Mon, Jan 13, 2014 at 8:59 PM
Sikh Council UK Calls for Full
Disclosure
Following
publication on the internet of documents marked ‘TOP SECRET AND PERSONAL’ apparently
released under the ’30-year rule’, the Sikh Council UK today called for an
urgent enquiry into actions and involvement of the UK Government at the time of
the Indian Army attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar (also known as the
Golden Temple) in 1984.
The Top Secret documents released earlier this month by
the UK Government show the Indian authorities “sought British advice over a
plan to remove Sikh extremists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar”.
The documents go on to explain the UK Foreign Minister with the
agreement of the UK Prime Minister decided to respond favourably to the Indian
request as a result of which an SAS officer (UK special forces) “has visited
India and drawn up a plan which has been approved by Mrs Gandhi”.
Secretary
General of the Sikh Council UK, Gurmel Singh said, “I am shocked and
disappointed that there could have been any involvement by the UK Government
and armed forces in planning the attack on the Golden Temple Complex including
Sri
Harmandir Sahib and
Sri Akal Takhat Sahib.”
“Thousands
of innocent men, women and children were killed in the attack which took place
on one of the holiest days in the Sikh calendar. As well as loss of life,
buildings and property was destroyed and the historical Sikh reference library
was ransacked. This is and remains one of the darkest episodes in Sikh
history.”
He
added, “I am calling for an urgent enquiry into UK Government involvement in
the events of 1984 including a full disclosure of all documentation. The
letters date from February 1984 yet the attack took place in June 1984 and then
there was the subsequent genocide of Sikhs following Indira Gandhi
assassination in October 1984. I want to know what else were the UK Government
saying and doing over all that time?”
 |
| Kulwant Singh Dhesi |
Chair of Indian
Affairs Sub-Committee of Sikh Council UK, Cllr Gurdial Singh Atwal said,
“The Sikh community is this year commemorating the 30th
anniversary of the events of 1984. We are also proudly commemorating the 100th
anniversary of Sikh involvement and sacrifices in World War I. As proud and
loyal British Sikhs it is a matter of great offense and distress that a UK
Government could have been involved in planning an attack on our beloved Sri
Harmandir Sahib. This involvement has been hidden for too long and as
British Sikhs we now
demand to know the whole truth.”
The
Sikh Council UK is writing to First Secretary of State and Secretary of State
for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Rt Hon William Hague MP requesting an
urgent inquiry including full disclosure of all documents and facts in relation
to UK Government actions and involvement in the 1984 attack by the Indian Army
on the Golden Temple Complex including Sri Harmandir Sahib and Sri Akal Takhat
Sahib, Amritsar and subsequent events.
ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ ‘ਤੇ ਹਮਲੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਿਲੀ ਭੁਗਤ ਦਾ ਬ੍ਰਿਟਿਸ਼ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਪੂਰਾ ਖੁਲਾਸਾ ਦੇਵੇ
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