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HE DOES IT AGAIN
Gurmit Ram Rahim is back
at it, Jaam-e-Insa in hand But this time, clergy, Badal, panthic
lobby are all silent
WSN Bureau
 Twenty-four hours before a panthic delegation was to meet Punjab
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on June 11, and at a time when
the CM was ingulging in loudspeak about the achievements of his
government in the first 100 days since taking over power, Dera Sacha
Sauda's head Gurmeet Ram Rahim was back to his idiotic drama:
distributing his Jaam-e-Insa once again in total imitation of the
amrit sanchar ceremony of the Sikhs.
Cocking a snook at the state government which has registered a case
under 295-A of IPC (Injuring or defiling place of worship with
intent to insult the religion of any class), and fortified with his
newly acquired Z-plus security, murder-accused Gurmeet Ram Rahim
virtually challenged the entire Sikh panth on June 10 once again,
distributing his roohafza-water concoction called 'Jaam-e-Insaan' to
thousands of followers in Sirsa at a huge ceremony.
This time, the Sikh clergy did not issue a single statement, most
panthic bodies seemed to have resigned themselves to the situation,
the Parkash Singh Badal government enumerated the achievements in
100 days, not a single minister referred to what happened in Sirsa,
and the issue did not come up at the meeting of the panthic
delegation with Badal the next day.
How deafening can silence be? When the SGPC members met the CM on
June 11, less than 24 hours after the repeat act of provocation,
they did talk about Dera controversy but forgot to make any noise
about the previous day's developments at Sirsa and instead were keen
to convince the CM that SGPC members should get the right to sport
red lights atop their vehicles.
Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama with a shining red headgear, the
Dera chief, himself an accused in case of molestation of young
girls, was the first to drink the Jaam-e-Insa. Later, it was
distributed among the followers, who had filled up a form and agreed
to abide by the rules.
The ritual, which began at 7 p.m., lasted an-hour-and-a half and the
ceremony was shrouded in complete secrecy.
Strangely, the Punjab Congress, which had been somewhat soft towards
Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the attire controversy, strongly reacted to his
June 10 function.
All visitors and their vehicles were checked thoroughly and the
height of the boundary wall of the Dera is also being raised. The
local administration, too, had positioned BSF and the local police
on all roads leading to the Dera.
13 June 2007
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