Indira Gandhi killers families ‘honoured’ by SGPC, demands for another memorial
Amritsar, Oct 31 (ANI): After the construction of the controversial memorial dedicated to separatist Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other ‘martyrs’ of Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar, demands are now being made for another memorial in memory of assassins of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi .
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) the premier body of the Sikhs with Dal Khalsa and SAD (Panch Pardani) on Thursday observed the martyrdom day of Beant Singh, who assassinated late Indira Gandhi the then Prime Minister of India 29 years ago on this day. The head of Akal Takht Gaini Gurbachan Singh honored Sarbjit Singh the son of Beant Singh, Satwant Singh the son of Kehar Singh and Waryam Singh the brother of Bhai Satwant Singh.
Kanwarpal Singh, the spokesperson of Dal Khalsa, said that they observed the martyrdom anniversary of Beant Singh who had punished a person who was responsible for attack on Golden Temple. “We along with Harnam Singh Khalsa, Akal Takht and SGPC honoured son of Beant Singh and gave him a silver plaque. We also gave a memorandum to Akal Takht to construct a memorial in memory of Beant Singh, Kehar Singh and Satwant Singh in Golden Temple complex,” he added.
While talking to ANI, Gaini Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, said that the 29th anniversary of Beant Singh is being observed who killed Indira Gandhi who had engineered attack on Akal Takht and Golden Temple. Beant Singh, Kehar Singh and Satwant Singh couldn’t bear attack on Golden Temple and Akal Takht so they punished Indira Gandhi of her mistake. Sikhs have no personal animosity with anyone, her own mistakes came before her. He said that they are pride of Sikh Panth. SGPC had always been observing their anniversaries.
The radicals present there urged the SGPC to construct the memorial in memory of all the three in the Golden Temple Complex in any shape and at any place. As the sacrifice of Beant Singh, Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh was meant to uphold the rich traditions and glory of Darbar Sahib and Akal Takht, it was the desire of the Sikh Panth that SGPC should build a memorial in their memory at suitable place within the complex said the radical leaders.
Sarabjit Sigh Khalsa, son of Beant Singh said, “My father had achieved martyrdom while taking revenge for attack on Golden Temple and Akal Takht. There should be a memorial in his memory in the Golden Temple complex”. Echoing with Sarabjit Singh, the son of Kehar Singh, Satwant Singh said, “Whenever Golden Temple or Akal Takht was attacked in past, Sikhs have taken revenge; so my father also took revenge with the help of Beant Singh and Satwant Singh for attacking Sikhs most religious place. To honour their martyrdom there should be a memorial and annual Panthic gatherings should be held there.”
A resolution to this effect was adopted today on the occasion and the heads of Damdami Taksal, Dal Khalsa and Panch Pardani besides the kin of all the three martyrs signed the copy of the resolution, which was handed over to Jathedar of Akal Takht for implementa-tion. Notably it took more than two decades to give nod the SGPC after it constructed the 'Martyrs memorial' of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the Golden Temple Complex. Jathedar said, ” I have received a memorandum from Dal Khalsa, I will contemplate with other Sikh high priests but already a memorial of all the ‘martyrs’ exists in the Golden Temple complex.” By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)
Delhi gurdwaras to hail Indira Gandhi 's killers as martyrs? Why complain when Mahatma Gandhi's killers are lionised? : NB: It is indeed offensive that men who assassinated someone in their protection should be given a sacred aura by the SGPC. This is not a sign of religious faith, but a tragic lack of it. It is yet another sign that religion has become less a source of wisdom and more a badge of identity. However, the ongoing politics of hurt sentiment extends beyond the matter of Rushdie's or Taslima's books, beyond Valentines Day. At the topmost political levels we hear of outrage at the bestowal of martyr-dom upon persons guilty of terrible crimes. Thus, when Omar calls Afzal Guru ‘sahib’, this draws flak from Congress. It is considered to be an act of 'glorification' by those who are offended.
I am not offended, but bemused at the differing standards we exercise in our public life. V.D. Savarkar was a prime accused in Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Yet he is acclaimed & honoured with a portrait in the Central Hall of Parliament. Those of us who object to this risk being dubbed anti-national elements. Yes, Savarkar was an extreme patriot. So was Charu Mazumdar, founder of the Naxalite movement. Why not place a portrait of him too, in the Lok Sabha? (See The Other side of Maoism). As long as Gandhi's assassination is celebrated by the Indian Parliament, no one speaking in the name of the Nation (whatever that is), need complain about Sikh 'martyrs' and Kashmiri 'martyrs'. Lets be honest with ourselves for a change - DS
Communal brinkmanship in Punjab: "Bhindranwale was no thinker. He had no coherent position on any complex issue, but was willing to mouth the rhetoric that ensured the Akalis were afraid of losing their own constituency, and he was willing to do something the Akalis had never done, use violence to achieve political ends. His hitmen, such as Surinder Singh Sodhi, assassinated a number of people who earned his wrath. He had also dabbled in politics, openly supporting Congress candidates against the Akalis at one point and then trying to put up his own candidates for elections to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the Sikh body that controls all gurdwaras in Punjab, with little success. This man, a terrorist who thought nothing of using violence to terrorise and kill his opponents, whether Sikhs or Hindus, a man who never enjoyed popular support within the Sikh community (despite the impression being sought to be conveyed today), was truly converted into a sant (holy man) by the stupidity of the Indian State.." (Hartosh Singh Bal).
Rajdeep Sardesai - Confront these painful truths about communalism: ...whether you travel to the outskirts of Ahmedabad to Citizen Nagar to meet 2002 riot victims living next to a garbage dump, or to the overflowing drains of Tilak Vihar where the widows of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots live, or the makeshift homes for Kashmiri Pandit families in Jammu, the one common factor that binds these groups is the fact that their condition represents the utter failure of the Indian State to uphold the rule of law. This is not about being Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus: it is about a society that doesn't protect and provide justice to its own..
