Since June 6, 1984 when the government of India invaded the Golden Temple, Amritsar with tanks and other heavy artillery and desecrated the sanctity of the sacred shrines, the Sikh community has totally lost its faith in the government of India. Sri Akal Takht Sahib was demolished to ground by the Indian army.
The Indian government called it the “Blue Star Operation.” In this brutal operation thousands of innocent Sikhs were ruthlessly murdered while they were in the temple complex to pay respect to the sacred shrines. It was an outrageous genocide of the Sikhs. Obviously to condemn the inhumane action of Mrs. Gandhi’s Hindu dominated government, the Sikh community around the world furiously agitated. Several demonstrations took place to bring awareness of the ill-treatment and injustice done by the so called secular and democratic government of India.
Consequently the Sikh community quickly decided to organize itself to prevent it from further humiliation and present its case to the world. At the same time, just to contradict, some of the nonSikh minded individuals commenced condemning the timely desired actions of organization of the Sikhs.
It must be kept in mind that the Sikh politics is an integral part of the Sikh religion and thus cannot be separated from one another. Khalsa Diwan Society is the pioneer organization of the Indian Community. Since 1906 it has lead the community particularly at such times when the religious, social and political life of its members was adversely affected. In fact late Mrs. Indira Gandhi accompanied her father late Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru when he paid a visit to the Khalsa Diwan Society. The Society was fully committed for the achievement of independence of India. Pandit Nehru expressed appreciation and encouraged the Society for the continuation of its unpatrolled services. Furthermore Bhai Mewa Singh Went to the gallows and kissed the rope of execution and sacrificed his life for the social, political and religious freedom of our people and rendered a profound service to humanity as a whole.
Some individuals have recently tried to defame the credibility of the Khalsa Diwan Society and to show that people are scared to go to the temple. False allegations of spreading hatred and violence are also made against the Khalsa Diwan Society.
In this respect, we want to make it quite clear for the information and benefit of all that the Khalsa Diwan Society is a religious organization and is, therefore, committed to serve the Indian Community and the Sikhs in particular with love and humanity. It does not promote any hatred or sense of discrimination against any person or class of people. Sikhs believe in “FATHERHOOD OF ONE GOD AND BROTHERHOOD OF MANKIND.” The Society serves a greater number of members of the Sikh community in British Columbia and will continue to do so.
We totally refute all the baseless and false allegations made by Mr. Ujjal Dosanjh and associates against the Khalsa Diwan Society and its executive committee.
Joginder Singh Sidhu
President Khalsa Diwan Society, Vancouver, B.C
Article extracted from this publication >> March 1, 1985