CHANDIGARH: Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on Tuesday announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would comprehensively document the details of all Sikh victims from 1982 to 1995, including those who were killed, declared unclaimed and cremated without their bodies being handed over to their families.
He said these records would form part of the official archives of the Akal Takht. He also directed the SGPC to contact the affected families.
Besides this directive, Gargaj made two other significant announcements.
He directed the SGPC to establish a "Shaheedi Pattan Memorial" at Harike Pattan with community support and declared that, from now on, the site where Sikh youths were allegedly killed and their dismembered bodies dumped into rivers would be known as "Sikh Shaheedi Pattan" in memory of those killed during the Punjab insurgency whose bodies were allegedly disposed of in the Harike Canal without being returned to their families.
The gathering was attended by families of the missing, Sikh leaders, human rights activists and members of the Sikh community to pay tribute to victims of alleged disappearances and fake encounters during the militancy period in Punjab.
The Akal Takht, in collaboration with Panthic organisations and the SGPC, held an Ardas (prayer) ceremony at Harike Pattan in memory of victims of alleged extra-judicial killings and disappearances, including slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. The event was held in the wake of the ban on the film Satluj, based on the alleged killings and Khalra's work.
During the ceremony, the Guru Granth Sahib was installed in a special Palki Sahib, followed by the recitation of Sukhmani Sahib. The Hazoori Ragis of the Golden Temple then performed Gurbani Kirtan.
The concluding Ardas, led by Gargaj, remembered those cremated as "unclaimed" by the police and those whose bodies were allegedly thrown into the Sutlej river and the Rajasthan Feeder Canal at Harike Pattan.
He further prayed that while all enmity should end after death, the governments of the time had violated fundamental human rights by declaring the bodies of Sikhs and Hindus as "unclaimed" and denying them to their families.
Gargaj also recalled that countless young Sikhs were killed, dismembered and their remains dumped into the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers at Harike, as well as into other rivers, canals and waterways across Punjab.
He prayed that the Khalsa Panth be blessed with the determination and strength to secure justice for the sons and daughters of Punjab, and sought blessings for the families and children of the martyrs.
Gargaj also paid tribute to Gulshan Kumar, saying his Ardas was for Sikhs as well as Hindus. He said the body of Gulshan Kumar, who was Hindu, had also been thrown into the river at Harike. He added that Sikhs always perform Ardas for Sarbat Da Bhala, not for any particular community. He made the remarks a day after Union Minister of State for Railways and BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu asked him to hold Ardas for Hindus as well.
During his address, Gargaj paid tribute to Khalra, referring to him as "Qaumi Shaheed" (National Martyr) and "Lawaris Laashan Da Waris" (Guardian of the Unclaimed Bodies) in recognition of his efforts to document alleged enforced disappearances and unidentified cremations during the insurgency period.
Acknowledging the contributions of Paramjit Kaur Khalra, widow of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, Gargaj called upon the Sikh community to preserve the memory of innocent youths who were killed during that period. He noted that she could not attend the ceremony as she is currently abroad.
Besides Gargaj, Ranjit Singh Randhawa, a close associate of Khalra, was the only person permitted to address the congregation. He recalled Khalra's work and his own association with the human rights activist, including witnessing the circumstances surrounding Khalra's abduction and later supporting his family and campaign for justice.
Speaking to the media after the event, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the committee would implement the Akal Takht's directions to build a Shaheedi Memorial at Harike Pattan, where the names of the "martyrs" would be inscribed. He said a gurdwara belonging to the Nanaksar sect stands at the proposed site and that the SGPC would approach its management to seek the donation or sale of a portion of the land required for the memorial.
Dhami said Khalra fought tirelessly to secure justice for young Sikhs who were cremated after being declared "unclaimed". He said that, in an attempt to silence him, the police abducted Khalra, tortured him, killed him and disposed of his body in a river.
He said Jaswant Singh Khalra is a Panthic "martyr" who commands immense respect within the Sikh community. Dhami added that the SGPC would compile comprehensive data on all the victims and prepare an official record. He appealed to victims' families and anyone possessing information related to that period to submit it to the SGPC.