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Harbhajan

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  1. Makindu Sahib 'Bliss in the Bush' Sikh Temple Makindu was built in 1926, though its roots are believed to have been present way before then. When the Uganda Railway was completed in 1902 at Port Florence (which is now Kisumu, Kenya), Makindu played a prominent role as a service point on the railway's advance from Mombasa. Dozens of artisans and train drivers were Sikhs and the station at Makindu became a place of religious fervour. Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims would gather together in the evenings and sing the praises of God. They did so under a tree, the spot where the current Gurudwara now stands. It is also believed that the Gurudwara was funded by non-Sikhs along with Sikhs. In the years before 1926, the Gurudwara was a tin-roof little hut where the Sikhs used to pray everyday, and the Guru Guru Granth Sahib was housed there. But when the Railway moved on from Makindu, the service point went into disuse and became unimportant. The Sikhs naturally moved along too, leaving the tiny Gurudwara behind, under the watchful eye of an African servant who would clean the Gurudwara. Sikh devotees who passed along the Gurudwara would leave offerings of money by dropping it through the locked Gurudwara's window. As the years rolled on and the Railway complete, the Sikhs settled in Kenya. Slowly, they began to contemplate the idea of reviving the small Gurudwara in Makindu. Akhand Paths began to be organised on regular weekends, with families travelling 200 miles or so, in rough murram red-soil earth. There, they would gather and pray, prepare langar and socialise. Over the years, the Gurudwara began to be developed. It is in 1926 that a solid foundation was laid. The Gurudwara then became a fully-functional one - with a langar hall, prayer hall and tiny rooms of accommodation for the gyanis and sevadaars of the Gurudwara. It also began to provide free food and rest for weary travellers who would stop by at the Gurudwara for a night or two on their journeys to and from Nairobi and Mombasa. Legend have been connected to this magnificent Gurudwara. It has truly been referred to as the 'Harmandir Sahib' of Africa. It is so amazing that even now, as i pen these lines, an electric current runs through me, just thinking about the power of that Gurudwara. A copy of the Guru Granth Sahib that survived a mysterious fire which burnt down the whole Gurudwara (probably before 1926) is still there today. I was fortunate to obtain the darshan of the Guru Granth Sahib at a Sikh's residence in Mombasa. On it's first page, the then-Granthi of the Gurudwara recorded, in his own handwriting, exactly what had happened that day, and how miraculously, the Guru Granth Sahib was untouched by the tragedy to the Gurudwara. An African sevadaar of the Gurudwara once claimed that he saw, in the night awoken from his sleep, a figure on a white horse. The horseman approached him and spoke to him, telling him not to speak to anyone about the incident of his visit. The startled and shaken man could not believe his eyes and was so scared that he he told the first person he saw the following morning. Asked who the man on the horse was, the African man pointed to a painting of Guru Gobind Singh whish was displayed in the Gurudwara and said, 'That was him! Exactly like the was is there and so was the white horse!' The incident spread through the Sikh community like wild fire and soon people began to come more often to the Gurudwara, regardless of the miles that separated them from it. The incident also prompted the Sant Baba Puran Singh Kerichowale (founder, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha) to lead Gursikhs to gather at the Gurudwara regularly, and serve it by prayer, langar and cleaning. The Gurudwara had been almost forgotten and neglected when Guru Gobind Singh's incident occurred. That was not the only incident of the darshan of Guru Gobind Singh at Makindu Sahib. People claim to have have heard, in the silent of night, to have heard the approach of horses, just outside the Gurudwara. The sounds were akin to an army, stopping for the night. They claimed that they heard sounds of a kitchen being put in place, like langar was being prepared. Evidently, the incident was believed to be another darshan of the Guru, stopping by the shrine. In yet another event, an amazing first-time encounter happened with a member of the Istri Sabha during the early years of the Gurudwara. A lady who was reading the Guru Granth Sahib in the night, lit by only a kerosene lamp (there was no electricity there then), witnessed in the shadow falling on the Guru Granth Sahib. The figure, she recalled, was of someone doing the 'chaur' over the Sikh Scriptures. The figure was, by description, none other than Guru Gobind Singh. The Gurudwara today is among one of the most unique and beautiful ones outside India. Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike describe the same feeling when they step into the Gurudwara - that of peace. It is an indescribable peace and bliss. A aging European stranger i met at an art exhibition just the other day, began talking to me about the Gurudwara when she saw me wearing a branded jacket of the Gurudwara. 'Oh, I've been there,' she told me, 'a beautiful temple, i must say.' She explained how a decade ago, she had stopped there for the night on her journey from Mombasa back to Nairobi, and said she had never felt so peaceful in her life before. She even felt the presence of someone seated in the passenger seat as she prepared to drive on the following morning. 'I'm not sure who that was, but I am certain there was someone there,' she explained. 'I didn't get scared, though, I took it as a good omen, like someone was keeping a protective watch over me as i embarked on my journey.' Like this lady, there are thousands of people who stop by the Gurudwara on their journeys along the busy Mombasa Highway. The Gurudwara attracts people of all races and colour - Hindus, Muslims and Christians. They all drive in like it was home. They always find a meal waiting for them and accommodation to take rest in. They feel no discrimination, or even the slightest hesitation that they are walking through a Sikh temple. It's a power there, I believe, that brings them here - a power that sees no differences. All feel the same bliss, as though they are visiting a Sikh Temple, but walking through God's very own garden. As for the Sikhs, it is a favoured Gurudwara. Politics have not touched this Gurudwara. Here, even the Managing Committees have been known to be part of the sangat and sevadaars. Every weekend, there is someone or the other, making their journey to pay their homage to the Gurudwara, or simply to be at one with the Guru. Whole families travel there, unlike witnessed in Nairobi. Sikhs from not only all over Kenya, but from as far as Uganda and Tanzania who make regular trips to this beautiful Gurudwara, built on the common African soil. It is to be believed by the individual, and there are plenty of testimonies, that whatever one asks for at this Gurudwara, it is granted. Wishes have come true, prayers have been answered, if you come with a clean heart, cloaked in humility. Akhand Paths are regularly done there, and requests come from as far away fro Europe and Australia where ex-Kenya Sikhs are now settled, and yet remember the beloved Gurudwara they had to leave behind. Had it been in their grasp, they surely would have taken it with them! The setting of this Gurudwara is indeed a wonder. It is set in the wilderness, deep in the wild. Settlement has only recently sprang up around the Gurudwara. It is about 200 kilometers from Nairobi and yet you will find Sikhs gathering at the Gurudwara almost every weekend. Here they spend the whole day, resting, praying and simply witnessing the still air in its extremely well-kept gardens. Right across the road is the new Sikh Hospital - Mata Veera Kaur Hospital - which is a community establishment, serving the locals who have no immediate professional health care for hundreds of miles around. On my most recent visit there in 2001, I could see the Gurudwara through the thorn bushes at the Railway Station. The sight was one to behold. There, right before you was a white structure, in the midst of all the browns and greens of the wilderness, standing tall, yet humble. The Gurudwara stands like the lotus flower that grows in the mud. The only was to describe the sight when I saw it was 'Bliss in the Bush'. A note to make here is that there not a single Sikh family resident in Makindu and yet the Gurudwara continues to flourish, through the goodwill of non-Sikhs, the devotion on its Sikhs and abundant blessings of the Guru, who ceaselessly watches over this shrine that was built on the foundation of sincere faith, love and dedication to the WORD of GOD. And yes, do visit this Gurudwara, no matter what part of the world you come from, and you will experience all that we have, and who knows, the Guru awaits you too! Lakhvir Singh V300 NAIROBI.KENYA
  2. http://worldsikhnews.com/index.php?option=...view&id=769 Jathedar Sahiban, we shouldn't have been guessing Ajmer Singh - WORLD SIKH NEWS. COM While it is to be appreciated that the Jathedars of the Sikh Takhts correctly understood the sentiments of the Sikh community and rejected the cleverly crafted apology of the Dera Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim, what is certainly not appreciable is the fact that the Sikh community had to wait with bated breath for the outcome till the clergy actually pronounced it. What was so obvious to the Sikh community collectively -- that the apology is only a clever stratagem, that the dera head is least repentant, that he is continuing to do exactly what he is apologizing for, that the government has done precious little in bringing him to book, that his followers are adamant on rather increasing the frequency of nam-charchas, that the state establishment has made its intentions clear by providing him with z-plus security -- was not considered enough to correctly fathom the end result of the Jathedars' confabulations. The kind of response that the June 24 Khalsa Chetna March received from the Sikh sangat was indicator enough of the mood of the panth. The fact that the march was sought to be torpedoed not only by the elements in the Akali Dal-BJP government but even the SGPC and senior people working inside the Khalsa Action Committee and still turned out the way it did only sends out a positive signal. The Sikh community is aware of the hurt caused and is determined to remove the cause of the pain by either making the assaulter realize his mistake or taking measures to put its own house in order so that such attacks do not succeed. It is at junctures like these that the history records the role of those at the helm. At a time when things move on smoothly, the leaders become only marginal players, but when a crisis emerges, the stuff of the leadership comes under question. With every passing day, the dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim is becoming a smaller man even in the eyes of his own followers who see that their idol is big enough to indulge in megalomania, ridiculous enough to imitate the Sikh Guru, stupid enough to then say that he can't even think of doing so, and Lilliputian enough to shirk saying a clear, candid sorry. That he is crook enough to keep crafting multiple versions of unrepentant apologies does no credit to a man whose avowed mission is to turn people into real 'insaans.'. Of course he can make a beginning by letting the CBI complete its probe into murder charge against himself, make clear his role in systematic molestation of the girls at the dera and present before the people his true motives in imitating Sikh religious lexicon. And the Sikh leadership, including the clergy, must also beware that with each passing day, they too are under watch, and must not do anything to reduce their own stature. What Paramjit Singh Sarna has done, or Avtar Singh Makkar forever tries to do, is the one thing that a Sikh leader must stay miles away from. The Sarnas had won considerable goodwill among the Sikhs of Punjab, and they will have to do considerable effort now to win it back. The only good thing they have done is to turn themselves into befitting examples of what the leaders must not try to do when dealing with the sentiments of the community. Be clear, be transparent. Cloak and dagger, as we earlier said, is not a strategy to be employed at home.
  3. Please review the following educational website: SIKHS IN EAST AFRICA http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/heritage/si...ikhsEAfrica.htm
  4. How To Manifest Your Inner Desires By Steven S. Sadleir Within each human lies the instinct to evolve. Your desires draw to you the learning experiences that cause you to discern what you like and dislike, what you want and don’t want, and through this process you learn and grow and evolve to realize your full potential. Through this variety and diversity of life experience what you innately want becomes clearer. As what you want becomes clearer your power to manifest what you want becomes stronger. Feelings of joy, peace, and excitement serve as a honing beacon guiding you towards experiences that help you to fulfill your life purpose. Feeling of discontent, discord and being stuck help you to see how you are moving away from the opportunities to realize your full potential and find happiness. When you are connected with that inner guidance, and to the degree that you do connect, greater prosperity, happiness and peace are attained. This peace is innate; you just need to connect with it by being true to your intrinsic desires. Desiring has energy. As you think about what you want that desire builds strength. Where you mind is focused energy follows. As you become more focused and clearer as to what you innately want, the energy to manifest gets stronger. This energy can be felt as excitement. The vibration of your intention is transmitted like a radio signal and the innate intelligence of the universe responds to it in kind. Put your attention on the joy of your desire and you will joyously attract that into your life, we see this miracle again and again with our students. Put your attention on what you think you lack and you attract more lack. It is a state of consciousness. Create a clear picture of what you want in your mind, what does it feel like having what you desire. Be in that state of enjoying it whether it has manifested or is being manifested. Then put your life force energy into the vision, like a light shinning through a motion picture film, the desire is projected into your world. The more powerful the projection the more powerful the manifestation. To increase your power to manifest, connect with the source of life within you. Meditate. It comes back to getting in touch with the source of life within you. It comes back to getting in touch with your Self. It comes back to Self-Realization. http://www.selfgrowth.com/artman2/publish/...r1_printer.html
  5. http://www.ibnlive.com/news/debate-sikh-de...ce/43810-3.html Debate: Sikh, Dera need patience CNN-IBN New Delhi: It’s Sikh versus Sikh in Punjab once again. The Dera Sacha Sauda issue is set to become a major political crisis. Punjab’s Akali government has cleared the arrest of Dera chief Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Raheem, even though the Baba has already apologised twice to the Akal Takht for appearing in an advertisement dressed as a Sikh guru. Is the Prakash Singh government playing with fire by trying to appease radical elements in the state? And why is the Dera issue being politicized and blown out of proportion? To answer that on CNN-IBN Face the Nation was Rajya Sabha MP and Former Chairman of National Minorities Commission Tarlochan Singh with Social Activist Swami Agnivesh. Punjab clears Dera chief's arrest: Does Sikhism needs to become more tolerant? Tarlochan Singh who is close to the Akali government, was asked as to what is the crime that the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda has committed. All that the Dera chief did was that he dressed up as a guru in an advertisement, for which he has already apologized twice. Yet, the Prakash Singh Badal government wants to arrest him on charges of “disgracing†the Sikh religion. Is the issue being politicized to benefit some select elements? Is this au all a political vendetta? “The issue is not at all political, but a purely religious one, where the identity of the Sikh minority is at stake. The minority community has to watch its own interest. The Sikh community cannot tolerate anyone trying to minimize the role of Sikh gurus or imitating out religious founders,†said Tarlochan Singh. The Akal Takht supporter said that there is a clear difference between media’s perception and the one of the ruling Akalis on the entire Dera controversy. “Look at history and we have shown enough tolerance even in the worst conditions. Our gurus were butchered, tortured and slain. But we never attacked back. This time, our religion is being ridiculed and hence we cannot tolerate it,†said Singh. But, is the strife between Dera Sacha Sauda and Akal Takht a proxy political battle? The Deras supported the Congress in the previous elections—one of the probable reasons why Prakash Singh Badal government is now going out for the Deras. The entire standoff is being viewed as a politics of vendetta on Badal’s part. “I can tell you from my personal experience that when I went to Dera Chiefs to help him wriggle out of the situation, he made me stand for whole 10 hours outside his camp in Sirsa. And he would not come up with a simple apology,†social activist Swami Agnivesh said. But why should Baba ram Rahim apologies anymore? What is so criminal about just wearing a costume that resembles one worn by a religious guru? Can someone who just dresses up like a guru, damage a great faith like Sikhism? A deeper philosophical question that confronts modern Sikhism is—whether it’s the Nirankaris sect, the Namdhari sect or the Dera Sacha Sauda—why does the Sikh clergy sees these sects as religious pollutants or those trying to damage the identity of their religion? “You have to understand the perception of the minority community. Look at Muslims, a simple cartoon of Mohammad Sahab sent the Islamic community up in flames. Sikhs are offended much the same way,†said swami Agnivesh. Responding to the issue of minority communities, Tarlochan Singh said, “India recognizes only one minority which is Muslims. For them, even the government can go to any extent. But when something wrong happens with Sikh community, we are told to get modernized in our view.†“We are great because we have the best message for the world. But we cannot tolerate humiliation. We have tolerance but that doesn’t mean we do away our principles,†he added. While the controversy does not seem to end, some pinpoint to the fact that stiff competition between the mainstream institutional religions and the small sects, is responsible for the row. These tiny sects give voice to the poor, do welfare work and hence manage to gather huge number of followers. Dera Sacha widely popular because it has given acceptance and support to dalits and backward casts whereas the mainstream Sikh religion is made of rich Jat Sikhs. Responding to the issue, Tarlochan Singh said, “We have no dispute with them. They can carry on whatever they are doing but they must not forget their limits. They should not disgrace other religions.†“Dera has a right to exist but within lawful limits,†said Swami Agnivesh. “The Dera chief must be arrested on the CBI charges against him that involve serious offences like rape and murder,†he concluded. Final Results: Does Sikhism needs to become more tolerant? Yes: 85 per cent of the viewers said, the Sikhs need to be more tolerant towards other sects and religious groups while 15 per cent said no.
  6. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story...207:10:00%20PM# Akal Takht rejects Dera chief's apology NDTV Correspondent Wednesday, June 27, 2007 (Amritsar) The Akal Takth, Sikhism's highest religious body, has rejected the Dera Sacha Sauda's second apology. ''There are some serious charges against the Dera Chief which are not acceptable. We appeal to the people of Haryana to put some force on the government so that some action is taken against the Dera Chief,'' said Joginder Singh Vedanti, Head Priest, Akal Takht. Earlier the SGPC, the body that manages all Sikh Gurudwaras, had rejected the fresh letter of apology sent by the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim. The SGPC rejected the apology saying that they need to apologize sincerely. The Dera chief had expressed regret for newspaper advertisements which showed him dressed up like the Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The move had resulted in tension and protests across Punjab and neighbouring states last month.
  7. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...ec-4ea8eca62165 Man's sponsored wife runs away one week after arriving from India She's been found but says she won't return to husband, who's financially responsible for her Jennifer Saltman The Province Wednesday, June 27, 2007 COQUITLAM - When Burinder Manget married his wife in India a year ago, he pictured an idyllic life in Canada. He never thought that a week after her arrival, his wife would disappear. "I was just shocked, confused," Manget said quietly. "I thought maybe she was playing a joke." Now Manget is obligated to his absent wife for the next three years should she demand financial support or need income assistance from the government. The 31-year-old married Harpreet Dhami on April 12, 2006, 10 days after their marriage was arranged by a relative. Manget thought 21-year-old Harpreet was shy, nice and respectful, and the couple clicked during their initial conversations. After the wedding, Manget stayed in India for three weeks before returning to Canada to start the process of sponsoring his bride to become a Canadian resident. During their time apart, Manget called Harpreet regularly and sent money monthly. "She was really happy and I was happy," Manget said. "When she used to call, she goes, 'I'm dying to come there, whenever I get my visa I'm going to come running.'" Harpreet's visa was approved in May and she arrived in Vancouver June 14. Sitting on the couch in his mother's Coquitlam home, Manget describes the excitement of finally seeing his wife again after a year of separation. The house was decorated and Manget's mother was planning a welcome party. The couple spent a week attending gatherings and greeting family and friends dropping by to see the new bride. Manget's twin brother Gurinder said everything seemed normal. "That's why we're so shocked. Usually you'll show signs of being mad or sad or something," he said. But a week after her arrival, on June 21, Harpreet disappeared. Her passport, gold jewelry and a few hundred dollars were missing. No one saw her leave. Manget and his mother called Harpreet's mother in India and family in Toronto, but no one knew where she was. Manget called Coquitlam RCMP, who investigated and released a missing-person notice to media the same day. That night, Harpreet called and spoke to Manget's mother. She allegedly told her that she was fine and was not coming home before hanging up. On June 22, after seeing herself on the news, Harpreet called Delta police to let them know she was OK. Const. Brenda Gresiuk, spokeswoman for the Coquitlam RCMP, said investigators spoke with Harpreet and were satisfied that there was no threat to her safety. "We've concluded our investigation," Gresiuk said. "This is not a suspicious circumstance." An uncle in Toronto, who refused to give his name, said he hasn't heard from Harpreet and has no idea where she is staying. The uncle said he has spoken to Harpreet's mother, Balbir Kaur Dhami, and the whole family is worried. He said as far as he knew there was no problem with the marriage, and nobody knows why she left. "I don't know. I have no clue until I speak to her," he said. "Is there anything wrong? What is the problem? We also would like to find out." Manget and his family, however, wonder if "it was maybe pre-planned," Manget said, questioning whether "she came here just to come here and use me." "It's not just me that's used, it's our whole family, her family." Said Manget's sister-in-law Ruby Toor, "it's not like we kicked her out -- she walked out on her own." Toor said the family has contacted Citizenship and Immigration Canada and was told there is nothing they can do. "Sponsorship is a legally binding commitment and it can't be cancelled, regardless of whether a relationship breaks down or not," said Shakila Bezeau of Citizenship and Immigration. "An individual who sponsors someone is pretty well obligated for three years' support for that person." Manget said that since his wife left, he's heard many similar stories. "It has to stop," he said. A Province investigation in 2005 revealed there are thousands of abandoned brides in India. Palwinder Gill of the Canadian Fraud Marriage Victims Society said there are just as many abandoned grooms. "This is not a one-sided thing," Gill said. "It has always happened." Gill said men feel ashamed when their wives leave them, and will not speak out. "They don't talk about it because they think shame," he said. "It's a cultural thing." Gill said those who flout the law should be punished. People proven to have married under false pretenses "should be charged as criminals because they enter Canada by fraud. Fraud is a crime." jensaltman@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Province 2007
  8. http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sto...8d-dd04535e1c3f Family members guilty of assault in attack on young bride Court hears couple were harassed over unwanted marriage Susan Lazaruk; with a file by John Colebourn The Province Sunday, June 24, 2007 Surinder Toor did not want her son, Paul, to marry his girlfriend, Reena. When he insisted, she told the bride she had to pay the family $50,000 for the marriage. When Reena Toor failed to do so, life for the newlywed couple became a nightmare. Toor family members assaulted or stabbed the new bride, put glass in her bed, switched her pills, poisoned her food and denied her access to the kitchen and laundry of the extended-family home. Yesterday, a B.C. Supreme Court jury found Surinder Toor, her daughter, Parvinder Toor, and her niece, Rajwansh Nijjar, guilty of aggravated assault. Surinder and Parvinder were convicted of uttering death threats, while Surinder and Nijjar were found guilty of committing assault with a weapon. The jury also found that Surinder was guilty of obstructing justice by threatening Reena if she reported the assault to police. Details of the attack revealed during the trial were brutal. Toor was stabbed and beaten over the head with a baseball bat, court heard. After hearing the guilty verdict, 27-year-old Reena Toor said: "I think it's fair, as now I can feel that I got justice. I was totally shocked to hear what I heard in court." "They came back and convicted all three of everything," added Crown prosecutor Kerr Clark. "You never feel great when someone is convicted, but I think it was an appropriate verdict." The attack took place on Nov. 23, 2004, near Fraser Street and 46th Avenue in Vancouver after Surinder met Reena at a bus stop after work. Inside Parvinder's parked car, Surinder hit Reena over the head with a baseball bat and tried to stab her with a 30-centimetre serrated kitchen bread knife as Nijjar held Reena's hair. Court was told that Parvinder yelled at Reena that she was a prostitute and used drugs, and that both she and Nijjar prevented Reena from leaving the car. They threatened her with death if she didn't transfer her half-ownership of the Surrey house to another cousin, testimony showed. Reena was able to escape after biting her mother-in-law's hand, causing her to drop the knife -- but not before being stabbed by a second smaller knife that was still sticking out of her stomach when a homeless person later found her sitting on the sidewalk. All three of the accused categorically and calmly denied all the allegations, insisting they were nowhere near the crime scene that day. The three testified that they liked Reena and that there were only a few problems when they lived together. Surinder, 52, who walked slowly and with a cane, testified Reena had once threatened to kill her. Two of the family's uncles -- Surinder's brothers-in-law, including Harinder Toor, who owns Punjabi Food Centre on Main Street -- also backed up the accuseds' side of the story while on the witness stand. The attack came seven months after Reena and Paul married, and almost three months after the couple said they were forced to leave the family's Surrey home because they weren't allowed to use the kitchen and laundry. Reena, who screamed hysterically on the witness stand after defence lawyer Russ Chamberlain accused her of lying to split Paul from his family, also alleged that family members had planted large, jagged pieces of broken glass on her side of her bed. She also testified that Surinder had demanded she pay her mother-in-law $50,000 to marry Paul and poisoned their food. Reached last night, Toor said she remains happily married to her husband despite all the couple have been through. She said that with the trial behind them, they can get on with their lives. "We do have plans," she said. "But I would rather not comment on them for safety reasons." slazaruk@png.canwest.com © The Vancouver Province 2007
  9. http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodna...+Puri&sid=1 Magazine| Jun 25, 2007 column Bull's Eye In India, people don't choose the leadership. Leaders choose the people. So why not scrap elections? Let dynasties elect saffronites or secularists, forwards or backwards as the real people of India. RAJINDER PURI Our present political system is unsatisfactory. It has been pointed out that the actual number of voters who elect even single-party governments is a mere fraction of the total electorate. Too many parties have mushroomed to wreck the system. President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam suggested a two-party system. Alas, there is no magic wand to accomplish it. Arun Shourie wants a directly elected president. Alas, for that the present Constitution must be scrapped. But if the present Constitution has to be changed, there are better alternatives than the American constitution. The trouble with our thinkers is that they focus on ground realities. They need to focus on the roof realities. The multitude is on the ground. Fifty-odd dynasties that rule India stand on the roof. These are the dynasties of Sonia Gandhi, Karunanidhi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Pawar, Farooq Abdullah, Jaswant Singh, Murli Deora, late Rajesh Pilot, the late Madhav Rao Scindia, Om Prakash Chautala, Parkash Singh Badal, the late Charan Singh, Maneka Gandhi, the late Pramod Mahajan, Balasaheb Thackeray, Ramadoss... okay, okay! There may be more than 50 dynasties. There may be even a hundred. But that isn't saying much. We all know who the dynasties are. But we're never sure who the people are. Sometimes secularists are the real people of India. At other times, saffronite Hindus are the real people of India. Or perhaps the OBCs may be the real people. Sometimes even Dalits become the real people of India. Sometimes there are combinations that make real people. Right now, Brahmins and Dalits are the people of Uttar Pradesh. Recently, Yadavs and Muslims were the people of Uttar Pradesh. Sometimes there are even disputes about who the real Scheduled Tribes are. Very recently Gujjars and Meenas were battling it out because they couldn't decide who the real Scheduled Tribe was. So how must we determine who the people of India are? Why, the dynasties on the roof tell us that. The dynasties don't change. But the people keep changing. This leads one to a profound truth. In India, people don't choose the leadership. Leaders choose the people. So why not scrap elections? Citizens should stop voting for leaders. Let leaders vote for the people. Let dynasties elect saffronites or secularists, forwards or backwards as the real people of India. This will give us a genuine, representative, low-cost democracy. As many ancient, wise philosophers almost said: Let there be a government of the dynasties, for the dynasties, by the dynasties.
  10. http://worldsikhnews.com/index.php?option=...4&Itemid=29 Sants came marching in, Badal rushed to deflate Written by Ashok Sharma Wednesday, June 20, 2007 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.
  11. Writing on Water By Robert Elias Najemy You cannot leave an impression on water. You can try to leave your mark, but it is impossible. You can cut it with a knife, penetrate it with a screwdriver, write on it with a pen, hit it with a hammer, cut it with a saw and try in any way to leave your mark on it. You will fail. It will, of course, be temporarily affected, as it reacts by sending out waves in response to these interventions. But soon after its immediate and temporary spontaneous response, it will return to its original state. Our mind would do well to emulate water in this way. Our mind now is not like water, but more like a rock, wood, metal or paper. When any of the above actions are performed on it (cutting, sawing, writing, pounding etc.) it is permanently changed. It does not return to its original state, but is affected by what has happened to it. Just as such effects become a permanent part of the stone, wood, metal or paper, our experiences become a permanent part of our inner psychology and affect everything we perceive, think, feel and do. Thus we are seriously programmed and controlled by our past. We hold on to past events, feelings, and traumas, just as stone holds on to the marks made on it. Let us learn to become like water, which responds in the present to whatever is happening, without being conditioned by the past events, which it has already let go of. In this way we will live in the ever moving present moment, unaffected by the past, able to respond to events and people as they really are, and not as we misconceive them through the filters of the past, which we wear like colored glasses over our eyes. Let our minds become as flexible, flowing and free as water. source: http://www.freespiritcentre.info/articles/...iting_on_water/ [align=center:e3ca67e6a1]*************[/align:e3ca67e6a1] [align=center:e3ca67e6a1]>>>> THE SIKH WAY = SEVA + SIMRAN + SANGAT <<<<<[/align:e3ca67e6a1]
  12. http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_print.asp?id=482000 National CLASH-LD WARRANT Punjab police moves court to arrest Dera head Bathinda, Jun 18 (PTI) In an apparent effort to cool tempers of some radical Sikh outfits demanding the arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Punjab police today moved a local court seeking arrest warrants against sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Punjab police filed an application before duty magistrate K L Khitchi seeking arrest warrants against the dera chief. "After proper investigations, we have sufficient evidence against the head of Dera Sacha Sauda about his involvemnet in hurting religious sentiments of Sikhs," Bathinda SSP Naunihal Singh told PTI. The application seeking arrest warrants for the head of Dera Sacha Sauda had been admitted in the court, he said adding the court was examining the application before handing down any order. The police decision to move court came a day ahead of the planned march by Sant Samaj, an umberalla organisation comprising some radical Sikh groups, inclduing Damdami Taksal, demanding the immediate arrest of head of Dera Sacha Sauda. Sant Samaj and Damdami Taksal chief Harnam Singh Khalsa, who is a descandant of late militant Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale, said activists of Samaj would assemble at Fatehgarh Sahib tomorrow and march in a procession to Chandigarh where they would court arrest seeking action against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. "Police has just moved the court seeking arrest warrants...The head of Dera must be arrested for his blasphemous act," he said. Police had beefed up security to prevent any untoward incident. A case was registered by Bathinda police against Baba Gurmeet for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs last month. The head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda was embroiled in a controversy after he purportedly appeared in an advertisement attired in a dress similar to the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh on May 13. After the appearance of the advertisement, the border state was hit by sectarian strife in which one person was killed and over 50 injured.
  13. F O C U S Sikhism in Crisis Proliferation of Cults and Sects in Punjab Dr. Jaspal Singh Primitive man in remote antiquity worshipped many forces of nature out of fear or to seek boons in times of adversity. In many cultures he personified these forces as distinct gods. In course of time this polytheism gave way to monotheism that is belief in one [omniscient] all-powerful God. Thus the main religions of the world naming Judaism, Christianity, and Islam came up with their own versions of faith in one God. Some of the other religions particularly Hinduism still believed in the existence of many gods though a few of its sects have become monotheistic in course of time. Within the pale of Hinduism a new religion emerged in sixteenth century, which was formally codified towards the end of the 17th century in the form of the Khalsa. Since the believers of this faith were called Sikhs or ‘disciples’ so it assumed the name of Sikhism. This new religion is also monotheistic like Islam and it took about two centuries for it to fully acquire the present shape and norm. After the demise of the 10th Guru in early eighteenth century, Sikhism became a biblio-centric religion, now believing in its scriptures that were anointed as the Guru Granth Sahib. In course of time many aberrations and immoral practices appeared in the ‘faith’ leading to large scale disturbances in the first quarter of the 20th century. Sikhs all over Punjab were up in arms against the custodians of the gurdwaras, who by now had completely degenerated into immoral lumpens. This movement is called Gurdwara Sudhar Lehar (religious reform movement), which eventually succeeded in its aims, and the gurdwaras were liberated from the clutches of immoral masands. An apex democratic body called the SGPC (Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee) was devised to manage the gurdwaras. Consequently Sikhism became one of the most modern and democratic religions. It rapidly spread in many sections of people in Punjab. But as time passed Sikhism again became a victim of corruption and other noxious activities of its new custodians. Castism, which has been banned in Sikhism, continued in the same old form. Apart from this, the patrons of the faith displayed the same Brahmamical arrogance and used the religion to perpetuate their socio-political hegemony in the state. Most of the members of SGPC were drawn from one dominant caste of Punjab and in most of the gurdwaras in the villages. The management remained in the hands of dominant farming castes particularly the Jatts. The lower castes especially the scheduled castes and the untouchables were allowed in the gurdwaras as menials or sevadars while the financial and managerial work was monopolised by the dominant farming castes. In many villages lower castes are not even allowed to sit in the main halls rather they are made to sit outside in the verandas. Secondly, many poor people have problems associated with their financial condition, health and family discords for which they seek magical treatments. Such people think that some godman with ‘divine powers’ is more potent to solve their problems than the inanimate scriptures [sculptures]. So in order to get rid of their distress and to seek boons these people visit the various ‘saints’ and munis. The gurdwaras being dominated by the dominant castes, the poor and the disadvantaged section of the populace makes to the deras (hermitages or centers of deviational cults) where they find greater solace. Attitude of the managers and sevadars at these centers is more humane and compassionate than what is usually found in the gurdwaras and temples especially those managed by the SGPC. Some of the main deras that have made a mark in Punjab are: Dera Radha Soami, Beas; Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa; Dera Namdhari, Bhaini; Nirankari Mission, Divia Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Dera Bhaniaranwala and the Sikh Deras like Damdami Taksal and Dera Begowal. Apart from these deras there are scores of gurdwaras patronised and managed by scores of sants of different denominations. All these religious and semi-religious centres exercise a lot of influence among the people. All those disenchanted with the main stream conventional religions patronise such centres. Consequently a parallel religious movement has come into existence that has provided legitimacy to such deviational varieties of faith. As hundreds of thousand people visit these places, they bring a lot of wealth to them. With wealth and the faithful multitudes comes the power. The importance of deras in a democratic set-up where the numbers count more than anything else is clear. Most of the deras have significant following in certain areas that can tilt the balance of power in an election. That is why politicians make a beeline for the dera heads. This practice is the main reason behind the arrogance and the pretentious ostentation of the godman. In fact, politicians are mainly responsible for degrading public morality by giving importance to pseudo godmen, astrologers and other voodoo personalities. The present chief minister of Punjab with pretentious of being a ‘devout Sikh’, has visited almost all the dera chiefs in the state some of which believe in anti-Sikh rituals and has visited some voodoo oracular charlatans in order to seek electoral success or to ward off evil spirits which were supposed to have haunted him when he was in adversity due to his own misdeed. This is true of many other Indian politicians including the late Rajiv Gandhi who went all the way to Mathura to be touched by the foot on his head by a voodoo man hanging on to a tree. Now such antics of the top politicians give unnecessary credence to the “holy†pretenders and hypocrites. As has been mentioned earlier, the failure of the mainstream conventional religions has given an impetus to the non-conventional deviational sects and cults. With a huge scheduled caste population in Punjab (nearly 34%) such centres have attracted millions of followers with a lot of political clout in a democratic polity. The SGPC on the other hand has remained riddled with scams and misappropriation of funds. Its offices function like government offices and many officials are steeped in corruption. It is natural for the socially and economically backward people to strive for alternative spiritual centres which are ostensibly egalitarian in nature. The hypocrisy and duplicity of the leaders have further disappointed the people. Whenever a dera does not support a particular political party, it is debunked by its leaders. But when the same dera declares its support to the same political party a few years later it is glorified in superlative terms. Political clout of some of the deras is one thing; the other is that some of them have become dens of black marketers, smugglers, corrupt officials and politicians to disguise their immoral activities and to launder their black money by using a spiritual garb. Now the question is how can Sikhism win back its lost followers? For this Sikhism requires another reform movement. True spirit of Sikhism has to be brought back. The SGPC requires huge structural changes. Its caste and communal composition has to be changed. The gurdwaras have to be liberated from the new masands. Last but not least the down-trodden section of society that has discarded the gurdwaras and has adopted new cultish and sectarian practices should be brought back to the fold by sharing power with them. The finances and management of the gurdwaras should not be the monopoly of one dominant caste of Punjab. Unless there is an equitable distribution of duties, responsibilities and authority, the disadvantages sections cannot be brought back to the mainstream. Apart from this, religious piety, compassion and belief in humanistic values have again to be inculcated. The crisis of Sikhism is really more serious than its present day custodians visualize. http://www.southasiapost.org/2007/20070615/focus.htm
  14. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070608/punjab1.htm#2 Amrit Sanchar Samagam at Jammu Vedanti, SGPC chief endorse move Prabhjit Singh Tribune News Service Jammu, June 7 Rejecting the plea of a Sikh delegation from Jammu for boycott of Dera Nangali Sahib, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh have endorsed the move of the Dera chief Mahant Manjit Singh to organise “Amrit Sanchar Samagam†here on June 10. The Akal Takht Jathedar would be presiding over the samagam along with the high priests of the four other Takhts. Around 11,000 Sikhs would be baptised by the Sikh clergy at the samagam. On the heels of the Dera Sacha Sauda controversy, a Sikh delegation, under the aegis of the Jammu District (ad hoc) Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (JDGPC), had called on the SGPC chief and also the institution of the Akal Takht at Amritsar, opposing the event, raising their objections to the practices followed at the dera here. “The Singh Sahibans (high priests) and the SGPC president are coming to Jammu for the Amrit Sanchar Samagam,†a spokesman for the SGPC told The Tribune here on the phone from Amritsar. According to sources, SAD president and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had advised the SGPC chief to stay away from the dera chief’s event, after the Sikh delegation from Jammu had called on the latter with the proposal that the “Amrit Sanchar†be organised by the SGPC along with the J&K State Gurdwara Board or the local Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, and not by any dera chief. Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting here today, JDGPC general secretary Gurdev Singh, Jammu-Kashmir State Gurdwara Board president Tirlochan Singh Wazir, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Jammu unit chief Harjinder Singh Raina and other Sikh leaders expressed their concern over the rebuttal of their appeal to the Akal Takht Jathedar and the SGPC chief
  15. http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/4352/38/ Moderate Sikh leadership in Punjab re-asserts SATINDER BAINS Friday, 01 June 2007 CHANDIGARH: The dera Sacha Sauda controversy understood to have given another chance to moderate Sikh leadership in Punjab to marginalise the radical Sikh organisations who wanted to regain their lost ground after having been rejected by people in the recently concluded state assembly elections. The stern handling of grave religious crisis by the Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) and Shiromani Gurdawara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) has not only blown over the threat to peace but has also isolated hard liners. The SAD ruling partner with BJP in the state has taken full control of the situation after initial disturbances in Bathinda and other parts of the state. The SAD has swiftly took the damage control measures and in tacit understanding with the Sikh clergy defused the situation. The protest march by Sikhs organised on May 31 at Fatehgarh Sahib has made it evident that moderate Sikh leaders are fully in control of the situation and represent the majority section of community. The SAD president Parkash Singh Badal and working president Sukhbir Singh Badal believed to have tacit understanding with the Sikh clergy in sending a strong message of using restraint despite high provocation on the issue of dera Sacha Sauda. The decision of the Akal Takht to reject the apology offered by dera Sacha Sauda was well thought move and has helped the Sikh clergy to implement its writ over radicals. It was rare in Sikh politics that hard liners have withdrawn from the violent protests in such a provocative atmosphere. The political observers said that to prolong the confrontation with dera Sacha Sauda is in the interest of both SAD and hard liners for their own reasons. They would keep alive the agitation against dera in some form to maintain pressure on dera to stay away from politics. The main reason of confrontation between dera and Sikhs was support extended by former to Congress party in the assembly elections. The dera support to Congress party has eroded the SAD base in the Malwa and radical vote bank understood to have rallied behind traditional Akalis in retaliation of dera factor. This was first time that senior radical Sikh leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann had lost their deposits. Now for Akalis of colours, eliminating the dera factor is top priority to rebuild their base in Malwa belt. At religious level SGPC is persuading the dera followers to come back to the fold of Sikh religion and at political level SAD is trying to isolate dera leadership in peaceful and effective manner. In the last one week hundreds of dera followers have abandoned dera Sacha Sauda and got baptised. To keep the agitation going on the Sikh organisations have put forward four points in their memorandum submitted to Governors of Punjab and Haryana. Interestingly the demand to arrest dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh ahs been dropped in new charter of demands. This probably has been done to avoid an embarrassing situation for state government in near future. The four demands now SAD has concentrated are Prohibit (the Dera) from the exploiting sacred symbols of various religions without their express permission. A provision for stringent punishments be made in law so that such -like mischief-mongers do not dare play with religious sentiments of people. The dera chief should not be allowed to evade the course of law, against charges of rape, murder and conspiracy already framed against him. A high-level inquiry be instituted into his blasphemous actions to unravel the larger conspiracy of destabilising the state in particular and the nation in general.
  16. http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/4322/38/ Akal Takht takes the right decision on dera Sacha Sauda SATINDER BAINS Wednesday, 30 May 2007 CHANDIGARH: The decision of the Akal Takht to reject the apology tendered by dera Sacha Sauda Chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh may not be considered good omen for peace in Punjab but it appears to be a timely decision to prevent religious disintegration. The dera chief has been squarely criticized by Sikh clergy and the members of Sarv Dharam committee that was mediating to resolve the stand off between Sikhs and dera authorities. Swami Agnivesh who headed the Sarv Dharam delegation was upset over the behavior of dera management. He said in Amritsar that attitude of dera chief was "disgraceful". The same sentiments were reflected in the edict issued by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti on May 29. He has stated Baba Ram Rahim Singh is clever and cunning person who is finding protection behind his followers. The anger of Sikh community was reaction of blasphemy by dera Chief who had attired like Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh master. The Sikh community had used utmost restraint in dealing with this sensitive issue. The Punjab Bandh on May 22 was completely peaceful. The peace and harmony prevailed even after that. The dera's arrogance of not tendering an apology from Sikh community is major concern for future of peace in border state. The Akal Takht has refused to accept the half hearted apology sent by dera that was not signed by dera chief. The dera said they have apologised from Guru Gobind Singh. The right thinking persons believe that dera chief should have apologised from Akal Takht or the Sikh community. The trouble lies only here that Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh has not only be trying to equalize himself with Guru Gobind Singh he seems to be thinking of declaring himself a God. He had prepared the 'Jaam-e-Insaan'' and 'saat Piaras' (seven beloveds)on the pattern Guru Gobind Singh had prepared 'Amrit' and Punj Piaras' (five beloveds). The act of Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh is not just matter of hurting the Sikh sentiments but his actions attributed to interference in other religions. The Akal Takht has asked the SGPC to take legal opinion how dera Sacha Sauda was using symbols of other religions. Baba was born as Gurmit Singh in a Jat Sikh family of Ganga Nagar district of Rajasthan but he added suffixes of Ram and Rahim in his name to put a secular face before the people. The confrontation between dera Sacha Sauda and Sikh community is unlikely to die in near future. The Sikhs had been keeping their enmity with Nirankari sect which represents a black chapter in Sikh history. Atleasr 13 Sikh protestors were killed in firing by Nirankari followers in Amritsar on April 13, 1978. This incident had led to decade long militancy in Punjab. Swami Agnivesh hs righty analysed that situation is very explosive in Punjab. The SAD-BJP government in Punjab has given assurance that they would maintain law and order at all costs. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal understood to have been facing pressure from BJP to resolve the issue at an earliest. The things however may not be in control of Badal now. The radical Sikh organisations which were lying low have again taken control of situation. BJP hardly understand the pulse of Sikhs. The party had won 19 out of 31 contested by it in last assembly elections only because Sikh votes were transferred to them and BJP voters have also gone to SAD. Any opposition of Sikh sentiments by BJP may prove fatal for it in the coming parliament elections when their stakes would be very high. Perhaps BJP MP Navjot Sidhu has that understanding when he stated that dera issue was a religious matter and politicians should keep of it. The Sikhs are not expected to undulge in violence against the dera in times to come unless some unexpected provocation comes calling. People of Punjab had maintained peace and harmony in worst periods of militancy. This is the only state where two communities of Hindus and Sikhs live together in peace and never in the history there were communal clashes.
  17. AKAL TAKHT REJECTS DERA APOLOGY, SOCIAL BOYCOTT TO CONTINUE Amritsar May 29: Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti in a press conference outrightly rejected the apology of Dera Sacha Sauda and said that they will continue to politically and socially boycott them in a peaceful manner. The top Sikh cleric meet decided on this course of action as they said that the tone of the apology letter was not graceful and rather had toed an arrogant line. Vedanti also said, “The Guru is benevolent but it is the intention of the doer that counts. He warned Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of hurting the sentiments of several religions. Vedanti further said that cases against Dera Sacha Sauda chief should continue and that the Sikhs should be encouraged in the folds of Sikhism. Punjab Police remained on high alert across the state following top Sikh clerics meet on Tuesday in Amritsar. Senior police officers reviewed the law and order at regular intervals as security around religious shrines and Sirsa-based sect`s centres in the state was further beefed up on Monday. The police force would remain on maximum alert till 6th June, the anniversary of Operation Blue Star, official sources said. Police and para-military personnel would continue flag marches in the state to instil a sense of security among the people, especially those living in rural areas, DIG Ishwar Singh said. "Besides, the security around Gurdwaras, temples and sect`s Deras, including the one at Salabatpura in Bhatinda district, has been further strengthened," he said. On Sunday night, the Dera chief, in conflict with the Sikh clergy, tendered the apology for dressing like Guru Gobind Singh. Source : Punjab Mail Online News Date : May 29,2007 http://www.punjabmailonline.com/#10034
  18. http://www.dailyindia.com/show/144103.php/...Sikhs-stand-off Supreme Court refuses to intervene in Dera Sacha Sauda-Sikhs stand off From our ANI Correspondent New Delhi, May 25: The Supreme Court on Friday refused to intervene in the stand off between the Dera Sacha Sauda sect and Sikh organisations and asked them to resolve differences politically. The Dera sect, in a petition filed before the apex court, sought protection for all the Deras (camps) across the country against an alleged edict given by the Akal Takht, the top Sikh body, to stop their activities by May 27. Dera's Vice-Chairman and trustee, Abhijit Bhagat, in his petition also asked the Supreme Court to restrain Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) from making statements against it. The court said that the matter was for the Punjab Government to handle and the court would not like to intervene at this juncture. The apex Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and D K Jain posted the matter for further hearing on June 4. The court will also take up another petition filed on a similar issue then. A Public Interest Litigation seeks protection to the lives and properties of both the Sikhs and Dera sect followers. On May 20, the Akal Takht served an ultimatum to the Punjab Government to close down all the Dera camps in the State by May 27. On Thursday, Badal held an emergency meeting of his party Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLAs and MPs on the differences with the Dera Sacha Sauda. Badal has assured the Dera sect of full protection. After the meeting, Badal said that nobody will be allowed to harm the Deras and peace will be maintained at all cost in the State. A sectarian row was sparked off last week after the publication of an advertisement in which Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh was shown in a dress similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs. The Sikh body has since been demanding that the Dera shut all of its camps in Punjab. Gurmeet Singh has expressed regret, but Sikh leaders are not satisfied and want a public apology, which he has refused to give so far. Skirmishes between rival groups flared into mob violence last week when the Akal Takht urged Sikhs to boycott the Dera Sacha Sauda sect. One person was killed and over 50 were injured in sectarian clashes in different cities, mainly in Punjab, Haryana and Jammu. Copyright Dailyindia.com/ANI
  19. http://www.punjabmailonline.com/#9739 AKAL TAKHT EDICT COULD LEAD TO CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS Chandigarh May 21: The edict by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism that the Dera Sacha Sauda sect should close all its campuses in Punjab by May 27 could lead to a constitutional crisis and embarrass the Akali Dal government led by Parkash Singh Badal. Questions are being raised on how a faith can be asked to summarily wind up its activity in Punjab when the constitution of a secular country allows freedom of religion and faith. The hardened stand of the Akal Takht, under pressure from hard-line Sikh organisations like Damdami Taksal, has once again increased tensions - after early last week when violence erupted over the fight for faith. The Sikh community took to the streets demanding the arrest of sect chief Gurmit Ram Rahim for blaspheming their religion by attiring himself like the 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh. The sect followers reacted with violence in Bathinda after effigies of their spiritual leader were burnt across Punjab. With the sect completely ruling out vacating its dera campuses in Punjab - the biggest one spread in 150 acres at Salabatpura, 30 km from Bathinda - a major crisis is in the offing. "It seems these people are talking like the Taliban. We are constitutionally a secular country and everyone has the right to follow any faith or religion. How can they ask someone to shut down the deras?" asked a law professor at Panjab University who did not want to be named. The Badal government, whose responsibility it is to ensure safety of the dera campuses and followers, was quick to wash its hands off Sunday's Akal Takht edict. "The May 27 deadline to close deras is for the sect and not for the government to implement," Badal government's media adviser Harcharan Bains stated. He said the government would fulfil its constitutional duty to maintain law and order. "In the present context, an apology from the dera chief can help matters," he asserted. The Badal government, which registered a criminal case against the sect chief just hours before the Akal Takht meeting Sunday even after the godman had expressed regrets over the incident, will have to walk the tightrope since the Sikh community and leadership are the main support base of the Akali Dal. The political affairs committee (PAC) of the Akali Dal last week passed the buck of controlling the sect chief on the Haryana and central governments as he is based in Sirsa in Haryana. The state government did not expect the Akal Takht 'hukumnama' to be so harsh. Only a day earlier (Saturday), the state's media adviser claimed that the situation was well under control and Punjab was not on fire as the media had projected. He also justified the delayed reaction of the Badal government to the violence saying that it wanted to deal with the issue psychologically rather than with force. The new edict has now forced the Badal government on the back foot and it is trying its best through back channels to get the dera chief to apologise to the Sikh community to assuage hurt feelings. The dera chief had Saturday expressed regrets over last week's incidents but did not apologise. The Akal Takht and other Sikh organisations have given a call for a statewide shutdown on Tuesday. Source : Punjab Mail Online
  20. http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story...WEN20070012509# Dera leader apologises to Sikh community Randeep Singh Nandal, Vikram Choudhary, Sunetra Ch Friday, May 18, 2007 (Sirsa, Sangrur, Patiala) After a five-day standoff between Sikhs and Dera Sacha Sauda followers in Punjab Dera leader Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim has apologised to the Sikh community for hurting their sentiments. In a tape released by the Dera Sacha Sauda, Baba Gurmeet said he did not intend to show disrespect to Guru Gobind Singh. ''I had no intention of imitating or being disrespectful to Guru Gobind Singh. I had absolutely no intention of equating myself with Guru Gobind Singh. This is a misunderstanding that is causing a lot of needless harm and it should be cleared,'' he said. There were violent clashes between Sikhs and Dera Sacha Sauda followers after a picture of Dera Sacha Sauda leader Baba Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim showing him dressed in the attire of Guru Gobind Singh and baptising people appeared in most newspapers on Sunday. There's been tension between the Akal Takth and the Dera Sacha Sauda ever since Dera leaders threw their weight behind the Congress in the recent assembly elections, accusing the Akalis of victimising their leaders. Thousands of Dera followers and Sikhs faced off over the week with clashes in many place. The situation turned increasingly political with the BJP, the coalition partner in Punjab, criticising the Akalis' handling of the situation. Attacks on Dera followers Earlier, the Akal Takth had said there would be no question of accepting an apology from Dera Sacha Sauda. In Sirsa, Haryana, where the Dera is headquartered, about 30,000 men and women gathered to protest the attacks on them by the Sikhs. Meanwhile in Sangrur on Friday thousands gathered to cremate a Sikh protester who was killed in clashes with police and Dera followers in Sonam on Thursday night. Sikhs in Sonam burned two homes of Dera followers in retaliation on Friday. But now, with the Dera leader apologising, there is hope that tempers in Punjab will finally simmer down.
  21. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/6670569.stm What is behind Sikh protests? Jyotsna Singh BBC News, Delhi Clashes between India's long-established Sikh community and a religious sect in the northern Indian state of Punjab have left one person dead and dozens others injured. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has appealed for calm. The group at the centre of the controversy is the Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), one of many religious sects operating in northern India. These sects usually take root by offering community services and social welfare as well as spiritual leadership. Over time, as their followings grow, they often start clamouring for political influence. In religious terms, the DSS is hard to classify. And many experts argue that it is not, as some have said, an offshoot of Sikhism. "Dera Sacha Sauda combines the core of different religions," Pramod Kumar, director of the Institute of Development and Communication in Chandigarh, told the BBC. Its followers are drawn mainly from low caste Hindus. But they also include Sikhs, Muslims and Christians. The group has a strong presence in southern Punjab and its influence spreads across some 12,000 villages of Punjab as well as the states of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Controversial leader The name of the DSS chief- Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh - pays tribute to revered Hindu and Muslim figures. This perhaps bears testimony to what the sect stands for. Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been a controversial figure and faces rape and murder charges. A report by the federal investigative agency, the CBI, into the charges against him is due to be filed later this month. This latest tension between Sikh leaders and the DSS began when pictures of Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh baptising his disciples appeared in newspapers. Sikh leaders say he was dressed up as one of their revered 17th century gurus, Gobind Singh. This, they say, was an insult to their community. The DSS leader has denied he was trying to emulate the Sikh guru and has refused to apologise for his actions, as demanded by the Sikh clergy. "It took an ugly turn because the DSS leader touched a core of Sikhism by appropriating their symbols," says Dr Kumar. Political factors Analysts say the alleged action by the DSS has to be seen in the context of state elections held in Punjab in February. The DSS issued a public appeal for people to vote for the Congress party. Most Sikhs in Punjab support the rival Akali Dal party. According to Punjabi journalist, Jagtar Singh, religious sects have traditionally been very subtle about their support for political parties. They have usually issued internal appeals asking their followers to vote for the political party of their choice. "This is the first time that a public appeal had been made to favour a political party," Jagtar Singh says. Sikh leaders, angry at the direct intervention by the DSS in the elections, seized the opportunity to whip up popular sentiments of their community against the DSS. Observers say the latest conflict threatens to lead to a polarisation of the communities. "The call for a social, political and religious boycott of the DSS followers by the Sikh clergy, would divide the Dalits and the peasant, Jat [sikh farmer] community in the state," says Jagtar Singh. This week's violence has raised the spectre of the violence between Sikhs and followers of the Nirankari sect in 1978 that left many dead. The Nirankaris were then accused of polluting doctrinal purity and cultural traditions of Sikhs. The violence led to a divide between the Hindu and Sikh communities. It was a factor in the growing sense of Sikh identity and also Sikh militancy that led to an insurgency that took thousands of lives in the Indian Punjab. "Though the latest incident is similar to the event in 1978 there is no parallel as that led to the movement for religious identity," Dr Kumar says. "If the state government manages the post-conflict situation slightly more intelligently, normality could return to the state in the next few days." But sentiments are running high. Analysts say the Punjab government, headed by the Akali Dal, seems to be in no mood for reconciliation with the DSS. The federal authorities have said they are taking no chances to prevent further trouble, hence the decision to deploy heavy security reinforcements in the region.
  22. source: http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/3288/2007-05-16.html (for pictures please click on the above link ) Sirsa Cult Leader Makes Mockery of Guru Sahib! Wednesday 16th of May 2007 Panthic Weekly News Bureau Cultists: "Our Guru is better than your Guru!" Cult leader wearing clothes similar to Guru Gobind Singh Ji, complete with a Kalgi on his head Bathinda, Punjab (KP) – Panthic organizations in Punjab and around the world have taken strong notice of the recent controversial and blasphemous acts of the Dera Sacha Sauda Cult leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim in which he dressed himself as Guru Gobind Singh Ji and mimicked the sacred Sikh Amrit-Sanchar ceremony carried out by Guru Sahib on Vaisakhi of 1699. In a mockery of the historic Amrit sanchar more than three centuries ago, Gurmit Ram Rahim prepared a Ruhafza Sharbat (flavored milk) drink, labeled it as the 'Jam-e-Insa' (drink of humanity), administered it to the Sacha Sauda followers and announced the formation of the 'Insa Panth'. Insulting the Amrit-Sanchar Ceremony To inaugurate the ceremony, Ram Rahim first administered the drink to seven men and announced the forty-seven golden rules of the so-called Insa Panth which all members of the congregation must abide by. Later, Ram Rahim appeared in front of the seven men, whom he titled the 'Sat Sitare' (Seven Stars), satirizing the ‘Panj Pyare’ (beloved five) of the Sikhs and asked them to carry out a ceremony to initiate him in this newly formed religious order. At this ceremony, Ram Rahim was dressed in clothing much like the type adorned by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and mimicked historical accounts of Vasakhi 1699. Later after this event took place, tensions broke out in Bathinda in which Sikhs protested the acts of Ram Rahim's cult. Sacha Sauda followers also came out to oppose the protesting Sikhs and the scene became violent when at least twenty-five persons were badly injured. According to witnesses, Punjab Police officers just looked on as cultists beat the Sikh protestors with sticks and stones. Once the fight began to even out, the police finally decided to intervene and the tense situation was brought under control. Call for Strong Action Panthic Organizations have submitted this case to Akal Takht Sahib and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and asked the Sikh leadership to take strong actions to counter the Sacha Sauda propaganda. Several foreign based Panthic organizations have also submitted appeals with the Akal Takht Sahib to take strong actions against Ram Rahim in the form of a HukamNama similar to the one issued in 1978 against the nakli-Nirankaris. Under pressure from the protesting Sangat, the Takht Jathedars have called for an all Panthic meet at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Sabo Di Talwandi. Secret Pact with Badal? Panthic Weekly has also learned that Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, special assistant to Parkash Badal asked the Takht Jathedars to postpone any announcement or verdict directed at the cultist Baba. Akali Dal insiders have revealed that a secret pact between Parkash Badal and the cult leader was worked out. In the deal, Badal has assured the Sirsa Baba that no religious or police action would be taken against him. Panthic activists have long warned that internally Parkash Badal has had cozy relationships with cult leaders such the Ram Rahim of Sucha Sauda, Aushutosh of Nurmehal, and even notorious Gurbachan Sinh of the Nakli-Nirankaris. Panthic insiders have revealed that early this week, the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, Joginder Singh Vedanti--who incidentally was appointed by Badal and his party--held a meeting with Takht Jathedars to cancel the Panthic meeting at Bathinda. Over objections from other Jathedars, Vedanti was overruled. Numerous representatives of organizations such as Shaahbaaz Khalsa, GURSIKH and Panthic Weekly attempted to contact the Jathedar but he has not responded. Despite his attempts to uphold Badal's pact, Vedanti was seen on television Thursday saying the Khalsa Panth needs to take strong action. Deja Vu All Over Again A representative of the Khalsa Alliance, while talking with Panthic Weekly, compared the Bathinda incident with the various Nirankari clashes that occurred in the late 1970's. Those clashes came to a climax on Vaisakhi of 1978 when thirteen innocent Sikhs were killed by the armed Nirankaris with the aid of local Police. The Nirankari leader Gurbhachan Sinh had paraded the streets of Amritsar Sahib on Vaisakhi mimicking Sikh traditions. Copying the ideology of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Gurbhachan Nirankari had promised to form 'Sat Sitare' in comparison to Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Punj Pyare. That incident had involved hundreds of Sikhs peacefully marching and chanting hymns when dozens of armed gunmen opened fire on them with automatic weaponry. Silence of Badal and SAD Not surprisingly, the Shiromani Akal Dal ( government which failed to take any actions against the Nirankaris in 1978 for their rampage is again showing reluctance in taking timely actions against the Sacha Sauda Cult. Neither Parkash Badal, nor his son, the acting Chief Minister of Punjab, was available to comment on this issue. An office bearer of Shiromani Akal Dal (B)'s headquarters told the press that the Chief Minister has asked all Punjabis to work together to preserve the peace in Punjab by rising above ideological differences. Editors can be reached at editors@panthic.org
  23. http://www.indiaenews.com/politics/20070517/52106.htm Sikh clergy asks community to boycott dera sect chief The top Sikh clergy Thursday asked the community to socially boycott the Dera Sacha Sauda sect and its chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim, a decision termed as 'too mild' by several Sikhs here. From correspondents in India, 17 May 2007 - (www.indiaenews.com) The top Sikh clergy Thursday asked the community to socially boycott the Dera Sacha Sauda sect and its chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim, a decision termed as 'too mild' by several Sikhs here. The boycott decision, taken at a meeting of Sikh clergymen and heads of various Sikh organisations at Takht Damdama Sahib gurudwara here (over 250 km from Chandigarh), led to an immediate reaction from thousands of Sikhs who had gathered here seeking a decision against the dera (sect) chief. Brandishing their traditional 'kirpans' (dagger) and other weapons and sticks, the Sikhs outside the meeting venue said the decision was too mild and had let off the dera godman without much punishment. The Sikh leaders also served a 10-day ultimatum on the Akali Dal government in Punjab led by Parkash Singh Badal to check the anti-Sikh activities of the dera and its followers. They directed the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) - the mini-parliament of the Sikh religion - to keep a close watch on the sect's activities in Punjab and elsewhere. The meeting demanded registration of cases against the dera followers who were involved in rioting in Bathinda, 50 km from here, Monday and Tuesday. They sought the arrest of the dera followers involved in the violence. The Akal Takht - the highest temporal seat of Sikh community - had called for a meeting of the community here to decide on the reaction of the Sikh community to Gurmit Ram Rahim attiring himself like the revered 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh. Punjab remained tense Thursday following three days of clashes involving Sikh community and members of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect. The dera is based in adjoining Haryana's Sirsa town, 300 km from here, where the dera management and followers have called a parallel meeting. Even as the news of the decisions came, Punjab remained tense and Sikh leaders and activists said they would not settle for anything less than the arrest of the dera godman and an apology from him. In Haryana's Karnal town, 130 km from state capital Chandigarh, dera followers were cane-charged by police after they tried to move towards a gurudwara (Sikh shrine). Tension prevailed in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar and Patiala as Sikh activists took to the streets Thursday and forced shops to down shutters. 'We want the arrest of this man. We are capable of teaching him a lesson,' Taksal chief H.S. Bhindranwale said before the meeting. Earlier, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar said that the Sikh clergy would decide the action against the sect head for 'showing disrespect to the Sikh religion'. 'We don't want to negotiate with him. We will not talk to him. He will have to face action. We will not spare him,' Makkar had said. Punjab has witnessed violence in several towns and cities over the last three days over the matter, leaving over 50 people as well as policemen injured. Followers of the dera laid siege to Bathinda town Monday and Tuesday and clashed with the police. They damaged public property extensively before retreating. As a face saving measure aimed at pacifying the Sikh community, the Bathinda police Wednesday night registered cases of violence against over 3,000 dera followers. Sikhs have taken to the streets in various towns and cities across Punjab and other parts of the country, burning effigies of the sect godman. Sikh activists resorted to violence in Amritsar and Patiala Wednesday and forced shopkeepers to down shutters. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, whose government has been embarrassed by the turn of events in the last three days, said that the state government would not allow anyone to take law and order in their hands. (Staff Writer, © IANS)
  24. http://www.dailyindia.com/show/141678.php/...Punjab-violence Sikh Diaspora bashes SGPC, SAD for Punjab violence By Ravinder Singh Robin Amritsar, May 16: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have invited severe criticism from the Sikh Diaspora over the violent incidents taking place in Punjab and its neighbouring states in the last few days. Foreign Sikh organizations were of the view that clashes between different Sikh sects over advertisement in few newspapers showing Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Soudha head Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh dressed as Guru Gobind Singh, was an outcome of the failure of "Dharm Parchar" wing of the SGPC. They alleged that the SGPC officials were working for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). Talking to ANI from the US over telephone, Dr. Pritpal Singh, Convenor of American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (AGPC), said it was unfortunate to see the SGPC derailing from its path, adding that the SAD and the SGPC were responsible for the encouragement of the Dera culture in Punjab. He further expressed disappointment with the SGPC, saying it has been infiltrated for a long time by the anti-Sikh lobby and it was highly unlikely that it would serve the panth now, "because there are too many corrupt leaders in it". Harminder Singh, senior leader of Sikh Council Switzerland, said this was high time for Sikh organizations to work together and have a bullet point agenda in bringing Sikhism back. He said the Sikhs living in Europe demand the Indian government to take strict action against Gumeet Ram Reheem to restore peace in the region. Gurbinder Singh, a member of the Italy Sikh Council and president of Khalsa Welfare Association, Italy, demanded that the Jathedar of Akal Takhat should take strong stand against the Dera culture in Punjab and should initiate "dharm parchar laher" on war footage. While echoing with the AGPC chief, he said it was because of the failure of the SGPC that these Deras were misleading the people in Punjab. Ragubir Singh, a volunteer of Gurdwara Sigh Sabah, Paris, said these Deras should be discouraged by the Akal Takhat, as most of the Deras have been violating the "maryada" (sikh code of conduct) as formulated by the SGPC and Akal Takht. He further demanded the police must put a ban of the activities of Dera Sacha Saudha. Accusing the Dera Sacha Saudha chief of playing with Sikh sentiments, Manmohan Singh Khalsa from the UK blamed Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal for adopting dilly-dallying tactics while dealing with those responsible for making mockery of the Sikh ethos and principles. Copyright Dailyindia.com/ANI
  25. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070516/asp/...ory_7784089.asp Issue Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 Sikhs flare up at Guru in ad - Sect depicts leader as Gobind Singh preparing amrit, violates religious tenets OUR CORRESPONDENT Chandigarh, May 15: The nectar of “humanitarianism†is threatening to rip apart Punjab’s secular fabric. Furious Sikhs and followers of an influential sect — comprising Sikhs and non-Sikhs — clashed for the second day over an advertisement showing the group’s head dressed as Guru Gobind Singh and preparing “amritâ€, to be distributed among followers. The ad released by the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, which sparked clashes in Bathinda and left at least 20 injured since yesterday, also issued a code of conduct different from Sikh tenets, claiming it would revive “humanitarianism†among the masses. The Sikh religion forbids depiction of any living man or woman as any of the 10 gurus. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which maintains gurdwaras in Punjab and other parts of the country, has termed the advertisement “offensiveâ€. “Guru Gobind Singh began the ritual of giving nectar to baptise Sikhs or others who chose to become Sikhs. The people will retaliate if someone else starts considering himself to be the guru,†an SGPC spokesperson said. The Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal body, also voiced anger. At a meeting today in Amritsar, it, however, appealed for peace. “We appeal to all sections to remain calm,†head priest Joginder Vedanti said. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, whose depiction as the tenth Sikh guru triggered the violence, defended the advertisement, saying he was only working towards making a human being better. “If somebody drinks the offering and becomes a better human being, humanity would be the gainer,†he said. Yesterday, Dera followers who had gathered at the Bathinda local administration office to protest government apathy, clashed with Sikhs who had assembled at a nearby gurdwara to burn an effigy of Gurmeet. “The Dera followers had come with sticks and iron rods,†a district official said. Today, apart from the violence in Bathinda where the sect has a large following, Sikhs and Dera followers spilled onto the streets of Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga, Patiala, Mansa, Sangrur and Muktsar. In Amritsar, followers of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh seminary, brandished swords and shouted pro-Khalistan slogans to protest against the advertisement. The Dera has a strong following in Punjab and played a vital role in ensuring that the Congress was not decimated in the February state polls. It had issued a diktat to followers to vote for the party at the request of then chief minister Amarinder Singh, allegedly with an offer to bail out Gurmeet who is facing a CBI probe into allegations of murders and sexual exploitation of women followers.
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