English translation of original Punjabi poem “YAAD” written by Harbhajan Singh ‘Bhajji”
It is the month of June again today O Mother I remember again.
The bloody slaughter is in front my eyes again Whenever I remember I have a heartache my heart aches uncontrollably tears fill my eyes.
When bullets flew at Harmindir they tore up every Sikh’s heart.
That day India’s queen came with all her might
she sent all of India’s army to apprehend a saint she came as a devil who was thirsty for the blood of the Sikhs
the line which was drawn by an Saint
she crossed it without a care.
That day people had come to Amritsar from all over
there was Guru’s food and everywhere cold drinks
people were there to celebrate and remember Guru Arjun’s sacrifices
some came to fulfill their promise to the Guru others to bathe in the holy water
some grandmothers brought their grandsons to be blessed at Harmindir.
The blue star which rose from Delhi broke up over Harminder
they showered their cannon balls at the Akal Takhat
from that day on they have robbed us of comfort and happiness
whatever we had common with them they broke
that bond that day
followers of Saint Amrik and Saint Subheg may
have been few in numbers.
They dulled the army’s weapons with their lives
they broke the proud spirit of Dyal Brar and Sunderji
they fought hard as long as there was a breath left in their bodies
they became immortal by sacrificing their lives though they fell into a deep sleep forever
they woke up a sleeping people.
There was doom all around but ‘they’ celebrated their end and danced
Those who used to call themselves our brothers
were celebrating the occasion of our demise by distributing sweets
when one son dies a horrible death and the other son celebrates
how can their mother be happy?
They perforated Harminder like a sieve and demolished Akal Takhat
they burned the library and destroyed the museum
That day the act of burning Guru Arjun
was symbolized again by a unjust Indian government their soul must have felt pain even ‘Mira Mir’ must have cried
many were widowed that day many sisters lost their brothers forever
They tied the hands of the sons of Guru Govind Singh and killed them
They took away he sole support of the elderly,
And drowned stars of many mothers eyes,
Many babies were crushed under the army
tanks
Longowal and Tohra ran away along with many
other phony leaders. They soiled the milky white turbans of the
elderly.
many were killed on the spot and the rest put away in jails
the army made the Sikh girls dance in then in front of them
the shameless acts which were only the province of ‘Massa Rangar’
were repeated by the army again and again
the holy pond and walkways were littered
dead bodies,
at the pond which once overflowed with holy water
people died there without a drop to drink.
Even my pen is crying uncontrollably now that I am writing about the terror even after slaughtering thousands of Sikhs Indira is still not satisfied ‘
she is continuing the genocide of the Sikh young men in the villages
her army is still occupying the motherland of Punjab.
She came and announced in Delhi that she has won Amritsar
her end must have been near because she woke up the sleeping giant
Satbant and Beyant two proud lions snatched her in her own house.
Like she ordered Hanmindir’s destruction,
she too was riddled with bullets.
They restored the honor of the Sikhs again they sacrificed their lies but they saved Sikhism
we may not have won the war yet
they brought a moment of peace to my aching heart
It is the month of June again
Bhaji’ is reminded of motherland Punjab_ again
the terrorism which has been heaped upon us
I am reminded of it again and again.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 12, 1992
