1999

January: Like 1997 and 1998, The Sikh Calendar created by Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer was published by Dr Awatar Singh Sekhon on behalf of The Educational Trust.

January: Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee published its Jantri for 1999 which included the dates of the Hindus. It has been criticized by several Sikh institutions of Punjab and outside Punjab (Awaze Qaum International).

WASHINGTON, DC, January : Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, today condemned the recent attacks on Christian churches, schools, and prayer halls.  Since Christmas (December 25), there have been at least 10 of these attacks. "Sikhs are taught to oppose injustice wherever it occurs," Dr. Aulakh said.   "These attacks show that India's claims of secularism and religious tolerance are a fraud," he said. "For Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, and others, there is no religious freedom in India," he said.

Christians are not the only victims.  The Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, the most revered mosque in Uttar Pradesh, was destroyed by Hindu mobs affiliated with the BJP.  The BJP proposes building a Hindu temple on the site.  The Darbar Sahib Complex (Golden Temple Complex), the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion, was desecrated by the Indian army in its 1984 military-style attack. Plainclothes police still patrol the Darbar Sahib Complex more than fourteen years later, despite the campaign promises of the Akali Dal government.

the suffering will continue.

" President's New Year Message to the Sikh Nation

Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council of Khalistan

On the 300th Birth Anniversary of the Khalsa Panth, We Must Unite to Establish Khalsa Raj Freedom for Khalistan is the Most Important Issue. This year is a very important year for the Sikh Nation. No Sikh can deny supporting Khalsa Raj.  Every morning and evening we pray before the Guru, "Raj Karega Ga Khalsa."  Sikhs who do not support Khalsa Raj are hypocrites who are lying to the Guru.  Political power is the sine qua non for the survival of any nation.

As Narinder Singh, a spokesman for the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), told National Public Radio (USA) in July 1997, "The Indian government, all the time they boast that they are democratic, they are secular, but they have nothing to do with democracy, they have nothing to do with secularism.  They kill Sikhs just to please the majority."  What is happening to the Christians now happens to the Sikh Nation on a regular basis.

The Akali leadership is under the control of the Indian government.  The BJP openly advocates "Hindu, Hindi, Hindutva, Hindu Rashtra."  The BJP wants to suppress all other religions, whether Sikhism, Christianity, Islam, or any other.  They want to wipe out these religions in India just as Buddhism was wiped out in the land of Buddha's birth.  How can the Akali Dal, which is supposed to represent the independent Sikh Nation, be allied with this fanatical Hindu party?

11^th January: What Scholars? What Sikhs? Sardar Gurcharan Singh [ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ] wrote that "We read with great sadness that some Sikhs have chosen to lash out at Sikhism in a public manner. It is reported that Neki is of the opinion that he does not necessarily believe in the concept of pangat as stated by the hukamnama. This (is) very unfortunate that they have chosen to say this in USA and not  in the Punjab where perhaps people like him could be put straight. It is foolish to describe Neki as a Sikh Scholar since he is not a scholar of Sikhism in any form whatsoever. He is a medical doctor who has a layman’s interest in Sikhism. Similarly, The ‘Professor’ in Darshan Singh (the sacked Jathedar of the Akal Takht) and Manjit Singh (the former acting Jathedar) are all imitations of the best type.  Neither have any qualities or qualifications of any level of ‘Professorship’. Both these (jathedars) and Mr. Neki have little to add to the scholarship in Sikhism. Their presence at the Arizona meeting was akin to the status of a one-eyed in the company of blind men. The Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Bhai Ranjit Singh may care to take note that Manjit Singh and Darshan Singh have met the ex-communicated people from British Colombia and as such as liable to be ex-communicated themselves.  It is a shame that Manjit Singh had to attend the conference in Phoenix, Arizona with two Phoenix policemen. It is reported that the ex-communicated people are posing themselves as "leaders’ of 350,000 Sikhs of Canada. Being a Canadian let this be known that these and such people are not my leaders and please don’t insult the Sikhs by implying that they can be led by such people (www.burningpunjab.com; your views).

Singh Sahib Bhai Ranjit Singh's Visa cancellation - Tohra sees plot

Amritsar - Gurcharan Singh Tohra, SGPC president said that the visa of Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, had been canceled under a "deep-rooted" conspiracy. In a written press note issued here today, Tohra alleged that the lobby in the USA which had been working against the "hukamnama" (edict) on "langar" did not want Singh Sahib Bhai Ranjit Singh to visit the country. Mr Tohra demanded that the visa should be re-issued to Bhai Ranjit Singh at the earliest. Burning Punjab News Bureau (www.burningpunjab.com; 10^th January, 1999)

To this day the Badal Government refuses to investigate the genocide of the Sikhs.  As U.S. Congressman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) said, "The mere fact that they have the right to choose their oppressors does not mean they live in a democracy." Today Punjab police continue to rape and murder innocent Sikhs.  Cowardly butchers like SSP Sumedh Saini, SSP Swaran Ghotna (who murdered Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke), and even K.P.S. Gill enjoy high praise from Badal while men of conscience like human-rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and others remain forgotten. How can the Akali leadership close their eyes to the disappearance of over 50,000 Sikhs?  How can they not arrest the police officers who murdered Khalra and Jathedar Kaunke?  There are police witnesses to both of these murders, yet the Akalis choose to ignore them.  How can they claim to represent the Sikh Nation?

The recent attacks on Christians show the desperation of the Indian rulers.  They know that India is collapsing.  It is not a single country, but a polyglot accumulation of many nations living under one rule.  Like its ally, the former Soviet Union, its breakup is inevitable.

The Indian government has killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947. It has also murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988 and tens of thousands of other religious and ethnic minorities. The most revered mosque in India has been destroyed to build a Hindu temple. Police murdered the highest Sikh spiritual and religious leader, Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, and human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. There are police witnesses to both of these crimes. The U.S. State Department reported that between 1992 and 1994 the Indian government paid more than 41,000 cash bounties to police for killing Sikhs. Plainclothes police continue to occupy the Golden Temple. There have been more than 200 reported atrocities against Sikhs since the Akali/Dal/BJP government took power in March 1997, THE WASHINGTON TIMES, JAN. 18, 1999; Dr Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council of Khalistan.

19th January: Dr Sekhon issued a press release, “Punjab, Khalistan (under the slavery of the Hindu Indian Empire): Figures of the Genocides (Charhdi Kala, 27th January, 1999).

January 19, 1999: CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, as you know, there has been a recent wave of attacks by Hindu Nationalists on Christian churches, prayer halls, and schools. This has followed the killings of priests, the raping of four nuns by a Hindu mob described by the Hindu Nationalist VHP as`patriotic youth.' Just this week, more churches have been attacked. No action has been taken to stop the religious violence. This situation has made it clear to the world that India's claims of democracy and secularism are fraudulent.

In this light, it was encouraging to see a letter in the January 18 issue of the Washington Times by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, that addresses this issue. We all know Dr. Aulakh to be a tough and fair advocate of independence for the Sikhs in Khalistan, who have also come under the tyranny of Indian `secularism.' I would recommend to my colleagues that they read Dr. Aulakh's letter. It will give them a lot of information on the reality of religious repression in India. As Dr. Aulakh wrote, `These attacks show that religious freedom in India is a myth.'

Christians, Sikhs, and Muslims have suffered at the hands of India's ruling elite. As the letter shows, they are all being murdered by the Indian government. That government has paid more than 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs.

U.S. Congress Seeks Visa for Jathedar, Denial is Wake-Up Call to Sikh Nation Washington DC: -A bipartisan group of 24 Members of the U.S. Congress have written a letter to the Commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Doris Meissner, urging the INS to approve a visa for Sri Singh Sahib Bhai Ranjit Singh, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht.  The Jathedar of the Akal Takht is the highest religious and spiritual leader of the Sikh Nation.  The Members of Congress wrote that "his status in Sikhism is similar to that of the Pope.  This would be his first trip to America."  He was planning to visit Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) around the United States. Bhai Ranjit Singh’s previous U.S. visa was canceled.

NOTE:"The Sikh Nation and the Sikhs of America thank these Members of Congress for their support," said Dr. Aulakh. "Bhai Ranjit Singh was apparently denied a visa because he has served time in an Indian jail," the Members of Congress wrote.  "By that standard, President Mandela of South Africa, President Havel of the Czech Republic, Yasser Arafat, Gerry Adams, Natan Scharansky, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and others should also be barred.  Obviously, we do not want to bar these individuals from visiting America.  Why is the Jathedar of the Akal Takht different?"

"This is a wake-up call to the Sikh Nation," said Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. "Every Sikh realizes that we are slaves in our homeland under the occupation of the Indian government," said Dr Aulakh. "The denial of Bhai Ranjit Singh’s visa is an insult to the Akal Takht and thus to the whole Sikh Nation.  Only a sovereign, independent Khalistan will bring back proper dignity and respect to the Akal Takht Sahib and to the Sikh Nation," he said.  "This is an opportunity for the whole Sikh Nation to unite and start a Shantmai Morcha (peaceful agitation) to free Khalistan," said Dr. Aulakh.  "Nations which do not have political power perish.  We are moving towards that fate.  If we do not change our course now, we will lose all our dignity and respect," he said.

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January 22, TEXT OF THE CONGRESSMEN'S LETTER

Dear Commissioner Meissner:

We are writing to you to express our concern about the decision of the INS not to grant a visa waiver to Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar of the Akal Takht.  The Jathedar of the Akal Takht is the highest religious and spiritual leader of the Sikh Nation.  His status in Sikhism is comparable to that of the Pope.  Half a million Sikhs in the United States have been waiting for the Jathedar.  This would be his first trip to America.

Bhai Ranjit Singh was apparently denied a visa because he has served time in an Indian jail.  By that standard, President Mandela of South Africa, President Havel of the Czech Republic, Yasser Arafat, Gerry Adams, Natan Scharansky, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and others should also be barred from this country.  Obviously, we do not want to bar these individuals from visiting America.  Why is the Jathedar of the Akal Takht different?

Commissioner Meissner, we urgently request that you grant a visa to Bhai Ranjit Singh so that he can begin his visit to Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) in the United States as soon as possible. Sincerely, Signed by 24 Congressmen

CANADIAN OFFICIAL HOLD TALKS WITH TAKHT CHIEF

Amritsar: A two-member team of the Canadian High Commission visited the Darbar Sahib Complex (Golden Temple and the Akal Takht, Golden Temple Complex) here on Thursday with a view to apprising itself of the Sikh tradition of partaking ``langar’’. According to SGPC sources here, the high commission team would be submitting a report to the Canadian government about the ``langar’’ tradition which had become controversial after the Takht ``hukamnama’’ (edict) about it in October. The ``hukamnama’’ had made it mandatory for all Sikhs to partake ``langar’’ squatting on the floor. A section of Sikhs in Canada, however, defied the Takht edict which caused a conflict among the devotees abroad. The high commission officials reportedly apprised the Takht jathedar and other SGPC officials about the tension generated by the edict. They also held discussions with senior SGPC general secretary Manjit Singh Calcutta. Mr Calcutta introduced the officials to the ``langar’’ tradition and apprised them of the circumstances that led to the issuing of the edict. Mr Calcutta expressed concern over the fact that many Sikh leaders who had not been violating the religious tenets, managed to capture many gurdwaras in Canada. He told the high commission officials that it were such ``apostate’’ Sikhs with vested interests who were creating tension in Canada. The two members were Chris Cooter, first secretary, and James J. Carrick, a foreign service officer. The team also held discussions on the Khalsa tercentenary celebrations to be held in April next. Similar functions are scheduled to be organized in Canada for which devotees from here would go to participate.

JANUARY 25: Akal Takht summons Barjinder Hamdard and Jathedar Manjit Singh  Amritsar: In a significant move of far reaching consequences, the Akal Takht Jathedar, Singh Sahib Bhai Ranjit Singh after considering other Singh Sahibans issued summons to the Takht Keshgarh Sahib Jathedar, Prof. Manjit Singh and Ajit newspaper owner and editor, Barjinder Singh Hamdard for violating various hukamnamas issued time to time from Akal Takht. Both were directed to appear before Akal Takht on February 11, 1999 at 11 am. This was perhaps first time in the history of the Khalsa community that the  supreme temporal seat of Sikh community has summoned a jathedar itself for violating religious edict. It is pertinent to mention that Prof. Manjit Singh is jathedar of Sri Keshgarh Sahib,  a Takht from where tenth guru  Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib formed Khalsa Brotherhood (www.burningpunjab.com).

Edict cannot be withdrawn - World Sikh Council, Chandigarh: In a significant move, World Sikh Council came out against the move to reconsider the hukamnama [edict] issued by Akal Takht on December 31, 1998 and termed the appeal by members of the SGPC to reconsider it as "harmful"; stating that according to traditions, a hukamnama issued by Akal Takht cannot be withdrawn

Australia expresses shock,  New Delhi: Australia conveyed its deep shock and concern to the Indian Government over the killing of the Australian missionary and his two sons in Orissa. Australian High Commissioner in India, Mr. Rob Laurie spoke to Union Home Secretary B. P. Singh and conveyed his country’s concern about the gruesome incident. Bombay Christians voice anguish over killing of the Australian missionary and his two sons.

Mr Didar Singh Bains, a United States’ farmer and former president of WSO (International), who had turned his back to the Sikh nation’s struggle to Regain the Lost Sovereignty and Independence, called on Akal Takht jathedar. The Jathedar, however, reportedly refused to entertain Jaswant Singh Mann, a former secretary of WSC, who accompanied Didar Singh Bains. 

Tohra again urges Badal to give up the presidency of his faction of Akali Dal

Didar Singh Bains went to see Singh Sahib Bhai Ranjit Singh and then spoke about Hukumnama about langar. But in his gurudwara at Terra Buena, Yuba city,  people still serve lungar on chairs. His gurudwara and Bough road gurudwara management refuse to pick(remove) chairs, and allow shoes in lungar. He (Bains) is a big traitor. Both gurudwaras though having their by laws in accordance to Akal Takhat, but refuse to obey Akal Takhat ["happy singh" ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ); www.burningpunjab.com]. 

Mann condemns crusade against website 'Burning Punjab'

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal [Amritsar] president, Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann has condemned the disinformation campaign launched by the Punjab Police against web-site Burning Punjabí. Sardar Mann said that the Intelligence wing of the State police was using a press-reporter based at Amritsar for planting baseless news-items. The sole purpose behind this nefarious exercise, Sardar Mann said, was to provoke Sikhs towards militarism.

Beware of  Butchers, Mr. Badal. Chandigarh: Sikh community would hang its head in shame to know how Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has offered plum postings to those officers who butchered Sikhs during the days of militancy in Punjab. Not only this when web-site Burning Punjabí exposed the uncouth and corrupt faces of such officers a calculated campaign was launched against it by planting false and fabricated news-items in national and regional papers. Surprisingly, Jagjit Puri, who is the Director Public Relations of Parkash Singh Badal, and Puran Chand Dogra, Director General of Punjab Police have joined hands in the crusade against Burning Punjabi. The endeavour of web-site Burning Punjab in exposing these corrupt and anti-Sikh officers was to alert Parkash Singh Badal against such officers. Yet, Badal for reasons best known to him, preferred to shield these corrupt officers. Thus a conspiracy  was hatched against web-site Burning Punjab. Interestingly, the then Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh shunted out Jagjit Puri from CMs secretariat when he got a plot from the then Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal. Perhaps, Beant Singh apprehended that Jagjit Puri may pass on his secrets to Bhajan Lal. But alas! The same Jagjit Puri was picked up by Parkash Singh Badal as his Director, Public Relations so that the misdeeds of his halmi  raj should not go out.

26^th January, 1999:Police tout snubbed by Khalistanis 

 Toronto - Jatinder Pannu, who is a known Punjab Police informer and associated editor of  Punjabi daily ‘Nava Jamana’ was snubbed and the function on which he was speaking was halted here by the activists of International Sikh Youth Federation and Babbar Khalsa International. According to eye-witnesses the incident took place when Jatinder Pannu  at the function organized by Weekly paper ‘Nagara’ spoke in favour of  Indian Government and Punjab Police while criticizing Sikh movement. Khalistani supporters objected to it , resulting in  open exchange of chairs etc. (www.burningpunjab.com; Gurdwara Gazette, Auugust 1998; Charhdi Kala, 27th January, 1999).

Badal, Ranjit Singh should mend fences

25th January: JALANDHAR - The convenor of the North America Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), Didar Singh Bains, while trying to play the role of a broker between the Supreme Seat of the Sikh Polity, Akal Takht Sahib, and Prakash Singh Badal, said that the Akal Takht Jathedar, Bhai Ranjit Singh and Chief Minster P. S. Badal were supreme in their religious and political domains, respectively. Bains urged them to come on a joint platform for tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa on April 13. Bains also appealed to Bhai Ranjit Singh to sink his differences with the other two jathedars, Jathedar Manjit Singh and Bhai Kewal Singh -- till April 13.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Bains also shot down the contention of Narinder Singh Hundal calling himself president of the North America SAD (Badal), and the two "general secretaries". He dubbed them "self-styled" office bearers of the party. He said that Hundal was merely one of the 13 members of the committee constituted by him as a convenor of the party in North America. "Elections are still to be held," he claimed. Bains, who has been in the midst of a controversy following his statement that the Akal Takht edict of December 31 could not be reviewed, said that he considered the Akal Takht supreme. However, Bains said that the other edict by the Akal Takht jathedar on langar maryada issue should not be forced upon the Sikh community in North American countries. He said the proper method was to motivate and inspire people to agree to partake langar on floor instead of the current practice of partaking it on tables and chairs.

However, he hastened to add that Akal Takht edict was supreme for him and that they were trying to convince people in American gurdwaras to partake langar on floor (see above Happy Singh’s message on the Gurdwara in Bains’ own town of Yuba City).

He described as "political" the ongoing feud between SGPC president, G.S. Tohra and Punjab CM P.S. Badal. He added that politics should not be allowed to cloud the grand celebrations of the birth of Khalsa. He said he would appeal to Bhai Ranjit Singh and Badal to make a joint programme for the celebrations.

Asked if he still believed in the agenda of the World Sikh Organization, of which he was a founder chairman and whose first objective was creation of a separate Sikh state, Bains said the majority of Punjabi population within Punjab as well as in North American countries did not favour a separate Sikh homeland. He said he was still a member of the WSO but evaded pointed reply to the query whether the Khalistan agenda should be dropped from the WSO Constitution. "If people in Punjab want it, let them attain it. But I feel the majority is no longer for a separate Sikh state," he opined. "We do not believe in violence. Punjab is peaceful now," he said and made an appeal to the Sikh community to collect with enthusiasm in large numbers for the tercentenary celebrations at Anandpur Sahib. He said he was mobilizing the Punjabis living in the USA and Canada to come to Anandpur Sahib. He said the Punjabi NRIs in North America had already made a contribution of $ 2.50 lakh ($250,000) towards the Anandpur Sahib foundation (Indian Express News Jan 26). Note: Mr Bains must answer the meaning of the Dohra (Raj Karega Khalsa...) or couplet which is sung/repeated after every prayer even in Mr Bains’s Guurdwara and other Sikh places of worship (Guurdwaras).

25th January: The Right Honourable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada, on his visit to Auschwitz, Poland, together with a Holocaust survivor and leaders of Canada’s Jewish community, beheld the chilling mementoes left by Nazi Germany’s Final Solution. The prime minister and his entourage were overwhelmed by the stark horror of the Auschwitz extermination camp in what was once German-occupied Poland. ‘It cannot happen again,’ said Chretien at Auschwitz (National Post, 25th January, 1999; Newsworld, CBC 05:00 hrs, 25th January, 1999).  In June, 1984, right after ‘Operation Bluestar’, open grounds cordoned off by barbed wire in almost every village in Punjab, Khalistan, became concentration camps, guarded by the Hindu India’s armed personnel. In these open camps were  kept the Sikhs village folks, without shoes and clothing, in the burning heat of the sun (temperatures ranging from 35-44 C). The authors only wish that the Heads of State would go to the Punjab, Khalistan, villages and ask these poor villagers what happened to them in June-August, 1984.

India Continues to Restrict Religious Freedom