The
DSGPC has expressed its desire to visit the UK in the coming weeks. We
understand, one of the reasons you are visiting the UK is to meet with
representatives of the UK Government about their advice to the Indian
regime leading to the Indian Governments military assault of Operation
Bluestar.
As you will be aware,
there is already a considerable level of activity aimed at the UK
Government from UK based Sikh organisations and networks, which has
already led to a statement in the Parliament as well as a Government
Cabinet Secretary report stating some facts but also leaving many gaps,
which the UK Sikh community is resolutely campaigning on for further
revelation and inquiry.
The Cabinet Secretary
Report and further disclosures raise significant questions about the
role of not only the British Government in advising a foreign state and
its treatment of British Sikhs, but also the intentions of the Indian
state from its pre-planned military aggression and anti-Sikh intentions
of Indira Gandhi’s government, as revealed in communications so far
exposed. However, we are concerned that your excursion to the UK is a
politically motivated publicity exercise, with no real intention of
getting to the facts, and a move to deflect attention from the extensive
truth that you, as a Sikh representative organisation should be carrying
out in India.
In this relation, before
coming to the UK, can you kindly clarify and comment on the following
matters.
-
Given the level of
resources and time, a including a large team from DSGPC you are
committing to this trip to the UK to enquire about the role of the
British Government, can you clarify for the UK Sikh community what
answers the political party you represent and your delegation
members have sought from the Indian Government as to why they
launched a pre-planned military operation on a largely peaceful
civil movement?
-
Has the Shiromani
Akali Dal that you lead in New Delhi sought any answers in relation
to the role of your Alliance partner, the BJP, in influencing the
decision of the then Congress Government to launch a military attack
on the Sri Harmandir Sahib complex at Sri Amritsar Sahib in 1984?
It is well referenced
that the then Rajya Sabha member and prominent leader of the BJP, Mr LK
Advani wrote in his subsequent memoirs that:
“On
May 3 (1984) Atalji, along with Charan Singh, led a contingent of
demonstrators the next day. I raised the issue in Parliament, charging
the government with abdication of its responsibility in the face of
unprecedented challenge to national unity and rule of law... the Prime
Minister was ultimately forced to use the military to liberate the
Golden Temple from its anti-national occupants.”
-
During your visit to
UK in 2013 you vehemently referenced your families close links with
Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. Do you agree with LK
Advani’s assessment that Sant ji were ‘an anti-national occupant’ of
Guru Nanak Nivaas and subsequently Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib?
-
Have you questioned
BJP about LK Advani’s assertion of forcing the Indira Gandhi
administration to use military force against Sant ji and the Dharam
Yudh Morcha, a peaceful protest movement which your party Shiromani
Akali Dal were an integral part of?
-
Has the SAD in Delhi
sought an apology from your BJP alliance partner in New Delhi for
their approval and overwhelming political support for the military
Operation Bluestar against largely a civil disobedience movement, an
operation that killed thousands of Sikhs?
-
Have you questioned
the BJP on the former BJP Government’s lack of investigation into
Operation Bluestar, Operation Woodrose and subsequent military,
Para-military and police operations which led to the killing of many
thousands of Sikhs across Punjab and elsewhere?
-
Have you raised
Operation Bluestar as a red-line issue which, unless addressed,
would bring the SAD-BJP coalition in any prospective Delhi Assembly
or Lok Sabha Government to be annulled?
-
Have you raised with
the BJP the role of BJP and sang members on the November 1984
genocide of Sikhs in Delhi and other states?
This brings us to
questions which we seek answers directly in relation to the Shiromani
Akali Dal – Badal, as you lead its New Delhi Unit.
9.
The
Tribune newspaper, printed in Chandigarh, reported in its issue of 13
February 2013 details of secret Shiromani Akali Dal meetings with the
Central Government, as the central regime planned Operation Bluestar.
Can you provide clarification in this regard of the role of SAD and SGPC
in the planning and execution of Operation Bluestar, from its inception
in 1982-3 and its aftermath, following the heavily armed military
operation on the Shaheedi Gurpurab of our First Martyr Guru, Sahib Sri
Guru Arjan Dev Ji?
10.
It is
public knowledge GK Ji your family members were close confidants of
Srimati Indira Gandhi, and your family has exercised great influence in
Delhi Sikh affairs, can you also clarify your family’s role in those
secret meetings which the Tribune outlines in detail? Particularly as 5
of the latter secret meetings took place in New Delhi.
11.
Can
DSGPC also clarify why, under the SAD administration’s terms of office
in Punjab, when PS Badal has been Chief Minister, key individuals who
strongly supported Operation Bluestar have been rewarded with key
Government posts, when the Akalis have repeatedly sought to champion the
Sikh community and vehemently deny any support for the Central
Government Operation? There are many such individuals, but we will only
question only some prominent appointments at this stage.
a.
The
SGPC's own whitepaper recorded that Ramesh Inder Singh, an IAS officer
was brought in as Amritsar deputy commissioner (DC) just before the
launch of the military assault on Sri Harmander Sahib after his
predecessor Gurdev Singh Brar was made to proceed on leave when he
refused to sign and approve military action. Yet, following Operation
Bluestar, Ramesh Inder was appointed CM Badal's principal secretary when
he came into power in 1997 and then became the chief secretary when the
SAD returned to power in 2007. After retirement, he was appointed the
chief information commissioner (CIC) of Punjab. Why was this officer so
important to the Badal administration?
b.
Amarjeet Kaur, a Congress Rajya Sabha member during Operation Bluestar,
was one of the most vocal leaders from Punjab to support the military
action. She both spoke in Parliament to support the barbaric military
operation but also wrote a detailed article "Akali Dal the Enemy Within"
in 1984. She also objected to the Akal Takht ex-communication of
Nirankaris. However she was rewarded with a ticket by Badal SAD, which
was only revoked after fierce opposition from Sikh groups and she
appeared before Akal Takht for atonement. Why was this person ever
considered for such an appointment by a ‘Sikh’ party?
c.
Adesh
Partap Singh Kairon’s family remained loyal to the Congress during and
after Operation Bluestar. Adesh Partap's father Surinder Singh Kairon,
became an MP in 1991 in the brutal Congress regime of Beant Singh which
is responsible for killing thousands of Sikh youth, including many Akali
workers. Despite this link with Sikh genocide, Adesh Partap was elected
an MLA in 1997 representing SAD and was made cabinet minister. Why has
nepotism taken such hold of SAD-Badal, that even those families
responsible of Sikh repression are warmly welcomed into the SAD family?
d.
Several other Congress leaders, such as Ludhiana MP Gurcharan Singh
Ghalib, former Rajasthan governor and Jalandhar MP Darbara Singh, former
Hoshiarpur MP Kamal Chaudhary and former Jalandhar MP Balbir Singh. All
these figures remained with the Congress party and never opposed the
Army action during Operation Bluestar or raised their voice against 1984
anti-Sikh Genocide in Delhi and other states. Why were they welcomed
into SAD with open arms and made party candidates or adjusted in other
positions?
e.
Why
are Sumedh Saini and Azhar Alam given immunity and rewarded by SAD? Key
lieutenants of former Chief Minister Beant Singh’s inhuman police state,
they remain under investigation for overseeing the killing, torturing
and raping of thousands of Sikhs in Punjab in the aftermath of Operation
Bluestar. Yet the former now heads Punjab Police and the latter (who
oversaw the illegal criminal ‘Black Cat’ red-flag brigade, or
["Alam's Sena” –Alam’s Army"] in the
aftermath of Operation Bluestar) - his wife is the SAD MLA for
Malerkotla.
-
Have DSGPC and Delhi
SAD supported the instigation of SIT in New Delhi for the Delhi
based genocide of November 1984? Why were these not set up by the
previous BJP Governments?
There are numerous other
questions which we wish to raise with SAD-Badal given that a political
party rooted in Sikh history has provided unconditional support to Mr
Modi, and yet not succeeded in protecting 60,000 Sikh farmers being
evicted from their livelihoods by the BJP Prime Ministerial Candidate’s
Gujarat state Government. Even though Mr Modi has lately issued a
statement that Sikh farmers in Gujarat will not be dislodged, why did
this statement come so late, and what assurances are there that this
statement is not just political rhetoric weeks before a general
election? There are also innumerable concerns about continuous and
unrelenting police brutality against Sikh political rights and
opposition, whilst anti-Sikh groups are freely allowed to carry out
their activities without provocation or application of rule of law. But
we will focus at this point solely on the Operation Bluestar, so that we
can begin to understand SAD- Badal and DSGPC policy and actions in this
regard.
Your written response
will be welcomed before your visit.
No doubt, you will
continue with your planned publicity exercise to the UK. In this respect
we will seek a public meeting with you, and seek answers from you on the
above matters, so that we can all begin to fully understand the reality
of Operation Bluestar, identify all those responsible for the genocide
of Sikhs in the past three decades, and reveal those responsible for the
continuing denial of justice to the Sikh nation.
