AMRITSAR: Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj, participated in a Gurmat Samagam (religious congregation) organized by the Sikh community of Chittisinghpura village in Anantnag district of Kashmir valley.
On this occasion, he visited the memorial and saw photographs installed in memory of the 35 innocent Sikhs who were brutally killed on March 20, 2000, and also saw the wall where they were killed that still bears the bullet marks from that massacre.
Jathedar Gargajj said that this tragic incident had not only shaken the Sikhs of Kashmir but the entire community worldwide.
He noted that the families of those martyred Sikhs are still waiting for justice, as the truth behind this massacre has not been brought to light even today.
He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the government to reveal the reality of this incident.
“It is painful that, even after so many years, the perpetrators of this massacre have neither been exposed nor punished, ” the Jathedar remarked.
He further said that the bullet marks still stand as testimony to how the Sikh community, despite being a minority, has repeatedly been made a target.
Highlighting the resilience of the Kashmiri Sikhs, Jathedar Gargajj said that despite enduring immense atrocities, they did not abandon their homeland. Even today, Sikhs continue to live on this soil under the shelter of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, maintaining their spirit of chardi kala (high spirits), though successive governments have been suppressing their rights.
Jathedar Gargajj stressed that the Chittisinghpura massacre teaches the Sikh community that if it stands united, no challenge is insurmountable.
During the visit, the local sangat organized an evening Gurmat Samagam at the village Gurdwara Sahib, where the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib shared Gurbani vichaar (spiritual discourse) and especially met with the families of the martyrs to share in their grief and suffering.
He also praised the efforts of village resident and government teacher Giani Rajinder Singh, along with the local Naujawan Sabha, for their contribution in preserving the memory of the martyrs.