Bluestar anniversary: Akal Takht directs SGPC to ensure peace, says five high priests' earlier resolution to be implemented in Golden Temple complex

GS Paul

Amritsar, June 5

Akal Takht has directed the SGPC to ensure that the sanctity of the Golden Temple’s ambience should not be disturbed during the commemoration of Operation Bluestar anniversary. It falls on June 6 annually.

While giving a reference of Five High Priests’ meeting held on July 18, 2006, Jaspal Singh, personal assistant of Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, has written to the Secretary, SGPC, that keeping in view the Golden Temple’s inviolability, the resolution passed under the signatures of the then Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh, be implemented in toto, as per the directions of the Akal Takht.

The five High Priests’ resolution reads that neither ‘pro’ nor ‘anti’ slogans be raised in the parikrama (circumambulatory path) of the Golden Temple on the occasion. Similarly, the media persons should refrain from taking interviews, bytes or questioning any person belonging to any group or party. However, they could do the same outside the parikrama of the Shrine.

Akal Takht Secretariat has also enclosed the copy of the Five High Priests’ resolution with the letter sent to the SGPC.

Secretary, SGPC, Partap Singh confirmed that the letter was received from the Akal Takht Secretariat which has been forwarded to the Golden Temple manager to initiate steps to maintain peace in the Golden Temple complex during the programme.

In the backdrop, activists of various Sikh radical organisations assemble at the Akal Takht on the occasion and raise slogans which generally arouse the emotions that led to clashes on certain occasions in the past.

Sikh activists conduct march

Meanwhile, the Sikh activists under the banner of Dal Khalsa conducted ‘’genocide remembrance parade’” through the lanes of Amritsar carrying Khalistani flags, photographs of damaged Akal Takhat and Sikh fighters, declares June 6 as a Khalistan Day.Leaders andrepresentatives of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Damdami Taksal, Akhand Kirtni Jatha, Waris Punjab De (Talwara), Panth Sevak Jatha, Akali Dal United participated in the march.

Covering 5 kms of the distance the March started from Burj Akali Phoola Singh, under the nomenclature of Holocaust remembrance parade,culminated at the Golden Temple where Ardas was performed in the memory of all those killed during the army assault.

The party has given a call for Amritsar bandh tomorrow to mark the occasion. The activists appealed to the people to cooperate with the one-day ‘shutdown’ call.

Security tightened up

Nonetheless, the security has been tightened up in the holy city with around 5000 police personnel including four companies of paramilitary forces, have been pressed into service, in and around the Golden Temple and on the roads leading to the Shrine.

Giani Harpreet Singh would deliver the customary message to the Sikh community from the podium of the Akal Takht. Sikh activist Jarnail Singh Sakhira said that Dhyan Singh Mand, parallel acting Jathedar appointed during 2015 controversial Sarbat Khalsa congregation, too has scheduled to visit and read out address on the occasion while standing on the floor ahead of the Akal Takht. “We held the meetings with the DCP Parminder Singh Bhandal and assured to conduct our programme in a peaceful manner. It is a pity that the whole Golden Temple complex, including the Akal Takht, has been cordoned off by the police leading to inconvenience to the devotees.