GOI may invoke RIOT Act 1988 to stop Blue Star Memorial

[Singh, Mahan]

Centre may ask Punjab to invoke Riot Act to stop Bluestar memorial

Source: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/Centre-may-ask-Punjab-to-invoke-Riot-Act-to-stop-Bluestar-memorial.html

( From Press Trust of India news agency)

Saturday, October, 13 2012 - 11:07

NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: The Centre is contemplating to ask Punjab government to invoke a 1988 law on prevention of misuse of religious institutions, to stop the SGPC from constructing a memorial to honour Khalistani propagandists who were killed in Operation Bluestar in the Golden Temple.

The Home Ministry is expected to ask the state government to use the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, under which authorities can ban misuse of religious institutions for political and other purposes and any activity which promotes or attempts to promote disharmony in society.

The action comes in the backdrop of SGPC's building a memorial in the Golden Temple in Amritsar to honour those who were killed in security forces' Operation Bluestar in 1984 to flush out militants from Sikh shrine, official sources said today.

The 1988 Act prohibits use of religious institutions or allow the use of any premises belonging to, or under the control of the institution, promotion or propagation of any political activity and harbouring of any person accused or convicted of an offence under any law for the time being in force.

The legislation also bans keeping any goods or articles in contravention of any law for the time being in force or for erecting or putting up of any construction or fortification, including basements, bunkers, towers or walls without a valid licence or permission under any law.

The Act also prohibits carrying on of any unlawful or subversive act prohibited under any law and doing of any act which promotes or attempts to promote disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities.

Besides, every manager or other employee of a religious institution shall be bound to give information to the officer in-charge of the police station, within whose local jurisdiction the religious institution is situated, of any contravention or any impending contravention of the provisions of this Act and failure to do so shall be punishable under section 176 of the Indian Penal Code, says the 1988 Act.

On Wednesday, Home Minister Sushil kumar Shinde had said the central government would not like to interfere in the construction of the memorial by SGPC respecting the rights of such organisations bestowed by the Constitution.

PTI

[lsingh]

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-11/india/34385692_1_sikhs-golden-temple-operation-blue-star

[PAL 07]

This is a serious topic: what right have the GOI to determine what Sikh institutions do.

[Singh, Mahan]

Source: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/Hands-off-Sikhs_-Dal-Khalsa-to-Centre.html

Hands off Sikhs- Dal Khalsa to Centre

Saturday, October, 13 2012 - 15:16

AMRITSAR: Dal Khalsa has taken exception to the Central government’s proposed move to invoke Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, to stop the construction work on memorial being raised in memory of Sikh martyrs of June 1984 attack.

In a strongly worded statement party head H S Dhami and spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the Center should desist from adding fuel to fire.

They said the Indian state attacked Darbar Sahib 28 years ago and the scars of the assault were still fresh on Sikh psyche. Now, in case the Centre puts hurdles to thwart the construction work it would amount to scratching those scars. “The situation in Punjab would return where it was in 80’s, they warned. They asked the PMO and Home Ministry to hands off from the internal affairs of Sikh Panth.

They took a jibe at state chief minister and deputy chief minister for going on defensive while reacting to hue and cry raised by Congress and likes of Gen KS Brar on memorial. There was no need for Senior and junior Badal to be apologetic, they opined.

“Gen Brar was parroting the version of the country’s establishment”, they pointed out. They blamed the Congress and a select media for making perpetrators of Sikh genocide as “heroes”.

They also went all out to defend the act of the SGPC in honouring Harjinder Singh and Sukhdev Singh, assassin of former Army chief Gen AS Vaidya at Akal Takht on the occasion to commemorate their 20th death anniversary.

Ever since Jinda and Sukha were hanged in 1992, the SGPC with the active participation of Sikh groups have been organizing the day by holding 'akhand path' in their memory and eulogizing their supreme sacrifice. Both wondered as to why after so long the issue has been raked up. They said the Central forces were trying to raise the bogey of revival of militancy in Punjab to unleash a “fresh wave of repression on youth”.

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[Sherdil]

I think the Indian government is waiting for all of us to die, so they can wipe the accounts of Blue-Star and 1984 from the record books.

This memorial puts a hitch in their plan, as generations to come will learn about the crimes of the Indian government against its own people.

It's quite shameful.

Never Forget.

[chatanga]

lets start by pulling down the statues of lala lajpat rai then, he was jailed by the british so he is still a criminal even though he has been dead for 80 odd years.