Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* Sikh head priests, top leaders of SAD and BJP starts construction
* Memorial to be called ‘Wall of Tears’ says DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK
New Delhi, The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today started construction of November 1984 Sikh genocide memorial in the sanctum sanctorum of Gurdwara Rakhabganj Sahib.
The start of construction is dedicated to the memory of thousands of innocent Sikhs killed in the massacre and those who laid their lives trying to save them and coincided with completion of 30 years of massacre of thousands of innocent Sikhs in November 1984.
Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy CM and President of Shiromani Akali Dal Sukhbir Singh Badal, Union ministers Arun Jaitley and Harsimrat Kaur Badal and DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK formally started the construction in simple yet impressive function, in the August presence of Jathedar Shri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar Takht Shri Keshgarh Sahib Giani Mal Singh and Jathedar Takht Shri Patna Sahib Giani Iqbal Singh, Damdami Taksal Chief Harnam Singh Khalsa, former Akali Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, Nihang Jathebandi Head Baba Balbir Singh and Kar Sewa Baba Bachan Singh. The religious leaders also graced start of the construction and large number of Sikhs from Delhi and other parts of the country also converged at Gurdwara Rakabganj Sahib.
In his speech Parkash Singh Badal paid tributes to the innocent Sikhs killed in the genocide termed today’s event as historic but very painful. “The massacre of 1984 is wrongly called as riots, it was actually genocide when innocent Sikhs were mercilessly done to death in most gruesome manner,” said Badal adding that it was Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) which stood by the hapless Sikhs at that time.
“It is very sad that Congress party leaders who led mobs to massacre Sikhs were rewarded with plum post instead of being punished,” said Badal in his emotionally charged address. He welcomed Rs. 5 lakh compensation announced by the NDA government for genocide victims’ families and demanded rehabilitation of these families, a special investigation team led by a Supreme Court Judge to thoroughly probe the genocide and condemning of the genocide in parliament.
Praising DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK, as son of the panth, Badal said he belongs to a true panthic family and GK’s father Jathedar Santokh Singh was his contemporary who laid his life for the panthic cause.
Praising the efforts of SAD for building the memorial Jaitley said that BJP would always support SAD and BJP-SAD coalition is unbreakable. “There is no question of breaking alliance,” he reiterated.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal said that there was no example of such a genocide perpetrated by the congress party led government. He called upon the Sikhs living across the globe to unite under the supremacy of Shri Akal Takht and contribute for building the memorial. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving compensation to the genocide victims’ families and demanded justice for the perpetrators.
He also called upon the Sikhs living in the world to bring their children to the memorial so that they could know that Sikhs were gruesomely killed by then government.
DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK in his address said that memorial in shape of a wall has been named ‘Wall of Tears’ and would have names of all innocent Sikhs massacred in 1984 genocide. Memorial is designed by Renu Khanna and associates would have ‘Waiting for Justice’ written over it. A laser light on the memorial would light up the sky would be visible for several kilometers, informed GK.
“The pilgrims visiting the memorial would condemn the congress party and would also pray for the peace to departed souls,” said Jathedar Shri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Gurbhachan Singh. Former MP and minorities commission chairman Tarlochan Singh suggested union minister Harsimrat Kaur to locate documents from the government records related to late arrival of Army to control the massacre, reasons why Shri Darbar Sahib was mentioned as ‘enemy territory’ at time of operation bluestar and the Army officers who were given military honours after he operation. He also demanded that the army officer who were given honours at that time be directed to surrender the honours and medals.
Delhi unit President of BJP Satish Upadhay, MP Meenakshi Lekhi and Jaya Jaitley also took part in the function. School children paid floral tributes at the time of start of construction of memorial.
DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, senior Akali leaders Avtar Singh Hit, Onkar Singh Thapar and Avtar Singh Bhogal, DSGMC Senior vice-president Ravinder Singh Khurana, vice-president Tanwant Singh and MLAs Harmeet Singh Kalka and Jatinder Singh Shanty and member of the DSGMC were also present on the occasion.
