M A I N   N E W S

What constitutes Golden Temple complex?
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh at a Press conference today denied media reports on police entry into the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar on Sunday saying, “It is incorrect to say that the police entered the Darbar Sahib complex and that only serais, adjoining SGPC offices, were searched and got vacated. These, however, do not form part of the Harimandir complex, which comprises the sanctum sanctorum, the parikarma around it and the langar building”.

If that be so, what constitutes the Golden Temple complex? Is the Darbar Sahib area and the SGPC office/serais area not part of the whole complex?

Technicalities notwithstanding, the common, popular perception in the minds of the people is the cardinal fact: the Darbar Sahib and SGPC office, which overlooks its functions and maryada, and serais are part of a single whole complex and has always been that way. Even in this part one is supposed to cover the head.

And today, 16 years later, the Captain reopened the controversy over the road that presumably divides the complex into two parts — Darbar Sahib and SGPC/serai area, as the Chief Minister put it.

TNS enquiries in Amritsar today have revealed that till 1981-82, the road passing in front of SGPC offices and serais was a “public thoroughfare”, leading towards Baba Atal gurdwara and other bazars. Shortly before Operation Bluestar in 1984, restrictions were put on people passing that way and the SGPC erected gates towards the Brahmbuta Akhara-end. The dispute over this road continues between the government and SGPC since then and is still unresolved. When the SGPC installed iron gates in 1992-93, neither objections were raised nor structures demolished by either the district administration or the municipal corporation. The road has all along been repaired and maintained by the SGPC.

Due to “holiday-like” atmosphere in the corporation today, the person concerned was not available to look up the revenue record or Daroga Nazul Records, maintained in the corporation, which alone can establish “malkiat” of the contentious dividing road.

Defending his definition of what constitutes the Golden Temple complex, Capt Amarinder Singh, as a Sikh and Chief Minister, said he knew as much about the history and the sanctity of Darbar Sahib, since he had twice resigned in protest against the police entry into the complex — once as MP at the time of Operation Bluestar in 1984 and again, as Minister for Agriculture, at the time of Operation Black Thunder — 1 in 1986. True.

Did he consult his Cabinet colleagues before permitting the police to enter the complex? he was asked. “I am also the Home Minister. There was no need”, he replied. Agreed.

But, going back in time, on April 30, 1986, security forces had entered the Golden Temple complex at 4.50 pm to “flush out terrorists”. Over 100 persons were held and all serais: Akal Rest House, Guru Ram Das Serai and Guru Nanak Niwas were searched after an announcement. And on May 2, 1986, both Capt. Amarinder Singh and Mr Sukhjinder Singh quit, as Ministers from the Cabinet of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, in protest against the police action in the Golden Temple complex. (Incidentally, both Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra had also resigned from the party’s working committee for the same reason).

Another reason, besides the entry of the police into the complex, given by Capt. Amarinder Singh in his letter of resignation was that Mr Barnala, in his April 30 Cabinet meeting (at 3.15 pm) had not taken his colleagues into confidence even though the entry of the paramilitary forces commenced an hour and a half later at 4.50 pm. “From this it is obvious that you not only lack confidence in your Ministers but also you did not think it fit to take a senior Cabinet colleague into confidence...”

Have the Cabinet colleagues endorsed the indulgence of Capt. Amarinder Singh in SGPC affairs?