Over Seas
British Links with June 1984 attack – Voices for Freedom Calls for Impartial, Transparent and Independent Inquiry
January 24, 2014 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau
New York, USA (January 24, 2014): The Voices For Freedom (VFF) has sought an impartial and transparent war crime inquiry based on the declassified government documents showing British involvement in preparation of the June 1984 attack. VFF has expressed shock over recent revelations.
It may be recalled that Britain’s latest declassified government documents have revealed correspondence between former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in planning the attack on Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib Complex), India in June 1984. According to the document, UK Prime Minister authorized Britain’s Special Air Services (SAS) to assist Indian army “for the removal of Sikh extremists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar” in February 1984.
The letter dated February 23, 1984, nearly four months before the incident in Amritsar, titled ‘Sikh Community’, reads; “ The Foreign Secretary decided to respond favourably to the Indian request and, with the Prime Minister’s agreement, an SAD officer has visited India and drawn up a plan which has been approved by Mrs Gandhi. The Foreign Secretary believes that the Indian Government may put the plan into operation shortly.”
The involvement of Britain comes as a shocking news to Sikhs around the world.
The declassified document also states, “An operation by the Indian authorities at the Golden Temple could, in the first instance, exacerbate the communal violence in Punjab. It might also, therefore, increase tension in the Indian community here, particular if knowledge of the SAS involvement were to become public. We have impressed upon the Indians the need for security; and the knowledge of the SAS officer’s visit and of his plan has been tightly held both in India and in London.”
The year of 1984 was the bloodiest episode in modern Sikh history when the Indian Army attacked and killed thousands of Sikhs in the Golden Temple over a period of six days. The attack took place between the 1st and 6th of June, chosen with the martyrdom day of the fifth guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev. The Indian Government specifically chose these days as they expected maximum number of Sikh pilgrims to be present in the shrine at that time. The Army attack killed thousands of innocent pilgrims, including women and children who were brutally done to death. The physical structure of Akal Takhat Sahib was destroyed by Indian Army. Thousands of Sikh artifacts containing several rare Sikh manuscripts and historical documents were also destroyed. Later, dead bodies of those killed inside were carried away in municipal dump trucks and burnt in piles using kerosene oil. After this attack, the government failed to provide any post mortem reports, compensation to the relatives of the innocent people, or list of people killed. Thousands of bodies were disposed of silently as till today there is no account available of the people present in the temple during the attack.
In the months following June 1984, thousands of Sikhs were massacred across dozens of cities throughout India confirming it to be a planned genocide. From past 30 years, Sikhs have been struggling to get justice and to make the perpetrators of this heinous crime accountable.
David Cameron, Prime Minister, UK, has asked his cabinet secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, to conduct an urgent investigation as to Britains involvement in 1984 attack. Victims of this crime have a right to obtain justice, and governments from both the countries should maintain transparency and reveal all information for the pursuit of justice.
To Get Sikh Siyasat News Alerts via WhatsApp:
(1) Save Our WhatsApp Number 0091-855-606-7689 to your phone contacts; and
(2) Send us Your Name via WhatsApp. Click Here to Send WhatsApp Message Now.
Sikh Siyasat is on Telegram Now. Subscribe to our Telegram Channel
Related Topics: David Cameron, June 1984 attack on Sikhs, Margaret Thatcher, Operation Blue Star, Sikhs in United Kingdom, UK and June 1984 attack on Sikhs, Voices for Freedom
Leave a Reply
Listen Live Kirtan from Darbar Sahib (Amritsar)
Get Sikh Siyasat’s Android App
IMPORTANT DOCUMENT:
