The Hindu : Wounds on psyche still fresh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 07, 2003

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Wounds on psyche still fresh

By Sarabjit Pandher

AMRITSAR JUNE 6. At two functions in the Golden Temple complex here today, the firebrand militant leader, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was pronounced a "Shaheed'' (martyr). Prayers were performed at Akal Takht in memory of those killed in the Army action codenamed "Operation Bluestar'' in 1984.

At Akal Takht early this morning, the Jathedar, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, performed `Ardas' (the Sikh prayer) to mark the completion of an Akhand Path (uninterrupted recitation of scriptures) on the 19th anniversary of the incident whose wounds on the Sikh psyche are still fresh.

The Jathedar bestowed `Siropa' (religious robes of honour) on Isher Singh, son of Bhindranwale, and Bhai Manjit Singh, brother of the president of the All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF), Bhai Amrik Singh, who was also killed in the fierce gunbattle. This is the first time since the incident that Bhindranwale was declared a martyr from Akal Takht.At a congregation later, the Jathedar called for introspection if the community was to proceed towards achieving the goal of "Azad Haisiyat'' (independent identity). Appealing for complete unity among Akali factions and the groups of the Sikh Students' Federation, Giani Vedanti warned of greater losses if the community did not learn from its previous mistakes. He highlighted Bhindranwale's role in defending the Sikh principles and institutions.

While the Damdami Taksal, the seminary once headed by Bhindranwale, stayed away from the function, none of the frontline leaders of any major Akali faction was present.

The Taksal has been maintaining that Bhindranwale is still alive. Among those who attended today's function were the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Kirpal Singh Badungar, the radical leader and MP, Simranjit Singh Mann, the pro-Khalistan ideologue, Jagjit Singh Chohan, and the leader of a terrorist outfit who returned to India about two years ago, Wassan Singh Zaffarwal. Bhindranwale's son, Isher Singh, who is close to the Taksal, refused to comment when asked whether his family accepted that his father had laid down his life.

Talking to the press, Prof. Badungar sought to underplay the event saying "it was within the rights of the community to pay tributes to its martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice to bravely fight the repression".

Mr. Mann said there was an urgent need to stand guard for principles for which the martyrs laid down their lives.

He said the last message of Bhindranwale, who predicted a separate Sikh state if the Army entered the shrine, would not go waste.

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