Giani Harpreet Singh, chief priest of the Akal Takht – the highest Sikh temporal seat — said on Monday that Sikhs were confronting several challenges and efforts were needed to strengthen the religion, and urged Sikh organisations to encourage training in ‘traditional martial art’ and ‘modern weapons’, especially among the youth.
Mr. Singh was addressing a gathering of Sikh devotees on the 38th anniversary of ‘Operation Bluestar’ on the premises of the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar.
“When India got Independence in the year 1947, a policy of suppressing Sikhs was started. In India, policies, and attempts to suppress Sikhs economically, socially, politically, and on the religion front were started in 1947 itself, and the outcome of such attempts was seen in the year 1984, with an attack on Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple)...Today, we are confronting several challenges that are weakening us on the religion, social and economic fronts. To weaken us on the religion front, strong publicity of ‘Christianity’ is being carried on in Punjab – it’s a matter of concern for us. I appeal to all the eminent associated with the Sikh religion, to visit villages, especially the border (India-Pakistan) villages of Punjab, and strengthen Sikh religion. The time has come to step out of AC rooms. We need to understand that if we are weak on the religion, economic and social fronts then politically also we will be weakened and will stay distant from the “raaj’ (rule). It’s very important for us to strengthen ourselves on the religion front,” he said.
Pointing out that the youth were drifting towards drugs and away from education, Mr. Singh urged Sikh organisations to focus on training them in ‘traditional martial art’ forms and also set up ‘modern weapons training centres’.
“I would ask Sikh organisations that today the need has arisen to establish ‘gatka’ (a style of fighting with wooden sticks) training centres. Also, there’s no harm in setting up modern weapons training centres such as shooting ranges. Other people are secretly giving weapons training, but we will not give the training in a clandestine manner, but will openly give such training. Today, the time has come we should get united and make our youth stay away from drugs and give them training in weapons and also make them strong by reading ‘Gurbani’…,” he said.
It was on June 6, 1984, that the Army stormed the complex of the Golden Temple in Amritsar— Sikhism’s holiest shrine — to flush out extremists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Most of business establishments, shops petrol pumps, and educational institutions were seen closed in the city amid the call given for ‘Amritsar shut-down’ by radical Sikh outfits to mark the anniversary of ‘Operation Bluestar’.
