The Tribune – Operation Bluestar Memorial ready

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 25. Amidst all the controversies sparked by it over the last one year, the Operation Bluestar Memorial has taken the final shape much before its June 6 deadline. The occasion was marked by starting an “akhand path” at the memorial this morning after installing the Guru Granth Sahib there. The “path” began in the presence of Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa and Giani Mal Singh, head granthi of the Golden Temple.

Talking to The Tribune, Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said the memorial would be dedicated to the Sikh community on April 27. The Sikh clergy and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar are expected to attend the event. The foundation stone of the memorial was laid on June 6 last year, the 28th anniversary of the army operation, though its “kar sewa” had begun on May 20 last year. It took the Damdami Taksal, which was entrusted with the “kar sewa” by the SGPC, just around 11 months to complete the construction work of the memorial.

The memorial building is octagonal in shape and has doors in three directions. The area of the memorial complex is 60 feet x 65 feet, out of which the building has been constructed on 31 feet x 31 feet area.

The memorial’s height has been kept 2 feet shorter than the adjacent Gurdwara Thara Sahib building to maintain the status of the gurdwara.

A dome has not been built atop the memorial as Gurdwara Thara Sahib too doesn’t have it.

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The Tribune – No gurdwaras on caste lines, warns Akal Takht

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 15. The Sikh high priests recently directed the community not to raise gurdwaras on the basis of caste as it would create a divide in the Sikh community. They warned that strict action would be initiated against those violating this edict of the Akal Takht.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said: “It has been brought to our notice that the people are not allowed to pay obeisance in a some gurdwaras because of their caste. This is wrong. The gurdwaras belong to all and anyone from any religion or caste can visit a gurdwara. No gurdwara committee can stop anybody from offering reverence at the shrine.”

The Sikh clergy ostracised Bhai Dharam Singh Nihang for posting a video on YouTube questioning the authenticity of Guru Granth Sahib.

The Jathedar said Bhai Dharam Singh had been summoned to clarify on the issue a number of times, but in vain.

“We have decided to ostracise him. The Sikh Sangat should neither keep any contact with him, nor invite him to any religious or social event.”

The Sikh high priests also directed the management committee of Gurdwara Khalsa Prakash, Windsor (Ontario, Canada), to allow all to pay obeisance at the shrine.

Shiromani Panthic Council chairman Manjeet Singh Calcutta hailed the Akal Takht edict directing the Sikhs not to raise gurdwaras on the basis of caste. He said the Takht should ensure that this was implemented at the ground level.

Fears on Bluestar memorial baseless, says Damdami Taksal

Reacting to the recent statements of various political parties over the Operation Bluestar Memorial, Damdami Taksal Chief Baba Harnam Singh today termed their apprehensions regarding it as ‘totally baseless’.

In a statement, Baba Harnam Singh said the gurdwara being raised in the memory of Operation Bluestar would be in consonance of the traditions of Shri Harmandar Sahib and Shri Akal Takht, he added.

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The Tribune – Gurdwara near Miri Piri to house Operation Bluestar Memorial

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 14. Even as the countdown to the start of Operation Bluestar Memorial’s “kar sewa” on May 20 has begun, it has come to light that the memorial will be in the form of a gurdwara for which the left wing of the building located right next to Miri Piri at the Golden Temple Complex has been allocated.

The Damdami Taksal, whom the SGPC has assigned the task of raising the memorial, and other Panthic groups had been demanding a site near the Miri Piri, contending that it would be a “befitting location” as the then chief of the Taksal, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, “attained martyrdom” near the Miri Piri.

Earlier, there were reports of the SGPC allotting a site near Gurdwara Thara Sahib for the memorial. Sources, however, said the two sites (the one near Gurdwara Thara Sahib and the other near the Miri Piri) could be interlinked at a later stage in case of an expansion plan as they share a common wall.

The site near the Miri Piri has three floors with two rooms each. At present, The Guru Granth Sahib has been installed in its ground floor. The sources revealed that a gurdwara would be set up on the first floor of the building, while the ground floor would be utilised to acquaint the visitors with Operation Bluestar. The second floor may be used to showcase gold plates of the shrine, “bir” that bears a bullet mark and other such items to commemorate the Army operation. The gurdwara is likely to be named “Gurdwara Shahid Ganj Sahib”.

However, the exact nitty-gritty of the memorial will come to the fore after some time as right now Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh is in the process of developing the idea. He has been consulting Panthic personalities and experts to finalise the shape and design of the memorial for the past few days. He, however, has expressed his intent to preserve Maharaja Sher Singh Deodhi, located opposite the Miri Piri, as it bears bullet marks of Operation Bluestar.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar confirmed that the memorial would come up in the left wing of the building near the Miri Piri.

He said there would be a gurdwara while they would finalise the exact details of the memorial over the next two-three days.

He also said the site might be interlinked with the under-construction structure near Gurdwara Thara Sahib in future.

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The Tribune – Easy access to Takht edicts

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 12. While there were reports of “missing record” from the Akal Takht Secretariat in the past, a recently released book, “Edicts of Sri Akal Takht Sahib” by Sikh History Research Board director Roop Singh, has become a reference document. It incorporates 151 edicts (hukamnamas) issued from the Akal Takht over the past 125 years.

The oldest edict in the book dates back to March 18, 1887, and the latest one to be included is the one issued on July 22, 2011. This is the first book to deal exclusively with the edicts. The book has some of the rare edicts, including the one directing the Sikhs to be armed for the protection of the country after Independence.

The edict issued in November, 1948 reads: “After breaking the shackles of slavery, our country has attained Independence. The Sikhs made supreme sacrifices for its sake. They have to take the country to new heights.”

The edict issued on Diwali (in 1948) by the then Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Mohan Singh Nagoke directed the Sikh masses to pray for getting the “Hindu sisters” liberated from the newly-created Pakistan. The maximum edicts issued from Akal Takht were after Operation Bluestar (June, 1984). The Akal Takht issued 14 edicts from July 5, 1984, to October 25, 1984, condemning the siege of Golden Temple and Akal Takht by the Indian Army.

Giani Kirpal Singh was the Akal Takht Jathedar at that time. The book also has Akal Takht edicts, declaring former President Giani Zail Singh and former Union Home Minister Buta Singh “tankhaiya” and ostracising them from Khalsa Panth, besides the one awarding “tankhah” (punishment for religious misconduct) to former Punjab CM Surjit Singh Barnala.

While most edicts (a total of 30) were issued after the Army operation in 1984 by the then Jathedar Giani Kirpal Singh, Bhai Ranjit Singh had issued as many as 18 edicts in his short tenure of 14 months.

The issue of missing records from the Akal Takht came to the fore in April 2003 when the newly formed secretariat of the Takht had requested both Sikhs and non-Sikhs to submit records related to the office of the Akal Takht so that the new secretariat is complete in all respects. There were reports that a few jathedars, who had been removed or had retired, had taken home important office records, including correspondence and copies edicts.

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The Tribune – SGPC nod to Operation Bluestar memorial; The memorial will come up near Gurdwara Thara Sahib in the Golden Temple complex

Perneet Singh, Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 3. Twenty-eight years after the Army stormed into the Golden Temple complex to evict Sikh hardliners led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the SGPC executive at a meeting in Anandpur Sahib today approved Operation Bluestar Memorial.

The memorial will come up near Gurdwara Thara Sahib in the Golden Temple complex. The SGPC House had given the green signal to the memorial a decade back and the matter had been hanging fire since then. It was decided to hand over the ‘kar sewa’ of the memorial to Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh. Buildings which suffered damage and a ‘bir’ with a bullet mark will also be preserved to commemorate Operation Bluestar.

Former Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode said ‘kar sewa’ for the memorial would start on May 20. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC chief, had set the ball rolling on June 6 last by announcing a five member-committee to prepare a blueprint for the memorial. The panel, comprising Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh, SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk, Punjabi University VC Dr Jaspal Singh, SGPC executive member Rajinder Singh Mehta and former Pro VC of GNDU Prof Prithipal Singh Kapoor, submitted its report to the SGPC today.

Sikh scholar Bhai Ashok Singh Bagrian said the memorial should be built in front of Teja Singh Samundari Hall from where the Army had entered into the complex. Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh said Panthic outfits had suggested that Maharaja Sher Singh Deori, that still bore bullet marks, was the ideal place for the memorial.

The SGPC House had passed a resolution to raise the memorial at its meeting on February 20, 2002. A special executive meeting held at Anandpur Sahib on May 27, 2005, under the then SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, unanimously resolved to build the memorial. Interestingly, the proposal was virtually shelved in 2008.

Operation Bluestar was ordered by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 3-6, 1984, to remove Sikh hardliners from the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The Central Sikh Museum has on display a list of 743 persons killed during Operation Bluestar.

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