Sikh Reference Library

Sikh Reference Library
The entrance of the library
Map
31°37′09″N 74°52′35″E / 31.619268432138938°N 74.87647883793478°E / 31.619268432138938; 74.87647883793478
LocationAmritsar, Punjab, India
ScopeMainly Sikhism and Punjab, but also contained works on various other topics
Established27 October 1946
Dissolved7 June 1984, Operation Blue Star
Later revived and continues in operation to present-day
Branch ofShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)
Collection
Size
  • Estimated 20,000 total literary works just prior to its destruction in June 1984
  • Revived library estimated to contain 24,540 books in 2017
Other information
AffiliationGolden Temple complex
Sikh History Research Board of the SGPC
There is controversy surrounding the government's version of events on what happened to historical manuscripts, books, and artifacts before the Sikh Reference Library was burned.

The Sikh Reference Library was a repository of an estimated 20,000 literary works located in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) at Amritsar, Punjab which was destroyed during Operation Blue Star.[1][2][3] In 1984, the library's contents were confiscated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the empty building allegedly burned to the ground by the Indian Army on 7 June. In recent years the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has attempted to recover the looted material but has not yet recovered substantial materials. To date, the status of library manuscripts and artifacts is unclear; the vast majority remain in the hands of the government, a few office files and passports were returned, and as many as 117 items were destroyed for being "seditious" materials.[1] After the events of Operation Blue Star, the library was revived and its current collection has surpassed the total contents of the original library.

  1. ^ a b Walia, Varinder (7 June 2003). "Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders". The Tribune. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  2. ^ Brar, Kamaldeep Singh (20 June 2019). "Explained: The mystery of missing articles of Sikh Reference Library". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020.
  3. ^ Kaur, Jaskaran; Crossette, Barbara (2006).|http://ensaaf-org.jklaw.net/publications/reports/20years/20years-2nd.pdf