Latest Breaking News from Punjab: Monday 25th June 2007

Khalsa march held amid tight security

Moga, Several Sikhs under the banner of the Khalsa Action Committee took out a procession here today demanding the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for his ‘blasphemous act’ of appearing in an attire akin to that of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.
Several Sikh organisations, both hardliners as well as moderates, participated in the procession from Gurdwara Zafar Nama, Dina Sahib to Damdami Sahib in Bathinda’s Talwandi Sabo.
Jasbir Singh Rode, former jathedar of Akal Takht, said: “Thousands of protestors participated in the march from Gurudwara Dina Sahib to Talwandi Sahib. The world should know that Sikhs will not allow anyone to hurt their religious sentiments. No one should ever think of coming at par with the Sikh Gurus. This is a peaceful march to expresses our grievances”.
Tight security arrangements were made along the procession route passing through Kangar, Bhai Roopa, Rampura Phul, Mandi Kalan and Ram Nagar, besides Punjab’s largest camp of Dera sect in Salabatpura.
The procession organisers had appealed to the participants to maintain peace and not raise slogans.
The organisers went against the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh’s appeal to defer plans till the SGPC took a decision over Dera chief’s apology.
Clashes between Sikhs and the Dera sect erupted after the publication of an advertisement showing sect leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh dressed up in clothes similar to those worn by Guru Gobind Singh.
The Sikhs took offence 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, saying he had absolutely no intention to imitate or replicate the Sikh guru. The Sikh clergy however, rejected the apology.

Chetna march held amid tight security

Bathinda, Hundreds of Sikh activists today reached here, after traversing about 120 km with great enthusiasm amid tight security, to press their demand for the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly hurting Sikh religious sentiments.
The much-publicised Khalsa Chetna March from Gurdwara Zafar Nama Dina Sahib in Moga to Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo here passed off peacefully, without any untoward incident, SSP Bathinda Naunihal Singh said.
The organisers, Khalsa Action Committee, later resolved to participate in the July 27 meeting of the Sikh Sangat at Shri Akal Takht in Amritsar where action on the new apology letter from the dera chief would be taken.
However, the organisers, also declared that if they were not satisfied with the decision of the June 27 meeting, they would hold their own meeting at Jalandhar on June 29 and chart their own course of action against the dera and its chief, the SSP said.
The committee had, however, accepted the administration’s appeal today to avoid marching close to Salabatpura, the main Dera Sacha Sauda centre in Punjab, and took a slight detour from the scheduled route.
According to sources, the organisers also agreed to call the march Khalsa Chetna March instead of Khalsa march on the request of the administration and urged the participants not to raise slogans or carry arms at the march.

Processionists refuse ‘siropas’ from Nandgarh

Bathinda, Sikh radicals, who led the march here, refused to accept ‘siropas’ from Takht Damdama Sahib chief Balwant Singh Nandgarh because he appealed to them to defer the protest till Wednesday.
As soon as the march entered the gurdwara, the Jathedar of Gurdwara Damdama Sahib (one of five Sikh temporal seats) tried to honour the Sikh radicals with ‘siropas’ but the precisionists refused to accept these and, instead, raised slogans against him.

Sikh groups march for Dera chief's arrest

Ignoring an appeal by SGPC to defer their march, several Sikh organisations and around 50, 000 sikhs took out a procession on Sunday, demanding arrest of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, charged with hurting religioussentiments of the community.
The Sikhs under the aegis of Khalsa Action Committee began the march from the historic Gurdwara Zafar Nama, Dina Sahib to Damdami Sahib in Bathinda's Talwandi Sabo as tight security arrangements were made along its route.
The procession, which included both hardliners and moderates of the community, would pass through Salabatpura,which houses the largest Dera of Sacha Sauda in Punjab.
Earlier, the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee chief Avtar Singh had appealed to the organisers to defertheir proposed march till Monday. But the Khalsa Action Committee - comprising leaders of various Sikh religiousgroups - decided to go ahead with its programme.
Those leading the march, including Jasbir Singh Rode, Daljit Singh Bittu, co-convenor of the Committee and BhaiMohkam Singh, spokesman of Damdami Taksal, have appealed to the participants to maintain peace and not to raise any kind of slogans.
The protestors were scheduled to pass through Kangar, Salabatpura, Bhai Roopa, Rampura Phul, Mandi Kalan and Ram Nagar before reaching Talwandi Sabo, a temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Sikh Panth: Arrest Dera chief

Chandigarh, : Khalistani activists within the newly-formed Khalsa Action Committee led more than 2,000 Sikhs in a 65-km protest march in Punjab on Sunday to reiterate their demand for the arrest and prosecution of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, spiritual head of the Dera Sacha Sauda, a multi-religion sect headquartered in Haryana’s Sirsa town.
The hardliners are demanding that the Parkash Singh Badal government in Punjab must immediately move to arrest the Dera chief for hurting Sikh religious feelings by attempting to imitate the 10th Guru, Gobind Singh. Newspaper advertisements on May 14 had depicted the Dera chief as what many Sikhs view a likeness of their guru.
The hardliners, who had issued the call for Sunday’s protest, insisted that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh must be arrested in accordance with a hukumnama (religious edict) issued by the Akal Takht, Sikhism’s highest religious and temporal authority. They pointed out that the jathedar of the Takht had rejected the apology tendered by the Dera chief a fortnight ago, and that the new, reworded apology purportedly tendered by him was yet to be perused by the five high priests.
The march from Deena Kangar near Moga to the historic Sikh shrine of Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo began with repeated chants of pro-"Khalistan" and "Bhindranwale zindabad" slogans despite the presence of scores of heavily-armed Punjab Police personnel. In fact, the entire route of the march was literally lined with khaki — more than 3,500 riot-ready policemen commanded by senior officers, including the zonal inspector general.
But despite the visible anger of the protesters, the march was completely peaceful. No attempt was made to attack or damage Sacha Sauda properties along the route and the Dera premises at Salabatpura, which had witnessed a dangerous standoff between Sacha Sauda followers and Sikhs only last month, was deliberately excluded from the route taken by the protesters on Sunday.
Interestingly, while the demonstrators said they had voluntarily excluded Salabatpura, local police officials claimed to reporters that they had diverted the procession to pre-empt possible violence.
The Punjab government, meanwhile, appears to have adopted a wait-and-watch approach with regard to the renewed controversy surrounding Sacha Sauda and its chief. Though the Bhatinda police had sought permission to execute the non-bailable arrest warrants against Gurmeet Ram Rahim two days ago, the state home department is yet to respond.
The chief minister and his colleagues are understood to be awaiting Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti’s return from his Canadian trip. The jathedar, who is expected to be back in the country on Monday, will give his verdict on the Dera chief’s new apology after a meeting with the other four high priests on Wednesday.
It is widely expected that the Akal Takht will adopt a more conciliatory approach this time.

Khalsa March Successful

Khalsa March was held from Gurudwara Lohgarh (Dina Sahib) to Takht Sri Damdama Sahib on its decided route. Sikh Sangat took part in large number inspite of many hurdels raised by Police, Government and other forces.

Sangat Participated - Socalled Leaders Did Not

Sikh Sangat Participated in Khalsa March in large number but traditional political and religious leadership did not. Badal Dal, Delhi Committee, SGPC and Jathedars did not participated in march. Baba Harnam Singh and Parmjit Singh Sarna too did not participated in March.

Members of Khalsa Action Committee who Paticipated
Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, S. Kanwarpal SIngh, S. Parmjit Singh Gazi, S. Jasbir Singh Rode, Bhai Mohkam SIngh, S. R.P. Singh, S. Jagdish Singh Jhinda, S. Sukhchain Singh Dharmpura, S. Karnail Singh Panjoli participated in march.

20,000 brave heat and machinations to join Khalsa March

Success of March dims prospects of acceptance of apology

Led by the Panj Piaras, the Sikh Chetna March organized by the Khalsa Action Committee reaches Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Bathinda on Sunday. The Khalsa March as it began from Gurdwara Dina Kangar early on Sunday after an ardas. The march was aimed at raising awareness about self-styled gurus and babas like Dera Sacha Sauda. Many such babas have been exposed on Indian RV channels often. The Dera head had enraged the Sikh community by imitating the tenth Sikh Guru, something no one had done in over 300 years. Now he is reeling of apology after apology but Sikhs are totally unsatisfied. The dera head, also a murder accused, is counted among top security-requiring people by Indian government.
The Khalsa March continued to pass as the RPF jawans, part of Indian paramilitary forces, looked on, on its way to Talwandi Sabo. The participants seemed in rage, but kept absolute control on the ranks. The march was totally peaceful. -- A WSN Photo
Notwithstanding the appeals made by Sikh clerics and ignoring the fact that the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna was more involved in 'managing' an apology from the Dera Sauda than preparing to lead the Khalsa March he had himself helped plan, the overwhelming response to the march received from the Sikh sangat on Sunday left no one in doubt that the panth continues to be enraged by the antics of the Dera Sauda irrespective of semantic word play of apologies.

As enthusiastic youth participation surprised even the organizers of the march from Gurdwara Dina Kangar to Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, and crowds of thousands comprised the kilometres long march, indications were clear that Akali Dal president and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will have to do better than what the government has done so far in moving against the Dera Sacha Sauda.

The huge success of the march has also cast a shadow now on the June 27 meeting of the Sikh clergy where the so-called new apology of the Dera Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, so far in a sealed envelope, is to be considered. It is a different matter that the apology made it to the media hours after Sarna handed it over to SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti is cutting short his visit abroad to preside over the June 27 meeting but in the light of the expression of Sikh sentiments through the Sunday's march, accepting the apology has become a very difficult prospect.

Among the key leaders leading the march were Bhai Daljit Singh of Akali Dal (Amritsar), Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa, former Akal Takht jathedar Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, Mohkam Singh of Damdami Taksal, former ambassador Harinder Singh Norway, Paramjit Singh Gazi, SGPC member Karnail Singh Panjoli etc. The Akali Dal and the SGPC remained away from the march, and by all available accounts, the officialdom is worried about the success of the march.

Some amount of expression of rage was also witnessed in the sloganeering during the march though the leaders, including Bhai Daljit Singh of Akali Dal ( Amritsar) and Bhai Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa ensured total control over the cadres.


The police had put in certain obstacles at Salabatpura where the Dera Sacha Sauda's cult largest premises is located but the marchers flung aside the obstacles and continued with their march in a peaceful fashion. The government had spilled hundreds of jawans of Punjab Police and paramilitary forces like the CRPF and the Rapid Action Force besides the Army.

Police had wanted the Khalsa March to be diverted from village Jalal towards Bhai Roopa village but its plans remained just that. Enraged youth broke down the barriers at Dayalpura village and took to the Dullewal village road which goes perilously close to the Salabatpura dera. At one stage, the police became dumbstruck and the senior officers seemed utterly confounded. Bathinda SSP Naunihal Singh himself led the naka on the Rampura-Salabatpura road.

It was at this stage that the leadership role played by Bhai Daljit Singh, Kanwarpal Singh and Jasbir Singh Rode ensured that the cadre remained under control.

Sangat came out in huge numbers from not only Bathinda but also Moga, Barnala, Mansa and Faridkot apart from other places.

Patiala Range IG M K Tiwari, Faridkot Range DIG Dr Jatinder Jain, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Bhandari, SSP Naunihal Singh, and officers of the paramilitary forces remained present and invariably on tenterhooks.

The marching sangat braved the heat, walking, driving, sitting on tractor-trolleys, cars, jeeps and riding mobikes and scooters, all behind the palanquin carrying Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at the head of the march.

Nearly 800 to 1,000 vehicles comprised the march which was several kilometres long. Chabeels of sweetened water punctuated the entire route of the march from Gurdwara Dina Kangar in Moga to Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo.

The tussle over the route had earlier continued till Saturday late night between the panthic leaders and the administration.

Panthic leaders gave clear indications that the show of strength which was witnessed during the march will be repeated on June 27th at the Akal Takht.
Indications were also clear that if the 'sealed envelope' apology turns out to be the same as published in the newspapers, it won't be accepted.

Leaflets were distributed which talked of making the preaching of Shabad Guru as the main thrust area. These also talked of winning back the misguided Sikhs who have dithered towards the Dera Sacha Sauda and other deras. It also talked of enlarging the struggle's scope by saying not only the Dera Sauda but also rest of the guru-doms and dera-vaadis will be targeted.

False charges against Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu Vice President SAD A

On June 2nd, 2007, Daljit Singh Bittu, senior vice-president of the Sikh political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), was charged with sedition by police from Fategharh, Farrukhabad District, in the state of utter Pradesh, India.Mr. Bittu has been falsely charged.The events leading to the charge against Mr. Bittu are as follows:On May 31st, Mr. Bittu participated in a march protesting government refusal to curb the criminal activities and religious offenses of the Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) organization. The lawful march lasted just one kilometer as participants marched from one gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) to another. Although some passionate participants shouted the slogan “Khalistan Zindabad” in reference to the desired independent Sikh nation, the entire march was peaceful.Two days later, Mr. Bittu was charged with sedition for taking part in the march. He committed no crime. He did not participate in violence, as the entire march was peaceful. He also did not participate in the shouting of pro-Khalistan slogans.The crime of sedition is clearly defined under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This code forbids exciting or attempting to excite disaffection towards the Indian government, but it also says that "comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means...do not constitute an offense." In short, it is not seditious to peacefully make comments strongly disapproving of government policies. This is exactly what Mr. Bittu, who has publicly and peacefully criticized government inaction regarding DSS, has done.Even if Mr. Bittu had shouted slogans alongside the other participants, which by all reports he did not, he still would have committed no crime. The Indian Supreme Court ruled in Balwant Singh vs. State of Punjab (1995) that the mere public use of the slogan "Khalistan Zindabad" is not illegal, saying: "It appears to us that the raising some slogans only a couple of times by the two lonesome appellants, which neither evoked any response nor any reaction from any one in the public can neither attract the provisions of Section 124A or of Section 153A IPC."Besides sedition, Mr. Bittu could only be charged with speaking his mind and participating in a public assembly. Yet these are considered rights of the people under Article 19, Clauses (1)(a) and (1)(b) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee the right "to freedom of speech and expression" and "to assemble peaceably and without arms."The Indian government has a history of harassing Mr. Bittu for peacefully and publicly addressing grievances. In 2006, he protested the seizure of 376 acres of farmland by the government of Punjab and spoke to a group of affected farmers. He was then arrested and charged with sedition, and ultimately released on bail. U.S. congressman Edolphus Towns said of that case: "Mr. Bittu spoke out against the acquisition of the land of poor farmers by Punjab on behalf of private business firms. We have had cases in this country where the government has taken land by eminent domain for private usage, Mr. Speaker, and no one ever gets arrested for speaking out against it." Mr. Bittu has been arrested several other times for protesting government policies and served many years in prison for a variety of false charges, many of which have been dropped for lack of evidence.While Mr. Bittu’s arrest has been stayed until June 25, he has been directed to participate in all investigations and remains charged with sedition.In conclusion, Mr. Bittu has not done anything that can be legitimately considered a crime under U.S., international, or Indian law. In what is just one more incident of Indian government suppression of basic human rights, Mr. Bittu is being harassed solely for his dedication to promoting liberty through peaceful means.We urge the U.S. government to pressure India to drop charges against Mr. Bittu in the interest of the international promotion of democracy and basic human rights, including the rights to freedom of speech and self-determination.

Please contact the following agencies to urge that charges against Mr. Bittu be dropped:Indian EmbassyPhone: (202) 939-7000Fax: (202) 265-43512107 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20008U.S. EmbassyShantipath, ChanakyapuriPhone: 011-2419-8000Fax: +91-11-2419-0017.

UK scraps plan to raise Sikh regiment

London, Britain has abandoned plans to raise an exclusive regiment of British Sikhs on the ground that it would be seen as a move encouraging racial segregation, a media report said on Sunday.
Despite the British infantry being short of 3,000 soldiers, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) rejected the idea after discussions with Britain's Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), which argued that creating a Sikh regiment would be divisive and amounted to segregation.
"We would not support any policy that seeks to isolate specific groups in the armed forces or wider society," a CRE spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Telegraph.
“The creation of a separate regiment according to ethnicity would be segregation, which amounts to discrimination under the Race Relations Act. Anything that creates separation between regiments can only have a detrimental effect upon our Armed Forces' operational effectiveness,” the spokesperson added.
Ironically, last year, the armed forces were ordered to meet tough targets to recruit more men and women from ethnic minorities.
The decision on Saturday was criticised by politicians, members of the Sikh community and soldiers, who claimed that the army had fallen victim to political correctness. — IANS

Latest Breaking News from Punjab : Sunday 24th June 2007

Tension abounds as Khalsa Action Committee's march due

Sarna, Nandgarh pull back, Bhai Daljit Singh, Kanwarpal Singh, others dig in

SALABATPURA/DINA KANGAR: Punjab continues to be sitting on a dynamite as far as tensions at the grassroot level are concerned, and in a few hours, the Khalsa Action Committee's much awaited march will be on the way, criss-crossing the disturbed terrains of Malwa.
Flag marches across Malwa have become so routine that they now figure only on the inside pages of newspapers, the Khalsa Action Committee is adamant on taking out the march against the Dera Sauda from Gurdwara Dina Kangar in Moga to Takht Damdama Sahin in Talwandi Sabo and the tussle between the panthic leaders and the administration continues about the route of the march which almost touches Salabatpura, the epicentre of volcanic reaction in Punjab to the antics of Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
But also keeping pace is the sad part of the news trickling in, something almost symptomatic of many a Sikh struggle. It is about intra-fraternity differences. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Commitee president Paramjit Singh Sarna has pulled out of the Khalsa March, Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh has asked that it be postponed and a split seems fast emerging between the Sarnas and rest, which include Bhai Daljit Singh of Akali Dal (Amritsar), Kanwarpal Singh of Dal Khalsa, Mohkam Singh of Damdami Taksal and others.
The SGPC has also asked that the march be posponed, the move seemingly the first indication that the unity under the larger umbrella of the Akal Takht could be lost due to any poor handling now on part of the clergy. Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti is cutting short his trip to Canada and a meeting has been scheduled for June 27 to discuss the apology in a sealed envelope. (Interestingly, most of the contents of the sealed envelope have already spilled out in Punjab newspapers, again indicating poor and smudgy handling of the issue).
Sarna is believed to be taking a line that he has achieved the best that could have been achieved by extracting the apology from the Dera Sauda. However, most panthic leaders (read, other than those belonging to the camp of Parkash Singh Badal) are not particularly enthused by the apology's wording. Once again, the apology is not signed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
The panthic lobby is especially peeved with Nandgarh for his changed version. Initially, Nandgarh had emerged as one of the most outspoken critics.
On its part, the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) has declared it would go ahead with the planned agitation. While Jathedar Nandgarh claimed he had asked the Khalsa Action Committee to defer the march in view of Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti's appeal against agitations without approval from the clergy but supporters of the protest said it was a move by the Parkash Singh Badal government to scuttle their plans.
Dal Khalsa general secretary Kanwarpal Singh said they had planned the June 24 March with the consent of Jathedar Vedanti. "Moreover, Jathedar Nandgarh, with whom we discussed the plan thrice, had initially agreed to participate. His U-turn is only an indication that he has issued his appeal at Badal's behest," he said.
SAD (Amritsar) deputy chief Bhai Daljit Singh said the planned agitation could not be deferred. "We have made all preparations for the protest march and any decision to defer it would be detrimental to the interests of the community." Damdami Taksal spokesman Mohkam Singh said instead of issuing appeals to defer the march, Jathedar Nandgarh should in fact lead it.
The SGPC and the Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar seem to have taken it upon themselves to scuttle the protest march. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar has appealed that the movement against the Dera be toned down after the new apology and also suggested that the march be postponed.
Meanwhile, SAD (Amritsar) leaders and activists are reported to have gone underground to evade possible arrest ahead of the June 24 march.
The Haryana Front:
The Haryana government has stepped in to check the frequent conflicts occurring between the two sides over the "nam charcha" service in villages. While on one hand columns of the state police, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) on June 22 staged a flag march in various villages to restore confidence among people and provide a deterrence to violent ele ments, on the other a 32-member peace committee constituted by the Sirsa administration, which met on June 23, was mandated to visit all trouble-hit villages and other potential hotspots over the next three days to impress upon the Premis (Dera followers) and Sikhs to maintain communal harmony.
A district official said: "We will also try and constitute village-level peace committees to further the process. The idea is to involve more and more people and persuade them to maintain claim. They can approach the district administration in the event of a problem," said. The peace committee comprising people from various sections of society and four district officials will start travelling in small groups from tomorrow morning to spread the message of peace and harmony.
The state government, which has been under strain to maintain law and order in the district ever since Sikhs went up in arms over the blasphemous acts of Dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, has made it a priority to restore public order. The concern is not without reason as officials fear the incidents of violence in Haryana could shift the focus of the controversy to that state.
Much of the tension over "nam charcha" has remained concentrated on the Haryana side than in Punjab. In Sirsa, too, most clashes have taken place in villages close to Punjab. "Villages in the Jogewala-Odhan-Lakkranwali-Pucca belt, which are closer to Punjab, have been the hotspots. And those are the areas the peace committees are going to focus on," sources say.
For the readers of the WSN, this is what the sealed envelope awaiting the return of Akal Takht jathedar contains:
The Dera Sacha Sauda organisation believes in all religions (Sarv-dharma) and respects them. To help build character, to help people shun non-vegetarian food and narcotics, to help remove differences of religion, caste etc and to inculcate self-less love are the objectives of this organisation. Sant Ji says that leave aside imitation of Sarbansdani Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj or equating with him, he cannot even think of such a thing. The developments of the last few days are a subject of concern and the misunderstandings emerging from that are extremely regrettable. In the interests of the humanity, we seek forgiveness from True Rehbar of Roohaniyat, Satguru Sarbansdani Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the Guru Panth. May the peace and mutual harmony prevail in Punjab, Haryana and desh-videsh, such is our wish!

QUESTIONS LEFT UNANSWERED:
1. Will the Dera chief stop his Jaam-e-Insa programs? The apology provides no answer, and a program is scheduled this week at Sirsa again.
2. Why was the meeting with the representatives of Dera held in a hush-hush manner?
3. Paramjit Singh Sarna was a member of the Khalsa Action Committee. Why did he not take the KAC into confidence while maintaining direct links with the Dera? Why did he not take permission of any of the clerics for this?
4. Why was the house of the Police SSP chosen as a meeting place?
5. Why did the Dera representatives not face the media and sneaked out in the night from the SSP's residence?
6. What prompted sudden somersault by Jathedar Balwant Singh Ji Nandgarh?
7. If the issue is of such prominence, why was it not possible for someone to open the envelope, and read out the contents to Jathedar Vedanti who could then have confabulated with other clerics or any leaders? In this age of 'new-age' communications, what impression does it convey of the highest leadership of the community? Weren't other clerics capable of opening the envelope and read and discuss what the apology contained?
8. Do we not have a situation where Sarna and the dera men, and a police SSP, knows what the Akal Takht jathedar and the Sikh quom, and best panthic leaders do not know?
9. Does anyone believe that Parkash Singh Badal does not know the contents of the sealed envelope?
10. Why is the Akali Dal silent on the opne support of Congress to the Dera head on the floor of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in the ongoing session?

Sikh groups begin march for Dera chief's arrest

Moga (Punjab): Ignoring an appeal by SGPC to defer their march, several Sikh organisations today took out a procession, demanding arrest of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, charged with hurting religious sentiments of the community.
The Sikhs under the aegis of Khalsa Action Committee began the march here from the historic Gurdwara Zafar Nama, Dina Sahib to Damdami Sahib in Bathinda's Talwandi Sabo as tight security arrangements were made along its route.
The procession, which included both hardliners and moderates of the community, would pass through Salabatpura which houses the largest Dera of Sacha Sauda in Punjab.
Earlier, the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandhak Committee chief Avtar Singh had appealed to the organisers to defer their proposed march till tomorrow. But the Khalsa Action Committee - comprising leaders of various Sikh religious groups - decided to go ahead with its programme.
Those leading the march, including Jasbir Singh Rode, Daljit Singh Bittu, co-convenor of the Committee and Bhai Mohkam Singh, spokesman of Damdami Taksal, have appealed to the participants to maintain peace and not to raise any kind of slogans. The protestors were scheduled to pass through Kangar, Salabatpura, Bhai Roopa, Rampura Phul, Mandi Kalan and Ram Nagar before reaching Talwandi Sabo, a temporal seat of the Sikhs.

False Charges against Bhai Daljit Singh Vice President Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar

On June 2nd, 2007, Daljit Singh Bittu, senior vice-president of the Sikh political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), was charged with sedition by police from Fategharh, Farrukhabad District, in the state of utter Pradesh, India.Mr. Bittu has been falsely charged.The events leading to the charge against Mr. Bittu are as follows:On May 31st, Mr. Bittu participated in a march protesting government refusal to curb the criminal activities and religious offenses of the Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) organization. The lawful march lasted just one kilometer as participants marched from one gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) to another. Although some passionate participants shouted the slogan “Khalistan Zindabad” in reference to the desired independent Sikh nation, the entire march was peaceful.Two days later, Mr. Bittu was charged with sedition for taking part in the march. He committed no crime. He did not participate in violence, as the entire march was peaceful. He also did not participate in the shouting of pro-Khalistan slogans.The crime of sedition is clearly defined under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This code forbids exciting or attempting to excite disaffection towards the Indian government, but it also says that "comments expressing disapprobation of the measures of the government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means...do not constitute an offense." In short, it is not seditious to peacefully make comments strongly disapproving of government policies. This is exactly what Mr. Bittu, who has publicly and peacefully criticized government inaction regarding DSS, has done.Even if Mr. Bittu had shouted slogans alongside the other participants, which by all reports he did not, he still would have committed no crime. The Indian Supreme Court ruled in Balwant Singh vs. State of Punjab (1995) that the mere public use of the slogan "Khalistan Zindabad" is not illegal, saying: "It appears to us that the raising some slogans only a couple of times by the two lonesome appellants, which neither evoked any response nor any reaction from any one in the public can neither attract the provisions of Section 124A or of Section 153A IPC."Besides sedition, Mr. Bittu could only be charged with speaking his mind and participating in a public assembly. Yet these are considered rights of the people under Article 19, Clauses (1)(a) and (1)(b) of the Indian Constitution, which guarantee the right "to freedom of speech and expression" and "to assemble peaceably and without arms."The Indian government has a history of harassing Mr. Bittu for peacefully and publicly addressing grievances. In 2006, he protested the seizure of 376 acres of farmland by the government of Punjab and spoke to a group of affected farmers. He was then arrested and charged with sedition, and ultimately released on bail. U.S. congressman Edolphus Towns said of that case: "Mr. Bittu spoke out against the acquisition of the land of poor farmers by Punjab on behalf of private business firms. We have had cases in this country where the government has taken land by eminent domain for private usage, Mr. Speaker, and no one ever gets arrested for speaking out against it." Mr. Bittu has been arrested several other times for protesting government policies and served many years in prison for a variety of false charges, many of which have been dropped for lack of evidence.While Mr. Bittu’s arrest has been stayed until June 25, he has been directed to participate in all investigations and remains charged with sedition.In conclusion, Mr. Bittu has not done anything that can be legitimately considered a crime under U.S., international, or Indian law. In what is just one more incident of Indian government suppression of basic human rights, Mr. Bittu is being harassed solely for his dedication to promoting liberty through peaceful means.We urge the U.S. government to pressure India to drop charges against Mr. Bittu in the interest of the international promotion of democracy and basic human rights, including the rights to freedom of speech and self-determination. Please contact the following agencies to urge that charges against Mr. Bittu be dropped:Indian EmbassyPhone: (202) 939-7000Fax: (202) 265-43512107 Massachusetts Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20008U.S. EmbassyShantipath, ChanakyapuriPhone: 011-2419-8000Fax: +91-11-2419-0017

Bitta’s plea

Amritsar, The Akal Takht should accept the apology tendered by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief to maintain peaceful atmosphere in the state.
This was stated by president of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninderjit Singh Bitta here today. Bitta said a conference of representatives of all religions should be convened and a committee constituted to look into the causes of religious conversions in the Malwa belt during the past 15 years.
He said he was not against deras but whenever these played into the hands of political parties, the peaceful atmosphere in the state got vitiated.

Sant Samaj, radicals reject apology

Moga, Directions of the SGPC to cancel the proposed Khalsa protest notwithstanding, the Sant Samaj and radical Sikh organisations have reiterated their resolve to take out the march.
At a meeting organised at Gurdwara Bibi Kahan Kaur here today, the Sant Samaj categorically rejected the second apology tendered by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Sant Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. It said the march would be held as per the announced plan.
Earlier, president of the SGPC Avtar Singh had asked the Khalsa Action Committee to cancel the march to maintain law and order in the state.
The meeting was held under the leadership of Baba Resham Singh Kukharana. He said they did not accept the manner in which the dera head had tendered the apology. It reflected his arrogance, Kukharana said, adding that the dera head must physically appear before the Akal Takht to apologise.

Panel against show of swords, lathis during march Khalsa march to avoid Salabatpura dera

3,500 cops to ensure peace
Around 3,500 security personnel have been deployed while 30 nakas have been set up on the route of the march.

Bathinda, We will not advance towards the Salabatpura dera of the Sacha Sauda sect during the Khalsa march to be taken out tomorrow from Dina Kangar to Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo.
This was stated by Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode (SAD-1920) and Bhai Mohkam Singh (Damdami Taksal), both members of the Khalsa Action Committee that has planned the march, in reply to a question here today. They said the march would be taken out in a peaceful manner.
They appealed to the Sikh sangat not to brandish swords, “gandasas” and lathis during the march and raise provocative slogans as Sri Guru Granth Sahib would be accompanying the march with Panj Piaras leading it.
To dispel apprehensions of violence during the march, members of the committee and the Sant Samaj Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, Sant Sukhchain Singh Dharampura, Sant Buta Singh Gurthali Wale and Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal held meetings with the DIG, Faridkot range, Dr J.K. Jain and Bathinda SSP Naunihal Singh here.
Bhai Mohkam Singh said they told the administration that the sangat would take part in the march and chant “Satnam Waheguru” while maintaining discipline.
Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode said there were no differences in the committee over the march. The route of the march would remain unchanged. Any decision on the apology letter sent by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief would be taken by five high priests.
Bhai Rode and Bhai Mohkam Singh said they wanted Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh, president of the SGPC Avtar Singh and president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna to join the march.

Chetna March not Protest March

Sikh organisations, including radical bodies, have agreed to change the name of their "awareness" march here after persuasion by the authorities.
An hour-long meeting between the organisations and police officials, including the DIG and SSP, led them to change the "Khalsa protest march" to the "Khalsa Chetna march" The organisations' heads also agreed on not taking any kind of weapon with them and not shouting any slogans.
However, the organisers refused to change the route of the march, which will pass about one-and-half kilometres from the Dera Salabatpura, which was attacked by Sikh protestors on May 17. Among the leaders present at the talks were Bhai Jasvir Singh Rode, former jathedar Akal Takht, Bhai Mohkam Singh of Damdami Taksal, Sant Sukhchain Singh Dharampura, Sant Buta Singh Gurthari, and Gurdeep Singh.
Senior Superintendent of Police Naunihal Singh, when contacted, said talks were still on with marchers and police were fully prepared to maintain law and order at all costs. "We have stationed as many as 3,700 personnel on the route for the march and no one will be allowed to move towards Salabatpura with evil intentions. However, talks are on to convince the protesors to change the route," he said.
The march will start at 0930 hours from Gurudwara Dina Sahib Kangar and end on reaching Talwadi Sabo in the evening at around 1700 hours.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh had appealed to the protestors to defer the march and wait for the decision of the Akal Takht on the apology submitted by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Guru Ram Rahim Singh on June 20.

Khalsa March begins amid tight security

Hundreds of Sikh activists today began the much-publicised 120-km Khalsa march from Gurdwara Zafar Nama Dina Sahib here to Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo in the neighbouring Bathinda district amid tight security to press for the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly hurting Sikh religious sentiments.
At least 2000 Sikh devotees assembled at 1115 hrs at Gurdwara Zafar Nama Dina Sahib for the 'ardas' after which a 200-vehicle strong cavalcade carrying the leaders and representatives of various parties left for Damdama Sahib, led by Panj Payaras and a decorated tractor trolly carrying the 'Palki' with the holy Guru Granth Sahib.
According to the organisers, with whom the administration held several meetings, to the march was purely a religious one and a 'symbolic reply the ''sacrilegious act of Dera Sacha Sauda head in trying to emulate the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh''.
The march was organised by the Khalsa Action Committee, a group representing by hardliner and moderate Sikh organisations including Sant Samaj, Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar , Shiromani Akali Ravinder Singh (1920), set up to counter ''the Dera Sacha Sauda threat and implement the edict of Akal Takht''.
Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, acting Akal Takht Jathedar, Daljit Singh Bittu co-convenor Khalsa Action Committee, Bhai Mohkam Singh, spokesman Damdami Taksal, Gurdeep Singh Bathinda General Secretary Akali Dal 1920, Sant Buta Singh, Karnail Singh Panjoli, Kanwarpal Singh Khalsa and Harinder Singh ex MP Norway were prominent among those who joined the march.
Daljit Singh Bittu and Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode alleged that though a consesus had been arrived on the route late last night with Inspector General Police M K Tiwari and they had assured the administration that it would be a peaceful affair, the police put up numerous 'nakas', (police checkpost), causing inconvenience to the participants.
The Punjab police even put up nakas in Jagraon area and at Harike bridge and checked people from Majha and other parts which delayed the procession, they said. However, police officials observed that 'nakas' were erected simply to check the entry of undesirable elements with weapons and denied allegations that people were harassed.
Meanwhile, Convenor of Khalsa Action Committee and President of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna, who was instrumental in getting an apology letter from Gurdwara Sacha Sauda head for the Akal Takht, was conspicuous by his absence. Before the start of the march, almost all the speakers appealed to participants not to raise any slogan in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib in the palki, not to carry any firearms and maintain peace, as requested by the administration.
According to sources, the organisers also agreed to call the march Khalsa Chetna March instead of Khalsa march on the request of the administration. However, they refused to avoid Salabatpur and insisted on marching past the main Dera Sacha Sauda Centre in Punjab. In view of this, the Inspector General Police M K Tiwari, along with other officials, had conducted a survey of the area to ensure that the march passed off peacefully. More than 4,000 police and para military forces personnel were deployed, he said.

Police seeks govt’s nod to arrest dera head

Chandigarh, Trouble for Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has increased, with the police seeking the Punjab government’s approval to arrest him for hurting the religious sentiments of the Sikhs.
Acting on a court order, the Bathinda police has sent an application to the government seeking sanction to prosecute the dera head, Bathinda police chief Naunihal Singh told PTI over the phone here today.
A court in Bathinda had on May 20 issued a conditional non-bailable warrant against the head of Sirsa-based sect.
On an application moved by the police seeking an arrest warrant against the dera head, the court had observed that the police would have to seek prior permission from the government before the prosecution of the dera head.
However, the state government is yet to decide on the police application, which is pending with the principal secretary (Home), chief secretary R.I. Singh said.
The order of the Bathinda court has to be executed by July 1.

Exclusive report on Jhoota Sauda

Since mid-May, Punjab has been torn by violence inspired by the spiritual organization Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS). Dera Sacha Sauda

The DSS is based in the town of Sirsa, in Haryana, India, which borders the Indian state of Punjab. It terms itself a "non-profit spiritual organization" and claims to have over 10 million followers, and 36 branches in 11 States, including Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It was founded in 1948, and is currently headed by Gurmeet Singh (also know as "Maharaj"). The organization purports to be non-profit and to refuse donations. However, it has many followers who work the fields of its ashrams, with the income from the produce of the fields going to the organization. This income likely funds Gurmeet Singh's preferred mode of transportation, which is "a fleet of Mercedes cars, protected by up to 25 bodyguards." Attack on Sikhi Approximately two weeks ago, DSS printed an advertisement featuring Gurmeet Singh. This advertisement, coupled with other activities of DSS, demonstrate a deliberate and extremely offensive attempt to copy Sikhi. Specifically, it attempts to copy the creation of "Khalsa," the orthodox manner of Sikhi instituted by the tenth and final Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. It does this in several ways. First, Gurmeet Singh appears dressed in the style of Guru Gobind and seated in "Bir Asaan," the style of seating used by Guru Gobind during the creation of Khalsa. This seating style is still used during Amrit Sanskar, the ceremony in which a Sikh is initiated into Khalsa. According to Jagtar Singh of the Sikh Federation, "Impersonating a Sikh guru always runs the risk of outraging even the most moderate of Sikhs." Second, Gurmeet Singh is portrayed distributing Jaam-e-Insaan, an attempted copy of the Amrit (or nectar) used in Amrit Sanskar. Amrit Sanskar is a vital ceremony in Sikhi. This is when a Sikh is publicly baptized into pure Sikhi and takes the surname "Singh" (or "lion") to denote equality with others in the community. This distribution of Jaam-e-Insaan is also a copy of Khande di Pahul, where nectar is prepared. According to Sikhi, since Guru Gobind only "Panj Pyaras" have the authority to prepare Amrit, which they must do in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh holy book)while following a prescribed method. Third, Gurmeet Singh includes a list of "Rules for Humanity" in his advertisement. This is an undeniable attempt to copy the "Rahatnamas" (or "Codes of Conduct") of Sikhi which were instituted by Guru Gobind. While Gurmeet Singh's list of rules are all very similar to those in Sikhi, what is most offensive is his attempt to copy Guru Gobind by issuing such a list. Fourth, Gurmeet Singh ordered his followers to adopt the name "Insaan" (or "human"), in a copy of Guru Gobind's admonition to adopt the name "Singh" (or "Kaur" for women) after Amrit Sanskar. Thus Gurmeet Singh has attempted to copy the unique creation of Khalsa by creating Insaan. DSS has also attempted to copy and offend Sikhs and even other religious groups in several other ways not included in the recent advertisement. Just as Guru Gobind taught the importance of "Panj" (or "five"), so Gurmeet Singh has copied this concept by using "Sat" (or "Seven"). Dr. Adyita Insaan, the spokesman of DSS, has equated Gurmeet Singh to Sikh Gurus Gobind Singh and Har Krishan, as well as to Ramachandra, a Hindu god. Additionally, DSS deceptively uses the symbols of the four main religions in India to attract followers: the Sikh Ek Onkar, the Muslim Star and Crescent, the Hindu Om, and the Christian Cross. In summary, DSS has created an amalgam religion which primarily attempts to copy Sikhi and is offensive to Sikhs and those of many other religions. Under Indian law, this deliberate offense is illegal. Indian Penal Code 295a reads: "Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class of [citizens of India], [by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both.]" Other Criminal Activities In a December, 2002 letter to then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a female member of DSS accused Gurmeet Singh of sexually exploiting his "Sadhvis," or female followers. The anonymous author of the letter, whose family urged her to become a "Sadhvi," says: "Two years after I became a 'Sadhvi', a special woman-disciple of Maharaj Gurmit Singh came to me one night at 10 o'clock and said that the Maharaj had summoned me to his room. I felt elated that Maharaj himself sent for me. I was going to him for the first time. After climbing the stairs, when I went into his room, I saw that he was holding a remote in his hand and was watching a blue [pornographic] film on the TV. Beside his pillow on the bed, lay a revolver.... He offered me water and said that he had called me because he considered me very close to him. This was my first experience. Maharaj took me in his embrace and said that he loved me from the core of his heart. He also said that he wanted to make love with me. He told me that at the time of becoming his disciple, I had dedicated my wealth, body and soul to him and he had accepted my offering. When I objected he said, 'There is no doubt that I am God.'" Gurmeet Singh then blackmailed the "Sadhvi" into having sex with him by threatening to kill her and her family. She claims that many other Sadhvis are regularly raped by Gurmeet Singh, saying that her time comes "every 25-30 days." She says other Sadhvis who have tried to reveal their sexual exploitation have been threatened, beaten, and even maimed. This letter inspired an investigation of the DSS by India's central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On October 24, 2003 two men riding a motorcycle and claiming to be from DSS shot journalist Ram Chandra Chatrapati four times at point-blank range. Chatrapati was the editor of "Poora Sach" and had been investigating the recent charges of sexual exploitation by Gurmeet Singh. He died of his injuries a month later. Two men arrested on suspicion of Chatrapati's murder said they were DSS followers and had been sent on orders from Kishan Li, a senior DSS official, to kill Chatrapati because of his investigations. Sirsa District Deputy Commissioner D. Suresh says his office has also received multiple complaints about the Sirsa-based DSS allegedly being involved in the theft of land, drug distribution, and tax evasion. After the mid-May 2007 publication of the offensive DSS advertisement, many Sikhs in Punjab protested Gurmeet Singh's attempted copy of Guru Gobind. DSS followers retaliated, assaulting many Sikhs and injuring many of the police trying to calm the situation. Over 100 people were injured by DSS followers, many of them police. They also attacked fire personnel, set a police jeep on fire, and attacked a deputy commissioner's residence. Worst of all, Kamaljit Singh, a Sikh, was killed on May 17th by a bullet fired from inside a Sunam, Punjab DSS compound. Conclusion The son of murdered journalist Chatrapati, Anshul Chatrapati, has alleged that members of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) have urged Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian Congress, to influence the CBI probe into DSS in favor of Gurmeet Singh out of respect for his strong support of the Congress in the recent elections. The recent transfer of the DSS case from CBI officer Dr. Armandeep Singh to Satish Dagger, which Anshul Chatrapati believes is an indication of government tampering in the ongoing investigation. He believes the PPCC entered into a deal with Gurmeet Singh prior to the elections in which the Congress would overlook his criminal activities if he urged his followers to support the Congress. This government interference in an objective investigation, coupled with the refusal to prosecute Gurmeet Singh under IPC 295a, places a large part of the blame for the DSS-inspired chaos in northern India on the shoulders of the Indian Government. India must diligently pursue the thorough investigation of Gurmeet Singh and his criminal activities. Additionally, India must charge Gurmeet Singh under IPC 295a in order to achieve both justice and peace in northern India.

Latest Breaking News from Punjab - Saturday 23rd June 2007

Apology Letter Sikh clergy likely to meet on June 27

Amritsar, Akal Takht is likely to hold a crucial meeting on June 27 here to discuss the fresh apology letter sent by Dera Sacha Sauda chief in a sealed envelop. The meeting of the Sikh high priests could not be held before June 24 - the date fixed for hardliners to take out the protest march - because Jathedar Vedanti had gone to Canada.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had reportedly contacted Jathedar Vedanti on telephone in Canada and urged him to cut short his visit in the wake of the fresh apology letter. However, the jathedar conveyed that he could not reach Amritsar before June 26. He would again go to the USA after attending the meeting.
Sources said except for hardliners who are adamant to take out the march, most of the senior leaders of the SGPC, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and SAD have expressed satisfaction over the contents of the fresh apology. Under such circumstances, the Sikh high priests may accept the apology on the condition that it should be signed by the dera chief. The SGPC chief has described the decision of hardliners regarding the march as violation of the directive issued by the Jathedars, Akal Takht, and Damdama Sahib.
In an another significant development, the Chief Minister talked to DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna on telephone to appreciate his mediation efforts.
On the other hand, district magistrate, Amritsar, Kahan Singh Pannu has imposed ban on the carrying of fire-arms and traditional weapons under Section 144 as a precautionary measure.

Maintain peace, groups urged

Moga, With a view to maintaining law and order in the district in connection with the Khalsa March on June 24, the police and civil administration held a meeting with the political, social and religious groups of the district here today.
The administration urged them to utilise their influence in keeping communal harmony.
It added that it had asked the participants of the march to follow the route announced by the administration, which meant skipping Salabatpur village. They also made a special request to the SGPC members present at the meeting to convince the participants to peacefully organise the march.

‘Cancel march’

Bathinda, With a view to maintaining law and order throughout the state, president of the SGPC Avtar Singh today asked the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) to cancel its proposed protest march to be taken out on June 24.
The SGPC chief said members of the KAC should cancel their march as their leader Paramjit Singh Sarna had already dissociated himself from the march.
About the contents of the apology letter sent by Dera Sacha Sauda, the jathedar said he could not say anything about it as the envelope would be opened by the Jathedar of Akal Takht after his return from abroad.
Meanwhile, in a press note issued today Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh also appealed to the Sikh organisations to postpone the proposed march.
Jathedar Avtar Singh was here in connection with a meeting of the SGPC members of eight districts of the Malwa belt.
Meanwhile, ‘premis” of Dera Sacha Sauda today also submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Governor, here to stop the atrocities against them.

‘Amarinder behind disturbances’

Bathinda, President of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front Maninderjit Singh Bitta today demanded a CBI inquiry to ascertain the alleged role of former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna in spoiling the peaceful atmosphere of the state with regard to the dera issue. He was here today to express views on the hot issue.
Bitta alleged that Amarinder Singh had encouraged the dera head to dress up like Guru Gobind Singh and also provoked Paramjit Singh Sarna to raise slogans for creating disturbances in the state.

SSF appeal to Sikhs to take part in June 24 march

FATEHGARH SAHIB; The Sikh Students Federation(SSF) has made an appeal to the Sikh Sangat to participate in 24 June Khalsa March in large number.
SSF President Parmjit Singh Gazi and General Secretary Hardev Singh Karnal said on Friday that the march shall be from historic place of Dian Sahib (Moga) to Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib through its' decided route. They said that this march is to spread awareness among Sikh Masses and is a step towards implementation of edicts of Sri Akaal Takht. Commenting on fresh apology letter sent by dera, Gazi said that Sri Akaal Takht Sahib Jathedar should continue with the traditions and should call a meeting of all Pathic Organizations and Sikh Sangat at Sri Akal Takhat. He said that any decision should be made only after such meeting. He said that SSF is of the opinion that any apology should not be accepted only if it is submitted after accepting the guilt and carries an assurance that it shall not be repeated.

Dera Chief agrees to peace proposal

Sirsa:In order to avoid confrontation with Sikh organisations, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today agreed to a proposal to confine the sect's prayer sessions to the homes of his followers in certain sensitive areas of the district.
The Dera chief gave this commitment to the members of a Peace Committee, formed by the district authorities, in view of the growing tension in some villages of the district following strong opposition of 'Nam Charcha' (prayer) sessions held at various Sacha Sauda centres.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (Security) K K Mishra visited the Sacha Sauda Dera to assess the situation in the wake of the recent non-bailable arrest warrant issued by a Punjab court against the Dera chief. The members of the Peace committee met the Dera chief today and held deliberations with a 25-member Dera committee to devise ways and means to defuse tension between the two parties.
The Dera chief then directed his followers to confine the prayer sessions to their homes in the sensitive areas. Security was beefed up in the Sirsa district, with the arrival of two more contingents of the CRPF. Two companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were already deployed in the district. A flag march was also conducted in the city by the personnel of the BSF, RAF and the Haryana Armed Police to instil confidence among the residents.

Latest Breaking News from Punjab Friday 22nd June 2007

Salabatpura sealed

Salabatpura (Bathinda), Dera Sacha Sauda in Salabatpura village was sealed by the police again to prevent any untoward incident during the protest march to be organised by the Khalsa Action Committee from Dina Kangar to Talwandi Sabo via this village on June 24.
As followers of the Sirsa- based Dera Sacha Sauda have started arriving here in small numbers, the police has been leaving nothing to chance to prevent violence between them and members of Sikh bodies organising the march.
Police sources said Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, who were providing security cover to the Dera premises, had been deployed to man the check points set up in a radius of 200 yards of the boundary wall of the Dera. Not only this, Salabatpura crossing check point, Jalal bus stand check point and Dulewala check point, which earlier were manned by thePunjab Police, had been handed over to the BSF.
The number of followers, who were inside the local dera premises, rose to 800 today from 500 three to four days ago. The authorities , which had allowed buses to ply from this village, had again ordered to discontinue it.

Sikh groups against bypassing Salabatpura

Moga, Even as the district administration has suggested a new route from Dina Sahib here to Damdama Sahib in Bathinda district for the proposed Khalsa protest march to be held on June 24, Sikh organisations are determined to take the earlier route, involving Salabatpura.
The district unit of SAD (A), headed by Simranjit Singh Mann, held a meeting at Gurdwara Bibi Kahan Kaur here today and resolved not to change the route of the march fixed earlier.
The new route, suggested by the administration, has villages Pakharwad, Raunta, Kaur, Singh Wala, skipping the Salabatpura link.
District president of the SAD (A) Harbans Singh Daudhar said they would follow the earlier route.

Assembly Session Excesses: CM’s offer for setting up panel

Chandigarh, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today gave an open offer to Congress MLA and leader of the opposition in the Punjab assembly Rajinder Kaur Bhattal to set up a five-member committee to bring in his notice any case of “ political vendetta” and police excesses.
“ I will immediately take remedial measures and action if any wrong has been done by the police or anyone else”, Badal said in the house, responding to the issue raised by Bhattal regarding police excesses and the registering of cases against Congress workers.
Bhattal said excesses against premis, followers of Dera Sacha Sauda, were being committed in the countryside, pro-“Khalistan” elements were trying to create trouble in the state, the law and order situation had deteriorated and Congress activists were being booked in false cases. She referred to the cases of certain dalits killed at various places, including Nurmahal, Majitha and Amritsar . She also referred to the case of a person whose ear was lopped off right in the presence of the police in Lambi, the home constituency of Badal. “ We will not tolerate the ‘Akalisation’ of the police and the administration”, she said.
Replying to the issue raised by Bhattal, Badal said that he was a politician who believed in minimising enmity with opponents. He asked the Congress MLAs to name any Congress leader who had been put behind bars. “ Our party is ready for a full discussion on this issue in the house”, he said.
Intervening at this stage, BJP MLA Jagdish Sahni said Congress leaders were now talking about former Congress MLA Jasbir Singh Dimpa. He urged the Congress MLAs to recall the activities of Dimpa during the tenure of the Amarinder Singh government. “ It was Dimpa’s rule from Amritsar to Jalandhar. He had hijacked the entire system. His writ used to run everywhere. He plied several buses without any permit. He used to grab property. He used to bully everyone. Now you are trying to defend Dimpa”, alleged Sahni, pointing towards the opposition benches.
Badal said he had been disturbed by the Nurmahal incident regarding the committing of suicide by three persons. “ I had told the SSP concerned to take action against those found guilty in this regard. The SHO was under suspension”, he said. “ No innocent person will be caught and no one involved in any crime will be spared”, Badal asserted. He sought the cooperation of the opposition to make the state better.

Sarna dissociates from march

Amritsar, Fissures have appeared in the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) with its Convener Parmjit Singh Sarna, president Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) dissociating himself from the proposed protest march to be taken from Gurdwara Dina Kangar to Takht Damdama Sahib on June 24 .
As many as 35 members of the DSGMC today compelled Sarna to part from the hardliners, including Daljit Singh Bittu , Kanwarpal Singh and Mohkam Singh , vice-president SAD( Amritsar), a spokesmen of the Dal Khalsa and the Damdami Taksal respectively who are determined to take out Khalsa March in protest against blasphemous activities of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh .
The DSGMC members suggested to Sarna to wait for the decision of Akal Takht. The decision of Sarna has come as shot in the arm for the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and the SGPC.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself approached the Sant Samaj with a request not to take the extreme step since the state government was already making efforts to take legal action against the Dera chief.

Memorandum to SSP

Sangrur, A deputation of various Sikh organisations, led by SGPC member Nirmal Singh Gharachon and saint Buta Singh Gurthali Wale, today submitted a memorandum to the SSP in his office here, demanding the arrest of “killers” of Kanwaljit Singh.
The bodies also sought the release of Kulwinder Singh, Ravinder Singh and Ram Singh, who were allegedly implicated by the Sunam police in a false case. — TNS

Takht to decide on apology: SGPC chief

Fatehgarh Sahib, Chief of SGPC Avtar Singh said here today that the SGPC would follow whatever directives were issued by Akal Takht over the latest apology letter sent by the chief of Dera Sacha Sauda.
Speaking to the mediapersons at a local college, the SGPC chief said the SGPC wanted that the matter should be resolved and peace be restored. He said the reaction of Akal Takht on the letter was likely to come within the next few days.

Sant Samaj has asked for the program to keep the protest against the jhootha sauda going from the Five Singh Sahibhan Jathedars

To disscuss apology Singh Sahibs five Jathedars will meet on the 27th

Khalsa March As Per Schedule

Members of Khalsa Action Committee has made it clear that program of holding Khalsa March is not effected by reports of fresh appology submitted by dera sauda on late evening of June 20. The march is scheduled to leave Dina Kangar for Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib on 24 June, 2007

Fresh Appology by Dera

News reports came that dera sauda has submitted fresh appology. This appology is beleived to be from Guru Panth. A sealed letter is handed over to SGPC President and DSGMC President by un-named dera followers. This letter is meant for Jathedar Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib. Earlier Jathedar Joginder Singh left for a foreign visit today, therefore more is expected to come clear in coming days only.


Conditional Arrest Warrant Against Dera Head


A Conditional Arrest Warrant Ordar has been issued by Bathinda court against dera head. Permission of Punjab Government is required for the arrest of dera head as per this order.
19 June, 2007


Sant Samaj Stepped Back After Letter from Jathedar Vedanti


As members of Sant Samaj were not arrested by the Govenment Sant Samaj staged a dharna at Traffic Lights of Phase 7, Mohali, members of Sant Samaj hold a march from Fatehgarh Sahib after perfoming Ardas to court arrest in protest regarding dera issue. Durring dharna Badal personally came to receive their memorandum and requested them to end their dharna but dharna continued till it was ended after receiving a letter using name of Akaal Takhat. This letter was brought by Avtar Singh Makkar, President of SGPC, and it was said that this letter is from Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti. In this letter an apeal was made to end the dharna in intrests from Panthic Unity. The deceision of ending the dharna was never expected in the it came. Large Section of people and even some sections of Sant Samaj strongly criticized the way in witch dharna was lifted. Some sources say that whole process was more or less preplanned.

Protests planned for Vedanti's trip to USA

Fremont, CA (KP) - Several Panthic Jathebandees have decided to protest Joginder Singh Vedanti, Tarlochan Singh and Roop Singh’s upcoming trip to California. The Badal installed Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, the Jathedar of Kesgarh Sahib and the Joint Secretary, respectively, will arrive in California on June 29 to oversee the construction of a new Gurdwara to be called 'Anandgarh Sahib'. Several Panthic activists in California declared, Vedanti has damaged the Panth severely. By taking a worthless role in the case against the ‘Sacha Sauda’ Baba, Vedanti has embarassed the Panth.
When Vedanti previously visited Fremont Gurdwara Sahib, he was questioned about his dubious deeds. He was questioned as to why Saadh Dhanwant was forgiven after paying 80 thousands rupees; why the controversial movie- ‘Bole So Nihaal’ - was given the ‘ok’ after money was exchanged; why RSS Agent, Rulda Sinh was honoured with a Siropaa; why the actions of Ashutosh and Bhaniaaraevala were not investigated; why the issue of Mann Pehova’s several rape allegations was ignored after taking money from him, among other things.

Late Night Music Sessions

The Jathedaars of the Takhts were also accused of listening to Hindi music. In the past, several Singhs from Fremont visited a house in Chicago unannounced, where Joginder Singh Vedanti, Tarlochan Singh, Ranjit Singh and Iqbaal Singh were staying. The Singhs were very surprised when they arrived; they heard very loud Hindi music coming from the house. When the Jathedaars were questioned about it, they avoided the question and steered the conversation to a different direction.
When the Sangat asked the Jathedaar about these shady dealings, he replied that he will give the answers in writing; to this day, no answers have been received by the Sangat. California Panthic leaders say this time, Jathedaar Vedanti will be surrounded and forced to own up to his actions.

Vedanti Cashed Cheques at Liquor Store

Spokesperson of the Panthic Jathebandees, Preetam Singh Joga, alleged that Joginder Singh Vedanti cashed cheques given to him from liquor stores even though it is stated in the ‘Gurduara act,’ that a worker on duty for the SGPC cannot accept money from anyone else without the prior consent of the committee. The cheques range in price from $100 to $500.
The Sikh activists said a movie highlighting Vedanti’s betrayal to the Panth will also be shown to the Sangat in the presence of Vedanti. Organizers of the protest say that the protest will begin right at the airport. Leaders say Vedanti will also have to flee through a back door of the airport.Leaders appealed to the Sangat to gather at the Gurduaaraa Sahib in Kermen and take part in Panthic affairs such as this; if these types of people are not stopped, they will finish the Panth. "We have seen how these types of people deal with problems, such as, the ‘Sacha Sauda’ Saadh."

Compromised Leaders Promoting Badal Agenda? (Editorial PW)

History Repeating Itself : Corrupt Jathedars, Politicians and Deradars

Talwandi Sabo, Punjab (KP) – From the Jathedars of the Takhts and the members of the Sant-Samaj, the softening of their initial stance against the Sirsa cult has become all too predictable. If this trend continues, will they eventually accept the latest meaningless "apology" by the cult leader?
Panthic observers predict that it could be a reality unless the Sikh Sangat steps in to uphold the Hukamnamas and Gurmattas issued just a couple of weeks ago by Sri Akal Takht Sahib in regards to the Sirsa cult.

Beware of current Sikh Leadership

It seems that leaders like Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Paramjit S. Sarna and their associates are using the Sirsa cult controversy for their own publicity and are more than willing to find a solution that benefits themselves directly, along with the political parties involved. “The Panth’s interest is the last item on the plate of these psuedo-Panthic leaders, and it will be the Sikh Nation that will utimately suffer if these individuals are allowed to control the Panth’s agenda”, stated a representative of the Panthic organization Khalsa Alliance.

Sant-Samaj arrest threat Fizzles

The Sant-Samaj, currently led by the Sant Harnam S. Dhumma, had warned that the entire Sant-Samaj organization would court arrest on June 19th if the cult leader Ram Rahim was not arrested by the Government. Much to the surprise of Panthic organizations, the Sant-Samaj didn't court arrest, and held dharna after their leaders had discussions with SGPC President Avtar Makkar and CM Pakash Badal. Makkar pleaded to the Samaj that they should not launch an independent agitation without Vedanti's 'blessings.'
The Samaj announced that in the future they would work under the aegis of Jathedar Vedanti and not initiate any programs on their own – a guarantee the sants would now follow the supremacy of Jathedar Vedanti in the Sirsa dera confrontation. Vedanti is widely considered a puppet of the Badal-BJP combine, and has already backed off from implementing the Akal Takht Sahib Hukamnamas.
Interestingly, the same people who played upon the emotions the Sikh youth during the launch of the anti-Sirsa dera agitation, in which one young Sikh, Bhai Kanwaljit Singh, lost his life, and dozens were injured, are one by one starting to tow the two-faced line of Parkash Badal - the very individual Panthic observers believe is the root cause of the conflict.

General Sikh Sangat Still Resolute

While the specious Sikh leadership has widely withdrawn its initial stance against Dera Sacha Sauda, the Sikh Sangat and Panthic organizations are still portraying the same spirit that was ignited weeks ago when Sauda Cult leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim tried mimicking Guru Gobind Singh Ji at his Bathinda program.
Following the footsteps of the Rajasthan Sikhs keep up the struggle, Sikhs in Punjab have also started a social boycott movement against the cult followers. Even though this movement has caused hardship to many, the courage that is being expressed by Sikhs in Punjab has been magnificent.
Most Gurdwara Sahibs in Punjab that are under the control of Panthic committees have stopped allowing Dera Sacha Sauda followers to use saroops of Guru Granth Sahib at dera programs. In addition, several ‘naam charcha’ programs have also been suspended with efforts of local Sikhs.
It should be noted that while Sikhs in Punjab have refused to overlook the blasphemous acts of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Sikh leadership is not showing the exact same fortitude as they initially did. As predicted by Panthic Weekly in previous editions, the warnings from the Bharatiya Janata Party to the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) to stave off the crisis have shown that the Sikh High Command is controlled by right-wing Hindu organizations.
In light of this, despite the fact that Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti publicly stated that SGPC President Avtar Makkar will be called at Akal Takht Sahib to clarify his role behind the rerouting of the Fatehgarh Sahib march, no such action has been taken so far. Today when the Sikh Nation is in need of political guidance, the Jathedars are trying to flee the country in order to avoid entanglement in a controversy.
Unlike Jathedar Vedanti and others, Singh Sahib Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh is one of the very few leaders who have shown courage to continue the campaigns against Dera Sacha Sauda. At a recent program held at Talwandi Sabo, Jathedar Nandgarh once again stated that the clashes between Sikhs and ‘Dera Jhoota Sauda’ will not finish until the cult leader is arrested and all his deras in Punjab are shut down.
Singh Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh also spoke about the incident of Chandpura in which Dera Sacha Sauda followers attacked a local Gurdwara Sahib building. The incident of Chandpura turned violent when Sacha Sauda followers injured a local Sikh Youth who had taken part in some anti-Sacha Sauda protests in the past. After beating the young Singh, the Sacha Sauda followers noticed the police watching silently on the sidelines and they started throwing bricks and stones at the Gurdwara Sahib building. Jathedar Nandgarh alleged that the whole plot of attacking the Gurdwara Sahib was only successful due to the support of local police officers. Similar speeches of Jathedar Nandgarh have caused him serious troubles in the past. At the end of the program at Talwandi Sabo, Singh Sahib Balwant Singh Nandgarh refused to accept a siropa. He told the sangat that until the Sacha Sauda ‘Sadh’ was arrested, he will not consider himself qualified to receive any type of honor from the Khalsa Panth. Time will tell whether he will stand true to his word. Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu is also very active against the jhootha sauda.

Suspicious Arrests by Punjab Police

Mohali, Punjab (KP) – The recent arrests of Sikh activists Swarnjit Singh (Bobby) and Gurcharan Singh (Kala) for attempts to assassinate pseudo-dera heads have not only come as a surprise, but have left Panthic leaders suspicious, as they are having difficulty correlating the background and statements of Bobby and Kala. Although the two men have already disclosed their mission and objectives openly, whether all their explanations are correct or not will have to be decided later when more is discovered about their case.
According to police records, both Bobby and Kala were recently released from jail after their previous terms were completed. Kala was in jail for attempting to kill his local village panchayat head and another man. He was released from jail a year after his term of three years completed. Bobby on the other hand was released just a few months ago. He was arrested on charges of molestation.
At a police conference that was recently called to shed more light on the two arrests, SSP Ranbir Khatra presented the two arrested men. He identified Gurcharan Singh (Kala) as the son of a Bhindrawale Tigers Force (BTF) freedom fighter Sangat Singh Bawania and said that both Kala and Bobby met several ex-Kharkoos in jail and became their close associates. According to Khatra’s statement, one of then ex-Kharkoos had become successful in convincing Kala to walk in the footsteps of his father and work for the cause of the Khalsa Panth.
According to SSP Khatra, upon being released from jail, both men once again met and started forming a network. Their main objective was to finish anti-Sikh cult leaders and Pyara Bhaniarewala and Gurmeet Ram Rahim would have been their first targets. Kala was able to recover some of his father’s guns and ammunition but because of them being aged, he was keen to purchase more powerful weapons so the task could become easier to accomplish. In the process, Kala and some of his associates tried to rob a merchant in Kurali but they were caught by local villagers and handed over to the police. Upon interrogation, their whole network was uncovered.
Kala and Bobby also spoke to the press and identified their main motive behind the plot. They alleged that since no one had been successful in getting the Sacha Sauda leader arrested, they wanted to take matters into their own hands and assassinate Gurmeet Ram Rahim and Baba Bhaniara to teach a lesson to others.
Panthic leaders have been looking at these arrests through a veil of suspicion since Swarnjit Singh had been working as the Youth Akali Dal President of Shiromani Akal Dal (Badal) ever since his release from jail.
Parkash Badal and his family have kept close relationships with several anti-Panthic cults such as Sacha Sauda and Bhaniarewale in the past. Several panthic observers stated that It would not be surprising if these arrests were staged for publicity purposes, in benefiting both the Police and the Punjab Akali government.

Congress & Badal encouraging sectarian violence : International Human Rights Organisation


Persecution of Simranjit Singh Mann

Dr. Sudip Kaur Minhas, Executive Director, Voices For Freedom

New York, - Voices For Freedom expresses grave concern at the persecution, continued judicial detention and denial of bail to Simranjit Singh Mann (President Akali Dal Amritsar) and eighteen others. He remains in repressive custody after he along with eighteen others were arrested more than a month ago for protesting peacefully the installation of late Chief Minister Beant Singhʼs statue at BMC Chowk Jalandhar. He has since been booked under sections 150 and 124 A. During Beant Singhʼs reign as a Chief Minister thousands of Sikhs were either killed in fake encounters or disappeared. Mann has also alleged inhuman treatment during his hearings.
According to the feedback from various human rights organizations based in India, Indian police and particularly Panjab Police act more according to the whims and wishes of the ruling parties (in this case the Akali Dal Badal at the State and Congress at the Center) than according to the rule of law. Section 124 A which is a charge of Sedition is incompatible with the peaceful protest of Mann. Such extreme measures against a protest is a serious issue as it reveals the repressive ideology of the administration. Any governmentʼs repression of peaceful demonstrations and resorts to through state apparatus is a suppression of the right to free speech and expression.
Voices For Freedom has been campaigning against Indian police and administrationʼs repression against minorities and those who have protested against its oppression. Simranjit Singh Mann has been one of the many who have resorted to peaceful methods to demand a separate and sovereign state for the Sikhs. A demand that even the Supreme Court of India states is not illegal. Mann has been continuously harassed and booked under various sections of the IPC for the past many years.
Voices For Freedom believes that such repression of peaceful demonstrations and protests will cause further harm to the tenuous peace that prevails in Panjab. The people of Panjab and especially the Sikhs resent the freedom of those guilty of police repression during the decade long violence. Failure to protect the life and dignity of its people and then deny justice to victims is not only an abdication of responsibility but a crime.
Voices For Freedom therefore strongly urges the Indian Government to expedite the case proceedings, ensure the safety and dignity of Mann and co-accused and that they be given recourse to a fair trial. Further it must implement fully in practice the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The government must also set up an independent body to undertake prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all allegations of ill-treatment, including cases of death in custody, and ensure that the methods and findings of such investigations are made public. It must then bring to justice anyone responsible for committing acts of torture and other serious human rights violations.

Latest Dera apology likely to be rejected too

The Sikh high priests rejected Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's first apology saying the addressee was not correct. Now, they are likely to turn down the revised apology too, this time the sender is wrong.
The high priests did not accept the first apology because it was not addressed to the Sikh community, which had been wronged, but to Guru Gobind Singh. Moreover, it was actually a regret, which was short of an apology.
The latest apology, which is yet to be considered by the five high priests, is from the Dera and not the Sacha Sauda sect chief. Considering that it was the personal conduct of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh that ignited the trouble, the apology obviously has to come from him.
Sources disclosed that the apology, sent to the Takht, says the sect respects all religions. It strives for eliminating divisions of religion and caste. "Our Santji is known as the servant of servants (daason ke daas)," the communication says.
Terming the recent "chain of events" a worrying issue, it says the misgivings emanating from them are saddening. "In the interest of mankind, we want to seek pardon from the real spiritual leader Sarvavanshdaani Gobind Singh and the Guru Panth," the apology says.
The latest apology was drafted by the Dera in consultation with Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Managing Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna. Today, the DSGMC chief said the Dera faxed the draft to him on the night of June 19. He returned the draft after vetting it. "We suggested some changes and told them to incorporate those," he added.
For the record, Sarna maintained, "We don't know what the final letter, sent in a sealed envelop to the Akal Takht says." The DSGMC chief said since Akal Takht chief J S Vedanti is away, "we have forwarded the letter to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar."
Sarna said the DSGMC has also received a copy of the letter, but we don't know the contents. "It is a matter of honour for DSGMC and the Sikhs of Delhi that we have been instrumental in the effort to resolve the crisis," he said. Sarna has been feeling uneasy after being accused by Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) of a design to spread unrest in Punjab.
Sarna did not agree with the contention that the Dera apology has been prompted by proceedings against him in a Punjab court. He said the draft communication preceded the court order.
The DSGMC chief may have his own reasons for playing the mediator between the Dera head and the Akal Takht, but he is sure to attract the charge of being in league with him. Sarna is said to have close links with both the Congress and its former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh. The reaction of the SAD to his recent moves is, therefore, anybody's guess.

Latest Breaking News - Thursday 21st June 2007

Arrest warrant against dera chief

Bathinda, In a significant development that could give a new twist to the standoff between Dera Sacha Sauda and Sikh organisations, additional chief judicial magistrate A.L. Kitchi today issued arrest warrant against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, head, Dera Sacha Sauda, in connection with a criminal case registered against him under Section 295-A of the IPC on May 20 in Bathinda.
Sources said the magistrate directed the police to seek permission from the state government before arresting him.
A formal application was moved in the court by the police for securing his arrest warrant on June 18. However, the court took up the application yesterday and later adjourned the case.
The case was registered on the complaint of Rajinder Singh Sidhu, president, Khalsa Diwan. The dera head was charged with hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs through his blasphemous act of imitating Guru Gobind Singh and enacting the religious baptism ceremony.
The police has also registered two criminal cases against dera followers for their alleged involvement in violence on May 14 and 15. Nearly 20 followers have been arrested so far.
Nau Nihal Singh, SSP, said the police would get the copy of arrest warrants tomorrow.
UNI adds: While referring to the plea of the prosecution, the court questioned the motive behind registering the case at a police station in Bathinda instead of at the Bhagta police station as the dera head had enacted the baptism ceremony at Salabatpura village. The prosecution contended that the case was registered at a local police station after the complaint of a local resident and, moreover, Bathinda, too, had been affected by the violence that followed the Salabatpura incident.
As the police had not sought the permission of the state government while registering the case, the court directed the prosecution to get the permission. The court pointed out that for registering a case under Section 295-A, the permission had to be first sought from the government.
After the prosecution assured the court that the permission would be formally sought from the government, the magistrate issued non-bailable warrants that are returnable by July 1.
During the arguments yesterday, the prosecution told the court that the police had raided the dera at Sirsa twice in the recent past to arrest Ram Rahim. However, on both occasions due to the presence of a large number of followers, the police could not arrest him.

Fresh apology, this time to Sikhs

Chandigarh/Mohali, In what could defuse tension and soothe frayed nerves in the North India, especially Punjab, chief of Dera Sacha Sauda Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh today issued a fresh apology. Now, he has apologised for his actions to the entire Sikh community.
It comes on a day when a court issued an arrest warrant against the dera chief for allegedly hurting the Sikh community's sentiments.
A copy of the letter was delivered by a special emissary of the Dera Sacha Sauda to chief of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee P.S. Sarna, who, in turn, has handed it over to SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar here today for acceptance of the Sikh high priests. Makkar said the letter had been received, however, he refused to comment, saying that only jathedar of the Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti would comment on it. Makkar and Sarna addressed a joint press conference at Mohali here tonight.
It had been decided that a 10-member committee would be formed to iron out differences between the sect and the Sikh community, said Sarna. It would have five members each from among the Sikhs and followers of the sect. The choice of five members of the Sikhs had been left to Sikh high priests.
Sources said an MLA from Punjab, a dera emissary and a senior intelligence official were present when Sarna provided the information about the breakthrough in the deadlock.
Sarna told The Tribune that the apology letter was signed by the dera and it should not have any problems in being accepted. He revealed that the DSGMC was working behind the scene to persuade the dera chief to see reason.
A meeting of the Khalsa Action Committee was held tonight to decide on the further course of action. Various Sikh organisations was mounting pressure on the Punjab government asking it to arrest the dera chief and a case was registered against him on May 20 for "hurting the religious sentiments" of the Sikhs.

Congress MLAs stage walkout

Chandigarh, Congress MLAs today staged a walkout from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha when their demand for a discussion on the law and order situation was rejected just before the budget was to be presented.
Minutes after leading the walkout, leader of the opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal alleged that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had failed in his constitutional duty to ensure that every citizen got the fundamental right to practise any religion
She said the way premis (followers of the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda) were being hounded out of the social fabric was wrong. As many as 74 deras of the sect had closed down as Badal had failed to protect them while he was allowing all pro-SAD deras like the one headed by a former SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, to continue. Those who had issued public threats to dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and also other sects were not booked, she said.
When asked if the police case against the dera chief should be withdrawn, she said “the law should take its own course”. The granthis at gurdwaras were not permitting the presence of Guru Granth Sahib at bhogs and birth ceremonies in the families of premis.
Bhattal said Badal had once torn up copies of the Constitution and now was disrespecting it in another manner.
Though the dera chief had apologised, the government had taken no concrete steps to ensure the protection of life and property of dera followers, she alleged.
Justifying the walkout, she said that peace in the state was more important than development and the budget.
Charging the government with politicising the Sikh- Dera Sacha Sauda conflict, Bhattal claimed that those who did not vote for the Shiromani Akali Dal in the February assembly poll were being targeted by the government and were booked in fabricated cases. This “Akalisation” of Punjab would not be tolerated, she added. Bhattal said Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon had disallowed the raising of certain issues, including law and order, before the presentation of the budget in the house.
A plea by Chief Minister Badal that the opposition party should sit down during the budget presentation was rejected by the opposition. Bhattal, who visibly had the solid backing of the younger outspoken lot of MLAs, preferred a walkout and addressed the media, saying the Chief Minister should have given an assurance that a judicial commission would be set up.
Earlier, the Congressmen arrived in the house wearing plastic aprons over their clothes with slogans written on these criticising the ruling SAD-BJP combine. The aprons had anti-government slogans and demands for halting police repression against Congress workers and dalits written on them. A slogan castigated the government for failing to implement the cheap atta-dal scheme. Another one called the first 100 days of the government as “100 black days” and another one demanded a judicial inquiry into the Noormahal incident.

Dera Row Khalsa panel adamant on June 24 march

Amritsar, Various Sikh bodies, including the SGPC, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and a section of the Sant Samaj, have been making all-out efforts to resolve the Sikh-Dera Sacha Sauda row and the meeting of the Sikh clergy may be delayed because Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, jathedar, Akal Takht, has gone abroad. He is unlikely to return before June 24, the date fixed by the Khalsa Action Committee to march in procession against blasphemous activities of dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Fresh mediation efforts have led to a debate in Sikh circles, especially over the meeting of DSGMC chief Parmjit Singh Sarna and the SGPCchief at Mohali today .However, Harvinder Singh Sarna , a former DSGMC chief, said it should not be construed that they (Sarna brothers) had reached any understanding with Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister, and SGPC chief Avtar Singh . He said : “We have brought the fresh draft on behalf of the apology of the dera in the larger interest of the Sikh community.”
The DSGMC chief claimed the draft of fresh apology was faxed from Sirsa, a copy of which was sent to Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, chief of the Damdami Taksal.. Some senior functionaries of the dera were also involved in the mediation. Sarna claimed it was the dera which approached him a week ago to defuse the situation.
Congress MLA Harminder Singh Jassi, a relative of the dera chief, played a pivotal role in drafting the fresh apology.
This development reportedly has caused division in the Sant Samaj because some senior leaders of the Khalsa panel have rejected the fresh apology.
Talking to The Tribune, Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, senior vice-president, SAD (Amritsar), Kanwarpal Singh, a spokesman for the Dal Khalsa, and Bhai Mohkam Singh, a spokesman for the Dal Khalsa, said the proposed march of June 24 would be taken out as per schedule since the fresh draft of the apology was unacceptable to them.
The Dal Khalsa spokesman said the directive of Jathedar Vedanti that they should take consent of the Sikh clergy before taking out any procession had no validity since they had already sought his “permission” on June 6 and Jathedar Vedanti himself had given his “consent” to the Khalsa committee to “go ahead” with the protest march.

The question doesn't even arise that we should forgive the dera chief - Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu Vice President Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar

Guru Granth Sahib removed from dera

Moga, Activists of the Ek Noor Khalsa Fauj today removed Guru Granth Sahib from dera Satoana, near here, without any resistance from the opposite side.
Nearly 12 activists reached the dera and removed Guru Granth Sahib on the premise that it was against the Sikh principles to keep the holiest scripture in a dera.
The Satoana dera headed by Sant Balbir Singh has been running in the village for the past several decades.

Sants came marching in, Badal rushed to deflate

Fatehgarh Sahib/Mohali: Of the several Machiavellian ways available to a politician to torpedo a move that could inspire a community to stress its aspirations and forge a feeling of identity, Punjab Chief Minister and Akali Dal president Parkash Singh Badal chose the option of direct intervention. Few can deflate a movement in Sikh ranks with the dexterity of a Badal. As the Sikh leaders associated with the Sant Samaj came marching from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh to court arrest, their protest aimed at forcing the government to arrest Dera Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the group was stopped in Mohali where Badal himself landed, asking the Sants not to adopt the strategy of dharnas and arrests. "Such protests suit politicians, not the Sants," Badal said.

He said the provocation created by Dera head was indeed grave, but he just couldn't go ahead and arrest Gurmit Ram Rahim since he was bound by the Oath of Constitution and will allow the law to take its own course. Badal did not say which Article of the Constitution allows someone to insult and imitate the Sikh Gurus.
The CM's media adviser Harcharan Singh Bains was with Badal as he engaged the Sants for about 45 minutes in Mohali's Phase VIII on Mohali-Sirhind road. As the Sant Samaj leadership seemed intent on courting arrest, Badal refused to budge saying he just can't allow any detention or arrest of the Sants. Minutes after he left, a message from the Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti arrived through SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar asking all leaders to formulate any protest programs only after clearance from the temporal authority. This was enough to convince the Sant Samaj to call off Tuesday's protest.
Damdami Taksal leader Harnam Singh Dhumma, who often suffixes 'Khalsa' or 'Bhindranwale' with his name depending upon the occasion, seemed to more ready than others to concede, which also brought out the fact that the Sant Samaj also had internal differences on the matter.
The exercise was in many ways a repeat of the earlier march from Fatehgarh Sahib which was to reach Chandigarh, but then diverted to nearby Gurdwara Jyoti Saroop where ADCs of Punjab and Haryana governors had reached to receive the memorandums. The move had taken the sting out of the protest and made life easier for Badal.
Earlier, the sants held a meeting at Dewan Todar Mal hall on the gurdwara premises during which prominent Sikh leaders criticized chief of the dera Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
Of course, the continued pressure tactics is also yielding some dividends. On June 19, the Badal government moved to up the pressure with the Bathinda police seeking from a local court arrest warrants against Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the criminal case registered against him at the city police station here on May 20.
The move now makes the entry of Gurmeet Ram Rahim into Bathinda difficult and strategists of the government say it was to stall a satsang in the dera branch at Salabatpura village in July where Gurmeet Ram was to participate.
Police said the formal application was moved regarding the criminal case registered under Section 295-A of the IPC on the complaint of Rajinder Singh Sidhu, president, local Khalsa Diwan.
Badal's claims of so much respect for the Sants notwithstanding, the panthic government had ordered tough measures by the police. Elaborate security arrangements were made and cops from other districts were also called in to ensure law and order. Tear-gas guns and anti-rioting squads were on hand and policemen deflated tyres of vehicles parked along the Fatehgarh-Mohali road. Movements of perceived radicals, like Bhai Daljit Singh of Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Dal Khalsa general secretary Kanwar Pal Singh, were video graphed by the police during their stay in the district and the convoy of over 150 vehicles was escorted by the police up to the district border.
Dhumma did not forget to add that soon the next line of action will be decided, a clear indication that the Sant Samaj would like to keep the leadership role on the issue. As for Bhai Daljit Singh, his movements were a more closely followed exercise since a case of sedition is pending against him and he was expected to join investigations.

Punjab Police back to old ways

But these were not the only developments. The Punjab Police meanwhile prepared to gather ammunition against men who could be a pain in the neck someday because they aren’t adopting the compromising tone. The Mohali police claimed it has nabbed former Bhindarawale Tiger Force (BTF) terrorist Sangat Singh Bawani's son Gurcharan Singh Kala and his accomplice Sawranjit Singh Bobby, a local leader, for planning to kill Baba Bhaniarawala and forming a Khalsa Action Committee for the purpose.
The police claimed that Bobby and Kala met in the high security Nabha jail where they were pursuaded by Daljit Singh Bittu, Balbir Singh Beera and Gursharan Singh Gama, associated with Kala's father, to eliminate Baba Bhaniarawala. Mohali SSP Ranbir Singh Khatra said the two had confessed to the plot and a .455 bore pistol, a .30 bore revolver and two grenades were recovered from them. The duo were nabbed for attempting to snatch police weapons in Bhakhra canal siphon in Jhalliana village and loot a Kurali-based trader. Both have been remanded to judicial custody.
A day later, the Moga police also registered a sedition case against some unknown pro Khalistanis for threatening the life of Dera Sauda head following appearance of a few provocative posters.
Bhaniarawala, who was ex-communicated by the Akal Takht, presently resides in his village Dhamana in Ropar under a CRPF cover.

Arrest warrant issued against Dera chief

BATHINDA: In a significant development, a Bathinda court on Wednesday issued a conditional arrest warrant against Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, accused of hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs.
The Court of Duty Magistrate AL Khitchi issued the order this evening but directed the police to seek Punjab Government's permission before arresting the Sirsa-based Dera head.
On Tuesday, the judge had noted that police did not have sufficient evidence to seek arrest warrant against the Dera head after which the prosecution sought a day's time following which the court reserved its order till tomorrow.
Police in their application had claimed that they had "sufficient evidence" against him. Various Sikh organisations have been mounting pressure on the Punjab Government asking it to arrest the Dera chief for "hurting" the religious feelings of the community.
A case was registered against the head of the Sirsa-based sect on May 20 for "hurting religious sentiments" of Sikhs.
The Dera chief was embroiled in controversy after an advertisement appeared in newspapers on May 13 purportedly showing him distributing "amrit" (nectar) while attired in a dress similar to that of Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh.

Warrants and Sorry Game of the Dera of Semantics

Talk is in the air once again of a new muaafinama from the dera. When the entire political establishment in Punjab was busy with the goings on in the Punjab Assembly and Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal was reading out his long-winded budget speech, many were looking for thrills in the boring documents likely to termed as a dream budget by the establishment and its stooges. But far more thrilling stuff was happening outside, of course in a hush hush manner as is the nature of all cloak and dagger operations.

Representatives of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim were networking with the sympathetic quarters in the Akali Dal and trying to reach out to the clergy, ready with a newly drafted (crafted?) apology in hand, this time saying sorry to the Sikh sangat instead of the earlier tactic of addressing the muaafi to tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh.

The CBI now has the deadline of end of July to submit the final report in the murder case in which Gurmeet Ram Rahim is a prime accused and the baba is under prssure to pull a rabbit out of his jaam-e-insa to escape the law. As it became pretty clear that he was ready to organise a function at Salabatpura dera, the scene of the violent protests some time back, the Akali Dal-BJP regime got seriously into the act and the Bathinda police was asked to move the court to obtain the arrest warrants of the dera baba.

This is aimed at stopping the baba from entering Bathinda and a poor attempt to try and confine him to Haryana, something which can enable Badal to say that it was out of the purview of his government to arrest the man who insulted the Sikh religion, imitated the tenth Guru and continues to remain unrepentant. He is now announcing that the nam-charcha dramas will rather increase and has already repeated the copycat action of amrit sanchar ceremony with a jaam-e-insa function at Sirsa on June 10.
The Sikh sangat has seen the intensive efforts by the Badal camp to somehow torpedo all panthic actions, the latest being his move of landing at the dharna site in Mohali and asking the Sant Samaj not to court arrest. If he respected the Sants so much, why did his police stop them from proceeding towards the secretariat? Then came the instruction from the Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, brought by none other than SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar. No messenger would have succeeded in racing against time as Makkar did that day, getting the missive to the Sants by 9 pm.
The WSN understands that the efforts by Gurmeet Ram Rahim to somehow hoodwink the sangat with some semantic play and crafted apologies will continue till he finds someone who can get him off the hook, but let it be said clearly that the Sikh quom will accept a line of action only and only when it is taken after taking the entire Khalsa Panth into confidence.
Meanwhile, the strategy to keep behind bars men like Simranjit Singh Mann and entangle in cases leaders like Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu will only harm the Sikh cause.
The quom is so far united, despite many provocations to the contrary, under the banner of the Akal Takht, and it is up to the clergy and the panthic leadership to ensure that this unity is maintained. The only way is the Khalsa way of collective decision making. Cloak and dagger is an alternative too poor to succeed.

Dera supporters attack Sikh youth, case registered after protest

SIRSA: Four Dera Sauda followers allegedly attacked a Sikh youth after he objected to their holding a function in Dadoo village, about 45 km from here, on June 17 evening. The victim, Gurvinder Singh, alleged that the Dera supporters were using derogatory language against the Guru Granth Sahib. When he objected, they allegedly beat him up. The Kalanwali police registered a case under Sections 323, 324 and 34 of the IPC against Surjit Singh alias Sita, Iqbal Singh, Balvinder Singh alias Pappi and Darshan Singh, all Dadoo residents. But the police action failed to soothe the anger of the Sikhs. Dadoo gurdwara main sewadar Baljit Singh in retaliation asked the Sikhs to block the Dabwali-Rori road and demanded Section 307 of the IPC be added in the complaint. Dabwali Sub-Divisional Magistrate and the DSP rushed to the spot to defuse the situation. The Sikhs finally relented and lifted the blockade after the Section was incorporated. On the other hand, one of the accused, Iqbal Singh, got himself admitted to Civil Hospital in Sirsa with some injuries. He alleged Sikhs had thrashed him and demanded a criminal case be registered against them. It is common for Punjab Police to register cases on demand as way to achieve compromise between two parties. Even cases of attempt to murder are routinely registered in a most casual manner.

Dera Supporters clash with sikh groups in Haryana Village.

Chandigarh :Hours after a conditional arrest warrant was issued against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, members of Sikh community today clashed with Dera supporters in a village in Sirsa prompting the authorities to beef up security in the tense areas.
The district authorities have sought additional para-military forces, including 400 Rapid Action Force personnel, after the clash in Odhan village of Sirsa. The clash between Dera supporters and the Sikh group erupted after a court in Bathinda issued a conditional non-bailable arrest warrant against Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. No one was injured in the incident.
"We have asked for four more companies of RAF even as four BSF companies are already with us," Sirsa Deputy Commissioner V Umashankar said . The state government and the district administration was closely keeping a watch on the situation in tense Sirsa town, official sources said.
Tight security arrangements are in place around the Dera, whose chief was recently provided with "Z plus" security cover owing to the threats to his life. Meanwhile, the Sirsa district administration in its bid to defuse tension in villages bordering Punjab, has formed a 32-member peace committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner. It also includes 28 eminent citizens.

'Harassed' Dera to meet on today

Sirsa :As tension mounted in Haryana's Sirsa, the seat of Dera Sacha Sauda, the sect has alleged that 'excesses' were being committed against its followers and convened an urgent meeting on Thursday to chalk out its action plan to counter the attempts to 'terrorise' them.
Hours after a court issued conditional arrest warrant against its chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the Dera followers held a congregation in Sirsa after which it asked supporters from all the states to converge in Sirsa. 'The Dera has convened an emergent meeting on Thursday to take further action to counter excesses on the Dera followers by some anti-social elements,' a release issued by the sect on Monday night in Chandigarh said.
It said some anti-social elements are 'openly creating an atmosphere of terror' against peaceful followers of Dera. It asked its followers to be 'prepared for any eventuality and make any sacrifice.' A clash took place between some Sikh community members and Dera supporters in a village in Sirsa, leading to tension. Security is being stepped up in Sirsa with deployment of additional paramilitary forces.
Tight security arrangements are in place around the Dera, whose chief was recently provided 'Z plus' security cover owing to the threats to his life. The state was hit by a sectarian strife in which one person was killed and over 50 were injured after head of Dera Sacha Sauda appeared in an advertisement in various newspapers on May 13 showing him as dressed as tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.