In this video, Pritpal Singh delves into the influences of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, from his mother to Mata Sundri.
The Guru Granth Sahib Project is pleased to launch the annotation of Twenty-four saloks (couplets) by Guru Arjan Sahib.
Jassa Singh was born in 1718 in Ahlu near Lahore when it was not safe to be a Sikh. The Mughal Empire controlled most of South Asia at this point. It was increasingly difficult for the Sikhs as they were being hunted.
Watch as Pritpal Singh highlights Jassa Singh Ahluwalia’s selfless nature and strong leadership, which helped him navigate and lead the Sikh collective through the difficult times of the 18th century when genocidal campaigns were taking place.
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)