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No Reference Books With Us : Ministry Of Defence

May 24, 2008
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No Sikh reference books with us: Antony
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 21

The Ministry of Defence has closed the chapter of the rare books of Sikh Reference Library of the Golden Temple taken away by the Army after Operation Blue Star in 1984, saying that the Army had returned the entire material to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

In reply to a question of Tarlochan Singh, Rajya Sabha member from Haryana, AK Antony, Minister of Defence, has stated: “I have been informed that after the Operation, various books/items of Sikh Reference Library (Research) and Sikh Itihas Research Board were handed over to SGPC representative by the Army. Hence, the SGPC has no claim against anyone, the Army or the government”.


However, SGPC president Avtar Singh alleged that the Defence Minister is misleading Parliament because then Defence Minister George Fernandes himself had confessed that rare books of Sikh Reference Library were yet to be returned to the SGPC.


Over 1,500 rare manuscripts, including copies of the Adi Granth, Damdami Bir (dated Bikrami 1739) and various portraits and manuscripts were destroyed during the 1984 operation at the Golden Temple. The issue had come into the limelight when retired CBI inspector Ranjit Singh Nanda disclosed that rare manuscripts, hukamnamas, books and invaluable material of Sikh Reference Library were taken in gunny bags and big trunks to an unknown place after the Operation.


While the Army authorities maintain that the library had caught fire during exchange of fire with militants, the SGPC says that the Army deliberately put the ‘empty library’ on fire after taking the rare material away.
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

Sawa lakh se EK larraoan
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Jul 4, 2004
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OUR "Heritage" has been DESTROYED BEFORE....the ORIGINAL SGGS BIR penned by Bhai Gurdass Ji and carrying Guru Arjun Jis signature was burnt....the ORIGINAL SGGS Damdami Bir penned by Bhai mani Singh and signed by Guru Gobind Singh ji also disappeared during the Wadda Ghallughara...and WE HAVE SURVIVED. and we will survive this latest holocaust...simply becasue the Khalsa beliongs to Waheguru.

2. This latest "looting" is remniscent of the way people like Robert Clive and Dalhousie etc etc LOOTED Sikh and other Native heritage and took them home as "private" materials...so much of our heritage that is in UK noiw is all SUCH looted materials....and thsi time too the "Army Generals" have done the same thing... thats why many such are slowly appearing on Internet AUCTIONS...now and then..the LOOTERS are selling their LOOT just like the NAZIS did....after the War... UPS and DOWNS...!!!
 

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