Designation of 1984 as 3rd Ghallughara

[mschawla]

I had sent the following e-mail to SGPC on July 28th 2002 to declare the 1984 incidents as 3rd Ghallughara in Sikh history. But even after one and half years, SGPC has not done any thing. The only reply I get is "The matter is under consideration". Since this is an important thing for the future generation of Sikhs, SGPC should be approached by all Sikhs to take this action. We should write our own history instead of some body else doing so. Copy of the article written by me and published in The Sikh Review (referenced in the e-mail below), is available on my web site "www.passionfortruthtv.com" and link to "Democracy and India". Thanks.

==============================================================

To: sgpc@vsnl.com

Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2002 7:37 AM

Subject: Historical Dates

We have been producing and airing two TV weekly programs

"PASSION FOR TRUTH" and "PUNJABI COMMUNITY HOUR" in Washington, DC area

since 1993, wherein issues relating to Sikhs, Punjab , India and South

Asia are covered. Some of these programs have also been archived on the internet

and can be viewed worldwide on our pages given below.

Recently I wrote an article (copy attached) designating

1984 happenings as a third Ghallughra and I feel that it should be recognized

so in our history books for future generations of Sikhs. In your

"Historical Dates" section of your page on the internet you should include the

THIRD GHALLUGHARA OF 1984 also so that future historians should

recognize what happened to Sikhs in 1984. It is our request to you to do so.

If you need any clarification on the su

bject please do not hesitate to

contact us.

"PASSION FOR TRUTH" being aired in Washington metropolitan

area since 1993, is an English language weekly panel discussion program,

which has been modeled after the famous American TV programs, like Crossfire,

McLaughlin Group, Capital Gang and/or Washington week in review. The

panelists are mostly American journalists from Newspapers (Washington Post,

New York Times, Washington Times, Toronto Globe and Mail etc), CNN

reporters, executives from various Associations and Centers (Stimson

Center, World Federalist Association, Human Rights Organizations etc.)

including senior White House and US Congress etc.)

The Program captures active participation of various

religious group representatives (Christian, Jewish, Catholic, Hindu, Sikh and

Muslim etc) and other South Asian (India, Pakistan, Bangla Desh,

Afghanistan etc) leaders and representatives. The discussion is open,

non-restrictive, unrehearsed and no-nonsense hold bars. The subjects cover a

wide variety of topics, from political to religious, social, etc. In short, it

stimulates a variety of viewers interested in grasping the fundamentals of

South Asian countries and their contrast to American ideals.

M. S. Chawla

Producer

"PASSION FOR TRUTH" TV Program

"PUNJABI COMMUNITY HOUR" TV Program

"PUNJABI COMMUNITY HOUR" Radio Program On the Web

Web Pages:

www.passionfortruthtv.com

www.geocities.com/~mschawla

[Sher Khalsa]

good work bhaji

[nanosecond]

Yes 1984 and thereafter must be called as the 3rd Ghallughara

If u read school Sikh History textbooks,none mentions 1984. Bombard SGPC with emails and start petitions......do anything but this must be done atleast on the 20th anniversary of op blue star

It's only this way that our future gens will know what happened

[S1ngh]

SGPC should have taken these step waaaaaay earlier:

1) Sant jee as Greatest Shaheed (I think they did last year)

2) Replace "RIOTS" with Holocaust word !

3) SHOULD HAVE Named 84 as modern age holocaust or ghalughara !

Btw offtopic question ...

Is it a hard to get the job as Public relation person for SGPC ??

[Jkaur]

i myself have previously sent a number of mails to SGPC and till date ive not recieved even one reply to any of my queries..

[mschawla]

I appreciate all the comments. Let us also keep on sending e-mails to SGPC to take quick action on this subject. Thanks.

[HARJAGJEET]

SIKH NATION IS CONTINUOUSLY ON TRIAL, SINCE THE DAY OF THE BIRTH OF THE KHALSA PANTH. THE ENEMIES EVEN TOOK THE COGNISANCE OF SIKHS OF GURU NANAK AND HIS HOUSE AS A DANGER TO THEIR ISMS, DOGMAS RITUALS ETC AND AS SUCH TOOK EXTREME STEPS FOR OUR ELIMINATION BY TAKING THE PHYSICAL LIVES OF 'SHEEHADAN DE SIRTAJ, SHANTI DE PUNJ, GURU ARJAN DEV JI AND OF GURU TEGH BAHADUR FOR WHOM WE SAY 'SACRIFICE, THY NAME IS GURU TEGH BAHADUR'. INNUMERABLE SIKHS ALSO ALSO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES. MEEREE PEEREE DE MALIK GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB TOOK UP THE ARMS AGAINST THE TYRINICAL RULERS AND GAVE AN INSIGHT INTO THE FURTURE COURSE OF EVENTS.

SINCE THE ADVENT OF THE KHALSA, THESE TESTING TIMES ARE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS. SIKH IDENTITY AND ENTITY HAVE NEVER BEEN TAKEN FRIENDLY BY ANY OF THE RULERS, AND WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PUT TO TESTS AND WITH THE GRACE OF GOD, KHALSA PANTH HAS ALWYS EMERGED AS STRONGER OUT OF EVERY TEST.

ALTHOUGH WE DONT EXPECT ANY PATRONAGE OR LIGHT HANDLING BY ANY REGIME, WE AT LEAST EXPECT SOMETHING POSITIVE FROM OUR APEX BODIES. LET US HOPE THAT THE AUTHORITIES AT THE HELM OF THESE BODIES WILL WAKE UP , AND ACT IN A MANNER, BEFITTING OF SIKH TRADITIONS. HOPE THEY DONT REPEAT THE ACT OF CHUHAR SINGH-JATHEDAR OF AKAL TAKHAT SAHIB AT THE TIME OF JALIAN WALA BAGH MASSACRE.

JAGJIT SINGH

[mschawla]

Let us keep our focus on actions instead of just letting our hurt and anger out. So I hope that every body, who participate in these discussions, also write an e-mail or letters to SGPC requesting him to take further action to declare 1984 a 3rd Ghallughara (Holocast). The information on the article on 3rd. ghallughara is available on the web site "www.passionfortruthtv.com".

[mschawla]

I just read about recent World Sikh Council’s Chairman Kuldeep Singh Open Letter of February 12, 2004 to U.S. Senator John Kerry expressing appreciation for his apology and asking for a meeting to continue dialog expressing shock on his comment of January 31, 2004 linking Sikhs with terrorism. But then he appreciated his response of February 6, 2004, and called it as positive and said that response reflects his thoughtfulness and statesmanship. The question is "Are the Sikhs in USA satisfied with Kerry's remarks of February 6, 2004?”

In the next paragraph Chairman Kuldeep Singh said that Sikhs were having a peaceful struggle for redeeming their distinct national status, but were subjected to India's state terrorism and anti-Sikh media blitz. Thousands of Sikhs -- men, women, and children -- were massacred during this official reign of terror in the 1980's and 1990's. Repeated appeals for transparency, accountability, and restitution were ignored and relegated to "a cry in the wilderness." This was amply documented in many fact-finding reports by human rights organizations and independent observers, both in India and abroad. He then expressed his desire to meet with him soon, at a place and time convenient to him, for further dialogue on this matter.

I have no question about this letter except that we should have expressed our dissatisfaction with his response of February 6,2004 clearly and then requested a meeting with him. As I understand that World Sikh Council - America Region, based in Columbus, Ohio, claiming a representative body of Sikh institutions in America, 28 gurdwaras and 8 organizations (including SMART and Sikh Coalition), working

under the patronage of Akal Takht. What I am saying is:

(1) Sikhs do make history, but do not write history. Others than Sikhs are writing the history of 1984.

(2) For the last 20 years we have suffered because of the timidity of our Sikh leaders of not being bold enough to challenge the history being written by others. They have been calling Sikhs as terrorists and have been successful in convincing the whole world including USA that Sikhs were terrorists in 1984 instead of a Sikh holocaust in 1984. The proof is clear that US State department made a video “Terrorism: A War without Borders” in which it called Sikhs, in 1984 Golden Temple attack segment, as terrorists.

(3) During the last 20 years we Sikhs and our leadership should have declared 1984 happenings as a third (3 rd) Sikh holocaust (Ghallughara) to be written in history. If we had declared it quickly the western countries would not have taken the word of then Government.

(4) An eminent and most reliable person, like Justice (Retd.) Ranjit Singh Narula, Chief Judge, in Punjab & Haryana High Court, used the correct word, Ghalughara, for the tragic events of 1984 in his article in ” The Sikh Review” magazine.

(5) I wrote an article on declaring 1984 as 3 rd Holocaust of Sikhs and it was also published in “The Sikh Review’ magazine Of August 2002.

(6) I have been requesting SGPC to declare 1984 as 3-rd holocaust (Ghallughara) in SGPC’s list of “EVENTS THAT SHAPED THE SIKH HISTORY”. In spite of repeated requests to SGPC there is no response from our highest Sikh body.

(7) If World Sikh Council – American Region claims to have a patronage of Akal Takhat, it should first force our own Akal Takhat and SGPC to declare 1984 as a third holocaust of Sikhs. Only then we will have any leg to persuade others and USA government to correct its past mistakes.

(8) Finally I request everybody, reading this, must write to Akal Takhat and SGPC to declare immediately 1984 as a year of Sikh Third Holocast (Ghallughara).

[Guest mehtab]

i was watching the video of Bhai Rama Singh Jee's funeral...the Singh doing ardas in the end mentions the Shaheeds of jaito (the Babbar Akalis who were fighting for india's independence from britain)...if those Shaheeds are mentioned, i think we SHOULD additionally mention the Shaheeds of 1984...their souls still demand justice, and expect us to fight for it...including them in our daily ardas would only cement our resolve...i personally wud love if Sri Akal Takht Sahib does pass a gurmatta and includes as part of ardas...even if they dont, i think we all by ourselves shud do so, although i m not really sure if its ok to do so...not that its wrong, but anything that has permission from Sri Akal Takht just makes it all the more justified.