Amritsar: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) will soon construct a memorial at Harike in memory of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami said.
The announcement was made during a programme at Gurdwara Shaheed Baba Gurbakhsh Singh in the Golden Temple complex, where the bhog of a Sri Akhand Path Sahib held in memory of Khalra was performed and tributes were paid to him.
The SGPC also honoured Khalra’s sister, Balbir Kaur, and Kamaljit Kaur, wife of Kuldeep Singh Bachre, who was described as a key witness in the case.
Speaking on the occasion, Acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj paid tribute to Khalra and said human rights violations should not take place anywhere.
He asked the SGPC to compile data on other people who were allegedly killed in fake encounters by the police between 1982 and 1995. He said Sikhs, in particular, were targeted on a large scale in Punjab during the period, while several Hindus were also among those targeted.
Giani Gargajj recalled that tributes had earlier been paid at Harike to those who lost their lives during the period. At the time, announcements were made to rename Harike as Shaheedi Pattan, build a memorial there in memory of Khalra and others, and compile data on all those who were killed.
He said the SGPC would now move ahead with the construction of the memorial at Harike soon.
