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The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) will construct a memorial for victims of Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple . The premier Sikh body, on Friday, started preparations for the inauguration of the Kar Sewa to erect the memorial. Last week, the five-member committee constituted by the SGPC proposed to construct the memorial in the Golden Temple premises. It has taken SGPC 28 years to decide on the venue. SGPC has given the Kar Sewa to Harnam Singh Khalsa, the chief of the ‘Dam Dami Taksal’, a decision opposed to the Shiromani Akali Dal. Dam Dami Taksal was earlier headed by Jairnal Singh Bhindrawala. Reacting to the opposition, Rajinder Singh Mehta, the executive committee member of the SGPC, said opposing the move was an individual decision and the entire community desired to build the memorial in the Golden Temple Complex. Talking to media, Khalsa urged Sikh diaspora to participate in the construction of the memorial. The heads of various Sikh bodies will assemble in front of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, on Sunday, for the foundation laying ceremony of the memorial. Operation Blue Star was a military exercise carried out by the Indian Army from June 3-6, 1984. Every year on June 6, Sikhs observe the anniversary of those who were killed during the operation.

SGPC to construct Operation Blue Star memorial at Golden Temple