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Above: The memorial while still under construction.

1984

Amritsar's 1984 Memorial Defies A Cowardly Nation in Denial

JAGTAR KAUR

 

 

 

Amritsar, Punjab

Defiant of a government which still consists of many who were behind the 1984 Indian army attack on the Darbar Sahib, and despite the snivelling of a nation of cowards which has yet to deal with its crimes of 1984 and the bloody decade that followed, a memorial has risen phoenix-like in Amritsar to commemorate Sikh heroism of the era.

Entrusted the job of building a memorial to mark the 1984 criminal assault on the Darbar Sahib by Indian Government forces, the Damdami Taksal chief, Bhai Harnam Singh handed over the keys of the completed memorial to the SGPC to mark its public unveiling on Saturday, April 27, 2013.

The ceremony was carried out by the head granthi of the Darbar Sahib.

In his remarks, he stated that it was a memorial long overdue to commemorate the great sacrifice of Bhai Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and others who had died while fighting the invading Indian army during the so-called Operation Bluestar.

Bhai Harnam Singh explained on the occasion that people from all parts of the world had participated in the Kaar Seva (voluntary service) in constructing the beautiful structure in a record time.

The foundation stone of the memorial was laid a few days before the anniversary of the 1984 assault on June 6, 2012. The jathedars of the Akal Takht - the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion – had laid the foundation of the memorial within the ‘Golden Temple’ complex.

 

April 28, 2013

 

Conversation about this article

1: Dr Manjit Kaur Gill (Malaysia), April 28, 2013, 10:24 PM.

Whoever is in denial, their brains cells are warped. They do not know what it is to lose loved ones and keep living with the memory for years to come. A memorial is a small consolation to those left behind that others remember their sacrifice. I always do!

2: Devinder Pal Singh (Delhi, India), April 29, 2013, 6:25 AM.

The memorial serves a reminder of the innumerable sacrifices that the Sikhs made prior to, during and after 1984. Where justice is yet to be realized because the scales of justice are tilted to shelter and immunize the criminals that delivered death and sorrow and uprooted the lives of so many. We bow to all those who laid down their lives to enable us to freely practice our faith.

3: N Singh (Canada), April 29, 2013, 8:03 PM.

We will NEVER forget! May Waheguru bless the souls of all our shaheeds for without their sacrifices we would be nothing.

4: Amarjit Singh Duggal (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), May 31, 2013, 10:45 PM.

Building just a memorial alone does not serve the purpose. Sikhs need to learn how to investigate the actions and reactions and figures involved; and the purposes and logic behind letting this take place at such a catastrophic level. Some times people think just by building a memorial, things of this nature can be prevented again, saving citizens the misery. they are absolutely playing with fire. These memorials may help the brain go in hibernation, thinking the task is done. If the memorial is another gurdwara, then what is the purpose? These memorials should have nothing in it but a platform where brand new thinkers and speakers need to come every week, and speak out their heart and mind, and discuss the tragedy from every angle, and ways and means to prevent it from happening again. A memorial should not mean we go in hibernation or fool ourselves in believing the task is done. The task merely begins with the memorial, of bringing the community back into the mainstream and putting a check on those who destroy peace and stability, both from within and from the outside.

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