Sikh Reference Library: Difference between revisions

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[[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.]]

The '''Sikh Reference Library''' was a repository of over 1,500 rare manuscripts located in the [[Harmandir Sahib]] (Golden Temple) at [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] which was destroyed during [[Operation Blue Star]].<ref name="tribune_fire_2003">{{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 (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref> In 1984, the library's contents were confiscated by the [[Central Bureau of Investigation]] (CBI) and the empty building allegedly burned to the ground by the [[Indian Army]]. In recent years the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] (SGPC) has attempted to recover the looted material but has not yet recovered substantial materials. To date, the status of library manuscripts and artifacts is unclear; the vast majority remain in the hands of the government, a few office files and passports were returned, and as many as 117 items were destroyed for being "seditious" materials.<ref name="tribune_fire_2003" />

==Origin==

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==Destruction==

According to the [[Indian Army]] white paper on [[Operation Blue Star]], the library was destroyed on the night of June 5, 1984 in the midst of a firefight.<ref name="ensaaf_twenty_2006">{{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 [[Harmandir Sahib|Golden Temple]], and was in fact burned down by the army at some point between June 6 and June 14.<ref name="ensaaf_twenty_2006" /> 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 ofCBI Investigation]], and the empty library was burned by the army afterwards.<ref name="tribune_fire_2003" /> At that ___location, the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]]CB catalogued the materials until September 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|Central Bureau of Investigation]], (CBI) turned [[whistleblower]] and revealed he was part of a five member team which scrutinized the documents at the CBI's makeshift office at Amritsar's Youth Club.<ref name="tribune_fire_2003" /> 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 name="tribune_fire_2003" /> 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 name="tribune_fire_2003" /> Nanda further confirmed the SGPC's version of events by describing how after inspecting each book and manuscript the 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 name="tribune_fire_2003" /> He also showed a letter from his superiors commending his work "during examination of documents from SGPC ".<ref name="tribune_fire_2003" />

==Efforts to recover the material==

Since 1988, the SGPC has written to the [[Government of India|Central Government]] asking for the return of the material taken by the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] but has only received minor office files.<ref name="express_2009_george">{{cite news|url=http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/20000525/ina25042.html|title=George Fernandes admits Army removed items from Golden Temple during Operation B|date=May 25, 2000|publisher=Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.|accessdate=21 February 2011|___location=Bombay}}</ref>

On May 23, 2000 [[George Fernandes]] wrote to the SGPC Secretary, Gurbachan Singh Bachan, and acknowledged that the [[Indian Army]] had taken the books and other documents from the Sikh Reference Library and handed them over to the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]].<ref name="express_2009_george" /> He asked him to refer the matter to the [[Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (India)|Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions]], whose jurisdiction the CBI falls under.<ref name="express_2009_george" />

In a visit to [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab (India)|Punjab]] [[George Fernandes]] announced that the CBI had destroyed 117 "seditious" documents from the material taken from the Sikh Reference Library.<ref name="tribune_fire_2003" />

On March 25, 2003, [[A. P. J. Abdul Kalam]] made assurances that the books, documents, and manuscripts would be returned, however he took no further action.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-03-25/chandigarh/27269547_1_sgpc-harbeant-singh-kirpal-singh-badungar|title=Precious books will be returned: Kalam assures SGPC chief - The Times of India|last=Rana|first=Yudhvir|date=Mar 25, 2003|work=[[Indiatimes]]|accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref>

In April 26, 2004, the [[Punjab and Haryana High Court]] ordered the [[Government of India|Central Government]], [[Government of Punjab (India)|Government of Punjab]], and the [[Central Bureau of Investigation|CBI]] to return the "valuables, books, scriptures, paintings, etc, that were seized from the Golden Temple during “Operation Bluestar” in 1984".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040427/punjab1.htm#38|title=Material seized during Bluestar to be returned|work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|publisher=The Tribune|accessdate=21 February 2011|___location=Chandigarh}}</ref>

In February and May 2009, [[A. K. Antony]], defense minister of India, claimed in parliament that the Indian Army no longer had any material taken from the library.<ref name="dna_missing_2009">{{cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/special_sgpc-centre-spar-over-golden-temples-missing-manuscripts_1234589|title=SGPC, Centre spar over Golden Temple’s missing manuscripts - India - DNA|last=Bharadwaj|first=Ajay|date=Feb 27, 2009|work=[[Daily News and Analysis]]|accessdate=22 February 2011|___location=Chandigarh}}</ref><ref name="tribune_antony_2009">{{cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090522/punjab.htm#1|title=No Sikh reference books with us: Antony|last=Walia|first=Varinder|date=May 21, 2009|work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|publisher=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]|accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref> Various members of parliament and the SGPC criticized him for "misleading parliament".<ref name="dna_missing_2009" /><ref name="tribune_antony_2009" />