- Jan 3, 2010
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Return of 1984 Sikh Manuscripts
Col. Dr. Dalvinder Singh Grewal
Col. Dr. Dalvinder Singh Grewal
Twenty-five years have passed since the Sikh manuscripts were taken away from the Sikh Reference Library, Harmandir Sahib, but their whereabouts still remains a matter of discussion. The Defense Minister of India, Shri A.K. Anthony, denied in Parliament that the army possessed any manuscripts or articles taken away from Harmandar Sahib during Operation Blue Star in 1984. Countering the claim, SGPC President Sardar Avtar Singh Makkar condemned the statement as a lie and demanded the resignation of the defense minister. Where are these documents? remains the burning question.
Immediately after Operation Blue Star, the rumors were spread that the manuscripts, books, and articles in the Sikh Reference Library were all destroyed in a fire in the evening of 6 June 1984, and the ashes were handed over to S. Joginder Singh Duggal, in charge of the Sikh Reference Library, on 9 June 1984 as a token. However later some Sikhs posted in Delhi leaked the information that ‘Gurbani de gutke Dilli vich ruled rahe.’ A CID inspector had stated that he had brought handwritten gutka from the boxes kept on the ground in Delhi. Pilferage of these materials had already started at Delhi. Such information was received by Dr. Tarlochan Singh and Prof. Labh Singh of Sikh Missionary College. S. Kirpal Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takhat, brought this matter to S. Boota Singh, the then Cabinet Minister, who then confirmed that 125 bags of reference books, manuscripts, and articles of the Sikh Reference Library had been taken by the army.
Later a news item appeared in Daily Ajit, Punjabi, Jalandher, dated 11 June 2000, from S. Ranjit Singh Nanda, a CBI inspector, stating that, ‘After about two weeks of the Operation Blue Star in June 1984, the Army took in trucks, Sikh reference books, and archival material in 190 big bags and gave the same to CBI for securitization. Every bag had a black ink number written systematically on it. After one month, a CBI team consisting of five members prepared a list of 160-65 bags after scrutinizing those duly typed by three typists. The remaining 30-35 bags were yet to be scrutinized. In view of Sikh Sammelan called by the Five Singh Sahiban, the entire material was shifted to an unknown destination. Religious books were placed in 12 trunks, and other books and materials were taken in bags as such. Some of the manuscripts (handwritten), pothis, and Hukamnamas he had collected, which he returned to SGPC after his retirement. They searched each mail as they were in search of a letter written by Indira Gandhi. DSP Shabdal Singh of Model Town, Jalandhar, who was with Ranjit Singh Nanda too confirmed the above facts through his statement in Ajit, 12 June 2000. In the presence of Director CBI Bawa Harkishan Singh, military planes unloaded bags containing religious books, a handwritten Guru Granth Sahib, and other articles in 190 bags. The army authorities told them that these items were taken from Darbar Sahib to Delhi and are now being returned to the CBI for further investigations.
These bags contained not only the Sikh reference books but also material collected from all offices of SGPC. These included numerous handwritten manuscripts of SGGS and Hukamnamas (Ed. 512 SGGS Ms and 44 Hukamnamas, according to a later account); handwritten Ms.; letters written by and to Sant Bhindranwalla and Jagjit Singh Chauhan and other leaders; about 250 to 300 passports; registers and dak of SGPC; and books related to Sikh history and culture. It also included a gold memento presented to S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra on 400-year celebrations. After scrutinizing, the CBI returned 28 Hukamnamas out of the total 44 Hukumnamas. On the change of government, the demand for the return of manuscripts and other articles became vociferous. In reply to a letter dated 27th March 2000, Sh. George Fernandez, the then defense minister, confirmed to SGPC that all these manuscripts, hukumnamas, and other documents and materials have been handed over to CBI.
As the balance documents were not being received back, a CWP no. 11301/2003 was filed in the Punjab & Haryana High Court by S. Satnam Singh, s/o Mela Singh. In reply, VK Gupta, under secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, and BS Kanwar SP CBI/SICII, New Delhi, filed replies. In his reply Mr. VK Gupta stated, "Army authorities in an investigation of case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi had handed over 4000 manuscripts to the CBI." These documents were recovered by them from the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, during the operation Blue Star. All the treasures and artifacts, as well as all other historical and non-historical items recovered from the Golden Temple, were either handed over to SGPC and its functionaries or the govt. treasures or to the CBI as mentioned above.
The CBI SP, in his reply, stated, ‘The CBI had not removed any article lying in the Sikh Reference Library. In an investigation of a case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi, army authorities had handed over 4000 manuscripts to CBI, which were purported to have been recovered from the Golden Temple complex during Operation Blue Star, vide receipt memos dated 26.06.1984, 04.07.1983, and 06.07.1984 and letter Nos. 1654/Q/G dated 08.07.1984 and No. 1108/13/BS/GS/I and II dated 06.03.1985. These documents were shifted from the CBI camp office at Youth Hostel Amritsar. After obtaining orders of the Honorable High Court on 13.10.1989, 20.06.1990, and 28.12.1990, respectively, whatever was claimed by SGPC was handed over to them. The CBI has already handed over all the claimed documents/articles, etc., to the concerned SGPC representatives under proper receipt.’ The list supplied by CBI accounts for 95 rare books, 205 (Old Beers of Sri Guru Granth Sahib), and 1 hukamnama. Other returned material included magazines and newspapers, gutkas, and registers only. The register shows that 12581 books were on the library register.
As per Sikh Reference Library officials, 125 bags contained books of the Sikh Reference Library taken by the army, while others were office documents of the SGPC. Out of these, only 29 bags were returned, i.e., 14, 17, 18, 21, 25 to 28, 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 42, 51, 57, 73, 77, 81, 86, 87, 91, 102 to 104, 106, 108, and 114. The bags that were not returned included 01 to 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22 to 24, 29, 30, 32, 35, 36, 39 to 41, 43 to 50, 52 to 56, 58 to 72, 74 to 76, 78 to 80, 82 to 85, 88 to 90, 93 to 101, 105, 107, 109 to 113, and 115 to 125.
As per the verdict by the Punjab & Haryana High Court for the items claimed and not returned earlier, an order must be passed by the Government of India to pass an order expeditiously; the Government of India must pass an order immediately for the CBI to release the remaining documents for the Sikh Reference Library.
In view of the above, the army must account for 8581 (12581-4000) and the CBI must account for 3700 rare books and manuscripts in addition to 307 handwritten Sri Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts (512-205), 16 hukamnamas (44-28), and other handwritten documents. As per the court's verdict, the Government of India is bound to order the army and the CBI to return the rare books, manuscripts, and other materials. The list of the material taken is available with the army and CBI, and the registers of the Sikh Reference Library were returned by the army.
Immediately after Operation Blue Star, the rumors were spread that the manuscripts, books, and articles in the Sikh Reference Library were all destroyed in a fire in the evening of 6 June 1984, and the ashes were handed over to S. Joginder Singh Duggal, in charge of the Sikh Reference Library, on 9 June 1984 as a token. However later some Sikhs posted in Delhi leaked the information that ‘Gurbani de gutke Dilli vich ruled rahe.’ A CID inspector had stated that he had brought handwritten gutka from the boxes kept on the ground in Delhi. Pilferage of these materials had already started at Delhi. Such information was received by Dr. Tarlochan Singh and Prof. Labh Singh of Sikh Missionary College. S. Kirpal Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takhat, brought this matter to S. Boota Singh, the then Cabinet Minister, who then confirmed that 125 bags of reference books, manuscripts, and articles of the Sikh Reference Library had been taken by the army.
Later a news item appeared in Daily Ajit, Punjabi, Jalandher, dated 11 June 2000, from S. Ranjit Singh Nanda, a CBI inspector, stating that, ‘After about two weeks of the Operation Blue Star in June 1984, the Army took in trucks, Sikh reference books, and archival material in 190 big bags and gave the same to CBI for securitization. Every bag had a black ink number written systematically on it. After one month, a CBI team consisting of five members prepared a list of 160-65 bags after scrutinizing those duly typed by three typists. The remaining 30-35 bags were yet to be scrutinized. In view of Sikh Sammelan called by the Five Singh Sahiban, the entire material was shifted to an unknown destination. Religious books were placed in 12 trunks, and other books and materials were taken in bags as such. Some of the manuscripts (handwritten), pothis, and Hukamnamas he had collected, which he returned to SGPC after his retirement. They searched each mail as they were in search of a letter written by Indira Gandhi. DSP Shabdal Singh of Model Town, Jalandhar, who was with Ranjit Singh Nanda too confirmed the above facts through his statement in Ajit, 12 June 2000. In the presence of Director CBI Bawa Harkishan Singh, military planes unloaded bags containing religious books, a handwritten Guru Granth Sahib, and other articles in 190 bags. The army authorities told them that these items were taken from Darbar Sahib to Delhi and are now being returned to the CBI for further investigations.
These bags contained not only the Sikh reference books but also material collected from all offices of SGPC. These included numerous handwritten manuscripts of SGGS and Hukamnamas (Ed. 512 SGGS Ms and 44 Hukamnamas, according to a later account); handwritten Ms.; letters written by and to Sant Bhindranwalla and Jagjit Singh Chauhan and other leaders; about 250 to 300 passports; registers and dak of SGPC; and books related to Sikh history and culture. It also included a gold memento presented to S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra on 400-year celebrations. After scrutinizing, the CBI returned 28 Hukamnamas out of the total 44 Hukumnamas. On the change of government, the demand for the return of manuscripts and other articles became vociferous. In reply to a letter dated 27th March 2000, Sh. George Fernandez, the then defense minister, confirmed to SGPC that all these manuscripts, hukumnamas, and other documents and materials have been handed over to CBI.
As the balance documents were not being received back, a CWP no. 11301/2003 was filed in the Punjab & Haryana High Court by S. Satnam Singh, s/o Mela Singh. In reply, VK Gupta, under secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, and BS Kanwar SP CBI/SICII, New Delhi, filed replies. In his reply Mr. VK Gupta stated, "Army authorities in an investigation of case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi had handed over 4000 manuscripts to the CBI." These documents were recovered by them from the Golden Temple complex, Amritsar, during the operation Blue Star. All the treasures and artifacts, as well as all other historical and non-historical items recovered from the Golden Temple, were either handed over to SGPC and its functionaries or the govt. treasures or to the CBI as mentioned above.
The CBI SP, in his reply, stated, ‘The CBI had not removed any article lying in the Sikh Reference Library. In an investigation of a case No. RC 2/84-SIU.III/SIC.II/CBI/New Delhi, army authorities had handed over 4000 manuscripts to CBI, which were purported to have been recovered from the Golden Temple complex during Operation Blue Star, vide receipt memos dated 26.06.1984, 04.07.1983, and 06.07.1984 and letter Nos. 1654/Q/G dated 08.07.1984 and No. 1108/13/BS/GS/I and II dated 06.03.1985. These documents were shifted from the CBI camp office at Youth Hostel Amritsar. After obtaining orders of the Honorable High Court on 13.10.1989, 20.06.1990, and 28.12.1990, respectively, whatever was claimed by SGPC was handed over to them. The CBI has already handed over all the claimed documents/articles, etc., to the concerned SGPC representatives under proper receipt.’ The list supplied by CBI accounts for 95 rare books, 205 (Old Beers of Sri Guru Granth Sahib), and 1 hukamnama. Other returned material included magazines and newspapers, gutkas, and registers only. The register shows that 12581 books were on the library register.
As per Sikh Reference Library officials, 125 bags contained books of the Sikh Reference Library taken by the army, while others were office documents of the SGPC. Out of these, only 29 bags were returned, i.e., 14, 17, 18, 21, 25 to 28, 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, 42, 51, 57, 73, 77, 81, 86, 87, 91, 102 to 104, 106, 108, and 114. The bags that were not returned included 01 to 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 22 to 24, 29, 30, 32, 35, 36, 39 to 41, 43 to 50, 52 to 56, 58 to 72, 74 to 76, 78 to 80, 82 to 85, 88 to 90, 93 to 101, 105, 107, 109 to 113, and 115 to 125.
As per the verdict by the Punjab & Haryana High Court for the items claimed and not returned earlier, an order must be passed by the Government of India to pass an order expeditiously; the Government of India must pass an order immediately for the CBI to release the remaining documents for the Sikh Reference Library.
In view of the above, the army must account for 8581 (12581-4000) and the CBI must account for 3700 rare books and manuscripts in addition to 307 handwritten Sri Guru Granth Sahib manuscripts (512-205), 16 hukamnamas (44-28), and other handwritten documents. As per the court's verdict, the Government of India is bound to order the army and the CBI to return the rare books, manuscripts, and other materials. The list of the material taken is available with the army and CBI, and the registers of the Sikh Reference Library were returned by the army.
