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SANT BHINDRANWALE'S MEMORY LIVES ON
SikhSangat News
http://www.sikhsangat.org/news/publish/asia_n ews/Sant_Bhindranwale_s_memory_lives_on1234.shtml
June 5 2008
Canada
Moga, June 4: Even after 24 years of the operation Blue Star launched
by the Indian Army on the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar, Sant
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is still seen as a 'hero' of the community,
particularly in his home turf in Moga district.
Rode, the native village of Bhindranwale, is just 20 km away from
the district headquarters here. Although his wife along with her
children had shifted to her parental village near Badhni Kalan but
his brothers are still living in the village.
These days, the posters of Bhindranwale had flooded the markets of
Moga and other small townships in the district.
Not only this, sun protection screens for cars have also come up with
the posters of Bhindranwale and are easily available in the markets.
Sikh youths could be seen carrying posters of their 'hero' openly
during all common religious functions - birth anniversaries of the
gurus and other important religious occasions.
Simranjit Singh Mann, former member of the Lok Sabha and president of
the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), who was the senior superintendent
of police at Amritsar when the Indian Army attacked the Golden Temple
complex, while talking to The Tribune, said the Sikh community could
never forget the incident because the union government did nothing
to heal the wounds of the community.
Mann, who had friendly relations with Bhindranwale, quit the job under
protest on the day the Golden Temple complex was attacked and fled away
from the city. But later, he was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border.
Demanding from the Parliament to apologise for the operation Blue Star,
Mann termed the attack as genocide committed on the community.
He said that it was no less than that of the 'Armenian Genocide'. It
was an attack on the Sikh community as a whole, Mann added.
Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, president of the All India Sikh Students
Federation, was of the view that the attack was pre-planned with an
aim to suppress and wipe out the community.
The community was targeted in the operation Blue Star, in the riots
after the death of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, and during
the two decades of militancy that, according to him, claimed the
lives of over two lakh Sikh youths.
In reply to a question, he said the demand for a separate homeland
for Sikhs had never left the minds of the community and it could be
judged well from the fact that Joginder Singh Vedanti, jathedar of
the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of the Sikhs, had also
openly advocated for it during his recent visit to the US.
Bhai Mohkam Singh, who was a close confidant and spokesman of
Bhindrawale, while talking to The Tribune on telephone, said
Bhindranwale was still alive in the hearts of all the Sikhs.
"Bhindranwale will always look young in his photographs/posters and
will never die but will inspire the coming generations of the Sikh
community for ages," he added.
It was learnt from sources that many Sikh organisations have planned
to honour Jathedar Vedanti during the 'ghallughara divas' being
celebrated at Amritsar on Friday for extending support to the demand
for a separate Sikh homeland.
All the political and religious organisations of the community,
irrespective of whether they were hardliners or moderates, were
celebrating the 'ghallughara divas' in the memory of those who lost
their lives while trying to convey a message to the world that on the
issue of attack on the Golden Temple complex, they all were united,
irrespective of their ideology.
SikhSangat News
http://www.sikhsangat.org/news/publish/asia_n ews/Sant_Bhindranwale_s_memory_lives_on1234.shtml
June 5 2008
Canada
Moga, June 4: Even after 24 years of the operation Blue Star launched
by the Indian Army on the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar, Sant
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is still seen as a 'hero' of the community,
particularly in his home turf in Moga district.
Rode, the native village of Bhindranwale, is just 20 km away from
the district headquarters here. Although his wife along with her
children had shifted to her parental village near Badhni Kalan but
his brothers are still living in the village.
These days, the posters of Bhindranwale had flooded the markets of
Moga and other small townships in the district.
Not only this, sun protection screens for cars have also come up with
the posters of Bhindranwale and are easily available in the markets.
Sikh youths could be seen carrying posters of their 'hero' openly
during all common religious functions - birth anniversaries of the
gurus and other important religious occasions.
Simranjit Singh Mann, former member of the Lok Sabha and president of
the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), who was the senior superintendent
of police at Amritsar when the Indian Army attacked the Golden Temple
complex, while talking to The Tribune, said the Sikh community could
never forget the incident because the union government did nothing
to heal the wounds of the community.
Mann, who had friendly relations with Bhindranwale, quit the job under
protest on the day the Golden Temple complex was attacked and fled away
from the city. But later, he was arrested from the Indo-Nepal border.
Demanding from the Parliament to apologise for the operation Blue Star,
Mann termed the attack as genocide committed on the community.
He said that it was no less than that of the 'Armenian Genocide'. It
was an attack on the Sikh community as a whole, Mann added.
Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, president of the All India Sikh Students
Federation, was of the view that the attack was pre-planned with an
aim to suppress and wipe out the community.
The community was targeted in the operation Blue Star, in the riots
after the death of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, and during
the two decades of militancy that, according to him, claimed the
lives of over two lakh Sikh youths.
In reply to a question, he said the demand for a separate homeland
for Sikhs had never left the minds of the community and it could be
judged well from the fact that Joginder Singh Vedanti, jathedar of
the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal authority of the Sikhs, had also
openly advocated for it during his recent visit to the US.
Bhai Mohkam Singh, who was a close confidant and spokesman of
Bhindrawale, while talking to The Tribune on telephone, said
Bhindranwale was still alive in the hearts of all the Sikhs.
"Bhindranwale will always look young in his photographs/posters and
will never die but will inspire the coming generations of the Sikh
community for ages," he added.
It was learnt from sources that many Sikh organisations have planned
to honour Jathedar Vedanti during the 'ghallughara divas' being
celebrated at Amritsar on Friday for extending support to the demand
for a separate Sikh homeland.
All the political and religious organisations of the community,
irrespective of whether they were hardliners or moderates, were
celebrating the 'ghallughara divas' in the memory of those who lost
their lives while trying to convey a message to the world that on the
issue of attack on the Golden Temple complex, they all were united,
irrespective of their ideology.