Memorial to have portraits of Bluestar victims

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 4

Efforts are afoot to equip the “shaheedi gallery” in the Golden Temple complex with portraits of “militants” and devotees who were killed during the 1984 Operation Bluestar.

In the absence of any official record, the Damdami Taksal, once headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, took the initiative of identifying them.

On July 6, 2017, the kar sewa of the gallery was commenced. It is located at the basement of Operation Bluestar memorial, Gurdwara Yaadgar Shaheedan. Banking on the compensation of Rs 10,000 awarded to the kin of Sikh activists in 1984, the SGPC has in its possession a list of 743 persons.

On the other hand, a survey was conducted by Dal Khalsa which was compiled in a directory titled as ‘Martyrs of June 1984 holocaust’ in 2006. It carried a brief about the militants and was updated twice in 2007 and 2012.

The Damdami Taksal, in collaboration with the SGPC, Dal Khalsa and a US-based organisation, has prepared two lists consisting of 890 persons.

Harnam Singh Khalsa said: “We address them as martyrs. Despite our best efforts, I believe that there may remain some discrepancies. We appeal to all that if there is any information about anyone who was killed during the operation, it should be shared with us.”