12-13-2007, 05:25 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->SGPC to remove Gen Dyerâs portrait from museum
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, December 10
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has decided to remove the portrait of Reginald Dyer , called the Butcher of Amritsar from its Central Sikh Museum, with immediate effect following an ultimatum by an NGO, here today.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh said though the portrait of Dyer was put up with the intention he was killed by Shaheed Udham Singh who took revenge of Jallianwala Bagh massacre after 21 years , even then it (SGPC) did not want to get embroiled in any controversy over this issue . He , however, said a three- member sub committee, comprising three Sikh scholars, including Balwant Singh Dhillon , Jasbir Singh Sabir and Balwant Singh Jaura had been constituted to verify whether the portrait of Dyer conveyed the proper sense . He said the sub- committee would also study other pictures in the Sikh Museum . Any portrait which was not as per Sikh Maryada would be removed . He said if the portrait of Dyer would be conveying the correct sense then it would be re-installed. He , however, said the SGPC employees told him the caption of the portrait was self-explanatory , it was installed to project the bravery of a Sikh who killed the âbutcher of Jallianwale Baghâ.
The NGO - the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Yadgari Front has threatened to organise strong action against the SGPC if it failed to remove the portrait of Dyer in a week.
Earlier, the SGPC was embroiled in the controversy following installation of the portrait of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale . Though , Congress , BJP and certain Hindu organisations had been demanding removal of the portrait of Bhindranwale,but the SGPC and Akal Takht had described him (Bhindranwale) a âgreat Sikh martyr of the 20th centuryâ .
The portrait of the assassins of Gen A.S. Vaidya , a former Army chief , Bhai Amarik Singh , a former president of the All- India Sikh Students Federation and Maj Gen Shabeg Singh who had done fortification of the Golden Temple and Akal Takht before Operation Bluestar were installed in the Sikh museum much before the portrait of Bhindranwale .
Dyer is infamous for the orders which he gave on April 13, 1919 in Amritsar. It was under his command that 90 troops all armed with rifles and the Gurkhas additionally armed with khukris opened fire on a gathering of unarmed civilians, including women and children gathered at the Jallianwalla Bagh in what came to be later known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/2007121...ab1.htm#15<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, December 10
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has decided to remove the portrait of Reginald Dyer , called the Butcher of Amritsar from its Central Sikh Museum, with immediate effect following an ultimatum by an NGO, here today.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh said though the portrait of Dyer was put up with the intention he was killed by Shaheed Udham Singh who took revenge of Jallianwala Bagh massacre after 21 years , even then it (SGPC) did not want to get embroiled in any controversy over this issue . He , however, said a three- member sub committee, comprising three Sikh scholars, including Balwant Singh Dhillon , Jasbir Singh Sabir and Balwant Singh Jaura had been constituted to verify whether the portrait of Dyer conveyed the proper sense . He said the sub- committee would also study other pictures in the Sikh Museum . Any portrait which was not as per Sikh Maryada would be removed . He said if the portrait of Dyer would be conveying the correct sense then it would be re-installed. He , however, said the SGPC employees told him the caption of the portrait was self-explanatory , it was installed to project the bravery of a Sikh who killed the âbutcher of Jallianwale Baghâ.
The NGO - the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Yadgari Front has threatened to organise strong action against the SGPC if it failed to remove the portrait of Dyer in a week.
Earlier, the SGPC was embroiled in the controversy following installation of the portrait of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale . Though , Congress , BJP and certain Hindu organisations had been demanding removal of the portrait of Bhindranwale,but the SGPC and Akal Takht had described him (Bhindranwale) a âgreat Sikh martyr of the 20th centuryâ .
The portrait of the assassins of Gen A.S. Vaidya , a former Army chief , Bhai Amarik Singh , a former president of the All- India Sikh Students Federation and Maj Gen Shabeg Singh who had done fortification of the Golden Temple and Akal Takht before Operation Bluestar were installed in the Sikh museum much before the portrait of Bhindranwale .
Dyer is infamous for the orders which he gave on April 13, 1919 in Amritsar. It was under his command that 90 troops all armed with rifles and the Gurkhas additionally armed with khukris opened fire on a gathering of unarmed civilians, including women and children gathered at the Jallianwalla Bagh in what came to be later known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/2007121...ab1.htm#15<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->