Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday termed the damage caused to rare Sikh manuscripts and literature at the Sikh Reference Library in Sri Harmandir Sahib during Operation Bluestar an “unfortunate incident” and said the Union government will explore possibilities for restoring the damaged material using advanced digital technologies.Responding to a question raised in the Rajya Sabha by MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, the minister said the restoration could be taken up with the help of modern tools such as artificial intelligence and digital preservation techniques under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, an initiative aimed at conserving and digitising India’s manuscript heritage.Raising the issue during question hour in the Upper House, Sandhu highlighted the historical significance of the Sikh Reference Library located on the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. He noted that the library, established in 1946, once housed around 20,000 rare manuscripts, including handwritten copies of the Guru Granth Sahib and other literature documenting Sikh history from the time of Guru Nanak Dev.Sandhu said the library suffered extensive damage during the 1984 military operation at the shrine complex, when the Akal Takht was destroyed and the Sikh Reference Library was burnt. He urged the government to undertake restoration of the damaged manuscripts and literature through a digital recovery project using modern AI techniques and multispectral imaging.Replying to the query, Shekhawat said many historical assets had been lost over time due to natural disasters, manmade calamities and incidents such as Operation Bluestar. He added that the government was committed to preserving India’s intellectual and cultural heritage through technological interventions.Under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, the government plans to conserve, digitise and, where possible, recreate historical manuscripts using the latest technologies so that the knowledge preserved in them can be made accessible to future generations.Calling Sandhu’s suggestion “very relevant”, the minister said the government would hold discussions with the Rajya Sabha member to explore how the restoration of manuscripts from the Sikh Reference Library could be taken forward.Sandhu had earlier also raised the issue of missing Sikh manuscripts and handwritten holy saroops and birs from the library.During a special mention in the winter session of Parliament in December 2024, he stated that the library contained a vast collection of rare books and manuscripts authored by Sikh Gurus, saints and scholars, many of which were damaged or taken away during the 1984 operation.According to data cited by the MP, the library reportedly contained over 12,000 rare books and more than 500 manuscripts. Sikh organisations, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, have been raising the issue of their restoration and recovery for decades.