Operation Bluestar: Memorial not yet in sight

The proposal to build a memorial in the memory of those killed during the Operation Bluestar in June 1984 hangs in balance as the sub-committee constituted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee

The proposal to build a memorial in the memory of those killed during the Operation Bluestar in June 1984 hangs in balance as the sub-committee constituted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for the purpose has failed to submit its report.

Notably,the SGPC executive committee had passed a resolution to this effect twice – first on February,20,2002 and then three years later on May 27,2005. However,the issue was put on the backburner under political considerations. Irked by the dilly-dallying tactics of the SGPC,the Dal Khalsa,in June 2010,organised a three-day hunger strike,to press the then SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar to honour its commitment.

Succumbing under pressure,the SGPC,on June 8 this year,announced the setting up of a five-member panel,which was assigned the task to decide the location and design of the memorial within two months of its inception.

The members of the committee included Sant Samaj Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma,vice-chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh,educationist Prof Prithipal Singh Kapur,Raghujit Singh Virk and Rajinder Singh Mehta.

While talking to The Indian Express Prithipal Singh Kapur said that the committee could not meet earlier owing to the model code of conduct enforced due to the recently held SGPC elections.

The committee had invited and received some suggestions from the Sikh community pertaining to the proposed memorial,Kapur added.

Another member,requesting anonymity,said that at present the committee has nothing concrete in its hand to base its report on. As it is quite sensitive,emotional and tricky issue,it will take some time to reach a decision acceptable to the Sikh Kaum (community). It cannot be decided in a couple of months time, he added.

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Political observers feel that since the Assembly elections are nearing,the SAD leadership would weigh whether the issue would be of any (political) help to them and only then will they decide to move ahead with the plan.

A political activist,Gurpreet Singh Mann,associated with Sikh Youth of Punjab said,Badals after winning the SGPC elections had gone back on their promise to bring a resolution seeking clemency for (Devinderpal Singh) Bhullar in the Assembly. There is a remote possibility that they would honour their promise made before the Sikh Sangat at Akal Takht on June 6 to build the memorial.

A separate report ready

AMRITSAR: Suspicious about the intentions of the SAD (Badal) that controls the SGPC,a parallel panel was formed on July 8 jointly by four Sikh organisations including Dal Khalsa and SAD (Panch Pardani) to prepare another draft proposal on the issue. The panel named ‘Saka Darbar Sahib Memorial Committee has already visited the Golden Temple to identify the place and held a series of meetings with scholars and activists and the family members of those who died during the military operation. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh said their report was ready and would be submitted before the SGPC sub-committee whenever it convenes its next meeting.

ENS

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