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Massive protest at San
Francisco Indian Consulate
Satnam Singh Khalsa
 SAN
FRANCISCO: As the Sikhs marked the 25th anniversary of Indian Army's
attack on Sri Akal Takht and Sri Darbar Sahib, a massive protest was
staged outside the Indian Consulate in San Francisco that saw huge
participation by the California sangat, committees of Gurughars and
many panthic organisations.
The protest was to
underline the dance of death and destruction wreaked by the Indian
Government on the religious places of the Sikhs as part of Operation
Bluestar and Operation Woodrose, the widespread of massacre of Sikh
men, women and children by the Indian Army and security forces, the
trail of destruction of Sikh heritage by burning their Reference
Library and a continuous denial of justice to the community ever
since.
With placards and
banners held aloft, the Sikh sangat was sending a message that the
community's decision to keep up the fight was unwavering. Addressing
the sangat, Bhai Ram Singh, Senior Member of the Supreme Council of
Gurdwara Fremont said the quom will never forget 1984 holocaust and
will keep its case on the centre stage of the international
community shaming the Indian nation state for what it did and is
doing to the Sikhs.
Bhai Karnail Singh
Khalsa said the Sikhs made supreme sacrifices for the Independence
of India but what they got in return was Operation Bluestar. He said
the community will realize the dream of the martyrs. Senior leader
of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Bhai Surjit Singh Jhampur, said
when the Sikhs visit the embassies and consulates for passport, they
are harassed and asked why they indulge in protests. They are often
denied passports while the utterly dishonest officials take bribes
of $5,000 to dish out the same.
Bibi Sarabjeet Kaur
Cheema spoke in English in order to convey the message to the
younger generation. She said the world will soon be found standing
besides the Sikh community in its struggle for justice against the
Indian nation state.
Berkeley
University's Prof Prabhsharandeep Singh said after the Indian
establishment acted as per its intrinsic enmity with the Sikhs, the
community has avenged the actions in its own traditional way. He
said the Indian state was now founded on lies and discrimination,
and the Sikhs will never let go of what is their due.
American Gurdwara
Prabandhak Committee's vice president Jaswant Singh Hothi said the
Indian justice dispensing machinery was an apology for civilized
ways and was a matter of shame for human rights. He said the Sikhs
never got justice and always meted out punishment in their own way.
Youth leader Bhai Balwinderpal Singh Khalsa said the community does
not recognize the sovereignty of India and the Indian state has
supressed the Sikh homeland. He said the community should come
together under one flag.
Senior leader of
Sikh Youth of America and its founder member Bhai Resham Singh said
the advice being tendered to the Sikhs to forget the 1984 holocaust
was a slap on India's understanding of the community's hurt. He said
the march of the community will go on till the achievement of its
final goal.
Dr Pritpal Singh
said had the Sikhs been in love with material wealth, they would not
have chosen to leave all that behind in Pakistan. Their real wealth
was the Gurughar. Former president of Gurdwara Fremont, Bhai Gurmit
Singh Khalsa, said the Sikh quom will continue the tradition set by
Guru Nanak who minced no word in terming Emperor Babur as cruel and
tormentor of the poor and the common people.
10 June 2009
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