PATIALA: The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) has sought applications for one time financial assistance from all Sikh soldiers who deserted the Indian Army after its 1984 attack on Darbar Sahib.

SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh said Wednesday over phone that all those soldiers who have titled as 'Dharmi Fauji' and their kith and kin  were eligible to apply along with the documentary proofs.

He said that financial assistance in tune of Rs. 50000 each would be given to all those soldiers and their families who have killed, spent jail, injured and sacked from their services during that period to protect Darbar Sahib in wake of operation Bluestar.

The decision of SGPC will lead to yet another controversy as Col Partap Inder Singh Phulka, secretary general of the ex-servicemen wing of the Shiromani Akali Dal has demanded that SGPC should expand its operation to those families of sikh army men who have killed during anti sikh riots in 1984. 

He said here  that said though the exact number of such killings was not known till date, but all Sikh Army men killed in riots be declared martyrs whose leave had expired and were expected to join their duties and benefits be given to their families. 

He further said that he has discovered 50 odd families of those Sikh army men who have killed during anti Sikh riots. He feared that around 300 sikh army men were killed during November –84 anti Sikh. He said that even nanawati and other commissions who have inquired the November –84 anti sikh riots have mentioned in their reports that '"Even Sikh army officers in uniform were pulled out of trains and killed by unruly mob." 

He said that he has raised this issue for the past over ten years, Colonel Phulka said that if these Army men had been killed in the Kargil war or on the border they would have got the status of martyrs and their families would have got all benefits. He said the families had not even received financial grant given to the riot- hit under the red card system.

He said that according to central civil services rule that any personal who has died in harness the job should be given to his family member. He lamented that no body has come forward to help them.

When contacted the president of SGPC Avatar Singh Makkar he said that SGPC has not taken any decision regarding those Sikh army men who have killed in November 84 riots. He said that we have just called applications from those army men who have deserted their barracks in wake of operation Bluestar.

The Shiromani Akali Dal has also promised to given assistance to the kith and kins of sikh army men who have killed in November 84 riots. 

The SGPC had spent over 2 crore earlier also and given Rs. 50000 to each family of Sikh militant whose head of the family or earning hand was in jodhpur and in other Indian jails.