AMRITSAR: The photographs depicting the heavy losses suffered by the Sikhs during the military attack on the Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib and Sri Akal Takht Sahib by the then Congress government in June 1984 were released in the form of a large book by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami here today.
Speaking on the occasion, Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said that this atrocity of June 1984 is a sad chapter in Sikh history.
He said that the then Congress government gave such a wound to the Sikh minds by launching a military attack on the holy shrines of the Sikhs, which is irreparable.
He said that the government also caused great damage to the valuable documents and historical objects of the Sikh Reference Library, which houses the religious treasures of the Sikhs.
Advocate Dhami said that for several days after the attack, the government imposed a curfew and prevented the Sangat from coming to Sri Darbar Sahib, so that the traces of the atrocities committed by the government could be erased. Some of the pictures of these atrocities of the government were captured by photographer Satpal Singh Danash, who has prepared an illustrated book by the Shiromani Committee and released it today. The pictures in it show the conditions of the time and the brutal atrocities committed by the government.
He said that this book will be kept in the Shiromani Committee office, Sikh Reference Library, Information Center of Sri Darbar Sahib and Sikh Museum, so that the Sangat can be aware of the atrocities committed by the government on the Sikhs. Apart from this, it will also be digitized and made available to the Sangat through various media.
On the occasion of the book release, SGPC Junior Vice President S. Baldev Singh Kalyan, Interning Member S. Surjit Singh Tugalwal, S. Paramjit Singh Khalsa, Member Bhai Rajinder Singh Mehta, S. Surjit Singh Bhittewad, Bhai Ajaib Singh Abhishek, S. Amritpal Singh Kular, OSD S. Satbir Singh Dhami, Personal Secretary S. Shahbaz Singh, Deputy Secretary S. Harbhajan Singh Wakta, Manager of Sri Darbar Sahib S. Bhagwant Singh Dhangera, Superintendent S. Nishan Singh, Incharge S. Jogeshwar Singh, Manager S. Jatinderpal Singh, Additional Manager S. Iqbal Singh Mukhi etc. were present.