Saturday, March, 30 2013: As a member of Sikh community, I have always felt that Sikhs have been denied their rights as equal citizens of India. Born and brought up in Sikh family, my parents always made sure that I was not influenced by such radical ideas. The name of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was never discussed in our household, for me he was only one saintly man who had lost his life for a ‘noble cause’.
But as I grew, I came across many journals and books which had a deep impact on my mind. I also started feeling that Sikhs were second class citizens of India, though I never had any such experience myself. For me, Sikhism and Punjab are complementary to each other as they say “Punjab jeyondan guran de naa te”.
Punjab elections have always been contested by Shiromani Akali Dal on panthic agenda and that Punjab has been meted ‘step-motherly treatment’ by Centre.
Operation Bluestar and 1984 Sikh genocide were two tragedies which could have been averted, but never were there any efforts made in that direction. Thousands of Sikhs were killed during the militancy era in the 1980s and 90s. All these lives were lost directly or indirectly to the idea of a homeland called ‘Khalistan’ which never was.
I’ve started realizing like thousands of others that it is easy to blame the Centre for ‘Operation Bluestar’ in 1984. But the fact is that the shrine had already been desecrated. The temporal seat of Sikhism, Akal Takht, the place where the sacred Guru Granth Sahib is kept, had been turned into a fortress.
The Operation's repercussions led to the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for which the community paid heavily. More than 3,000 innocent Sikhs were killed in the streets of national capital Delhi in November 1984. Justice is yet to be delivered though more than 29 years have passed.
The Punjabis, as they are known as brave community, started again and are living peaceful lives. The state and community has paid enough during the militancy era. Nobody wants to live through those harrowing experiences again. What has been done can never been undone. Nobody can ever repay the damage done to the families who lost their near and dear ones during those black days.
Of lately, a movie ‘Sadda Haq’ has been garnering lot of attention and courting controversies, for obvious reasons as it is based on the militancy era.
The movie which was earlier banned is slated to release April 5. The song sung by Jazzy B is carrying Jagtar Singh Hawara, Balwant Singh Rajoana in the same league as Guru Gobind Singh. How can anyone ever repay the debt community owes to Guru Gobind Singh who laid down his entire family for the fight against injustice and righteousness?
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar had urged the Centre to lift ban on the movie ‘Sadda Haq’. But I ask him if this is what our younger generation really needs to know? Why could SGPC not think of directing a movie that aims at portraying the great principles that our holy book Guru Granth Sahib espouses and bring the youth of today to Sikhism fold?