AMRITSAR: The SGPC chief Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra has refuted the allegation the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Beant Singh that prior to the infamous Operation Bluestar he had been hoping With the Center to install him Chief Minister of the state and he was responsible for the storming of the Golden Temple by the army. Talking to reporters here at Bhai Gurdas Hall where he is recovering after an eye operation he challenged the CM to prove his allegations. He denied that he had not met Indira Gandhi after 001.161981 when he accompanied a delegation of the Akali Dal Jed by Sant Harchand Singh Longowal to discuss their demands. He disclosed that four attempts were made to persuade him to secretly meet Mrs.Gandhi when he was a member of the Rajya Sabha and had been staying At his residence on 12 Bishambar Dass road. Two attempts were made by Buta Singh the then Union Minister who met him by chance at Bangla Sahib gurdwara once by a VIP of Amritsar and once by Darbara Singh the then Chief Minister who himself drove his car to his Bishambar Dass road residence But every ume he refused to do so. He told every person that he would meet Mrs.Gandhi only on the directive of his party chief Sant Harchand Singh.
On the secret meetings between Akali leaders and the Center in 1984 before Operation Bluestar he Said that When he was in Burail jail at Chandigarh Raghbir Singh an TAS officer from Haryana and 7.C.Gupia now Deputy Commissioner of Patiala who were Deputy Commissioner and SDM respectively of Chandigarh at that time met him in the jail with a letter from Sant Harchand Singh asking him for accompany them The two Officers told him that Parkash Singh Badal would also be brought from Tihar Jail Delhi and P.V.Narasimha Rao then a Union Minister would visit Chandigarh on that fate night to see them.
Tohra said that he again refused to do so till other Akali leaders including Surjit Singh Kamala Balwant Singh Ramoovalia and. Randhir Singh Cheema also accompanied him. The officer’s ultimately also secured permission for the remaining three Akali leaders also Pointing out that three secret meetings were held at Chandigarh Tohra disclosed that fourth meeting was held at a guest house in New Delhi. The three-member Akali team comprised of Badal Barnala and he himself. The Center was represented by three Union Ministers namely P.V Narasimha Rao Pranab Mukherjee and Shiv Shankar and three officers namely Kishan Rao. Then Cabinet Secretary PC. Alexander and Chaturvedi the then Home Secretary to Government of India The Akalis pleaded that Chandigarh should be transferred to Punjab without any condition refer the river water dispute to the Supreme Court for adjudication refer the Anandpur Sahib resolution under a notification to the Sarkari Commission Set up a linguistic commission to determine the transfer of Punjabi speaking areas to Punjab and counter claims taking contiguous village as a unit second language status to Punjabi in the neighboring states of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh legislation on the All-India Gurdwara and release of all innocent detainees the Akali leaders pleaded to made simultaneous declaration from Delhi by the government for the acceptance of these demands and by Akali Dal from Amritsar announcing the withdrawal of the Dharma Yudh morchas. At this point Shiv Shankar asked whether Sant Jamail Singh Bhindranwale would agree to this settlement the Akali leaders assured them that it was their duty to do so. The minister’s team promised to see them after lunch and after consulting the Prime Minister. And after lunch said Tohra only Ministers returned and told the Akali leaders very sorry madam did not agree to the proposed agreement and thereafter the government ordered army attack on the Golden Temple. All nine persons he said who participated in the secret talks are alive Beant Singh can confirm the facts from them and should tell the people that the Congress Government was responsible for the failure of talks and infamous Bluestar.
Tohra also refuted Beant Singhs allegation that Akalis were responsible for the truncated Punjabi Suba and advised him to go through the memorandums submitted by the Akali Dals. At present all three states of Punjab Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as well as the Center have Congress governments. Beant Singh should impress upon the Center to complete the Punjabi Suba as per memorial communities in peace this serious statement affirms that only when we have as much concern for others as we do for ourselves Joes progress begin in the community
Dr-Rajwant Singh co-director of the Sikh choir and Secretary of GGSF said this celebration of human spirit through music connects us and brings us to this realization that we are one human family ~ children of one God. This program gave us a chance to come close to many others which was equally thrilling.
Jaspal Singh the music director of the Sikh Choir said this WAS a unique experience for me to witness different music sung in different traditions expressing the same universal Language.
Many of the songs sung in the concert had lyrics that all people could relate to regardless of their particular religious doctrine. It was evident that much thought went into planning this program) in order to promote a sense of unity among people.
Dr-Surjit Kaur Chairperson of GGSF said IFC and the concert provides us an opportunity to interact with persons of other religious traditions for mutual understanding and to work towards a more just and peaceful society
The IFC brings together the Islamic Jewish Protestant Mormon Roman Catholic and Sikh faith communities and leaders to increase understanding dialogue and a sense of community among persons of diverse faiths races and creeds. Hindu faith has joined as observer in IFC recently It is believed to be the first such staffed organization in this country Dr. Clark Lobenstine the Exec Director of IFC said it’s the best developed interfaith concern in the world. Guru Gobind Singh Foundation based in Washington represents Sikhism at IFC.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 11, 1994
