In a stirring display of solidarity and resilience, the Sikh community, led by Giani Raghbir Singh,  Jathedar Akal Takht, and Dal Khalsa activists, gathered at the Akal Takht to mark two somber years since the shocking sacrilege attempt at Darbar Sahib on this day 18 December 2021. This gathering, transcending mere remembrance, emerged as a powerful call for justice and strength. WSN reports.

Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, embodying the community’s persistent quest for answers and accountability, implored divine intervention to reveal the culprits behind the heinous act when in 2021, an unknown person jumped the rails and attempted to desecrate the holiest of holy spots inside the sanctum sanctorum of Darbar Sahib -Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Dal Khalsa activists also staged a peaceful sit-in outside the Golden Temple complex. Their protest, a poignant hour of reflection, underscored the government of India’s failure to unmask those responsible for the sacrilege and exposed the inadequacies of the police investigation

As devout Sikhs, the congregation implored Akal Purakh to reveal the identities and intentions of those behind the sacrilege and to provide divine strength to our future generations in their pursuit of justice.

Today’s Ardas is not only a remembrance but also a unified call for strength and perseverance till justice is done.

Singh Sahib Giani Raghbir Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht

Harpal Singh Cheema, Dal Khalsa’s president, and spokesman Paramjit Singh Mand voiced their concerns, describing the incident as a direct attack on the Sikh community, executed indirectly.

“The deliberate and calculated nature of this act, along with recent extrajudicial killings of Sikh leaders in Canada, the placing of the release of Sikh political prisoners’ order of 2019 on the back burner, suggests a concerted covert attempt to attack and undermine the Sikh community on all fronts at every level,” said party president Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema.

They drew connections to broader patterns of aggression against Sikhs, including extrajudicial transnational killings and the neglect of Sikh political prisoners. These actions, they argued, paint a picture of a targeted campaign against the community.

“The lack of progress in the investigation and the heightened targeting of Sikhs post the farmers’ movement indicate a possible collusion of various powerful entities, including elements of India’s deep state and Hindutva ideologues inimical to Sikh values and rights.”

Kanwar Pal Singh, another leader of the party, highlighted the inefficacy of the investigation, even with advanced biometric technologies at the disposal of the Punjab Police. The continued anonymity of the accused casts doubt on the sincerity and efficiency of the authorities involved.

Paramjit Singh Mand shed light on the concept of the “deep state”, an opaque power structure transcending political changes, believed to be actively working against Sikh interests. This, coupled with the recent international censure of India’s actions, offers a disturbing glimpse into the challenges faced by the Sikh community.

Explaining the secretive nature of the “deep state”, party spokesperson Paramjit Singh Mand said it consists of a secretive power structure and a parallel system of governance comprising the political leadership, bureaucracy, and the secret cells of the police, paramilitary, military, and intelligence network with unquestionable powers and unaudited budgets.

Such a network exists in all governments across the world, he said, and added that Dal Khalsa believed that after the attack on Darbar Sahib in June 1984, a Shadow Network is persisting across governments -irrespective of the political party in power, which indulges in conspiracies to pursue a defined anti-Sikh agenda locally and globally.

Former head H S Dhami stressed the international repercussions of these actions, urging the global Sikh community to recognize and confront these covert forces. He lamented India’s transition from a celebrated democracy to an authoritarian state, highlighting the implications for minority rights and freedoms.

“Luckily for the Sikhs, recent developments across the world including the US indictment and USCIRF asking the State Department to designate India as a country of particular concern, Canada saying that it has credible evidence on the floor of the Canadian Parliament have laid bare these nefarious designs. Another feature that lends credence to this is the transition of India from the much-touted largest democracy in the world to an authoritarian majoritarian state,” he added.

The protesters questioned the credibility and effectiveness of police investigation and intelligence. Holding placards they termed the sacrilege as a state-sponsored stealthy attack on Guru Granth and Guru Panth.

Dal Khalsa’s impassioned plea for justice and recognition of these grave incidents by the authorities reflects a community united against injustice and determined to safeguard its rights and dignity.