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Khalsas come marching, regime goes
on arrest spree
WSN Network
SALABATPURA/BHAI
ROOPA: A fraudster rape and murder accused self-styled sadh hurts
Sikh sentiments. The Akal Takht directs the Sikhs to ensure that
such a shop dispensing lies is shut down. Panthic bodies plan a
series of marches, but the so-called panthic government swoops down
on the Sikh leaders, swarms the roads with police, puts entire
villages under siege, arrests top leaders, places some under house
arrest and creates an atmosphere of fear. Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu
was arrested, Bhai Harinder Singh Khalsa, a former ambassador, was
kept under house arrest and former Akal Takht jathedar Bhai Jasbir
Singh Rode was picked up. Hundreds still come out, manage to reach
the venue. March happens, and shame is heaped on the system. But
will you bet your hard earned money that the system has learnt any
lesson?
Sikhs by now
know their rulers too well.
Hundreds of
activists of the Khalsa Action Committee (KAC) were detained prior
to February 10 march, and many on that very day after they tried to
take out the procession near Salabatpura, the headquarters of Sirsa
dera's rogue sadh Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The KAC leadership exhibited
some shrewd decision making by switching the march venue from Bhai
Rupa village to Gurdwara Chota Gurusar in Mehraj village, but just
when activists tried to take out the vehicle carrying Guru Granth
Sahib Ji from the Gurdwara premises, the police intercepted them.
The Panj Piaras were detained and the Palki was taken in possession
by the police personnel who blocked their way by parking a police
bus and a jeep in the middle of the way.
What else would
the Sikhs have expected with a secularised Akali Dal in power,
backed by an RSS-BJP alliance? And with Sukhbir Singh Badal all set
to fight the next election from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat, may be they
need blessings of every godman in sight, even if he has raped women,
molested sadhvis, and killed journalists!
 Despite the
police having turned the villages in the area into a fortress, and
motorists being thoroughly frisked, around 70 KAC activists arrived
on a tractor-trailer and joined the activists already present there.
More came in jeeps and were quickly arrested. What irked the Sikhs
was the police action of not allowing the vehicle carrying the
scriptures. The leaders had given full undertaking that they wil
maintain peace.
Anti-government
and anti-Sirsa dera sloganeering rang out, and many speakers
directly referred to the Bathinda Lok Sabha seat link of the Badals.
Meanwhile, in Dhapali village, about 10 km from Mehraj, another
religious march was attempted which the police stopped near Bhai
Rupa village. However, the Panj Piaras and the holy Bir Sahib
proceeded to Gurdwara Mansarovar in Bhai Rupa village with five KAC
leaders. Other activists were stopped.
At Gurdwara
Mansarovar, activists deferred the march in the afternoon and placed
the Bir inside the gurdwara. After passing a resolution to boycott
Badal, the KAC activists moved towards the village. But,
immediately, the police, under orders from district magistrate Rahul
Tewari, arrested the KAC activists, including some women.
Convener of KAC
Bhai Mohkam Singh, who was arrested, said: “The march was not
attempted from this place only. Our activists started the march from
various other places, but the police detained them. Despite the
tight security arrangements, many of us gathered here."
 Jathedar Bhai
Kamikkar Singh, the member of the presidium of the Shiromani Akali
Dal (Amritsar)
as part of its Panch Pardhani system, accused the police of using
undue force.
The manner in
which the Akali Dal government clamped prohibitory orders and
stopped the Khalsa March of the Khalsa Action Committee at Bhai Rupa
on 10 February is not only a violation of the democratic and civil
rights of the Sikh people but also a denigration of the Akal Takht
Hukamnama in this regard. While the government kept quiet during the
twelve earlier Khalsa marches all over
Punjab,
it has stepped up its campaign against the KAC this time around for
ulterior purposes. Parkash Singh Badal is patronizing the Sauda Dera
for political purposes and there seems to be a move to obtain pardon
for him using the Akali Dal influence over the Akal Takht Jathedars
and other Jathedars.
The KAC
leadership has now given a call that as the actions of the police
and administration prior to and on February 10 were a violation of
the directive of Akal Takht Sahib, the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib
should summon Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal to the
Akal Takht in their respective capacities as Chief Minister and
president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal).
Harcharanjit
Singh Dhami who met the six leaders in the Bhatinda prison pointed
out that at even during the emergency in 1975, the Khalsa March of
Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale was not stopped, but Badal has
surpassed even them.
 Khalsa Action
Committee Convenor Bhai Mohkam Singh and Dal Khalsa President and
general secretary Satnam Singh Poanta Sahib and Kanwarpal Singh,
SGPC executive member Karnail Singh Panjoli, SAD (Panch Pardhani)
leader Kamikkar Singh and SAD (1920) leader Gurdeep Singh Bhatinda
alongwith 32 other activists are lodged in Bhatinda jail till 15th
February under prevention detention laws. The Bhatinda police has
threatened to lodge stricter cases against some of them.
KAC co-convenor Bhai Daljit Singh was
released on February 13 afternoon from prison after his arrest on
February 10. The KAC leader and chief of the Akali Dal (Panch
Pardhani), Bhai Daljit Singh said the fight against Sirsa dera and
other rogue babas will continue as per Akal Takht directive and no
regime can suppress a bonafide struggle. Some others who have been
arrested are also likely to be released soon.
SGPC
president Avtar Singh Makkar has not uttered a word so far.
13 February 2008
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