Latest Breaking News from Punjab - Thursday 14th June 2007

Fresh clashes between Sikhs and Dera followers in Punjab

(Punjab), : Fresh clashes between Sikhs and followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect erupted in Punjab's Sangrur District on Wednesday evening.The clashes started at a busy marketplace in Cheema village of Sangrur District after a Sikh boy was beaten up by alleged followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect.
Gurjant Singh, the victim, said that he was dragged out and manhandled by the supporters of the sect."The members of the Dera sect took me out of the bus and attacked me with swords and daggers," he said.Pritpal Singh Chind, Deputy Superintendent of Police said: "Whatever has happened was not right. We have arrested the culprits and stringent action will be taken against them." Clashes between Sikhs and the sect erupted on May 14, a day after an advertisement appeared in local newspapers, showing sect leader Baba Gurmit Ram Raheem dressed up in clothes similar to that worn by Guru Gobind Singh.The Sikhs took offense and termed it as 'blasphemous'. Skirmishes between rival groups flared into mob violence when the Akal Takht -- the top body of Sikh clergies --urged the community to boycott the sect.The sect leader denied any wrongdoing and tendered an apology on May 27, saying he had absolutely no intention to imitate or replicate the Sikh guru. The Sikh clergy however, rejected the apology.The sect says it is a social organization that believes in the oneness of god and does not adhere to a particular faith, though its leader wears a turban and has a long beard in the Sikh style.

CM Direscted SGPC Members to Avoid Clash with Dera Followers

Punjab CM Badal has directed his SGPC members not to come in clash with dera followers. He has directed them not to stop dera followers from holding programs/functions and to allow them tocarry Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to thier places if they want to do so. It is notable that as per 17 May, 2007 Resolution adopted at Sri Damdama Sahib Sikh Sangat was asked to seprate their ties from dera sauda followers. So Sikh Sangat is committed to restrain functions of dera and is implimeting a social boycott of dera followers. In this way Badal's statement to clearly against edict of Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib rather its' real intension is to nutralize the effect of May 17 and May 20 Hukumnamas of Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib.

Mob torches 2 barber shops

(Sangrur), In the wake of ongoing tussle between the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda and members of Sikh organisations over the “anti-Sikh Panth” activities of its chief, an agitated mob, comprising members of Sikh community, today burnt a rehri, belongings of two barbers and that of a house besides a motor cycle of five dera followers in the main market on the Sunam-Mansa road here.
Gurjant Singh, alias Janta of Tolawal village, near here, was today admitted to Sunam Civil Hospital as he was allegedly beaten up by two dera followers, Piara Singh and Bikar Singh, owners of barber shops at Cheema Mandi. Besides this, they also allegedly showed disrespect by pulling Gurjant Singh’s beard.
According to residents of this town, Gurjant Singh or one of his family members had reportedly asked people not to become followers of “pakhandi sadhus” in a bhog ceremony at Tolwal village, 4-km from here, three to four days ago. This angered Piara Singh and Bikar Singh. Today when Gurjant Singh came to their shops for pacifying them, they allegedly pulled his beard and beat him up. After this, people from nearby villages assembled. They burnt a rehri, a motor cycle of two dera followers and belongings of Piara Singh and Bikar Singh lying in the shops besides damaging them. The mob also burnt household goods of the dera follower. Due to this, Cheema Mandi remained tensed for hours. The shopkeepers closed their shops partially.
After the incident, BSF jawans and a large number of policemen were deployed in the town The Sangrur deputy commissioner S.R. Ladhar and SSP Arunpal Singh also visited the town. A fire brigade was also sent to this town from Sangrur.
SSP Arunpal Singh said on the complaint of Gurjant Singh the police had registered a case against Piara Singh and Bikar Singh (both followers of Dera Sacha Sauda).

Sikhs Attacked by Sirsa Cultists in Sangrur

There seems to be no let up of tensions between Sikhs and followers of cultist Ram-Rahim. Yesterday, several Sikhs were attacked by marauding Sirsa cultists in Cheema Mandi, Sangrur.
One of the victims, Gurjant Singh Tolawal, was grabbed by his beard and attacked with swords and sharp weapons. The wounded Singh received more than 20 stitches and multiple injuries, he is currently hospitalized in Sunam.
News of the tragic event spread like wildfire in the nearby area. The reaction by the Sikh Sangat was swift; several shops and other personal property of the offending cultists was destroyed by the protestors.
Police is said to have cordoned off the area and assured the Sikh protestors that proper action would be taken against the cult miscreants.

Land-Grab Bid Dera alleges MLA’s hand

Fatehgarh Sahib, Mahanats of Dera Das Nami Akhara have alleged that some miscreants were trying to grab a piece of prime property on the National Highway No.1, near Sirhind, that belonged to the dera. They alleged that this was being done at the behest of local MLA Didar Singh Bhatti.
Ishwar Giri, chief mahant of the sect, said the dera had leased a portion of its land to one Pawan Kumar, who in violation of the lease agreement further leased it to some private party. He stated that the dera moved the court, following which Kumar compromised and handed back a small portion of the leased land. He said Kumar sought some time to hand over the remaining portion of the land, pleading that he had already constructed a sheller there.
The mahant said instead, Kumar ganged up with his brothers and tried to grab the piece of land handed over to the dera by constructing a boundary wall around it. He alleged that one of his brothers Praveen Kumar, who was a proclaimed offender, even approached the sect and stated that they wanted the land for commercial purpose and that they had a partnership with the local MLA.
As the dera chief refused to oblige, the three brothers allegedly started constructing a boundary wall on the land without seeking any permission. Following this, the dera approached the district police and got the construction work stalled.
Giri stated that when they met the local legislator, he told them that he had nothing to do with the three brothers and that the sect should sort out the issue on its own.
The dera chief said now, they had decided to meet the Chief Minister to apprise him of the situation and seek his intervention in the matter.
Meanwhile, SSP Nilab Kishore, stated that he had received a complaint in this regard and the matter was being looked into.

Sikh runs riot in Sunam village
Sets ablaze kiosks of dera followers

(Sunam), June 13: It remained a highly volatile day in Cheema Mandi village, few kms from Sunam, as a mob of Sikhs went on a rampageafter a scuffle between two dera followers and a Sikh, who was injured.
Heavy police force and a platoon of BSF had to be deployed in the village, as the mob of Sikhs set ablaze two kiosks of dera followers and a motorcycle. They also damaged few other kiosks before the BSF and a posse of Punjab Police reached to control the situation.
Even as Dera Sacha Sauda and the Akal Takht are no more fanning the controversial issue, on ground level, skirmishes between dera followers and Sikhs are becoming order of the day. As per information collected by The Indian Express, a dispute started between a Sikh, Gurjant Singh, and two dera followers, Piara Singh and Bikar Singh, today around 9 am in Cheema Mandi village.
Gurjant, who sustained injuries, alleged that his beard was also pulled by the duo. Piara, it was learnt, had returned to Sikhism a few days back in a baptising ceremony held in the village gurdwara.
Piara was given a siropa during the ceremony. When Gurjant visited his shop in the morning, Piara and Bikar were talkingabout some dera satsang, it was learnt.
On this, Gurjant asked Piara to justify the rationale of accepting the siropa if he was still interested in dera satsang.
To this, Piara, a hair dresser, alleged that he had taken the siropa only to use it as a cloth to clean the shop mirrors and scissors.
This triggered the scuffle, in which Gurjant was injured and rushed to Sunam Civil Hospital.
As per information, Sikhs started to converge on the village, saying that dera followers had injured a Sikh and pulled his beard. At 11 am, Sikhs from villages Tolewala, Jharon and Teerokalan armed with lathis, swords and sharp-edged weapons started to head towards the house of Piara Singh, where he and some other followers had taken shelter.
Acting swiftly, a police party managed to save the dera followers. The agitating mob then put on fire the kiosks and a motorbike.
SP (Headquarters) Dharam Singh claimed Piara and Bikar were arrested on the complaint of Gurjant after registering of a case and 10 other dera followers and eight Sikhs were also rounded up for disrupting peace law and order.
Later in the day, BSF held flag marches in the village amidst a heavy security that was deployed around the house of Piara Singh.

Cong failed to take tough stance: Khaira

Chandigarh, In a surprise reaction Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Khaira, said today that the Congress faltered and could not take on the ruling SAD-BJP combine on the law and order situation during the Dera Sacha Sauda controversy. Even the BJP, which is an alliance partner of the SAD, took a tough stance on this, he added.
The handling of the law and order situation has been a failure and even the BJP reminded its partner sternly. Teachers are being beaten up while bullets have been fired at protesters. Khaira is a staunch loyalist of former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and had defeated Bibi Jagir Kaur to win this seat.
Khaira was talking to journalists to counter claims of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on the schemes and plans the latter had announced on completion of 100 days of the SAD-BJP combine.
He said Badal was making false claims. Could anybody believe that the World Bank-aided scheme of Rs 1,280 crore for providing potable water and sanitation in villages was planned, launched and started in these 100 days? He added that the project was cleared and okayed during the previous regime. Same, he said was true for the road widening projects worth Rs 3,035 crore. He added that Badal had been claiming that the thermal plant at Lehra Mohhabat would become functional in December. Is it possible to construct and start a thermal plant within 10 months or so, he asked? Even the claim to convert the state into California was a “day dream”. It was yet another promise that cannot be fulfilled. Badal is saying the same things for years like opening of adarsh schools and drip irrigation. No new investor was willing to come to the state while land prices have fallen. The only agenda the ruling party fulfilled was of launching a “political witch hunt”.
Badal is running the government in an obsolete manner which is yielding no results and suggested “The SAD should introspect and see who can lead them in the future”. Khaira avoided taking names.

Badal playing with fire, says Bhattal

Chandigarh, Leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly Rajinder Kaur Bhattal here today said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was playing with fire by keeping the dera issue on the boil in Punjab’s countryside.
Talking to a group of mediapersons at her residence, she said Badal should stop playing politics on the dera issue. “ Let us all move ahead, forgetting what happened in Punjab in the recent weeks”, she said referring to the recent happenings which had become a big threat to peace in the state. “ It appears that deliberately tension is being created in the state”, she alleged.
“Badal should look beyond vote politics and tell his party activists to work for defusing tension in the countryside. If steps are not taken by Badal to restore peace, hot-headed elements could take advantage of the prevailing situation to push the state back into the dark days which destroyed it in the 80s and 90s”, she said.

Clash between Sikhs, dera followers causes tension in Punjab village

CHEEMA MANDI(Sunam): A scuffle between the Sikh community members and dera Sacha Sauda followeres here on Wednesday has caused tension in the area.
The clash sparked when certain dera followers beat up Gurjant Singh who at a congregation in Gurdawara told Sikhs to be loyal to their religion and boycott the deras. As the report of beating up of Gurjant Singh spread, the Sikhs went on rampage and set ablaze two kiosks and a motocycle.
Gurjant, who sustained injuries, alleged that his beard was pulled by the Piara and his brother who had recently returned to Sikhism in a baptising ceremony held in the village gurdwara.
Piara was given a siropa during the ceremony. When Gurjant visited his shop in the morning, Piara and Bikar were talking about some dera satsang, it was learnt.
On this, Gurjant asked Piara to justify the rationale of accepting the siropa if he was still interested in dera satsang.
To this, Piara, a hair dresser, alleged that he had taken the siropa only to use it as a cloth to clean the shop mirrors and scissors.
This triggered the scuffle, in which Gurjant was injured and rushed to Sunam Civil Hospital.
As per information, Sikhs started to converge on the village, saying that dera followers had injured a Sikh and pulled his beard. At 11 am, Sikhs from villages Tolewala, Jharon and Teerokalan armed with lathis, swords and sharp-edged weapons started to head towards the house of Piara Singh, where he and some other followers had taken shelter.
Acting swiftly, a police party managed to save the dera followers. The agitating mob then put on fire the kiosks and a motorbike.
SP (Headquarters) Dharam Singh claimed Piara and Bikar were arrested on the complaint of Gurjant after registering of a case and 10 other dera followers and eight Sikhs were also rounded up for disrupting peace law and order.
Later in the day, BSF held flag marches in the village amidst a heavy security that was deployed around the house of Piara Singh.