Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh’s address on the anniversary of army’s Operation Bluestar against militants in the Golden Temple complex in 1984 was marked by members of some Sikh outfits raising separatist slogans for a state of Khalistan, and getting into minor scuffles with the security task force of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), at the prime Sikh shrine here on Wednesday.
However, it went off peacefully as compared to the last three years.
After kirtan and ardas (prayers), Takht Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh conducted the stage.
As soon as the Akal Takht jathedar started delivering his sandesh (message to the community), members of some Sikh bodies stood up and started raising slogans such as “Khalistan zindabad”.
Some of the protesters also carried a poster portrait of Jagtar Singh Hawara, convicted of former chief minister Beant Singh’s assassination, calling him their jathedar as he was “appointed” during a Sarbat Khalsa (community congregation) held by some hardline outfits in 2015.
These outfits have been protesting the Sikh religio-political regime for their alleged surrender to majoritarian forces at the national level.
However, the Akal Takht jathedar expressly thanked Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann, who has been part of the protests in the past but calmly listened to the address this time. His party’s cadres did raise slogans, later, after coming out of the Takht building. Family members of three main militant leaders killed in the army operation, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Amrik Singh and Maj Gen Shabeg Singh, were honoured by the jathedar with ‘siropas’ (robe of honour).
Contrary to the expectation, the “parallel” acting jathedar Dhyan Singh Mand and his supporters were conspicuous by their absence, though they had earlier issued statement to deliver customary address from the ground floor of the Akal Takht.
Terming the Army attack on Golden Temple and highest Sikh Temporal seat as callous attitude of the erstwhile “Indian government”, Jathedar compared it with “Mughal” and “British”-era atrocities on Sikh community.
He demanded from the Union government that all the documentation related to 1984 Operation Bluestar should be made public, which was done by the British government after lapse of three decades span.
He reiterated that it was important to know the forces and countries that were behind designing the attack on Akal Takht and Golden Temple.
He also appealed Sikh community to get unite and adopt “one village, one gurdwara” concept of the SGPC.
Another exception was that Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh’s address was attentively listened by the SAD (Amritsar) group. This was appreciated by Jathedar later on and hinted that there was every possibility if all the disgruntled Sikh groups could unite on one platform at Akal Takht and resolve their differences.
Amidst pro-Khalistan slogans, the “Khalistan Flag” was furled at the Akal Takht for at least one hour.
Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh too did not take any exception to it.
“It was part of their programme to unfurl the flag and they were not intercepted as they were not creating any trouble. I am pleased to find that all the Sikh organisations maintained tranquility and didn’t vitiate the peaceful atmosphere of the Golden Temple complex”, he said.
The anniversary was also observed at Damdami Taksal, which was once headed by Bhindranwale, at Chowk Mehta, 40 km from Amritsar.
Also, notably, the “parallel, acting jathedar” Dhian Singh Mand, who read out his sandesh in front of the Takht last year and was supported by the SAD (A), skipped the event here, and issued a sandesh from Bargari village in Faridkot where he is on a fast over alleged inaction in sacrilege cases. “The entire Sikh community across villages and cities must observe Operation Bluestar anniversary every year on June 6 as tribute to the martyrs,” he said.
On a call given by Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa, a complete shutdown was observed in Amritsar amid heavy security arrangements.
Markets of the walled city, where great rush is witnessed usually, wore a deserted look.
Due to the bandh call, people avoided leaving home, thereby reducing the rush on roads too. However, many offices of government departments remained open. Medical services were normal as the protesters announced not to affect these services. Educational institutes were closed, and transport was disrupted.
Footfall at the shrine did not go down. Dal Khalsa president HS Cheema thanked the people for responding positively to the bandh call.
