The Sikh hardliner group Dal Khalsa has called for an Amritsar bandh on June 6 to mark the 40th anniversary of Operation Blue Star, the military action on the Golden Temple and other Sikh gurdwaras in the first week of June 1984.
Dal Khalsa has placed hoardings and posters throughout the city in remembrance of the attack, which took place between June 1 and 6, 1984. Youth activists have distributed pamphlets among the public to garner support for the bandh.
Acting President Paramjit Singh Mand announced that a Holocaust remembrance parade will be held in the city on the evening of June 5. He stated that the bandh is intended to protest against the killing of hundreds of innocent pilgrims and the demolition of the Akal Takht.
Mand appealed to the non-Sikh population of Amritsar to empathize with the Sikh community and show solidarity by closing their business premises. “It is time for the Hindu community to show their solidarity with the aggrieved Sikhs,” he said.
The bandh call is aimed only at shutting down business, commercial, and educational institutions, without affecting transportation, medical services, or traffic. “The pain of the attack is still fresh, and the wounds are still simmering,” Mand said.
He argued that the Indian state sought a military solution to what was essentially a political problem in Punjab, leading to the alienation of Sikhs from the Indian mainstream.
Mand also cautioned the potential winners of the Lok Sabha elections to avoid visiting the Darbar Sahib between June 4 and 6 to celebrate their victory, as it would be tantamount to rubbing salt into Sikh wounds.
