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Before its destruction, the library contained rare books and manuscripts on Sikh religion, history, and culture. It also contained handwritten manuscripts of the [[Guru Granth Sahib]] and [[Hukmnama]]s containing signatures of [[Sikh Gurus]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> The library also held documents related to the [[Indian Independence Movement]].
==Destruction==
[[File:Sikh Reference Library Burned.jpg|thumb|right|There is controversy surrounding the government's version of events on what happened to historical manuscripts, books, and artifacts before the Sikh Reference Library was burned.]]
According to the [[Indian Army]] white paper on [[Operation Bluestar]], the library was destroyed on the night of June 5, 1984 in the midst of a firefight.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kaur|first1=Jaskaran|last2=Crossette|first2=Barbara|title=Twenty years of impunity: the November 1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India |page=16 |url=http://ensaaf-org.jklaw.net/publications/reports/20years/20years-2nd.pdf|edition=2nd|year=2006|publisher=Ensaaf|___location=Portland, OR|isbn=0-9787073-0-3}}</ref> However, according to [[V. M. Tarkunde]], the library was still intact on June 6 when the Army had gained control of the [[Golden Temple]], and was in fact burned down by the army at some point between June 6 and June 14.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Kaur|first1=Jaskaran|last2=Crossette|first2=Barbara|title=Twenty years of impunity: the November 1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India |page=16 |url=http://ensaaf-org.jklaw.net/publications/reports/20years/20years-2nd.pdf|edition=2nd|year=2006|publisher=Ensaaf|___location=Portland, OR|isbn=0-9787073-0-3}}</ref> Although the Indian Army has maintained that the library's contents were completely destroyed on June 5, the [[SGPC]] has contradicted their version of events. By using witness accounts, the [[SGPC]] has alleged that material from the library was taken in [[gunny sack]]s on military truck to Amritsar's Youth Club, a temporary office of the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]], and the empty library was burned by the army afterwards.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> At that ___location, the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] catalogued the materials until September of 1984, when in light of a Sikh convention being held in the city, the library's contents were moved to an undisclosed ___location.
==Coverup==
In 2003, Ranjit Nanda, a former inspector for the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]], turned [[whistleblower]] and revealed he was part of a five member team which scrutinized the documents at the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]]'s makeshift office at Amritsar's Youth Club.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> He revealed that officials from his department were "desperately looking for a purported letter written by [[Indira Gandhi]], the then Prime Minister, to [[Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale]]", and reported seeing letters from the other leaders addressed to Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> . Manjit Calcutta, a former secretary of the [[SGPC]], corroborated Nanda's version of events but further alleged that the army set the library "on fire in desperation when it failed to find the letter".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> Nanda further confirmed the [[SGPC]]'s version of events by describing how after inspecting each book and manuscript the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] packed the documents into 165 numbered gunny sacks and bundled the material into waiting army vehicles because of a meeting of Sikh high priests taking place at the time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> He also showed a letter from his superiors commending his work "during examination of documents from SGPC ".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm|title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=June 7, 2003|work=[[The Tribune]]|language=English|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref>
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