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh also justified the SGPC move to give “kar sewa” to Baba Harnam Singh. He cautioned the community to donate funds for the memorial only to Baba Harnam Singh and to no one else. “We have neither set up any ‘golak’ nor authorised anyone to collect funds for the purpose,” he said.

Later, Makkar and Sikh high priests presented a ‘siropa’ to Baba Harnam Singh. The Sikh clergy, Makkar and Baba Harnam Singh laid the foundation stone of the memorial around 10 am. The funds for the memorial started flowing in even before the foundation stone was laid. A list of donors was read out at the ceremony. Kamaldeep Kaur, whose brother Balwant Singh Rajoana is on death row in the Beant Singh assassination case, also donated Rs 1 lakh.

To read the full story :

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The Tribune – Bluestar memorial stone to be laid tomorrow

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 18. Reviewing the preparations for the foundation stone laying ceremony of Operation Bluestar Memorial scheduled for May 20, Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh today confirmed that the memorial will be in the form of a gurdwara near Miri Piri inside the Golden Temple Complex.

Talking to mediapersons after the beginning of an ‘Akhand Path’ to mark the occasion, Baba Harnam Singh revealed that some designs had also been prepared for the gurdwara, but it was yet to be finalised. On the issue of “gallery of martyrs”, he said they would work as per suggestions received from the SGPC.

On the demand of having the memorial that was “more than a gurdwara”, he said the memorial will be raised in view of the sentiments of the Sikh Sangat as well as the spiritual character of the Golden Temple Complex. He said the memorial would be built within a year. The Taksal chief said Maharaja Sher Singh Deodhi, which is opposite to the memorial site, will also be preserved, as it still bore the bullet marks dating back to Operation Bluestar in June 1984.

He said they would rope in experts to preserve this structure. He also took the opportunity to clarify that the memorial will not be that of only Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, but also of scores of innocent Sikh pilgrims who were killed in the Army operation. He dubbed the controversy regarding the blueprint of the memorial as baseless saying the memorial would be built in consonance with Sikh sentiments, traditions, ‘maryada’ and the holy shrine’s splendour.

He urged the outfits behind the controversy not to resort to such moves due to their mutual differences and political interests. “Such acts will only strengthen “anti-Panth” forces, which have been opposing the Operation Bluestar Memorial till now,” he said.

Regarding the foundation stone laying ceremony, Baba Harnam Singh said the five Sikh high priests would launch the “kar sewa” of the memorial in the presence of eminent Sikh personalities and members of Sant Samaj at 10 am on Sunday. He said all Panthic organisations, Taksals, sects and Akhand Kirtani jathas had been invited for the ceremony.

Meanwhile, the SGPC’s move to hand over the “kar sewa” of the memorial to Damdami Taksal doesn’t seem to have gone down well with some political and religious groups. SAD (Amritsar), SAD (1920) and the rival faction of the Taksal have resented the step. SAD (1920) leader Raghubir Singh Rajansansi today demanded that the blueprint of the memorial should be made public and the community’s views should be sought before finalising it.

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The Tribune – Gurdaspur violence: Sikh clergy faces villagers’ ire; Uneasy calm in town, curfew remains

SIT formed to look into chain of events leading to violence

Ravi Dhaliwal, Tribune News Service

Gurdaspur, March 30. An uneasy calm prevailed in the town today. The curfew, clamped yesterday following communal clashes, continued to be in force for the second day. The state government has formed a special investigating team (SIT) to look into the sequence of events leading to the curfew.

The team comprises DIG (Border Range) Ram Singh, Tarn Taran SSP Manminder Singh and SP (Headquarters) Jaspal Singh.

The cremation of 18-year-old Jaspal Singh, killed in the police firing yesterday, will be held at his native village Chour Sidhwan tomorrow.

Jaspal Singh was a BTech (Electronics) student of the local Beant College of Engineering and Technology. Shocked students and staff of the college held a meeting this morning to express grief over his death. Principal Dyal Chand termed the killing as a “dastardly act”.

Jaspal’s body was taken to his village amid tight security after a post-mortem was conducted by doctors of the Civil Hospital here.

The situation in the city remained tense with paramilitary forces keeping a strict vigil to prevent any untoward incident following Intelligence reports that the situation could take a turn for the worse.

Akal Takht Jathedar Gurbachan Singh, Damdami Taksal head Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma, former Jathedar of Akal Takht Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode and Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwarpal Singh had to face the ire of nearly 2,500 villagers when they visited Jaspal’s village this morning. The angry residents blamed the clergy for the sorry state of affairs.

The police accompanied the team till the village outskirts but no further. There were reports that the police could be targeted by the angry village residents.

Dera Baba Nanak legislator and president of the Gurdaspur District Congress Committee Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to hold an all-party meeting to discus the situation in the town.

He also asked the state government to pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to Ranjit Singh who was injured in the violence yesterday. The latter is recuperating at the Civil Hospital, Amritsar.

Gurdaspur Member of Parliament Partap Bajwa claimed that the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating.

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