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SGPC
installs Sant's portrait in Sikh Museum,
Indian establishment shows its true colours
WSN Bureau
AMRITSAR: Every year, without a single exception, Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale's great contribution in jolting the Sikh community out
of its stupor and his sacrifice in defending the honor and glory of
the Sikhs' holiest shrines Sri Harimandir Sahib and Sri Akal Takht
Sahib has been celebrated, apart from other venues, at the Akal
Takht Sahib.
But
when the SGPC finally installed a portrait of the Sant at the
Kendri Sikh Ajaibghar (Central Sikh Museum) within the precincts
of the Golden Temple, all hell seems to have broken loose. Of
course, the SGPC was also virtually shamed into taking the step
after forums like the Dal Khalsa underlined the aberration of his
missing portrait in the galleries of the museum.
But
the Indian establishment, which had shamelessly burnt hundreds of
texts at the Sikh Library and had carted away many artifacts from
the museum in the wake of the Operation Bluestar in 1984, could not
swallow such an awakening among the Sikhs towards their great heroes
and heritage. So every cannon of official India has been firing at
the community incessantly for the last few days.
The
jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, son of Sant
Bhindranwale Isher Singh, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar,
incumbent Damdami Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Dhuma and many
others were present at the unveiling ceremony of the portrait which
was, for reasons best known to the SGPC, installed a day before the
scheduled event, thus keeping Dal Khalsa leaders in the dark.
Nevertheless, the development has received all around support from
all sections of the Sikhs, and it has been after years that any step
of the SGPC has not only drawn widespread praise but has also earned
the distinction of not being criticized by even a single
organisation or individual among the Sikhs. This, clearly, was
enough reason for the apologists of the Indian establishment to
attack the step.
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab
Assembly and representative of the same party whose government in
1984 had launched the Operation Bluestar and killed the Sant, was
expected to spew some venom and dutifully did. That she did so more
out of her compulsion to indulge in some attacks against Parkash
Singh Badal is well known, but it is the shrill campaign by the
BJP-RSS leadership which is more interesting. The saffron brigade
calibrates its criticism, keeping it harshest against Bhindranwale,
harsher against the SGPC and acceptable against Badal and Akali Dal.
Sharing the spoils of power, it is doing its duty to stress its
ideological difference with the Akalis.
But
what has been suroprising is the shrillness with which the Indian
media has approached the issue. Punjab's The Tribune, which often
reveals its anti-Sikh fangs at any opportunity, went hammer and
tongs on the issue, and its senior editors plunged to downright
vituperative language while commenting on the issue.
The
entire Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal band of ruffians cum clowns
masquerading in the Indian politics under the garb of
mosque-demolishing riot-ready Hindu shakti was only expected to dip
their pens and tongues in poison orbs whenever speaking about the
Sant, and the Sikh community has by now become pretty adept at
sidestepping such criticism. But
what has really enhanced the hopes of the wider Sikh fraternity as
well as the Diaspora is the absence of any shrill negative note from
inside the community on the issue. One single step of the SGPC has
proved how the Sikhs will stand by it the moment it undertakes
something positive, without caring much about how something may
impact Badal's regime. But will the ruling Akali Dal and the SGPC
learn anything from it?
5 December, 2007
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