Farmers Movement Archive

Minorities could be persecuted in future: Acting Akal Takht jathedar

Godharpura (Gurdaspur): Officiating Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh equated the decision of the Union government to deny permission to the Sikh jatha to go to Pakistan with the British regime’s decision of stopping a Sikh jatha going to free the Sikh shrine from mahants. He alleged that minorities in India could be persecuted in future too. Speaking during the centenary function organised by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to mark the 100th anniversary of Saka Nankana Sahib here on Sunday, Harpreet Singh claimed, “the BJP-led Central government has stopped Sikhs from proceeding to Nankana Sahib in the same manner as the British stopped the jatha led by Kartar Singh Jhabbar, that had gone to free the shrine from the control of mahants.” He alleged that the Centre had denied permission to the Sikh jatha because it wanted the ‘community’ to call back its members who were protesting on the borders of Delhi against the three farm laws. “This will never happen even if the central government refuses permission to Sikh jathas every year,” he asserted. Warning against infighting, he said, “Today, we are fighting between ourselves, if we continue like this, our very existence will be at stake.” Expressing apprehensions that minorities could be persecuted, he urged the community to unite and become politically powerful. SAD (B) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was present on the occasion, claimed that denial of permission to send the Sikh jatha to Pakistan was akin to an attack on the Sikh community. Despite the Centre listing reasons for not sending the jatha to Pakistan in the letter written to the SGPC president, Sukhbir asked the government to explain why it had denied permission to the jatha. “Even a few days back, a few persons were granted permission to visit Pakistan at the instance of chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh,” he alleged, while asking the chief minister why he had not taken up the issue with the centre. SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur announced that SGPC would observe year-long events in various institutes and also construct a Guru Ka Langar hall in remembrance of Mata Inderjit Kaur and a library in memory of the martyrs of Nankana Sahib in their villages. Various religious and political personalities as well as family members of Shaheed Lachhman Singh Dharowali and others were honoured on the occasion.

The Times of India

2021-02-22

Chandigarh