In view of the upcoming Baisakhi celebrations, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his Cabinet Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Wednesday urged the Akal Takht, Sikhs’ highest temporal seat, to appeal to the people to avoid gathering .
Capt Amarinder urged the Akal Takht’s acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to appeal to the people to offer prayers from home on the occasion in view of the restrictions on gatherings.
Randhawa, the State’s Cooperation and Jails Minister, also appealed to give a message to the Sikh community to not congregate on the occasion of Baisakhi. “Owing to COVID-19 pandemic, keeping social distance as per the directions of the health department is the only way to combat this disease,” he said.
Making an appeal as a humble Sikh to the Jathedar, Randhawa said that, “As you are aware that the entire human race is going through a grave crisis. It is all the more a matter of concern that this pandemic increases with human contact and the chain of infection multiplies.
You are also aware that the sacred festival of Baisakhi, which marks the day Khalsa was born, is fast approaching and during which the sangat visits Gurudwaras. But now the situation is such that vast gatherings of sangat should be avoided.”
“You are requested to lead the community as you have always done and ask the Sikh sangat to not gather this time and instead stay in their homes and pray for the good health of all humanity besides contributing for helping the distressed people so as to save the human race from the crisis of alarming proportions,” he requested the jathedar.