London, UK - Narinderjit Singh, General Secretary of the Sikh Federation (UK), announced at the Annual International Sikh Convention that an international campaign concerning the Sikh Reference Library would be launched on the 300th anniversary of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
During the 1984 Indian army assault on the Darbar Sahib Complex the army plundered the Bhai Santokh Singh Sikh Reference Library .The Sikh Reference Library contained some of the most important manuscripts relevant to Sikh history. These included rare books, priceless hukamnamas, some bearing the signatures of the Gurus themselves.
There were about 150 important copies of the Sikh scriptures. One copy made by Bhai Hardas, a copyist in the office of Guru Gobind Singh in 1696, was historically important and theologically indispensable. Some manuscripts had been preserved by collectors for over three centuries. These manuscripts, in several languages, were collected by hundreds of scholars during the last two centuries. In all, around 16,000 items were present in the library.
The Army version has been that the library had caught fire during exchange of fire. The contrary view is that the armed forces had deliberately put the 'empty library' on fire after taking the rare and invaluable material away. There are some very reliable witnesses to oppose the Indian army's view, which are set out below.
Devinder Singh Duggal was working as Head Librarian and was trapped within the library premises when the sudden attack took place, without a warning. He remained there throughout the period of the attack. According to him, the library remained intact during the worst bombing and fighting.
Ranjit Singh Nanda, a former Punjab police inspector who worked with the CBI during 1984, was a part of the five-member team that scrutinised each and every book and manuscript taken from the Sikh Reference Library.. According to him, the CBI had taken the material of the Sikh Reference Library to its make-shift office at Amritsar's Youth Club and thereafter packed them into 165 gunny bags. Each bag was numbered and almost after a month, the entire material was taken away from Amritsar.
Shabdal Singh, a former Superintendent of Punjab police, then working with five member CBI team that scrutinised the manuscripts also substantiated the claims of Ranjit Singh Nanda.
In 1991, a deputation of various organisations met the then Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar. It was suggested to him that the books, manuscripts and artefacts looted from the Sikh Reference Library be returned. He readily agreed and then rang up his office to enquire where the material was lying. He was told that it was preserved in the Sikh Regimental Centre at Merut. He agreed to return it and asked the persons comprising the deputation to meet the Governor of Punjab on this and some other issues. A joint Press Note was issued promising return of the material at the earliest.
George Fernandes, the then defence minister, on May, 2000, had said that the material of the Sikh Reference Library is with the CBI. On behalf of Union Home Ministry, the under secretary, V. K. Gupta has officially admitted that a total of 68 big bags and 119 small bags of the documents seized from Sikh Reference Library were handed over to the CBI. He admitted that 98 paintings, 14 photos and some manuscripts were also handed over to some other state departments.
Even the CBI officially admitted that 4,000 documents were taken over by the agency. Some of the records taken away by the Army during the attack were returned to SGPC by the CBI. All these items were intact, and in good condition. None of them looked damaged by fire or smoke.
By considering the above witnesses, it is clear that Sikh Reference Library was not burnt during the army attack; rather it was taken away by the Indian army.
