By Gurnam Singh | OPINION |

[Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Warwick, UK. He can be contacted at Gurnam.singh.1@warwick.ac.uk]

* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.

 

RELATED STORY:

Time to flip some prevailing ideas (Asia Samachar, 24 April 2020)

Sohan Singh Bhakna: Founder of revolutionary Ghadr Party (Asia Samachar, 21 Jan 2019)

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

The #Sikh hashtag was temporarily blocked at major social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. And the operators of the large platforms have yet to explain how the major bungling took happened.

“We have unblocked the hashtag #sikh on Instagram and are working to unblock #sikh on Facebook. We’re investigating why this happened. We will follow up here later today with more information,” Instragram said in a tweet at @InstagramComms which went up in early today (Thursday).

The hashtag blocking is taking place at a time when Sikhs globally are reflecting on the Indian army attack upon the Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, in 1984. Referred to as the #1984 Sikh genocide, the incident also involved the killing and disappearance of thousands of Sikhs.

In a series of tweets, Instagram said that it had now unblocked the #sikh hasgtag on both Instagram and Facebook.

In three earlier tweets, it noted:

“Thanks for your patience today. We investigated this issue and found that these hashtags were mistakenly blocked on March 7th following a report that was inaccurately reviewed by our teams.”

“We became aware that these hashtags were blocked today following feedback we received from the community, and quickly moved to unblock them. Our processes fell down here, and we’re sorry.

“This is an incredibly important, painful time for the Sikh community. We designed hashtags to allow people to come together and share with one another. It’s never our intention to silence the voices of this community, we are taking the necessary steps so this doesn’t happen again.”

In response, one Sikh with the handle Unknown Wanderer (@insidebajwa) remarked: “I appreciate the unblocking but what I’d appreciate more would be an inquiry as to why was the voices of 37+ Million people (and 5th largest religion) were silenced on your platform.”

Another Twitter user, Callum Atwal (@_catwal) said: “If it is a case of people mass reporting posts with the #sikh hashtag has triggered an automatic block, could the Sikh Community at least have some reassurance that such thing is not able to happen again? This isn’t the first time this has happened.”

This is not the first time that the social media platforms have blocked Sikh-related hashtags.

In a statement, London-based Sikh Press Association noted that the while Sikhs worldwide commemorate the atrocities committed against Sikhs in India in June 1984, the hashtag #NeverForget1984 appeared in the top trends on Twitter in the UK, USA and Canada earlier this week.

However, it said searching for the #Sikh hashtag on Facebook and Instagram now provides no search results on either platform.

“The rationale behind this censorship is currently unclear, but commentators online are suggesting that the Indian government has applied pressure on the companies, in an attempt to deflect attention away from the genocide of Sikhs that it orchestrated in 1984 and throughout subsequent years,” it said.

When the hashtag is searched for on Facebook, it noted that a notice appears that reads: “Keeping Our Community Safe: Posts with #sikh are currently hidden here. Some content on those posts goes against our community standards.”

RELATED STORY:

Afghan religious minorities ‘remained endangered’, says US commission (Asia Samachar, 28 May 2020)

1984: Etched onto collective Sikh psyche (Asia Samachar, 2 June 2019)

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

Nine students were fined between S$2,500 and S$4,500 on Wednesday (June 3) for breaching Covid-19 regulations by gathering at a rented apartment to have tea, study or chat, reports Today Online.

They were caught after an unidentified person called the police about “an altercation” at the 34A Kim Keat Road apartment.

Three of the students who were fined were tenants at the apartment. They are Indian nationals Navdeep Singh, 20, Sajandeep Singh, 21 and Avinash Kaur, 27.

Navdeep and Sajandeep were given the highest fines of S$4,500 for each inviting three people to the apartment. Their guests were each given fines of S$2,500.

The court heard that the incident occurred on May 5, during the “circuit breaker” period when it was illegal to have guests at one’s household, or to meet other people for social purposes, according to the report.

When the police responded to the call about the altercation at about 12.50pm, they found 17 people inside the apartment. Six people — including the three accused tenants — were registered tenants of the unit.

Read the full story here.

KIRTAN | NEW RELEASE: Famed musician Dya Singh is joined by 21 families from around the world in this rendition of Mere Naal Hai-Tuhi Tuhi, presenter by Sikh Youth Australia. Click here.

[TAKE NOTE OF ASIA SAMACHAR OFFICIAL WHATSAPP NUMBER: +6017-3351399. You can contact us to provide news alerts, community updates or obituary announcements. Stay in chardi kalaa]

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

The world of audio-visual (AV) lost an illustrious and hard-working member in Ranjit Singh from Singapore who passed away last month.

In a short note at his LinkedIn account, his daughter recently wrote the following:

“I am his daughter. As most of you would be aware of, my father passed away peacefully on Friday (15/5). He suffered from a cardiac arrest at home while attending to a conference.

I knew my father was a principal consultant working in PTS Consulting Pte Ltd. However, my family and I weren’t aware that my father had a huge impact on the AV industry. He is well-known in the world, a legend. I am very proud to be his child.

Not only was he a respected man in the industry, he was a great father who always put family over work. Our needs and wants were his top priority. He gave us unconditional love and care. Right now, without him, we are incomplete. He was the best!

We appreciate all those who have sent their condolences to us. Thank you for being a part of my father’s life. We will miss him. He will never be forgotten!”

In response, many who knew Ranjit personally responded with love and warmth.

Washington-based consultant Shyam Devadas described Ranjit as a hardworking, curious, adventurous, and generally humble.

“All, qualities demonstrated by your father. It is not an exaggeration to say that he will be considered one of the seminal figures in the formation of the professional AV integration industry in Asia,” he responded.

Krishna Tripathi, the country manager NEC Technologies India Pvt Ltd, wrote: “I have known to Ranjit Ji very well in NEC. He is well known face in AV industry globally. He was very few person I know who is such a humble, down to earth, religious and so perfect his profession.”

Anuj Darbari, director of Delhi-based Effectron Luminex Ltd, noted that he his first AV class organised by Kramer was conducted by Ranjit.

“He taught the principles of AV as well as values of integrity in one’s life. It’s a loss to the industry,” he said.

By N Trisha | MALAYSIA |

HELPING those in need is essential now more than ever with the Covid-19 pandemic putting many out of work.

Stepping up in a huge way, the Penang Wadda Gurdwara Sahib has been providing rations and cooked meals to those in need throughout the movement control order (MCO) and conditional MCO.

They prepared 150 packs of fried mee hoon that were given out with buns, biscuits and water at three locations in the state.

Gurdwara chairman Daljeet Singh said it was necessary especially now to come together and help those in need.

“We have been running this programme since the MCO began. We managed to help over 500 families with rations and cooked meals for those who are in need of a hot meal every day. We give them a hot meal, some buns, biscuits and mineral water.

“So far, we have cooked over 11,450 vegetarian meals, ” he said when met at the gurdwara in Jalan Gurdwara, George Town recently.

Daljeet said while practising social distancing, staff members staying at the gurdwara would help prepare the meals that would later be distributed by volunteers.

Read the full story, ‘Mission to help needy folk’ (The Star, 4 June 2020), here.

By Asia Samachar Team | OPINION |

DO you have a clear grasp of #1984? This is a major landmark in Sikh history that Sikhs themselves need to properly understand.

A recent webinar organised by the US-based Sikh Research Institute (SikhRi) challenges everyone to refresh their knowledge on the incident 36 years ago that still lingers at the edge of our minds.

What actually happened? What led to the events that shook Sikhs the world over? And what is the position today 36 years later?

These are some of the questions addressed in this webinar entitled ‘1984: The Devoted & the Worldly’ by Sikh educator and thinker Harinder Singh.

CATCH THE WEBINAR AT YOUTUBE OR FACEBOOK

Ten minutes into the discussion, Harinder tackles the question as to why the Indian government undertook the ghastly attacks on the Sikh community under the codename ‘Operation Bluestar’.

“Sikhs, by their DNA, stand for certain liberties, we stand for certain rights. We stand for people’s rights, not just our own rights. And we have been doing this for 550 years,” he said.

He noted that Sikhs had been among the strongest allies of the government of the day when they do the right thing. However, they had also been the most stringent ‘champions of the adversaries’.

“Sikhs have served India well. Sikhs don’t hate India. If anything, they were creating a federal structure for India,” he noted.

On the ‘why’ part of the incident, he said that there comes a point when you see that the government is not doing the right thing.

SOME KEY POINTS OF THE WEBINAR

14:00 Terminologies. Operation Bluestar v Ghallughara.

17:00 Role of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Its easy to forget today that Bhindranwale had managed to convince many to forgo drugs, alcohol and pornography. “When they say fundamentalist, what they are really saying is that he’s taking people back to the ways of the Guru,” he said.

Also discussed is Lt General S K Sinha, the the general tasked to do the planning of the attack, but refused to carry it out as it clashed with his ethos of not attacking his own people. He retired in 1983 when denied army chief post. Sinha was said to be the only lieutenant general to be denied the post of army chief despite his seniority.

25:00 The Ardas and did Bhindranwale occupy the Golden Temple?

44:00 Sikh narrative. Even five years ago, Harinder noted that Sikhs were uncomfortable with their own narrative on the 1984 incident as Sikhs themselves didn’t know the Sikh narrative. “And they will look at you funny, and they will talk to you funny,” he said.

47:00 Khalistan & the militancy movements in Punjab.

58:00 Anandpur Sahib Resolutions & Sikh demands. Understanding Sikh morchas.

1.12:00 – Water rights & water issues

1.15:00 – What can Sikh youth today do?

By Sawinder Singh | OPINION |

I was in school in Amritsar, Punjab, on June 1, 1984. It was 12:30 pm when we heard the unmistakable, chilling sounds of gunshots firing. We students were immediately sent home. However, for me, home was right beside the Darbar Sahib complex (also known as the Golden Temple). In fact, my family played kirtan at Darbar Sahib; they are Hazoori Raagis.

I scrambled on my bike and started riding home, in the direction of the gunshots. I was ten.

I remember hearing the gunshots as I pedalled through the narrow alleys of Amritsar. I remember seeing a couple of bodies lying in pools of blood. I was not afraid, but I knew I had to quickly get home.

I managed to reach home safely, but not everyone was safe. This marked the beginning of days of horrific, unimaginable violence. This was the onset of the Indian military’s attack on Darbar Sahib and dozens of other gurdwaras throughout Punjab. Thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed at the hands of the Indian military.

Code-named Operation Bluestar, the assault set the stage for a decade of violent state repression.

When I made it home, my mother was crying because she was so relieved to see me, knowing not all mothers were so lucky. She hid me under a bed, where I heard gunshots throughout the day.

The next day, after the curfew was lifted, my family and I also went to the Darbar Sahib complex. Sangat from all over began pouring into Darbar Sahib for Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s Shaheedi Divaas. By the following day, not only was Amritsar filled with sangat, but no one had ever seen that much military presence in Amritsar.

Once again, there was a curfew. Because of that curfew, we could not take my sick chachaji (uncle) to a hospital. He passed away that night.

On June 4th, at about 4:30 am, we awoke to bombardment. It sounded like the earth was being ripped apart at the seams – a sound I would never forget. Over the next two days, the violence, the blood and the devastation that I saw is hard to speak of, but it is permanently seared into my memory.

People sometimes ask, “Why should we remember such a dark period of our history?” We must remember that period of our history because it is still our history. Our loved ones cannot be left behind and our stories cannot be distorted. We cannot let others dictate our history.

Thousands of Singhs and Kaurs were horrifically killed. Yet the Sikh community, as always, shows resilience in the face of this violent repression. If we were able to survive 1984 as a community, like I did as a ten-year-old boy, we can survive anything.

It is our responsibility to remember and draw strength from our Panth’s sacrifices.

Chardi Kala,

Sawinder Singh

[Born in Amritsar and brought up within the Darbar Sahib complex, Sawinder Singh is a former Hazori Raagi of Darbar Sahib and founded the Sri Harmandir Sahib Academy. He currently works and resides in Maryland with his family. Sawinder Singh will be featured in the Sikh Project photography exhibit this year.]

Interested in learning more? Here is a list of resources:

• Bhai Sawinder Singh’s story in Punjabi (Surat Panel)
• 1984 Living History Project
• A Witness Among the Bodies (Ensaaf)
• Survivor Interviews, Days After November 1984 (Ensaaf)
• The Last Killing (Ensaaf)
• Amnesty International Report
• Human Rights Watch/Physicians for Human Rights Report
• The U.S. State Department Report
• Ensaaf Report

By Kamal Preet Kaur | MALAYSIA |

Picture this. A tiny flickering light at the end of a long dark tunnel. As you move closer a figure starts to appear, a full-bearded man with a turban on his head, holding a lamp with a reassuring smile. Back to reality and the picture doesn’t disappoint.

In the times of Covid-19, while the whole world has been pushed indoors, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with professional medics, essential workers and relief teams as harbingers of hope, is a comparatively small religious community of Sikhs. They are a cut above the rest due to its compassion, empathy, generosity of spirit, fearlessness and an iron will to serve. They stand out in the vast sea of humanity with their distinct colourful turbans, adorning them proudly like a crown, which comes with a responsibility to seek and work for Sarbat Da Bhala, welfare of one and all.

The answer to ‘where do these miniscule number of visibly religious people get their lion-heartedness and a tender touch?’ lies in the basic tenets of the faith that originated about 550 years ago in the North West Indian region of Punjab. It’s the magic of their faith that gives them strength to go out and help those in distress despite the risk of contagion.

‘Faith’ is derived from Latin fides, meaning ‘trust, faith, confidence, reliance, credence, belief.’ And Sikhs, the followers of a belief system founded by Guru Nanak, more than just believe in the Guru’s commandments of Kirat Karna (earning honest livelihood), Naam Japna (meditating on God’s name) and Vand Chhakna (sharing with those less fortunate); they endeavour to live up to it as a community and individuals every day.

The statement by the 19th century Oxford professor, author and poet Matthew Arnold — faith is neither the submission of the reason, nor is it the acceptance, simply and absolutely upon testimony, of what reason cannot reach. Faith is: the being able to cleave to a power of goodness appealing to our higher and real self, not to our lower and apparent self — sits well with the believers of the Sikh faith.

FAITH FUNDAMENTALS

Guru Nanak taught that living an active and contributory life of truthfulness, self-control and purity is above the metaphysical truth, and that the ideal man is one who establishes union with God, understands and carries out His Will. He made Simran (meditation) and Sewa (self-less service) as two important pillars of the faith which help Sikhs realise the Divine within their consciousness.

Meditating on God’s name elevates the spirit to higher levels of consciousness and self-less service keeps the seeker humble in the grand scheme of the Divine Order. Balancing the two is the crux of Sikh theological, congregational and individual practice. Guru Nanak also established the system of langar or communal kitchen, in order to demonstrate the need to share and have equality between all people.

The importance of langar as soul food was further signified by the third Guru, Guru Amar Dass who proclaimed ‘Pehle pangat, pachhai sangat’ asking all to first partake food served to them before joining the holy congregation. It signifies that if one can sit with others to eat without discrimination of caste, gender, colour, creed, religious and financial standing, only then does one become ready to realise Divine.

Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev commanded Sikhs to give ‘dasvandh’ one-tenth of their income for welfare causes. “The Provider” is an oft-repeated attribute of God in Sikh scriptures, and considered to be an important characteristic of the individual as well as the larger Sikh Body or Khalsa. The manifestation of the great benevolence of the Khalsa pours forth from the individual contributions of each of the Guru’s Sikhs multiplied manifold; and like a fountain, it showers the blessings from the common pool on all of those who open their arms to receive.

The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa, the order of the Khalis (pure), saint-soldierly people, who would stand for the oppressed and the downtrodden. They would be fearless and fair, recognising all human race as one. He ordained “Manas ki jaat sabhai ekai pehchanbo.” It is also no coincidence that first one of the Five Beloved Ones (the first five to be initiated into the Khalsa fold) was called Daya Singh. Daya or compassion is the foundation for Dharam, the righteous conduct.

This is a glimpse into underlying teachings of the Gurus which motivate Sikhs to be beacons of hope when the going gets rough for the world. Whether it’s a manmade conflict, as in Yemen and Syria, or a natural calamity like a tsunami, hurricane, floods or forest fires, if there are Sikhs, they come together quickly to arrange aid and relief as required. This often includes delivering life-saving food supplies and other essentials to the people who are left reeling under the effect of these catastrophes. Covid-19 is no different. People around the world are suffering, and Sikhs, as commanded by the Gurus, have come together yet again to provide succour.

LESSONS IN SELFLESS SERVICE

The way to go about doing relief work by putting the needs of others before their own, even at the cost of risking their own life, has been shown to the Sikhs by the Gurus themselves. There are historic precedents from the life and times of Gurus that guides the Sikh response to all calamities, including the current pandemic Covid 19.

In the last decade of the 16th century, India faced huge famine due to lack of rains. Later, bubonic plague in 1598 added to the miseries of the population. Historian Noor Al Hak records that Lahore, Punjab’s major trade and political centre during the Mughal period, saw huge devastation. Streets of Lahore were filled with corpses emanating unbearable stench and spreading disease. Emperor Akbar and his administrators abandoned their populace as situation spiralled out of control. It is then, the Fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, took upon himself to alleviate the misery of the hapless poor and vulnerable people. The Guru, along with a group of Sikhs, physicians and volunteers travelled to Lahore with all monetary offerings received at Amritsar, the Guru’s abode.

The arrival of the Guru in Lahore brought hope and faith for those living in fear of death and despair. The team of volunteers set to work under Guru Arjan’s dynamic leadership to offer solace to the suffering masses. The first task was to take care of the dead, and people were paid to help clear the bodies off the streets, to be buried and cremated. Streets were cleaned. Langar was set up to feed the poor and destitute. Gurbani was sung to provide emotional and spiritual healing to those grieving. Physicians gave people all possible medical assistance those weakened by prolonged suffering and disease. To help get people back to work, Guru Arjan started a building project in remembrance of Guru Ram Dass ji, his father and the Fourth Guru. This provided economic support to many in need. Guru Arjan stayed there for eight months setting up a blueprint to help rebuild a society from ravages of death and famine.

Similarly, when small pox wreaked havoc in Northern India during the time of Eighth Guru, Guru Har Krishan, at the age of eight, showed amazing grace and courage while caring for those affected by the epidemic. He went from street to street, feeding, tending, comforting those infected and grieving. In doing so, he himself caught the infection and sacrificed his life for the greater good.

The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh’s life went fighting battles against tyrant Mughal and other enemy forces. One of his Sikhs, Bhai Ghanaiya, is revered for offering water to the fallen, hurt and dying soldiers on the battlefield. When he appeared in the Guru’s court to face complaints that he was helping the enemy, he had said “Dear Guru, as per your teachings, I only see the light of God in all. I see no enemy. Na ko bairi nahe begana, sagal sang humko ban aayi”. Guru Gobind Singh then gave him medicinal balm and asked him to not only offer water, but also tend to the wounded.

It is these life lessons from the Great Gurus that guide Sikhs to serve those in need no matter who and where they are, with humility and kindness. It is a step closer to Almighty. It is Guru’s commandment that Almighty Waheguru dwells in all living beings and serving the humanity, those less fortunate or less privileged, compassionate holding of hand, is all part of sewa, self-less service, that is important for a Sikh’s spiritual progress. Sewa karat hoye nehkami tiss ko hot prapat swami, says Guru Arjan, which means that those who serve others without any desire of reward or recognition, meet the Lord Master. Sikhs are not allowed to silently witness pain, injustice, suffering or discrimination and not do something about it. Their turbans bear testimony to the fact that Guru wanted them to remain visible, so that they can’t hide or run away from their social responsibility.

COVID-19 AND THE SIKH COLLECTIVE

With traditions of Sarbat Da Bhala (welfare of all) and Chardikala (positive mindset) under their belt, it is no surprise that despite the dangers posed by the novel coronavirus Sikhs are out of their homes, helping where needed.

In India, where the need is far too great due to sheer number of the poor caught in the crisis; Sikhs have geared up to serve. They have set up langars in various cities and streets across the country to provide sustenance where there is none. Hundreds and thousands of meals are being served through the gurdwaras. Many in Delhi have set up medical help to tend to the bleeding blistered feet of those who are having to walk hundreds of kilometres in summer heat. Others are pooling in money to offer travel services so that workers and labourers from different parts of India can reach their native places.

In other countries, where situation is not as alarming or as overwhelming as in India, suitable response and aid work has been put in place by various religious organisations, institutions, charities and individuals. Gurdwaras, the door to the Guru, that have had to close down worldwide to the general public following governments’ instructions during pandemic, have taken langar to those who need it most.

Thousands of bags of packaged, fresh, hot, vegetarian meals are being served to the homeless, vulnerable, elderly and those in need across continents. To spread and share Guru’s message to the regular congregations, now isolating, many gurdwaras are using latest technological ways to live stream programmes on social networks like YouTube and Facebook. The collaboration during the times of social distancing has been possible largely because the elderly who often run services in the gurdwara had to be shielded for their safety and young people, who were normally at the fringes of gurdwara affairs have had to take active part in running food and essential services.

Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Southall, the largest gurdwara outside India, has been serving 2,000 meals a day through its mobile langar sewa. Similarly, gurdwaras across London, Midlands, North, South of England, as well as Wales, Scotland and Sikhs in Northern Ireland are volunteering to feed the left-outs in the UK. They are all offering to provide meals and urgent transport, provide shopping for food and other essentials such as medication, as well as providing telephone support for emotional wellbeing. Meanwhile, in Slough, Guru Maneyo Granth Gurdwara has gone a step further, by not only providing delivery of food and essentials to the community, but offering to open up its entire 4-acre site to the NHS for use as an emergency hospital, if needed.

Stellar charity work is being done by Khalsa Aid, Midlands Langar Sewa Society, Langar Aid, NishkamSWAT to reach out to the overworked Covid-19 frontline staff in hospitals and police stations besides enhancing their regular homeless and other relief work. Many of these charities are also providing protective and sanitary equipment such as face masks, toilet rolls and gloves.

United Sikhs have set up food banks in association with gurdwaras in the UK and other parts of the world. There are a large number of Sikh doctors and nurses, serving the NHS in the UK, looking after the Covid patients. Laudable work is being also done across the US, in California, New York, New Jersey, Montana and Wisconsin. Sikhs are serving the needy in Canadian cities of Vancouver, Brampton, Montreal, Ottawa, Victoria, Toronto and Winnipeg. They have collaborated and offering outreach services in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney in Australia as well as Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand. Sikh aid and relief work in parts of Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Pakistan and Kenya has also made rounds on social media, which has played a vital role in this worldwide charitable effort.

It is also interesting to note that many Sikhs who haven’t been able to make direct contributions to these ongoing relief efforts due to their own challenging circumstances regularly hold group prayers, kirtan and virtual gurbani recitations around the world. Videos of Sikh households in parts of India, sitting in their balconies or outside their front doors, reciting prayers for Sarbat Da Bhala make an inspiring watch. Similarly, diaspora Sikhs have made the most of the lockdown scenario by organising live religious and spiritual, hymn singing, discourse and discussion programmes on social media to uplift spirits and inspire. All these have helped reinforce Guru’s message on bhana, the Divine Will. Gurbani says where nothing helps, chanting and meditating on God’s Name creates a powerful force and provides sustenance. Spiritual wisdom shows us the way to cope with uncertain times, to deal with grief and suffering in life.

COVID LEGACY FOR SIKHS

Unless we learn to revere this Earth as mother and taking leaf from gurbani understand the concept of Pavan Guru, Pani Pita, Mata Dharat Mahat and live in harmony with nature pandemics and natural calamities will continue to reoccur. There needs to be imminent positive shift in the collective behaviour of humans. Sikhs are armed with great set of faith values and should continue to be force for greater good. Langar is not just nourishment for unfed bodies, it also keeps alive faith in inherent human goodness. It will remain significantly relevant in foreseeable future, and until there remains inequality.

Shabad, the word of God, has power to transform lives, uplift the downtrodden and give meaning to our transient existence. Lives should remain as simplified as they have been during lockdowns. Gurdwaras should continue with outreach services and become sanctuaries as envisioned by the Great Gurus.

Words of Martin Luther summarise what faith means to Sikhs– Faith a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.

Kamal Preet Kaur is a London-based freelance journalist writing diaspora stories for various publications in India. 

By Asia Samachar Team | UNITED STATES |

Hoboken Sikh mayor and his family joined thousands of #BlackLivesMatter protest Friday (5 June 2020). Mayor Ravinder Singh Bhalla also signed a pledge to review Newark’s use of force policies. In 2017, Ravinder became the US’ only directly elected turbaned Sikh Mayor with his victory at Hoboken, New Jersey.

By Asia Samachar Team | BRITAIN |

A UK-based Sikh channel carrying independent news and views of the community is facing disruption in India.

Akaal Channel has not been assessable via Facebook or Youtube since today (6 June), according to promoters of the seven-year old channel and as confirmed by independent parties.

The disruption comes on the heels of an uproar within the Sikh community when they found that searches for the #Sikh hashtag had been blocked at Facebook and Instagram, two hugely popular social media platforms owned by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg.

“This is a direct onslaught on our freedom of expression,” said Akaal Channel founder Amrik Singh Kooner.

The broadcast disruption comes after Congress parliamentarian Ravneet Singh Bittu, the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, alleged that Akaal Channel had crossed “crossed all levels”, including running an interview with a supposed ‘terrorist’.

This is a second onslaught on the Sikh community involving Facebook. Just days before, Sikhs the world over were shocked when they found out that Facebook and Instagram had ‘mistakenly’ blocked the #Sikh hashtag since mid-March.

The hashtag blocking took place at a time when Sikhs globally were reflecting on the Indian army attack upon the Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, and countless other gurdwaras in Punjab in 1984. Referred to as the #1984 Sikh genocide, the incident also involved the killing and disappearance of thousands of Sikhs.

Akaal Channel is said to be watched in more than 150 nations.

“The launch ardas was done at the Akaal Takht. I had invested whatever little savings I had into this channel,” said Amrik in a statement read out today.

In an immediate comment, UK-based academic activist and Akaal Channel presenter Dr Gurnam Singh said it was ‘totally outrageous’ for the Indian state to ban the channel broadcasts in India, apparently at the behest of Congress lawmaker.

“Even more worrying is the fact that YouTube and Facebook are dancing to the tune of the the Indian State by blocking the channel from their platforms. So much for freedom of speech and democracy!,” he said.

RELATED STORY:

#Sikh hashtag blocked at Facebook and Instagram (Asia Samachar, 4 May 2020)

By The Singh Twins | BRITAIN |

This week in 1984, Indian PM Indira Gandhi launched a military attack on the historic centre of the Sikh faith in Amritsar (‘Harmandir Sahib’, or The Golden Temple complex) and other Sikh shrines. Our artwork, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ focuses on the thousands of pilgrims trapped, injured or killed by the crossfire (a fact censured at the time) which lasted several days. The victims of 1984 are still seeking justice and 36 years on, it’s sad to see and disgraceful that minority groups in India continue to be vilified and persecuted today. Different Government, same old tricks!

A detail of Indira Gandhi depicted as a multi-headed political demon symbolises how the suffering of innocent people caused by an abuse of power for political gain, is a universal occurrence.

Posting this in memory and support of all victims of State violence across the globe.
.
#operationbluestar #sikhgenocide #goldentemple #sikhcoalition

(Adapted from the Facebook posting on 5 June 2020 by The Singh Twins. Click here for more artwork on this topic)

RELATED STORY:

1984: My Firsthand Account (Asia Samachar, 6 June 2020)

 ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

SARDAR JOGINDER SINGH S/O LATE SARDAR S. HAKKAM SINGH (EX-POSTAL) / LATE SARDARNI MANJIT KAUR

Village : Bolewal

Age :  69

Passed away peacefully on Monday, 8th June 2020

Leaving behind beloved:-

Wife: Sardarni Kirpal Kaur d/o Late Sardar Didar Singh (Batu Gajah)

Son:  Parvinder Singh

Brothers/Sisters-In-Law:

Swaran Singh (Dec) (Ex-Income Tax, KL) / Jagjit Kaur (Ex-IPR, HKL)

Naranjan Singh (Dec) (Ex-Govt Printers, KL) / Sawaran Kaur (Ex- JKR)

Jitta Singh (Dec) (Ex-Prison) / Sarjit Kaur (Dec)

Mohd Salim B. Abdullah / Fozilah Sardar Khan

Sisters/Brothers-In-Law:

Amarjit Kaur (Butterworth) / Davinder Singh (Dec) (Ex-Labour)

Minder Kaur (Dec) / Tara Singh (Ex-JBA)

Nephews,  Nieces, Relatives and Friends to mourn his loss

Cortege leaves from No. 20, Jalan Melati 11, Taman Sri Melati, Batu 8, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan at 12.30 pm on 9th June 2020 (Tuesday). Cremation will be held at 1.30 pm at Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur.

Path Da Bhog and Antham Ardas will be held at Gurdwara Sahib Selayang Baru, PT 18295, Jalan 10A, Taman Selayang, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan on Sunday 21st June 2020 from 10.00 am to 12.00 noon followed by Guru Ka Langgar ( Lunch).

The family would like to thank the Doctors and Nurses of Ward 4C, Hospital Selayang, Family,  Relatives and Friends for the their kind support.

Contact:

House  03-61381172

Salim  016-2201581

Sunita  019-3835097

Message from Family: Due to Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), we have been advised to keep the Path Da Bhog as a small affair. Hence, this announcement is meant to inform Relatives and Friends of his demise. We appreciate the love and support that we have received during our bereavement.

| Entry: 8 June 2020 | Source: Family

By Asia Samachar Team | PAKISTAN |

Pakistan saw its maiden virtual fashion show last week with 19 local brands showcasing their latest collections.

The three-day ‘‘Catwalk Cares’’ virtual fashion took place from June 5-7 was the brainchild of Catwalk Event Management & Productions CEO Frieha Altaf.

It was earlier postponed with respect to the memory of those who tragically lost their lives in the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) A-320 jet crash which included Pakistani supermodel Zara Abid.

Among the designer lineups included Khaadi, Maheen Karim, Amir Adnan, Nida Azwer, Huma Adnan and Shamaeel Ansari. See here.

The show was dedicated to the frontliners in the battle against Covid-19.

#CatwalkCares #CatwalkEvents

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High fashion in Amritsar (Asia Samachar, 19 April 2020)

By Tridivesh Singh Maini | OPINION |

In June 1984, the Indira Gandhi government in India ordered a military assault on the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, codenamed ‘Operation Blue Star’. Led by the Indian army, it was ostensibly aimed at ‘flushing out’ Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his associates from the holy shrine.

Three decades later, the calamitous event continues to be perceived in diametrically opposite terms by the Indian state and mainstream media, and the Sikh community and diaspora. This difference in perceptions persists despite senior Indian politicians confessing in recent times that the operation was a blunder.

A report published by the Citizens for Democracy titled, ‘Report to the Nation: Oppression in Punjab‘ (which was banned in 1985), sums this up well:

“The contrast between ‘Operation Blue Star’ and ‘Ghallughara’ [holocaust] as two different perceptions of the same reality is symptomatic of the wide gap between the official version and the people’s recollections of what really happened at the Golden Temple when the army attacked it in June 1984. Listening to the gripping eye-witness accounts of those who were inside Golden Temple at that time, we felt the need to tell the truth, the as-yet untold story and in the process to correct the Government’s version as put out by the Army, the Press, the Radio, the TV and the White Paper.”

LINGERING TRAUMA

Sikhs worldwide commemorate the week from 1-8 June as Ghallughara (meaning ‘holocaust’) week. The earlier Ghallugharas included looting, plundering and atrocities committed against the Sikhs in the 18th century. Thousands of innocent women and children were slaughtered in those pogroms.

Notably, the global Sikh community, which includes not just ‘hardliners’ or ‘radicals’ but the overwhelming majority of Sikhs around the world, including those who have “moved on”, acknowledge the fact that Operation Blue Star had an indelible impact on the Sikh psyche and had only resulted in deterioration of the situation in Punjab between 1984-1994. Apart from hurting Sikh sentiments, the military assault proved to be a catalyst for more militant violence in Punjab.

What more, following the bloody military campaign, Captain Amarinder Singh, the present Chief Minister of Punjab, had resigned from Parliament and the Congress Party to register his protest.

As the operation unfolded, thousands of pilgrims who had come to pay obeisance on the Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev (the fifth Sikh Guru) on 3 June, found themselves stranded in the Darbar Sahib. Many were even killed in the attack.

Yet, it isn’t just about the loss of lives of innocent pilgrims, but also the damage caused to the temporal seat of the Akal Takht, which enraged the Sikh community.

The differences in the government’s version and that of the Sikhs are evident from the figures of casualties and the damage caused to the Darbar Sahib. The official casualty figure of 492 seems grossly underestimated as thousands of pilgrims were stranded in the complex at the time of the military action.

There is not an iota of doubt that Sikhs, as a community, have faced numerous upheavals even before Operation Blue Star, and have refrained from victimhood. But, it is highly insensitive to not acknowledge the pain and trauma caused to the Sikhs by this cataclysmic event.

TRANSPARENCY, STORYTELLING AND MYTH-BUSTING

In recent years, there have been numerous demands for declassification of important documents pertaining to 1984. In Britain, the first turbaned Sikh Member of Parliament, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, has sought an inquiry into the role of the then Margaret Thatcher government in the operation. Declassified documents revealed that London had provided assistance to the Indian government in undertaking the campaign.

Indian lawmakers too have demanded a declassification of documents related to the Operation and the Sikh massacres that followed the assassination of Prime Minister of Indira Gandhi the same year.

It is also essential to have a narrative, which counters the myths peddled with regards not just the operation, but also the events preceding and succeeding it. This narrative should be fact based and not born out of of hate against any particular community.

One of the important developments in recent years has been attempts by the Sikh civil society to document the history of the tragic events relating to 1984. On the one hand, diaspora-based Sikh research organisations, like the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI), have done a remarkable job in documenting the events of the ill-fated year in an academic manner.

Apart from this, the Sikh media is trying to fill the gaps left by the mainstream media in India. Very few mainstream media organisations, like The Wire and The Quint, have given space to the Sikh perspective. Several Sikh media publications and channels are countering this silence over the events of 1984 in mainstream circles.

Significantly, some of these channels were banned on 6 June. Even in 2015, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in Punjab, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ally, had requested New Delhi to ban “provocative” Sikh channels, websites and social media pages.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEMORIALISATION AND DOCUMENTATION

The initiatives Sikh diasporic organisations and the Punjabi media to memorialise the events of 1984 and present the Sikh perspective are important because for long, many could not get over the trauma, while many who occupied government and military positions during the operation now have better visibility to put forward their views after retirement.

It would be fair to say that the discussions of 1984 have not taken place within echo chambers. Individuals from different political persuasions have been given the opportunity to present their views. There has been an attempt by the Punjabi media to interview senior politicians, bureaucrats, army officers, and journalists who had interviewed Bhindranwale.

Many Punjabi TV channels have been interviewing eyewitnesses, and apart from the tragic events in the first week of June, they have also got an opportunity to highlight some of the important events, which have not gotten enough attention.

While it is tough to express the overall damage caused by the attack, there are a few critical facts that have hardly gotten any mention in the national media and have received attention only as a result of Punjabi civil society and media narratives.

First, few people know that apart from the Golden Temple, thirty-seven other Gurudwaras in Punjab were attacked simultaneously.

Second, in the mainstream media, the excesses committed on pilgrims who were found alive during and after the operation have never been given much attention. They were treated like prisoners of war. According to the eyewitness account of one Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member, as mentioned in ‘Report to the Nation: Oppression in Punjab‘:

“They (the Army) treated the inmates of the Complex as enemies and whenever there was any person wounded on account of the firing, no Red Cross people were allowed to enter, rather the Red Cross personnel had been detained beyond the Jallianwallah Bagh (more than a kilometer away from the main entrance to the Golden Temple from the Chowk Ghanta Ghar side).”

Over 375 men and women who were found in the Golden Temple when the army entered on 6 June were arrested and kept in Jodhpur jail. They were released between 1989 and 1991.

But even more incriminating were the claims made by Brahma Chellaney in his daring reports for the Associated Press after the operation. According to him, ‘several’ young Sikhs had been shot by security forces with their hands tied behind their backs. The report quoted medical sources who had conducted the postmortems.

Third, another tragic event that followed Operation Blue Star was Operation Woodrose, in which the army launched a brutal campaign in Punjab’s countryside under the pretext of detaining suspected militants. Many innocent Sikh youth, especially Amritdhari Sikhs, were tortured and murdered. This has received scant attention in mainstream narratives.

Fourth, during the operation, the Sikh Reference Library inside the Golden Temple was burnt down and its contents confiscated by the central agencies. Sikh reference materials, pictures and even handwritten manuscripts of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib perished.

Fifth, several army officers involved in the operation were given gallantry awards in 1985. This has drawn widespread criticism from the Sikh community. There have been demands from Sikh politicians, such as Tarlochan Singh and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, to withdraw the awards.

BETWEEN CLOSURE AND MOVING ON

Memorialisation and documentation of the events of 1984 from a Sikh perspective become all the more important because even large sections of the “liberal” sections of the media either justify the military action or speak about moving on without any efforts towards reconciliation. A good example of this is a documentary by BBC Hindi, where there was no effort to give space to a Sikh perspective.

While there will never be any closure as far as Operation Blue Star is concerned, the Sikh community has tried to move forward. Further, sections of the Indian civil society have not just expressed solidarity with Sikhs, but also played a role in keeping memories alive.

Perhaps the best way forward today would be to set up a truth and reconciliation commission, which covers the painful period beginning 1984 and under which, the oral history of the events is meticulously recorded using survivor accounts.

Without dialogue between individuals with different views, acknowledging the trauma of the Sikh community, and moving away from the Indian state’s prism of looking at the events, genuine reconciliation appears implausible in the near future.

Tridivesh Singh Maini is a Delhi-based political and policy commentator, and is affiliated with the OP Jindal Global University. The article first appeared at Eleventh Column. Views expressed are the author’s own.

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#Sikh hashtag blocked at Facebook and Instagram (Asia Samachar, 4 June 2020)

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

A Sikh professionals’ outfit has contributed 100 sets of personal protective equipment (PPE) suits to Hospital Sungai Buloh.

The Malaysian Sikh Professional and Business Trust (MSPBT) donated the PPE suits which included face masks, gloves, shoe covers and goggles.

They handed the suits to hospital director Dr. Kuldip Kaur Prem Singh, a specialist in in public health medicine.

MSPBT said this was its small contribution to the many frontliners working tirelessly around the clock to keep Malaysians safe.

MSPBT is a non-profit organisation which strives to provide professional guidance, know how, support and educational direction to Malaysians irrespective of race and creed.

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By Asia Samachar Team | UNITED STATES |

Sikhs are waging a battle against giant social media platform Facebook that had silently blocked the #Sikh hashtag for weeks and then a Sikh television channel in India.

Both the incidents came to light in the run-up to the anniversary of the Indian army assault on the most popular Sikh religious centre in Amritsar in 1984.

After admitting the ‘mistake’ on 3 June, Facebook and its sister social media platform Instagram have unblocked the hashtag, though they have yet to explain how and why it happened.

In India, the independent media platform Akaal Channel is still blocked on Facebook, while Youtube had unblocked the UK-based television channel.

It looks like Facebook has some answering to do to the Sikh community. For at least three months, the platform with some 2.5 billion users internationally had silently blocked the #Sikh hashtag.

Members of the Sikh community only began to realise something amiss when they were observing the 36th anniversary of the attack on the Harmandir Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, and more than three dozen other gurdwaras in Punjab. Referred to as the #1984 Sikh genocide, the incident also involved the killing and disappearance of thousands of Sikhs.

When confronted, on June 3, Facebook acknowledged it. Instagram was the first to unblock the hashtag, followed by Facebook.

US-based Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (Saldef) has asked Facebook the following four questions:

• Clarify what post triggered the blocking of #Sikh and timeline leading up to yesterday’s complete block.
• Why did they block #Sikh in its entirety and not just the post that was brought to their attention?
• What steps are you taking to ensure the Sikh community or any other community that this does not happen again?
• How do you ensure that Facebook’s policies are applied fairly?

“They have apologised but yet to provide the answers we are seeking,” Saldef board member Juspreet Kaur told a Punjabi talk show on Jus Punjabi.

Saldef has initiated a petition to demand Facebook to explain why the #Sikh hashtag was blocked, something that can happen to any other minority community as well. See here.

In a statement, Saldef said there was no reason that #Sikh should have been blocked, adding that it was ‘unsettling that so quickly a single platform can silence a population of over 27 million people internationally’.

In December 2018, it said former Saldef media fellow Vishavjit Singh had political cartoons removed from Instagram that highlighted the sentencing of Indian former lawmaker Sajjan Kumar, for his role in the 1984 anti-Sikh pogroms in India. To date, Saldef said Instagram has refused to unblock the posts and would not respond or give any explanation as to their actions.

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India disrupts Akaal Channel (Asia Samachar, 6 June 2020)

By Gurnam Singh | OPINION |

Millions of people around the world have watched the horrific video footage of George Floyd’s death which shows the 46-year-old innocent black man struggling to say “I can’t breathe”. The emotional intensity of what was in reality a public execution sent shockwaves far beyond the US. We saw protests, both peaceful and violent, in towns and cities across the world.

Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, anti-racist protesters of all backgrounds, but significantly white people, have joined the #blacklivesmatter movement which has shifted its focus, from the killing of George Floyd to the glorification of the slave traders and white European imperialists in public places, most notably statues and street names.

In the former slave port of Bristol, England last Sunday we saw the ignominious toppling and of a statue of the slave trader Edward Colston; like many of the slaves who were thrown into the Atlantic Ocean, Colston ended up in the Bristol port.Inspired by this example of direct action, we have seen a wave of protests and demands for similar statutes to be removed across the UK and Europe. In Belgium, a statue of Belgium’s King Leopold II — who became ultra wealthy from the enslavement of Congolese people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries — was removed by the city of Antwerp.

[Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Warwick, UK. He can be contacted at Gurnam.singh.1@warwick.ac.uk]

* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.

 

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ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

By Gurmukh Singh | OPINION |

Can the Sikhs forget 1984? It is like asking the Jewish people if they can forget the Holocaust. The Holocaust Memorial Day is now the day when the world remembers millions of people murdered under Nazi Persecution and in other genocides. Examples given are Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur.

The world should not forget genocides because large scale organised and systematic killings of any people shake the foundations of civilisation. There are good reasons why a people must never forget such episodes in their history. Lessons must be learnt  so that history does not repeat itself.

Sikhs, too, have their blood-stained pages of history. In addition to two historical episodes called Ghalugharas in the 18^th century (holocausts of 1 May 1746 and 5 February 1762), 1984 witnessed the start of the Third Ghalughara, except that it lasted for nearly 10 years after 1984. It started with military action called Operation Blue Star. While it involved the whole of the Punjab State and dozens of historical Gurdwaras, the main military operation was carried out between 1 and 8 June 1984, ostensibly, to remove Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his followers from Harmandir Sahib complex in Amritsar. The attack was ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Bhindranwale had been invited to the Golden Temple Complex by President of Akali Dal, Harchand Singh Longowal, in July 1982.

The Third Ghalughara should be looked at in the context of events leading up to it. One has to look at the root causes.

In  September 1973, Bhai Hari Singh Shergill wrote an article in The Sikh Review with the title, In the Republic of India Sikh Case Still a Running Sore. Even after 26 years of independence, the Sikhs of Punjab felt like second class citizens. He wrote, “Punjabi Suba was conceded after huge sacrifices had been made in fight to wrest it, and even then what was grudgingly granted was a truncated, moth-eaten, ghetto type one, in an undignified manner.  This ignoble and uncalled for discrimination against the most patriotic people, involving colossal turmoil and torture for them, still rankles deep in their hearts. Of all the people of the region, the Sikhs were in the vanguard of sacrifices. They were betrayed by the Congress, which refused to honour its repeated promise that the Sikhs would be recognised as a politico-cultural entity.”

Ten years later, a few months before Operation Blue Star, a publication of 15 December 1983, had an interesting heading, Hindu-Sikh Conflict in Punjab – Causes & Cure (edited by S M Sathananthan and published by Transatlantic India Times.). This was a report by Dr K T Lalvani (London) and S Raghunath Iyenger (Lagos) following interviews with many key figures in Punjab. It traced back the cause of what would be the pending Third Ghalughara, to the decades old Hindu-Sikh conflict in Punjab.

So, the Sikh case became a running sore following broken pre-partition promises, Punjabi Hindus disowning own mother tongue, Punjabi Suba morchas forced on the Sikhs, creation of Haryana as yet another Hindi speaking state next to UP, river water injustice, refusal to declare Chandigarh as the capital of Punjab, biased press reporting and even trivial things like naming a road in Punjab as Guru Gobind Singh Marag!

Sikh desire to be treated as an independent politico-cultural entity became conflated with Sikh separatism.

Prime Minister Indra Gandhi had set 3 June 1984 as the date for military invasion of Punjab including Darbar Sahib complex and about 40 historical Gurdwaras. When the army took up positions around Darbar Sahib, Sant Harchand Singh Longowal told someone to inform Sant Bhindranwale, “Tell him that his guests have arrived.” (Tragedy of Punjab by Kuldip Nayar and Khushwant Singh.)

Earlier, General Brar had addressed his jawans and officers that the “enemy” had links with Pakistan and had captured Darbar Sahib. That the “enemy” wanted to establish Khalistan and that there was a  threat to the integrity of India which they had all sworn to uphold. Thus political machinations leading up to Operation Blue Star had portrayed supporters of Anandpur Sahib Resolution as the enemy seeking separation from the country.

A recent question posed by an ex-army officer is as follows, “In his latest interview S. Tarlochan Singh [ex-MP and Minorities Commissioner] mentions that when he accompanied President Zail Singh on his visit to Darbar Sahib on June 8th, 1984, right outside Darbar Sahib there was a board to the effect “Enemy Territory” and inside, captured Sikhs were being detained as “Prisoners of war”……is this normal for any military force of a country to declare part of their own country as Enemy Territory?”

That is a good question to which no one has offered a satisfactory answer.

The main objective of the Congress Party led by Prime Minister Indra Gandhi in 1984 was to win the next General Election. To win over the patriotic Indian voters, the Sikhs had been targeted and portrayed as separatists. It is most remarkable that the most patriotic of all Indian minorities, with a proven track record of loyalty to the country second to none, had been selected for the pending genocide which would last for more than ten years.

We have seen that the Sikh case had become a running sore following broken pre-partition promises. States were created on the basis of language but not the state of Punjab on the basis of Punjabi language. Instead, next to an existing Hindi speaking state of UP,  another Hindi speaking state Haryana was carved out of Punjab. Thus, Chandigarh became the bone of contention between the two states looking for own capitals.

Punjabi Hindus were influenced by Hindutva propaganda of Arya Samaj and right wing Jan Sangh Party (which existed from1951 to 1977). Replying to a question by a journalist in late 1983 about Hindu-Sikh problems, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale replied that Punjabi Hindus were opposing every Sikh demand made to the Government, be it a demand for holy city or the naming of a train after the Golden Temple, or even naming of a road inside Punjab after Guru Gobind Singh. Yet, Sikhs had always supported Hindu religious causes and never once opposed their religious demands. 

And so, political game-playing and manipulations on both sides collided with the sanctity of Ardaas before Akal Takht Sahib, and historians are still picking up the bits and pieces.

It is clear that Sikhs cannot and should not forget the Third Ghalughara in Sikh history, if history is not to repeat itself. Truth and re-conciliation is always a possibility. However, that will also require setting the record straight.

\

Gurmukh Singh OBE, a retired UK senior civil servant, chairs the Advisory Board of The Sikh Missionary Society UK. Email: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk. Click here for more details on the author.

* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.

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