JULLANDUR: Copies of holy Granth Sahib at Ajit Nagar and Adarshanagar gurdwaras of Jalandhar were burnt by unknown persons last week leading to unprecedented Sikh protests all over Punjab.
While Governor Virender Verma blamed Pakistan infiltrators in “Sikh garb” for the sacrilege, most Sikh organisations alleged that Hindu fundamentalists were the culprits.
Sikh masses in their lakhs came out on the streets in Jalandhar,
Ludhiana, Amritsar and scores of other Punjab towns to lodge their strong protest against the affront to the Sikh religion. The authorities clamped curfew restrictions in Jalandhar to prevent communal clashes.
The holy remains of Guru Granth Sahib were taken in a massive procession of cars, tractors, scooters and other vehicles for immersion in the Beas River at Goindwal Sahib, Eyewitnesses described the procession as one of the biggest in recent times, it extended for over 10 miles. All the three Panthic Committees, the various militant organisations, the All India Sikh Students Federations, the Akali Dal (Mann), Akali Dal (Badal), the Akali Dal (L), various Singh Sabhas and other Sikh organisations separately condemned the incident.
Bhai Kulwant Singh Babbar on behalf of five militant’s organisations issued a statement taking serious note of the incidents of the burning of Guru Granth Sahib at Jalandhar and Delhi and alleged that it was a part of the Brahmanical conspiracy. Bhai Kulwant Singh added that Governor Verma had tried to whitewash the crime by falsely blaming Pakistan. He claimed that the real culprits had been identified and would be punished.
The Indian Minorities and Dalit Front in a statement said that Punjab would not be allowed to be made “an Ayodhia” (where Hindu fundamentalists could damage the Babri mosque with immunity).
Almost all bar associations of the Punjab and Haryana High Court passed resolutions deploring the burning of the holy Granth.
The K.C.F. chief Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwad pledged to avenge the insult, Baba Thakar Singh of Damdami Taksal demanded arrest of the culprits. The Akali Dal (M) chief S.SMann said that the incident constituted the biggest attack on Sikh religion after the destruction of Akal Takhat in 1984. Bhai Manjit Singh now lodged in Sangrur jail blamed the Hindu fundamentalist organisations for the incident. Leaders of Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal also condemned the incidents and expressed sympathy with Sikhs in their agony.
Meanwhile, important organisations held a meeting here to decide to arrange a bigger representative gathering at Anandpur Sahib on November 25 for the next line or action on the incidents. The meeting nominated a committee comprising, Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaonke, Sant Baba Darshan Singh, Bhai Bakshish Singh, S Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Baba Thakur Singh, Bhai Jasbir Singh and Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann acting as convener, to give direction to the Sikh Panth on the next line.
‘The tragic incidents provided an opportunity to the traditional Akalis to stage a comeback on the Sikh political stage.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 23, 1990
