ABSTRACT

This essays concerns the destruction of Sikh Reference Library during the Indian army’s invasion of the Golden Temple, Amritsar in June 1984. The Library built over several decades drew upon almost five centuries’ Sikh literature from various sources containing much of the most precious heritage of the Sikh community. Among its contents were priceless handwritten birs of Guru Granth; recensions of Dasam Granth, hukamnamas and early Sikh literature dating back from 16th century to many gifts deposited by the Sikh sovereign Maharajah Ranjit Singh and other Sikh princes during the 19th century. How the Library, alleged to have survived three days of intensive fighting, then caught fire with contentious claims that its contents were taken away by the army -some of these were returned by the government of India while much is yet unaccounted for, has led to almost continuous controversy since June 1984. The loss of much of Sikh Reference Library is now part of painful memory of India’s callous disregard for a community’s historical heritage with no resolution as to what happened to its contents.

摘要

本文涉及在1984年6月印度军队入侵阿姆利则金殿时锡克教参考图书馆的毁坏。该图书馆建立了几十年，汲取了近五个世纪的锡克教文献，这些文献来自各种资料，其中包含该国最宝贵的遗产中的许多。锡克教徒社区。其中的内容是无价的古鲁·格兰思手写的桦木。达萨姆·格兰斯（Dasam Granth），胡卡马纳马斯（hukamnamas）和锡克教徒早期文学的兴起可追溯到16世纪，锡克教统治者大公兰吉特·辛格（Maharajah Ranjit Singh）和其他锡克教王子在19世纪存放的许多礼物。据说该图书馆如何在三天的激烈战斗中幸存下来，然后引发争议，声称其内容已被军队夺走-其中一些是由印度政府归还的，但仍有很多人无法解释，