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SAKA 1984
Sikh
Nation Engages With Memory’s Layers
WSN
Network
 BERKLEY, CA:
“Never should we forget the painful episode of June 1984, because to
forget such a tragedy will be akin to once again murder those who
sacrificed their lives.”
This was Prof.
Paul Ahluwalia, the pro-Vice Chancellor of University of South
Australia delivering his keynote address at the international
Seminar organized by the Sikh Youth of America at the
University
of
California,
Berkeley and dedicated to the 25th anniversary of 1984 Saka Sri Akal
Takth Sahib.
The Sikh panth
is observing the 25th anniversary of the Indian Army’s attack on Sri
Darbar Sahib and Sri Akal Takth Sahib in 1984. This painful Saka has
forever become a part of the collective Sikh memory and, with the
passage of time, the community has started engaging with this memory
in its intellectual discourse.
Just as the Sikh
fraternity is reliving the memory all across the globe, the Sikh
Youth of America and Centre for Sikh Studies organized this seminar
at the University of California, Berkeley where well known scholars
from the U.S. and other countries made an effort to understand the
historic significance, the spiritual dimensions and political impact
of the happenings a quarter century ago.
 Paul Ahluwalia,
who has been intrinsically connected to the Sikh experience of pain
and has been pro-actively participating in academic exercises about
Sikh issues, said even though the tragic happenings of June and
November 1984 inflicted much harm upon the Sikh nation, they did
contribute to raising the Sikhs’ awareness regarding their future
and the need to maintain their distinct identity.
He talked about
nationalism, secularism and their interconnections with violence
with reference to Judith Butler’s new book, Frames of War.
Prof Ahluwalia
said behind all the happenings of 1984, what is at work was a
thought inbuilt into modern democracy as per which one side is
painted as a monster and is subjected to atrocities by the dominant
side.
He said the
tradition of martyrdom in Sikhism is an expression of love towards
the entire humanity. Referring to the martyrdom of the ninth Sikh
Guru, he said it was not only for the Sikhs but was for anyone who
was wronged. The attack on Sri Darbar Sahib on the martyrdom day of
the fifth Sikh Guru in 1984 has thrown up a new and hatred-filled
aspect of state violence.
 In the first
session of the seminar, Dr N. Murphy from the University of British
Columbia, Prof Giorgio Shani from the Ritsumeikan University in
Japan, Varinder Kalra from University of Manchester and Harleen
Singh from Brandeis University presented their papers.
Dr Murphy in his
paper said the various functions being organized by the Sikhs in
commemoration of the 1984 Saka have started acquiring an
international aura. Referring to the program organized in Vancouver
in June 2009, he said the decision to invite the natives of Canada
for the function was highly appreciable.
Giorgio Shani
presented the memory of 1984 by connecting it to national
consciousness. He said whilst such commemoration is resulting in
shaping a national consciousness, the Sikhs are also moving towards
a counter national dialogue.
 Varinder Kalra
and Harleen Singh in their joint paper criticized the role of
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in preserving the memory of
the tragedy.
In the second
session, Washington University’s Virginia Van Dyke, Birmingham
University’s Navdeep Singh Mander and Gurharpal Singh and
Delhi
University’s
Radhika Chopra presented their papers.
During this
session, the issue of Sikh nationalism was intensely discussed.
In the third
session, Michigan University’s Harjit Grewal, Centre for Sikh
Studies’ Prabhsharandeep Singh and California Institute of Integral
Studies’ Brian Axel presented their papers.
Punnu Jaitla
discussed the issue of Sikh identity in
Punjab
post-1984 and the problems faced in its representation, while Harjit
Grewal termed the artistic representations of the 1984 Saka as a
subtle and nuanced opposition to state cruelty.
In his paper
Prabhsharandeep Singh focused on the interconnections of ‘Shabad,’
‘Naad’ and ‘Miri-Piri’ and gave an exposition about the Sikh
approach during the 1984 attack.
 Striking a
dialogue with Derrida's Of Grammatology, he dwelled upon the
logocentric notion of Hindu and Semetic religious scriptures and
brought out the foundational truth of Indian nationalism and
secularism.
In the last
session of the second day,
Toledo
University’s Parvinder Mehta, Sikh Studies’ Chairperson at Hofstra
University Professor Balvinder Singh Bhogal and Prabhsharanbir Singh
of University of British Columbia, presented their papers.
Parvinder Mehta
talked about the deafening silence of the government over the 1984
attacks, while Professor Bhogal elaborated on the concept of
Sant-Sipahi (Saint-Soldier) and said as long as we do not understand
the convergence between politics and spirituality within Sikhism, it
will not be possible to understand the deeper causes behind the
tragedy.
He said the
foundation of the modern nation state is based on the separation of
religion and politics. Hence, when the construct of Saint-Soldier
inbuilt in Sikhism challenges this separation, then it automatically
becomes a target of state violence.
Prabhsharanbir
Singh in his paper said that Saka 1984 did not happen because of
opportunistic politics or agitation for Sikh demand. He rather
explored its roots in Hindu mythology and said the Vedas consider as
a monster anyone refusing to go to their authority.
The seminar
coordinator and chief organizer Arvindpal Singh Mander of Michigan
University said the papers presented here could be compiled into a
book form.
 Among those who
participated in the discussions and made valuable contributions were
Sikh scholar Dr Ranbir Singh Sandhu, Professor Raghubir Kaur Bajwa,
Gurdev Singh Sandhu Riverside, Sikh Information Centre’s Bhajan
Singh Bhinder, Sikh Youth of America’s president Gurinderjit Singh
Mahna, American Gurdwarda Prabandhak Committee’s President Yadvinder
Singh, Jasjeet Singh, Indra Prastha from Canada and students Randeep
Singh, Gagan Singh and Puneet Kaur Khalsa.
Seminar’s anchor
Prabhsharandeep Singh thanked all the scholars, audiences and
particularly the sponsors, Sikh Youth of America. He also expressed
gratitude towards the Centre for Sikh Studies Berkley and Sikh
Students Federation Berkley for their cooperation.
23
September 2009
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