Memorial for Bluestar martyrs: SGPC feels the heat as radicals plan protest

Narayanjot Kaur · #1 (**permalink**) 03-Jun-2010, 05:52 AM

Memorial for Bluestar martyrs: SGPC feels the heat as radicals plan protest

Memorial for Bluestar martyrs: SGPC feels the heat as radicals plan protest

The issue of a “fitting” memorial for those who died during the Operation Bluestar is back to haunt the politics in Punjab. While the radical Sikhs are launching a major public campaign, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is planning an ambitious project to woo voters in the state.The SGPC had earlier made numerous announcements to build the memorial but nothing has been done till now.

Dal Khalsa, a radical Sikh body, announced on Wednesday to launch a “poster war” to press upon the SGPC and ruling SAD leadership to set up the memorial, failing which they would hold a 72 hours dharna outside the main entrance of the Golden Temple Complex from June 3. The SGPC, on the other hand, says it has already announced to build the memorial but is non-committal when the work would start on the project. “The memorial will be built at the suitable place inside the Golden Temple Complex. We are in the process to decide when the work would start,” said SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar.Dal Khalsa’s head HS Dhami and general secretary Kanwarpal Singh submitted a written request to SGPC to build the memorial. They stated that the dharna would be peaceful and without any sloganeering as per the maryada (Sikh code of conduct) at the Golden Temple and would cause no inconvenience to devotees. The leaders, who have the support of Khalsa Action Committee and Shiromani Panthic Council, posed questions to the SGPC and the ruling SAD on their “indifferent approach” towards the status of “martyrs”. “Why has the resolution adopted in the executive committee of the SGPC on February 20, 2002, not been implemented yet,” they asked.