Bidar (Karnataka) A horrible news has sent a wave of shock that some organised gangs of Hindus believed to be the Shiv Sena workers attacked Sikh Students of the ‘Khalsa Engineering College at Bidar, resulting in the death of six Sikh boys and injuries to 70 of the total of 150 Sikh Students who had gone there to get Engineering degrees. Surprisingly the news was totally blacked out by the national press and was first published by Daily “Ajit” of Jalandhar five days after the ghastly attack.
This is stated to be an organised mass attack on the Sikh boys by the Shiv Sena Goondas. Even today the Sikhs of the area whose figure is not more than 200 are taking shelter in the Sikh Temple at Bidar for safety fearing some more serious attacks in the wake of threats constantly being given by the goondas of the area.
The most sad and dangerous aspect of the tragedy is that this news was completely blacked out by the so called national press of the country. The Sikhs of Punjab came to know of this ghastly incident when some Sikhs of Bidar succeeded in contacting the Daily “Ajit” of Jalandhar and the office of the SGPC at Amritsar.
On receiving the news of a fresh holocaust against Sikhs at Bidar, a wave of shock and anguish shook the entire community. The students immediately came out of their classes, held protest rallies and staged Dharnas in front of their colleges. At some places the angry demonstrations were also organised and the regular traffic was blocked.
The political leaders of the Sikh community are equally unhappy with the attitude of other leaders of the opposition parties, who kept mum on these ghastly mass killings of Sikhs at Bidar.
On receiving this tragic news some Sikh Leaders including Prof. Darshan Singh Ragi, Jathedar Akal Takhat, S. Gurtej Singh an ex I.A.S. officer and some more have left for Bidar to study the situation on the spot and to provide moral sympathy to the families of the victims.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 23, 1988
