Sikhs demand Bluestar memorial

It was a mellowed protest by Sikh radicals who took out a march in Amritsar on Wednesday to commemorate  the 25th anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

Led by Dal Khalsa, about 200 people presented a memorandum to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandak Committee and demanded a memorial be built for those who were killed during the operation. No instigating slogans for Khalistan were raised.

Dal Khalsa secretary Kanwarpal Singh called the march “genocide remembrance”.  Singh said members of the Khalistan Action Committee and Damdami Taksal took part in the march. He said the community needed to pass on memories of Operation Bluestar to future generations which is why it was essential to have a memorial to pay respect to the dead.

The participants held a prayer meeting at the Akal Takht and demanded that the Centre enact a law to prevent violation of religious places. “Security forces must be barred from storming religious places,” Singh said.