In a first, Maharashtra minister joins Operation Blue Star anniversary at Damdami Taksal

In a significant political development, Maharashtra Minister for Water Resources Girish Mahajan on Friday became the first representative of any state government to attend the Operation Blue Star anniversary commemoration at the headquarters of Damdami Taksal in Chowk Mehta, Amritsar district.

The annual function was held on June 6 to mark the 42nd anniversary of the Indian Army’s action inside the Darbar Sahib complex in the first week of June 1984. The event drew Sikh devotees, saints and community leaders from across the region.

The stage backdrop featured photographs of former Taksal chief Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, General Subheg Singh, Sikh Students Federation president Amrik Singh and others, alongside an image of the damaged Akal Takht as it stood in the aftermath of the army action.

Dr Rameshwar Naik, appointed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as the in-charge of the Chief Minister’s Medical Assistance Cell, also attended the function.

Addressing the gathering, Mahajan described June 6 as a “kaala din” (black day).

“We can never forget this day — the way thousands of our brothers and sisters were martyred, the way our holy shrine was attacked by Army. Indira ji forcibly sent the army into Punjab, into our sacred place, and our people were killed in the most brutal manner,” he said.

Mahajan drew a parallel with the invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali and said the violence inflicted on Sikhs in Delhi after the assassination of Indira Gandhi was comparable to the atrocities of that era.

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“After so many thousands were killed, no one was punished, no one was hanged,” he said.

Referring to the political fallout of the events of 1984, Mahajan said the Congress was paying the price for its actions, pointing to its electoral decline.

“Today the entire country has wiped them out,” he said, while adding, “This is not a political occasion.”

Conveying a message from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mahajan said the Chief Minister could not attend because of ongoing MLA and MLC election-related activity in the state.

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“I personally requested him to come. Next year, I will make sure he comes with us,” Mahajan told the gathering.

Highlighting the Maharashtra government’s initiatives linked to Sikh history, Mahajan spoke about the commemorations of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib’s 350th Shaheedi Samagam. He said programmes attended by more than 10 lakh people each were organised in Nanded, Navi Mumbai and Nagpur, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several Chief Ministers participating.

He also announced that a college and a 1,400-bed hospital, built at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore, had been dedicated in Guru Tegh Bahadur’s name in Navi Mumbai. A chapter on the Guru’s life and sacrifice, he added, had been introduced in Maharashtra’s school curriculum.

Mahajan also appealed to Sikh saints and community leaders to help tackle drug abuse among Punjab’s youth.

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“Your words carry weight. If India’s young generation continues to be destroyed by narcotics, no demographic dividend can save us,” he said.

He concluded his address with “Jai Hind” and Sikh greetings.

The event underscored the cordial ties that Damdami Taksal has developed with the BJP-led Maharashtra government, reflected in Mahajan’s presence at a function where Bhindranwale’s photograph was prominently displayed.

Notably, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), despite frequently invoking the memory of 1984 in its political discourse against the Congress, has generally stayed away from active participation in Operation Blue Star anniversary functions.