Bhindranwale portrait in Golden Temple stirs strife

Dec 01: The installation of the portrait of rebel Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the museum of Golden Temple, Amritsar has created a political turmoil in the state.

Daily we are having the slice of various event in which our politician seems to be lost, far away from the ground realities of poverty, malnutrition and education which is the thrust of our nation.

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Recently Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee attracted whole lot of criticism by installing the portrait of slain rebel leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in Amritsar’s Golden Temple.

He was the face behind the Khalistan separatist movement in 1980s, and was killed during Operation Blue Star during Indira Gandhi’s regime.

Indira lost her life because of Sikhs retaliation, as for Sikh Golden Temple is the supreme place of worshipping and a gun battle between police and the militants hiding at the temple was denounced by religious group.

Bhindarwale was portrayed as martyr after Operation Blue star and since then his followers have demanded to mount his portrait in the temple museum which has a rich collection of artifacts, paintings, weapons and other related things depicting the growth of Sikhism.

After propelling the controversy by installing the portrait the SGPC President Avtaar Singh Makkar said, “The controversy is over. We have installed the portrait. It’s a religious matter.”

“He laid down his life in the massacre of 1984 to uphold our honour,” says Chief of Damdami Taksal, Harnaam Singh Dhooma.

While the ruling government Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has maintained a silence over the issue its ally BJP has retaliated saying that Bhindarwale’s profile does not match with holy place which is visited by number of devotees including other faith.

Though SAD regulates the Golden Temple but is managed by SGPC.

This decision has come at a time when people are still grappling with scars of 1984 violence against Sikh community after Indira Gandhi’s death. Many such events continue to stir the nation plagued by communal colours.

Though many Sikh organisation has shrunken their eyebrows questioning the SGPC’s move.