Akal Takht officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, has demanded justice for the families of the 35 Sikhs killed in the Chittisinghpura massacre in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying the tragedy continues to haunt the community even after 25 years. According to Kashmir Media Service, Giani Gargaj made the remarks during his visit to Chittisinghpura village of Islamabad district where he attended a Gurmat Samagam organised by the local Sikh community.

He visited the memorial and viewed the photographs of the victims as well as the wall still bearing bullet marks from the carnage of March 20, 2000. The Jathedar said the massacre had not only shaken the Sikhs of Kashmir but the entire Sikh diaspora worldwide. He deplored that despite the passage of a quarter of a century, the families of the victims were still waiting for justice as the truth behind the killings had never been revealed. He stressed that it was the responsibility of the authorities to bring out the facts. 

Highlighting the resilience of the Sikh community in occupied Kashmir, Giani Gargaj said that despite immense atrocities, Kashmiri Sikhs had never abandoned their homeland. He held successive regimes responsible for suppressing the rights of the Sikh minority. The Jathedar further noted that the Chittisinghpura massacre was a lesson of unity for the Sikh Panth, asserting that when the community stands together no challenge is insurmountable. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)