Akal Takht announces memorial at Harike Pattan for victims of militancy-era killings

The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh religion, on Tuesday announced the establishment of a memorial at Harike Pattan dedicated to human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra and others whose bodies were disposed of as unclaimed during the period of militancy in Punjab.

Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj made the announcement after performing a special prayer (ardas) for the eternal peace of Khalra and Sikh youths who were declared missing or became victims of alleged extrajudicial killings and were denied proper last rites.

Addressing a gathering at the site, Gargajj said, 'We gather at this spot where countless sons and daughters of Punjab were murdered and their bodies disposed into rivers. From this day onward, this place will be known as Shaheedi Pattan.' He emphasised that no martyr of the Sikh community (Panth) is unclaimed and that the community has a responsibility to remember its martyrs. He termed Khalra a 'community martyr' (Qaumi Shaheed).

Khalra was abducted from outside his Amritsar home on September 6, 1995, and killed by Punjab Police personnel after he exposed the alleged illegal cremations of over 2,097 'unclaimed' bodies in Amritsar during the militancy era. His body is believed to have been disposed of at Harike Pattan.

The ceremony included the installation of the Guru Granth Sahib, recitation of prayers, and devotional singing. The concluding prayer was performed by Gargajj, who recounted the accounts of young men, women, elderly, and children who were allegedly cremated as 'unclaimed' and whose bodies were dumped into the Sutlej, Beas, and other waterways.

Gargajj directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to construct the memorial at Harike Pattan with community support. He also announced that the Akal Takht would prepare a record documenting those allegedly killed as unidentified persons between 1982 and 1995. These records will be part of the official archives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib. 'These records will ensure that the sacrifices of our children are not erased and will serve as an enduring testament for future generations,' he said.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami stated that Khalra fought tirelessly for justice for young Sikhs who were cremated as unclaimed. He claimed that the police abducted, tortured, and killed Khalra, and disposed of his body in a river. Dhami said the SGPC would implement the directive to build the memorial, where the names of the 'martyrs' would be inscribed.

The gathering included activists, family members of victims, clergy, and ordinary devotees. Several speakers stressed the need for continued legal and moral pressure to achieve closure for bereaved families, while community leaders pledged support for the memorial and archival work.