Sirdar Simranjit Singh Mann - to his eternal credit - writes to Smithsonian's History Museum of Natural History's Sikh project about 'Quisling' Tarlochan Singh's past
Protest called off after Museum Director reassured Sikhs in writing that there is no 'chief guest' for the July 24 opening events for the 'Sikhs; Legacy of the Punjab' exhibition
"Where are the Sikh heritage treasures stolen from the Darbar Sahib in June 1984?" Diaspora Sikhs ask Tarlochan Singh
Washington, D.C., Wednesday, July 28, 2004 - The TRIBUNE, a Chandigarh-based English language newspaper, published in the Sikh Homeland of Punjab, referring to the July 24, 2004, opening of the world famous Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's exhibition, "Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab," carried a report, by Prabhjot Singh, in its July 12, 2004, issue. The report was about Mr. Tarlochan Singh, an old 'Quisling', (currently Chairman of the bogus 'do-nothing' National Commission for Minorities of the world's largest Oligarchy - India) and was headlined, "Ultra-modern Sikh museum in Washington - Inauguration by Tarlochan Singh on July 24." (http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040712/punjab1.htm#8)The July 24, 2004, Smithsonian event, organized under the Sikh Heritage Project, (Director; Dr. Paul M. Taylor) is a research and outreach component of the Asian Cultural History Programme of the Department of Anthropology. The exhibition showcases more than one hundred pieces of Sikh artwork like miniature paintings, arms and armour, traditional textiles and dresses, ancient coins, musical instruments, jewellery, sacred texts and modern works of Sikh art etc. A Sikh gallery in one of the world's top museum's has made every member of the half million strong Sikh-American community proud to be a Sikh and has aroused a sense of gratitude for these great United States and its people which made the Smithsonian's Sikh Gallery possible in one of the world's greatest museums.
Despite the fact that every Sikh-American supports Smithsonian's noble and historical Sikh Heritage endeavor, a July 18, 2004, written appeal from Sirdar Simranjit Singh Mann, President Akal Dal (Amritsar) addressed jointly to the Smithsonian Institution and Sikh-Americans, exposed the modus operandi of the Quisling-like Tarlochan Singh. Sirdar Simranjit Singh Mann's appeal struck a cord and triggered a wave of resentment, among the members of the half million strong Sikh-American community at the shameless audacity of an infamous discredited man, Tarlochan Singh, who was trying to represent the Sikh nation at an unprecedented major cultural event in Washington DC.
Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann's appeal about the Sikh Gallery exhibition also rekindled the unforgotten pain and memory of the June 1984 destruction, by the Indian Army, of the Sikh religion's sanctum sanctorum, the Golden Temple (Darbar Sahib ) and state-arranged looting of the centuries old Sikh Heritage Library and removal by the Indian state of truck-loads of priceless and historical objet d`art, documents, gold coins etc., from the Toshakhana (treasury) located there which have not been returned to this day. Mr. Simranjit Singh Mann's appeal reminded the elders of the community about Tarlochan Singh's outrageous pandering role as press secretary to roving-eyed President Zail Singh and his do-nothing behavior (along with President Zail Singh) during the horrible 1984 state-sponsored Sikh pogroms, when thousands of Sikhs were murdered in Delhi alone while these two frolicked in the British-built President's palace in New Delhi. Tarlochan Singh's latest anti-Punjab pro-Haryana stand on the SYL canal issue, which will deprive the Punjab of its river waters, has earned this horrible man the universal contempt of everybody in the Sikh Homeland of Punjab. Tarlochan Singh could not get elected as a dog-catcher or monkey-catcher in the Punjab even if he tried. That was the reason why the right wing Hindu-fundamentalists arranged for his 'election' from Haryana state to the Rajya Sabha - the upper house of the Indian parliament - so he could play the role of agent provocateur among the Sikhs.
A letter (appended below) by Dr. Amarjit Singh, Director Khalistan Affairs Center, Washington D.C., delivered to Dr. Paul M. Taylor, Director of the Sikh Gallery at the Museum of Natural History, and telephone contact by Mr. Preetham Singh resulted in a Saturday morning (July 24, 2004) meeting of the Director with a seven member Sikh delegation from the Washington tri-state area - details are in the Khalistan Affairs Center's Press Statement appended below. It was charged in the Khalistan Affairs Center's letter to Dr. Taylor that Tarlochan Singh is privy to the whereabouts, and 'travels' of the priceless treasures removed, by the attacking Indian Army, from the Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, in June 1984, which objet d`art, books, historical documents, gold coins, scuttlebutt has it, are being smuggled abroad and sold to auction houses, private collectors and museums.
The provocative story in the TRIBUNE mentioned above, the written public appeal from Sirdar Simranjit Singh Mann from the Punjab, Dr. Amarjit Singh's letter from Washington DC, hundreds of protesting E-mails from all over the United States to the museum and a meeting of a seven member Sikh delegation from the Washington DC tri-state area with Dr. Paul M. Taylor, cut Mr. Tarlochan Singh to size.
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PRESS STATEMENT
Khalistan Affairs Center
956 - National Press Building
Washington DC 20045
Tel: 202-637-9210 :: Fax: 202-637-9211
E-mail: kacwashdc@yahoo.com
Web Site: > <
July 24, 2004
Washington DC: A July 12, 2004, Chandigarh-datelined report by a reputed journalist, Prabhjot Singh, in the Sikh Homeland's leading English language daily newspaper, TRIBUNE, headlined, "Ultra-modern Sikh museum in Washington - Inauguration by Tarlochan Singh on July 24," (> http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040712/punjab1.htm#8 <) triggered a wave of resentment, among the members of the half million strong Sikh-American community despite the fact that every Sikh-American supports Smithsonian's noble and historical Sikh Heritage endeavor. Mr. Tarlochan Singh, (an unsavory character who is Chairman of the phony Delhi-based National Minorities Commission) is considered a Judas, and a Quisling of the Indian government, by a majority of Sikhs and is considered unfit to be inaugurating a magnificent 'Legacy of the Punjab' exhibition in Washington DC.
The Director of Smithsonians 'Sikh Heritage Project', the learned and Sikh friendly Dr. Paul Michael Taylor, was contacted by phone, E-mail and letter by numerous Sikhs. This office wrote to him that, "We Sikh-Americans salute and admire you for organizing the Sikh Heritage Gallery where Sikh art, manuscripts and history will be exhibited. But, the presence of one, Mr. Tarlochan Singh, at the opening, (July 23rd & July 24th) as an invited VIP guest rekindles the unforgotten pain of the June 1984 destruction, by the Indian Army, of the Sikh religion's sanctum sanctorum, the Golden Temple' (Darbar Sahib) and looting of the centuries old Sikh heritage library and Toshakhana (treasury) located there. In June 1984 Mr. Tarlochan Singh, as Press Secretary to the Indian President, was deeply involved in the government's masquerader exercise which saw the removal, for 'safe keeping', of truck loads of priceless and historical objet d'art, books, documents, gold coins etc., pertaining to five hundred years of Sikh history, from the Golden Temple, Amritsar. While the Indian Defence ministry has acknowledged that its minions did remove the Sikh heritage artifacts but, twenty years have elapsed and not even a piece of paper of our patrimony has been returned. Mr. Tarlochan Singh is privy to the whereabouts of that looted Sikh heritage treasure."
Sirdar Simranjit Singh Mann, President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), a Sikh leader, also wrote to the Smithsonian from India saying that, "In 1984 when Indira Gandhi sent in the Indian Army into the Golden Temple, killing thousands of innocent Sikhs, women and children, robbing the Sikhs of their valuable artifacts from the Sikh Reference Library, Mr. Tarlochan Singh was the Press Secretary to the President of India, Zail Singh who agreed with Indira Gandhi’s barbaric action. Mr. Tarlochan Singh has no regrets for this action. He has shown no remorse. The Smithsonian Museum which will store Sikh art treasures must ask Mr. Tarlochan Singh what he has done to persuade the Indian Government to restore these art treasures to the Sikhs. Moreover it is an international, UN listed crime of the highest order to destroy a people’s art, culture and history. As Chairman of the Minorities Commission of India Mr. Tarlochan Singh has presided over the genocide, mass rape of Muslim women in Gujrat by fanatic right-wing Hindoo’s of the BJP. He is supportive of the SYL Canal being dug which is against the federal constitutional system of India, against the international riparian law and which will deprive the Panjab of valuable waters."
As a result of the outrage voiced by Sikh-Americans, this office and Sirdar Simranjit Singh Mann, at Mr. Tarlochan Singh's reported presence as a VIP, Dr. Paul Michael Taylor, the Director of Smithsonian's Sikh Heritage Project ("Sikhs - Legacy of the Punjab") graciously responded in writing, on July 22, 2004, by reassuring Mr. Preetham Singh as follows:- "To follow up on our telephone conversation, I am writing to confirm that there is no 'chief guest' at the Smithsonians's opening events for the exhibition SIKHS: LEGACY OF THE PUNJAB."
As a consequence of Dr. Taylor's July 22 letter and a later visit on Friday, July 23, 2004, by a seven member delegation, led by Khalistan Affairs Center Director, Dr. Amarjit Singh, which met Dr. Michael Taylor (at the National Museum of Natural History) the planned protest, against Tarlochan Singh's presence, was called off. The following were part of the delegation:-
1. Devinder Singh of Akali Dal (Mann).
2. Bakshish Singh of American Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.
3. Kashmir Singh of Sikh Youth of America.
4. Narinder Singh of Voices for Freedom.
5. Balwinder Singh Sahi , President, Sikh Gurdwara of Greater Washington.
6. Jassa Singh of Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Virginia.
Contact Dr. Amarjit Singh
Tel: 202-637-9210
Fax: 202-637-9211