Appreciating
the exemplary prosecutions of the Nazi War Criminals by the Western
countries, Jatinder Singh Grewal, Director SFJ, urged the UK and European
Governments to adopt the same policy towards those Indian Army personnel who
attacked and invaded Golden Temple and committed serious war crimes
including rape of Sikh women. Since Brar lead a deadly preplanned attack on
the Sikh pilgrims in June 1984 which resulted in the deaths of thousands,
International community should stand with the Sikhs for their demand to
prosecute Brar as “War Criminal” added Grewal.
NEW YORK – While former Indian Lt. Gen. KS Brar, who led the raid on Sikhs’
holiest place the Golden Temple in 1984, is crying foul after being attacked
in London, British Sikh rights group has approached The Queen of England
requesting her to order the arrest and prosecution of Brar for committing
serious war crimes during attack on Golden Temple (Operation Blue Star) in
June 1984.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) a human rights group which is leading an
international campaign to prosecute those involved in violation of human
rights against Sikhs, in a letter written to The Queen chronicled the
details of horrific human rights abuses committed by the Indian Army led by
Brar.
Making a case before The Queen for directing arrest and prosecution of Brar,
SFJ’s letter, States that Brar is a “War Criminal” with regard to leading
army attack – Operation Blue Star on the basis of : a) the choice of time of
attack; b) heavy civilian casualties; and c) serious human rights violations
committed by the Indian Army.
The letter to The Queen requests her Majesty to direct prosecution of Brar
as “War Criminal” because “During the first week of June 1984, Indian Army
under the command of Lt. Gen. K.S. Brar, attacked the Golden Temple, the
holiest Sikh Shrine in the city of Amritsar. The attack on Golden Temple was
planned to flush out Sikhs who were demanding right to self determination.
While human rights groups and journalists claim that well over 5000 Sikh
pilgrims were killed by the Indian Army during Operation Blue Star, BBC
reports that “about 1,000 people were killed in the ensuing struggle,
including women and children on pilgrimage and soldiers”. (BBC news report
dated October 01, 2012 – “Indian general who led Golden Temple raid stabbed
in London”). As per the same report, Lt. Gen. Brar was one of the “key
architects of the operation [Blue Star]”. Brar planned the attack on a day
on which Golden Temple is most visited, most crowded and most occupied by
innocent Sikh pilgrims and civilians who gather to commemorate martyrdom of
5th Sikh Guru Arjun Dev Ji.”
Attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ who practices human
rights law in US stated that during the attack on Golden Temple a large
number of those murdered were women and children who were first caged and
then shot at point blank by the Indian army. The army under the command of
Brar unleashed a wave of terror which included not only murdering of
pilgrims inside the Golden Temple but also the killing of unarmed Sikhs in
localities surrounding Golden Temple, as reported by Mark Tully of BBC. We
have approached the UK Government to declare Brar as “War Criminal” and
prosecute him.
Appreciating the exemplary prosecutions of the Nazi War Criminals by the
Western countries, Jatinder Singh Grewal, Director SFJ, urged the UK and
European Governments to adopt the same policy towards those Indian Army
personnel who attacked and invaded Golden Temple and committed serious war
crimes including rape of Sikh women. Since Brar lead a deadly preplanned
attack on the Sikh pilgrims in June 1984 which resulted in the deaths of
thousands, International community should stand with the Sikhs for their
demand to prosecute Brar as “War Criminal” added Grewal.
