Many of the arrested Sikh devotees were brutally beaten and killed. Thousands of Sikhs from rural Panjab marched towards the Complex when they heard about the army's attack. They were fired upon from helicopters.
The army deliberately set fire to the Sikh Reference Library after the attack was over. Valuable archives and material of significant historical importance were destroyed in this fire. The army claims that the library caught fire during the crossfire. The library was intact until the evening of June 6, 1984. This has been verified by the in-charge of the library, Sardar Devinder Singh Duggal. The library was set ablaze on June 7, in the early hours of the morning.
“The effect of this barrage on the Akal Takht was devastating. The whole front of the sacred shrine was destroyed, leaving hardly a pillar standing.” - Mark Tully, Amritsar, Mrs. Gandhi's Last Battle
Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora, who studied the front of the Akal Takht before it was repaired, reckoned that as many as eighty high-explosive squash-head shells were fired into the Akal Takht Sahib.
"We tried to get these people out but could only achieve partial success because the army began its offensive.”- Apar Singh Bajwa, DSP of Panjab Police (BBC News Flash-Backs, 3 June 2004)
Tanks and Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) fire at the Complex structures. Many civilians either die, are injured, or are unfairly arrested. Thousands remain trapped in the crossfire.
I once met an elderly man who had taken pictures before and after 1984. I asked him: “What was it like photographing 84’?” His response: “I feel like I have been photographing 1984 my entire life.”
Tell me, Mother! What is the truth? What is a lie?
Why is Remembrance necessary? Join Harinder Singh and Manpreet Singh as they discuss 1984 and explore its parallels with human rights movements today. How do we continue to push for the Rights today? What are the Responsibilities of the Sikhs and the Indian State?