PIL on fate of artifacts seized during Op Bluestar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 21

Describing himself as a devout Sikh, a Ludhiana resident has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court for directions to the SGPC to disclose the whereabouts and fate of manuscripts, religious books and other articles handed over to it by the Army, the CBI and the government.

These were seized during Operation bluestar from the Sikh Reference Library, Toshakhana, Central Sikh Museum and Guru Ramdas Library of the Golden Temple Complex and were duly received by it.

Petitioner Satinder Singh through counsel Gursharan K Mann also sought directions to the state, the Union of India and other respondents to prepare lists of the artifacts, manuscripts and literature removed by the Army on June 7, 1984. Directions were also sought for the preparation of another list of manuscripts, religious books and other articles returned to respondent SGPC before ensuring their restoration to the libraries, the Central Sikh Museum and Toshakhana in the Golden Temple Complex. The petitioner added these should then be made available to the public for ‘darshan’, reading and research purposes.

Mann said the casual attitude and inaction on part of the SGPC towards tracing the manuscripts, books and other articles received from the Army, CBI and others before these went missing was illegal, unjust and not sustainable in the eyes of law.

She said the SGPC neither conducted any inquiry nor lodged an FIR for the lost of rare manuscripts, books, hukumnamas, paintings and other items.

The petition was placed before the ench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli. Taking up the matter, the Bench fixed the case for November 7.

Gold ornaments among missing items

• The petitioner has submitted a list of items belonging to the Toshakhana and to the Central Sikh Museum, which includes 52 historical and 43 non-historical items 
• He said on June 13, 1984, Kailash Chand Sharma, treasury officer, Amritsar, was handed over gold and silver ornaments, precious stones and pearls, currency notes worth Rs 30, 93, 936, coins, etc
• On July 5, 1985, no less than 98 paintings, 14 photographs, four manuscripts were handed over to Mohan Singh of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Chandigarh