Akal Takht and SGPC provide legitimacy to 1981 hijacking that globalised Khalistan narrative

 

Akal Takht and SGPC provide legitimacy to 1981 hijacking that globalised Khalistan narrative

Ground Zero

Jagtar Singh

 

Khalistan men hijack Boeing to Lahore- The Indian Express

“Khalistan” men hijack I. A.  plane – The Tribune

Both these banner headlines in these two newspapers published from Chandigarh were datelined September 30, 1981.

This was the hijacking by the members of the Dal Khalsa that brought under focus the demand for Khalistan that otherwise had not been raised by any of the main Sikh organisations till then, except by National Council of Khalistan headed by Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan. This hijacking was staged mainly to demand release of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the case relating to the assassination of Jalandhar-based owner-editor of Hind Samachar group of newspapers Lala Jagat Narain.

It was also with this action that the Dal Khalsa constituted in 1978 in reaction to the killing of 13 Sikhs in Sikh-Nirankari clash at Amritsar on the Baisakhi of April 13, 1978 came into the limelight.

The Dal Khalsa continues to advocate Khalistan but now professes democratic approach.

It is on the 42^nd anniversary of this hijacking that the two highest Sikh institutions -The Akal Takht and the SGPC – have provided ipso facto legitimacy to this first such action associated with the militant struggle.

Of course, earlier in 2020, the Akal Takht had accorded the title of Jalawatan Yodha (Warrior in Exile) on one of the hijackers Gajinder Singh who recently announced his location in Pakistan. Gajinder is also one of the founders of Dal Khalsa.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh in a written statement has today paid tributes to Gajinder Singh on the completion of his 41 years in exile.

He stated, “Bhai Gajinder Singh ‘Zinda Shaheed’ (Living Martyr) hijacked the plane against injustice being meted out to the Sikh nation and release of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale on September 29, 1981 to open the blocked ears of the Indian rulers. I salute the patience and fortitude of this warrior…his sacrifice would continue to shine like a bright star in the sky of Sikh history”.

SGPC chief attended the function organised by Dal Khalsa at Hoshiarpur today on the anniversary of this hijacking. As per the press release by Dal Khalsa, Dhami “praised Gajinder Singh for his contribution towards Sikh struggle and in highlighting the discrimination and injustices heaped on Sikhs by successive governments.”

The associates of Gajinder Singh who hijacked this Indian Airlines  IC-423 Delhi-Amritsar-Srinagar hopping flight included Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib, Tejinder Pal Singh, Jasbir Singh and  Karan Singh. None of them had boarded a plane earlier.

It is not for the first time that both the highest Sikh institutions have come together on the issues relating  to the radical discourse that was sparked by the Sikh-Nirankari clash. It was this clash that catalysed the rise of Sant Bhindranwale who only a few months earlier in August 1977 had taken over as chief of the Damdami Taksal at a young age of 30 following the death of his predecessor Sant Kartar Singh in a road accident near Solan in Himachal Pradesh.

What is important that both these institutions continue to legitimise that struggle from time to time. It is a separate issue that the completely marginalised Shiromani Akali Dal is trying hard to revert to the Panthic concerns.

Of course, at another level, the Sant Bhindranwale martyrs memorial in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex symbolises the armed struggle but the same has again been reinforced by the two Sikh institutions in the context of the hijacking anniversary.

It is pertinent to mention that what at one time used to be non-descript US based Sikhs for Justice recently organised a Sikh referendum in a Canadian city on this Khalistan issue. The Khalistan narrative is being kept alive.

Some other sections too now seem to be getting active in this domain reviving the memories of 1981.

Dal Khalsa today appealed to Govt of Pakistan to consider the case of Gajinder Singh for political asylum. Terming Gajinder Singh as a stateless person, who is living in exile ever since his release from Pakistani prison in Nov 1994, the resolution stated in case Gajinder Singh was still there and wished to spent his rest of life in Pakistan and approached the  concerned authorities, his case for asylum be given sympathetic consideration on humanitarian  grounds. It further says, our abroad unit will submit the memo in this regard to Pakistan government through its local embassy. 

Senior leader Kanwar Pal Singh said today’s March was dedicated to Sikh political prisoners, martyrs and militants living in exile as they all fought to gain freedom from India and all of them have sacrificed their lives and suffered and are still suffering under detentions or exile.