Another Operation Bluestar memorial comes up in Batala

A DAMDAMI TAKSAL FACTION, HEADED BY GIANI RAM SINGH, HAS CONSTRUCTED THE MEMORIAL AT SANGRAWAN VILLAGE, THEIR HEADQUARTERS

AMRITSAR: A faction of the Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal has constructed another memorial of slain militant leader and its 14th head Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and others killed during Operation Bluestar at Sangrawan village near Batala in Gurdaspur district.

Sharing this information, Giani Ram Singh, head of the faction and a former granthi of the Golden Temple, said the construction of the memorial in the form of a gurdwara is about to be completed and the gurdwara will be inaugurated on June 6, the 33rd anniversary of the army action at the Golden Temple against armed Sikh militants, including Bhindranwale.

It may be recalled that the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) extended support to this faction and recognised Giani Ram Singh as its head after his predecessor Baba Thakur Singh passed away, while Sikh hardliners supported Harnam Singh Dhumma, who was appointed as the head of the Taksal’s main faction. Later on, the SGPC also extended support to Dhumma.

After the death of Baba Thakur Singh, the successor of Bhindranwale, in 2004, Giani Ram Singh parted ways with those who controlled the Taksal headquarters at Mehta and established parallel headquarters of Taksal at Sangrawan village claiming that Baba Thakur Singh declared him his successor and he is the real head of the seminary.

Since Sangrawan village is the headquarters of this faction, he has constructed the memorial there.

Notable, Dhumma constructed a memorial to Operation Bluestar near the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex, which was inaugurated in April 2013.

After it was handed over to it, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is managing affairs of the memorial, which is basically a small gurdwara with short description of the army action written on plaque.

Besides, a big gurdwara has recently been constructed in memory of Bhindranwale at his birth place Rode village in Moga district.This is another memorial that has come up in Punjab after Amritsar.

“A religious function will be organised on June 6 at a large scale to inaugurate the memorial, besides paying tributes to the martyrs,” said the chief of the faction, while interacting with mediapersons here.

Meanwhile, representatives of various Sikh bodies, led by Harnam Singh Dhumma, assembled at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, at Mehta village in Amritsar district to make arrangements for organising event in the wake of the anniversary.