As in the past, on June 6, 1987, the International Sikh Organization held a protest rally at the Lafayette Park in Washington, D.C. to commemorate the memory of those innocent pilgrims, men, women and children who were murdered in cold blood by the Indian Army in the precincts of the Golden Temple of Amritsar on the night of June 4and 5, 1984. It was attended by the Sikhs from all walks of life and from all over North America, The gathering was addressed by different well renowned Sikh and non-Sikh personalities including Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President International Sikh Organization and the Chairman of Young Americans for Freedom.
June 4 is a day of protest, anger and strength for the Sikhs all over the world. On this day in the year of 1984, the Indian army, under the orders of the late Indira Gandhi, desecrated the holiest temple of the Sikhs and many more temples of this vibrant, self-reliant and peace loving nation. Thousands of innocent Sikhs were murdered. Hundreds of them arrested out of which majority have not even been tried by any court of law as yet. It was an attempt by a Hindu dominated government to give a lasting blow to the religion, culture, heritage and religion-political fabric of the Sikhs. But to everybody’s surprise out of this turmoil, the Sikhs came out more determined, strong and dedicated to the cause which they have ignored so long. This miscalculated blow of Mrs, Gandhi made the Sikhs realize that in order to preserve their religion, culture, heritage and socio-political system they have to have their own land, their own country, they have to have “Khalistan”.
