The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said here today that peace and communal harmony in Punjab ‘is not only the top priority but the most sacred mission’ for the SAD BJP Government. “We are fully alive to our constitutional and moral obligation in this regard and we are here to fulfill that. No one will be allowed to threaten these sacred goals,” said Badal. Speaking on the floor of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha during the budget session, Badal struck a strong personal emotional note and said, “Peace and communal harmony in Punjab is a matter of sacred faith for me and I am committed to defend it with my life. Even if I have to shed the last drop of my blood for peace and communal harmony in the state, I will consider that a part of my religious duty and will be proud of that. This is my sacred commitment to the people of Punjab.” The Chief Minister said that he considered the restoration of peace and communal harmony in Punjab as his greatest achievement. “Its preservation in future also is my most cherished goal and mission,” he said. Speaking about what he described as “the unpleasant and dangerous controversy created by the Congress party over a religious monument at Sachkhand Shri Harmandar Sahib to commemorate the tragic army assault in June 1984”, Badal said that the Congress objections to the monument to the army assault on the Golden Temple in June 1984, Badal described the Congress act as “highly ill advised and totally avoidable. With this act, the party is trying to disturb the hard earned atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the state.” This, he said, was extremely unfortunate, dangerous and deplorable.Talking about the monument, Badal said that the matter was considered by eminent scholars and thinkers and their decision was that the monument should be a “a shrine ( Gurdwara Sahib) within the precincts of the Holy Shri Harmandar Sahib. The pine presence of Holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib will grace this shrine to symbolize the spread of the message of peace, communal harmony and human brotherhood throughout the country and the world.” Tracing the background of the tragedy of June 1984 and the decision of the religious bodies to set up a monument, Badal said Sachkhand Shri Harmandar Sahib is the fountainhead of spiritual bliss for the whole mankind. From here flow unending melodious ‘songs celestial’ spreading the fragrance of love and human brotherhood and unity and harmony to people from all religions and all walks of life all over the world. The pine beauty of this supreme spiritual seat of Eternal Truth is captured in the holy line: “ Dithe sabhe thao nahin tudh jehia”…Most painfully and shockingly, the Congress government at the Center in 1984 ordered and carried out a brutal army assault on this house of God which spreads eternal human love and spiritual peace and bliss all around. This exceedingly painful event not only left deep wounds on the psyche of the Sikh masses but also outraged all right thinking people all over the country and the world.The Chief Minister quoted eminent national figures like former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, senior leaders George Fernandes and Madhu Dandvate to highlight the tragic short-sightedness in the decision to mount an army assault on Darbar Sahib and said that this exceedingly painful event not only left deep wounds on the psyche of the Sikh masses but also outraged all right thinking people all over the country and the world.
Following Is The Text Of The CM’s Statement On The Floor Of The House:
I have been deeply pained by the unpleasant and dangerous controversy created by the Congress party over a religious monument being built within the sacred precincts of Sachkhand Shri Harmandar Sahib to commemorate the tragic army assault on this holiest of holy shrine in June 1984. The decision of the Congress party in this regard is highly ill advised and totally avoidable. With this act, the party is trying to disturb the hard earned atmosphere of peace and communal harmony in the state. This is indeed extremely unfortunate, dangerous and deplorable. Sachkhand Shri Harmandar Sahin is the fountainhead of spiritual bliss for the whole mankind. From here flow unending melodious ‘songs celestial’ spreading the fragrance of love and human brotherhood and unity and harmony to people form all religions and all walks of life all over the world. The pine beauty of this supreme spiritual seat of Eternal Truth is captured in the holy line: “ Dithe sabhe thao nahin tudh jehia”…Most painfully and shockingly, the Congress government at the center in 1984 ordered and carried out a brutal army assault on this house of God which spreads eternal human love and spiritual peace and bliss all around. This exceedingly painful event not only left deep wounds on the psyche of the Sikh masses but also outraged all right thinking people all over the country and the world. This is reflected in the words which statesmen of that time used to describe their reactions to this assault. Late Prime Minister Shri Chander Shekhar said:” The Government of India had taken a lead in murdering the soul of humanity by sending forces inside the Golden Temple and mounting an attack on the holiest shrine of the Sikhs.” According to Shri George Fernandes and Shri Madhu Dandvate, “ The Government had not only pided the people but also eroded the values f secularism through this act.” This Saka is all the more painful because it happened at a place which binds people of all religions and communities in single embrace of love and human brotherhood. The Holy Shrine has four doors which symbolize the Gurus’ message: Updesh chonh varna ko..” and “Sabhe Sanjhivaal sadain..” The pine place is graced by the presence of Holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib which contains the sacred hymns of saints, seers and sages of all religions and communities, apart from the holy Bani of the Gurus. Because of this universality and the significance of this holy place, an assault on this was condemned not only by the Sikh community but by all right thinking people form all communities. It has long been felt that this Saka needed to be commemorated through a symbol that should carry forward the Gurus’ message of peace, universal love, human brotherhood and communal harmony to the entire world. Many eminent and highly respected scholars and thinkers considered the matter in depth and in great detail . After deep deliberations, these eminent persons decided that a memorial to the Saka should symbolize the spiritual values and the message of love and human brother hood as preached by the great Gurus, saints, seers and sages of all religions and all communites. These eminent scholars also decided that in form and message, the monument should be kept beyond the realm of any ideological differences or unnecessary controversies. Accordingly, as per their wishes, the monument is to be a shrine ( Gurdwara Sahib) within the precincts of the Holy Shri Harmandar Sahib. The pine presence of Holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib will grace this shrine to symbolize the spread of the message of peace, communal harmony and human brotherhood throughout the country and the world. also wish to reiterate and emphasize that Shiromani Akali Dal has always remained in the forefront in defending and preserving the unity and integrity of the country and it has always championed the cause of peace and communal harmony in Punjab and the rest of the country. The period of Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janata Party Governments in Punjab has been an era of peace and harmony. I am proud to say that even today, when the rest of the country is afflicted by violence and anarchy, Punjab remains the most peaceful state and an oasis of human brotherhood. The Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janata Party Government is deeply committed to preserve and promote this atmosphere of peace and communal harmony. No one will be allowed to disturb this peace. Whereas the SAD-BJP Government is fully alive to its obligation in this regard, I also wish to speak from my heart and share with my people what peace and communal harmony means to me personally and as their representative. I consider the restoration of peace and communal harmony in Punjab as my greatest achievement. Its preservation in future also is my most cherished goal and mission. Peace and communal harmony in Punjab is a matter of sacred faith for me and I am committed to defend it with my life. Even if I have to shed the last drop of my blood for peace and communal harmony in Punjab, I will consider that a part of my religious duty and will be proud of that. This is my sacred commitment to the people of Punjab.