Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh/Amritsar, The ‘Sarbat Khalsa’, convened at Amritsar today removed the three Jathedars of Akal Takht, Takht Kesgarh Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib and appointed former Chief minister Beant Singh’s assassin Jagtar Singh Hawara, Damdami Taksal leader Amrik Singh Ajnala and radical Sikh preacher Baljit Singh Khalsa (Daduwal) as the new Jathedars of three Takhts.
The new Jathedars will converge at the Akal Takht tomorrow and address the Sikh Sangat. The ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (congregation of Sikhs) also agreed that a framework for appointment of Jathedars, their roles and responsibilities needed to be put in place, besides bringing in some reforms in the Sikh clergy.
Though initially it was believed that Sarbat Khalsa would stay away from the separatist agenda, the leaders who addressed a gathering of over 50,000 Sikhs reiterated that a separate Sikh state was one of their main demands.
While bashing Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, for their alleged failure to uphold the dignity of Akal Takht and for failing to punish the culprits behind incidents of sacrilege, ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ passed a resolution taking away the titles of Fakre-e-Qaum and Panth Rattan from Badal and the title of Shiromani Sewak from Makkar.
They referred to the 1986 resolution demanding a separate homeland for Sikhs. Intelligence inputs are that the crowd was over 50,000. It was largely a self-motivated crowd and had reached the venue in spite of obstacles put by the government.
Nearly 150 representatives of Sikh organisations from around the world addressed ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ at Chabba village on the outskirts of Amritsar.
Some leaders made pro-Bhindranwale remarks and criticised the SAD. Congress leader Ramanjit Sikki also spoke at the event.
A heavy police force has been deployed on all routes leading to Chabba village. Around 2,500 police personnel have been called from other districts. Besides, four companies of the ITBP, five of the IRB and PAP have also been stationed at different places in Amritsar and around.
Residents of Khudian Gulab Singh and Kakhanwali villages in the Lambi Assembly segment of Muktsar, who were on their way to attend Sarbat Khalsa, were turned back by the police on Monday night.
