By A Staff Reporter AMRITSAR: A function to commemorate the anniversary of the 40 muktas (martyers) was held in Muktsar on May 6.
The forty muktas were soldiers who had deserted the tenth Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib but later sacrificed their lives at Khidran Ki Dhab while fighting against the Mughals. They had died on May 5 1705S. Guru Gobind Singh himself had cremeated the Martyers at this place in Muktsar.
This day long function included a kirtan darbar. It was organized by the Damdami Taksaal, the panth Khalsa and Darbar Muktsar,
Baba Thakur Singh of the Taksal honored the families of the recent martyers of the Sikh nation
and those who had raised their voice against the repression. They included Ram Jethmalani, Rajinder Singh son of Kehar Singh, Tarlok Singh father of Satwant Singh, Harmet Kaur wife of Bhai Amarjit Singh President of AISSF.
On the occasion over 70 Sikh soldiers who had left their barracks following Operation BlueStar in June 1984 were represented with rupees 1,100 by Baba Thakar Singh.
Thousands of people attended the function. This attendance has caused concern amongst government officials because it demonstrates the hold of the Taksal over the common people.
Rani Jethmalani, a Supreme Court lawyer and daughter of the noted jurist said the return of Mrs. Kamla Bahuguna and Mr. Ram Naresh Yadav to the Congress would not make much difference as people of country were not bothered about such people.
She remarked that fresh charges against Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann and the bid to involve him in the Indira Gandhi assassination case was a calculated move of the center so that people could not talk about the Thakkar Commission report.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 12, 1989
