Acting Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on Tuesday announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will prepare a comprehensive record of all those who were allegedly killed, declared “unclaimed” and cremated without their bodies being returned to their families during Punjab’s militancy period between 1982 and 1995.
He said the records would become part of the official archives of the Akal Takht and directed the SGPC to contact affected families and collect information related to the victims.
The announcement was made during an Ardas (Sikh prayer) ceremony at Harike Pattan, organised by the Akal Takht in collaboration with the SGPC and Panthic organisations in memory of victims of alleged enforced disappearances, fake encounters and extra-judicial killings during the insurgency period.
‘Shaheedi Pattan Memorial’ to Be Built
Gargaj also directed the SGPC to establish a “Shaheedi Pattan Memorial” at Harike Pattan with support from the Sikh community.
He declared that the site, where Sikh youths were allegedly killed and their bodies dumped into rivers, would henceforth be known as “Sikh Shaheedi Pattan.”
“Where we are standing is known as Harike Pattan. There is a direction to the SGPC that a ‘Shaheedi Pattan’ memorial be built at Harike Pattan with the support of the entire Sikh community,” Gargaj said.
Ardas Remembers Victims and Jaswant Singh Khalra
Families of missing persons, Sikh leaders, human rights activists and members of the Sikh community attended the ceremony. It comes amid renewed attention on the Punjab militancy period following the controversy over the film Satluj, based on slain human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra.
During the Ardas, Gargaj remembered those who were cremated as “unclaimed” and those whose bodies were allegedly thrown into the Sutlej River and Rajasthan Feeder Canal at Harike.
He said, “While all enmity should end after death, the governments of the time violated fundamental human rights by declaring the bodies of Sikhs and Hindus as ‘unclaimed’ and denying them to their families.”
He also recalled that “countless young Sikhs were killed, dismembered and their remains dumped into the confluence of the Sutlej and Beas rivers at Harike, as well as into other rivers, canals and waterways across Punjab.”
Praying for justice, Gargaj sought strength for the Khalsa Panth to secure justice for the sons and daughters of Punjab and blessings for the families of those who lost their lives.
Says Ardas Was for Sikhs and Hindus
Addressing the gathering, Gargaj paid tribute to Jaswant Singh Khalra, describing him as “Qaumi Shaheed” (National Martyr) and “Lawaris Laashan Da Waris” (Guardian of the Unclaimed Bodies) for documenting alleged enforced disappearances and unidentified cremations.
Referring to BJP leader and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu’s appeal to remember Hindu victims as well, Gargaj said the prayers were not confined to one community.
“We are not speaking about any particular religion. We have come here to speak about human rights,” he said.
He also mentioned Gulshan Kumar, a Hindu from Tarn Taran whose body was allegedly thrown into the river, adding that “Sikhs always perform Ardas for Sarbat Da Bhala, not for any particular community.”
SGPC to Implement Directives
Speaking after the ceremony, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami said the committee would implement the Akal Takht’s directives and construct the Shaheedi Memorial, where the names of those regarded as martyrs would be inscribed.
Dhami said the SGPC would also compile a detailed record of all victims from the period and appealed to affected families and anyone possessing relevant information to come forward.
Paying tribute to Jaswant Singh Khalra, Dhami said, “Khalra fought tirelessly to secure justice for young Sikhs who were cremated after being declared ‘unclaimed’. In an attempt to silence him, the police abducted Khalra, tortured him, killed him and disposed of his body in a river.”
He added, “Jaswant Singh Khalra is a Panthic martyr who commands immense respect within the Sikh community.”
