Punjab Latest Breaking News - Saturday 9th June 2007

Attack on Singhs house who made a complaint and a case was registered against the Dera Cheif

Bathinda, The house of Rajinder Singh Sidhu, on whose complaint a criminal case was registered against Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim, head, Dera Sacha Sauda, was attacked by certain persons late last night.
Rajinder fired two shots in the air and challenged the attackers, who fled after Rajinder challenged them. Before fleeing, they, who were four in number and had come on two scooters, smashed the panes of his car and windows of his house.
Acting promptly on the complaint of Rajinder, the district police provided him with seven gunmen. While five would guard his house at Hazura Kapura Colony here, two had been given to him for his personal security.
A report was registered at the city police station under Section 427, IPC, in this regard. A delegation of various Sikh organisations met district police chief Nau Nihal Singh, urging him to nab the culprits at the earliest.
Recollecting the event, Rajinder said he came to his house around 11 pm. He said one of the attackers abused him and then started pelting his house with stones.
Meanwhile, a section of SGPC officials recorded their statements with the police in connection with the criminal case registered against the baba.

Vedanti, SGPC chief meet

Amritsar, Jathedar, Akal Takht, Joginder Singh Vedanti and SGPC chief Avtar Singh today held a closed door meeting here today to resolve their difference following the controversy over the bringing of Guru Gobind Singh’s Kalgi (sacred crest) from Canada. The meeting was arranged by senior functionaries of the SGPC at the information office of Darbar Sahib.
However, an official press note, issued by the SGPC denied that the SGPC chief and jathedar, Akal Takht, had crossed swords on any issue.


Use Shastar and Shaastar to fight deravaad: Vedanti, Sant Harnam Singh Dhumma Ji Jathedar Damdami Taksal and Bhai Daljit Singh Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar

AMRITSAR: Top Akali Dal leadership was virtually missing totally from the function held at Akal Takht Sahib on June 6 morning (India time) to observe the 23rd anniversary of Operation Bluestar where Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti gave a call to use both "Shastar and Shaastar" (arms and scriptures) to fight against the menace of deravaad which is eating into the innards of Sikhism.
While no slogans were raised, many placards announcing 'Khalistan Zindabad' and "Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale Amar Rahe' were placed all over the place and many families of those martyred during the Operation Bluestar had converged at the Akal Takht to observe the day from which the ruling Akali Dal kept a safe distance.SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar was present but did not make any speech on the occasion while Vedanti read out a carefully crafted statement as his message to the Sikh quom which was a lot of word play and an exercise in political correctness. Vedanti said the Sikh history was full of many instances of sacrifices.The Akal Takht jathedar made it clear that come what may, the dera heads of Sacha Sauda Sirsa, Ashutosh and Bhaniarawala will not be spared. "Kade vi nahi bakhshe jaan ge," he said.Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Dhumma was also present, as were Bhai Daljit Singh of Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa. Bhai Daljit Singh made a short speech after the official function was over and the sangat sat peacefully in rapt attention listening to his speech.The Damdami Taksal is also observing the day separately at Chowk Mehta where the bhog of Sri Akhand Path was to be organized. Advertisements were placed about the event by the Taksal in various Punjabi newspapers in the region.

Khalsa Action Committee

Meeting of Panthic Organizations: Meeting of various Panthic organizations held at Gurudwara Shaheedan (Model Town) Ludhiana . Besides representatives of various Panthic organizations five representatives of Sant Samaj participated in the meeting. Sugessions from representative were taken and some unanimous decisions were formed.Support of Sant Samaj's Program: Meeting extended its support to the Programs drafted by Sant Samaj in its' meeting held on 02 June.15 Member Khalsa Action Committee Formed: After discussion the need for a central body to take collective decisions on the dera sauda issue and to plan future actions was realized and therefore a committee of 15 members is formed. S. Parmjeet Singh Sarna (Akali Dal, Delhi) is elected as Co-ordinator of the committee. Bhai Daljit Singh bittu (Akali Dal Amritsar) is elected as sub-coordinator cum-Spokesperson of Khalsa Action Committee. Members of Khalsa Action Committee:-
S. Parmjit Singh Sarna (Akali Dal Delhi)S. Daljit Singh Bittu (Akali Dal Amritsar)S. Jasbir Singh RodeS. Harinder Singh NorwayBaba Baljit Singh Daduwal (Sant Samaj)Baba Sukhchain Singh Dharmpura (Sant Samaj)S. Parmjit Singh Gazi (Sikh Students Federation)S. Kanwarpal Singh Bittoo (Dal Khalsa)S. Karnail Singh Panjoli (SGPC Member)S. Rajinder SIngh (Khlasa Pnchayat)S. R.P. Singh (Akhand Kirtani Jatha)S. Raghubir Singh (Majha Akali Dal)S. Jagdish Singh Jinda (SGPC Member, Haryana)S. Simranjit Singh Maan (Akali Dal Amritsar)


AISSF demands to call Sarbat Khalsa on dera issue

PATIALA: The All India Sikh Students Fedration(AISSF) headed by Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad and other like minded Sikh organizations Friday appealed to Akal Takht Jathedar to convene Sarbat Khalsa (Sikh convention) to chalk out strategy and take Sikh Sangat into confidence before making any future decisions regarding the plans to end Dera system.
Peer Mohammad stated that the present dera Sacha Sauda issue was a religious issue which is to be handled by Takht Jathedars in coordination with all the Panthic organizations, but it is unfortunate that the whole issue is being hijacked by Punjab Government and is being handled by State machinery while shielding the culprits who have played with sentiments of Sikh Sangat.
The panthic organizations are being directed by Indian Government and the religious sentiments of Sikh Sangat are being ignored. These panthic organizations are changing their plans at the behest of the State government to please their political masters.
He said that SGPC has failed to establish its supremacy in advancing the Sikh religion and protecting the traditions of Sikhs. The SGPC is controlled by some vested interests who are more into politics than protecting and advancing Sikh religion. They appealed to Sikh masses that criterion to choose representatives for SGPC should not be politically motivated rather religion should be priority in choosing SGPC members.

Banda Bahadur Anniversary Vedanti to address congregation today

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and “Singh Sahibaans” of four other Takhts will address a congregation being held here tomorrow to commemorate the death anniversary of Banda Singh Bahadur, who hailed from Rajouri.
SGPC president Avtar Singh will also address on the occasion, which is being marked by “rain sabai kirtan darbar” at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Nanak Nagar.
Banda Singh Bahadur and his warriors attained martyrdom in 1716 near Qutub Minar in New Delhi during the reign of Farrukh Siyyar, who had succeeded the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.
The anniversary is being organised by the Jammu-Kashmir State Gurdwara Management Board and the Jammu District (Ad hoc) Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. Besides, the high priests and the SGPC chief are also scheduled to take part in the “Amrit Sanchar Samagam” (a congregation for baptising the Sikhs), which the SGPC’s Dharam Parchar Committee will organise along with Dera Nangali Sahib chief Mahant Manjit Singh, on June 10.
Local Sikh bodies were looking forward to submit their representations to the Akal Takht Jathedar and the SGPC chief on issues like row over the decorum at Dera Nangali Sahib and the mushrooming of other deras in the region.
The Akal Takht Jathedar and the SGPC chief had brushed aside the appeal of a Sikh delegation to organise the 'Amrit Sanchar Samagam' at a gurdwara instead of holding such a sacred event at any dera.

Charges framed against four in Dera member's murder

AMBALA: A CBI court on Saturday framed charges against four members of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda in connection with the murder of one of the sect's management committee members five years ago. Special Judge R K Saini framed charges against the four -- Krishan Lal, Avtar Singh, Inder Saini and Jasbir Singh -- in the murder of one Ranjeet, one of the ten members of the high powered management committee of Dera, on July 10, 2002. The arguments on framing charge against another accused in the case, Sabdil, will be heard later. The bail application of Avtar Singh was also heard today which was adjourned for June 11. Some functionaries of the Dera had suspected that Ranjit was behind the circulation of an anonymous letter in which various allegations had been levelled against the sect head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, who was recently embroiled in a controversy over his alleged insult to tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. The police had arrested Krishan Lal, the manager of the Dera and four others in connection with the murder case in August 2002. Later, on the direction of Punjab and Haryana High Court, the investigation was handed over to the CBI. CBI had filed its chargesheet in this court in November last year. A supplementary chargesheet was also filed in January 2006. The CBI had also recovered a car and the weapon used in the murder of Ranjeet. The agency is already investigating two other cases against the Dera including murder of Sirsa-based journalist and charges of sexual exploitation of a 'sadhvi'.