Memorial Mantras

A 21st anniversary commemoration of Operation Bluestar held here on June 6 saw pro-Khalistan elements at the fore again after many years. Radical Sikh groups virtually hijacked the function at Harmandir Sahib, shouting slogans against the sad’s Parkash Singh Badal and Bibi Jagir Kaur for being "traitors to the panth". At the heart of it all is a controversial proposal by the sad-controlled sgpc to build a memorial ‘minar-e-shahidan’ to the ‘martyrs’ inside the temple complex. The Congress is against it since it’ll only serve as a source of embarrassment. They seem to have unlikely support from the radicals who want a martyrs gallery adjacent to the Akal Takht to be given memorial status.