Restlessness and discontentment continued to simmer in Punjab on Sunday as the protesters, agitating the desecration of Sikhs’ holy book Guru Granth Sahib, blocked highways and freeways despite fervent appeal by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
To make the matters worse, torn pieces of Bir (copy of Guru Granth Sahib) were also found in ludhiana’s Ghwaddi village. The agitation not only saw the death of a protester in the border district of Tarn Taran, but also politicisation of the issue with rivals insisting that the Government had lost the right to continue.
Enraged by the alleged sacrilege of their holy book, the Sikhs continued to hold protests in several parts of Punjab blocking key roads and some burning effigy of Chief Minister Badal.
The three-hour protests by the Sikh activists at different places, including Moga, Fardikot, Taran Taran, Mansa, Patiala and Jalandhar passed off peacefully. The blockade, however, was reduced to one location in each district instead of several locations.
Due to various protests, the traffic was blocked at village Harbanspur-Jagjitpur on the Hoshiarpur-Phagwara road in Phagwara.
The protesters strongly flayed the incidents of alleged sacrilege at Faridkot’s Bargari village and the subsequent police firing on protesters at Behbal Kalan village in Kotkapura in Faridkot in which two Sikh activists were killed.IJ They also deplored fresh incidents of alleged desecration at villages Bath and Najushah Mishriwala in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts.
The agitators also demanded that the culprits should be booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), besides invoking Section 295-A for hurting their religious sentiments with the desecration of their holy book.
The traffic was diverted from alternative routes as protesters squatted on roads. Owing to blockade at Rama Mandi (Jalandhar Cantonement) on National Highway-I near Jalandhar, traffic was diverted from Phagwara to alternative routes, said the police adding that the traffic also remained affected on Pathankot-Jammu national highway for hours.
In Moga, Sikh protesters continued their agitation at 11 locations, blocking major national and state highways. However, shopkeepers started opening shops in Moga city after a joint appeal was made by the Deputy Commissioner and the Mayor.
Meanwhile, Sikh activists in Moga city damaged the vehicles of SGPC member Satpal Singh who had reportedly come to attend a “secret” meeting of the Akali Dal to discuss the current situation.
In Bathinda, the protesters blocked roads at Talwandi Sabo, Maur and Goniana, besides resuming blockade at Kotshamir, where people would hold protest daily for three hours.
The members of Sikh Action Committee blocked Jalandhar-Kapurthala road for two hours. The blockade by activists resulted in a heavy traffic jam on the main road that connects the city to Kapurthala and Kartarpur towns.
The protesters sat at the Kapurthala chowk and sang hymns. The youths openly brandished swords and raised anti-government slogans.
In Faridkot too, protesters continued to block roads at various places, including Behbal Kalan, where two protesters died in a police firing on Wednesday.
Tension has been prevailing in the state since Monday, October 12, when a ‘bir’ was found desecrated in a street near a gurdwara of Bargari village. Over 100 pages of the Sikh holy book, which was stolen in June, were found scattered on a street near a gurdwara.
Two persons were killed and nearly 70 injured, including police officials, on Wednesday in clashes between the police and Sikhs near Kotkapura town in Faridkot district.
The blockade, in the past week, had affected life in Malwa region with the worst hit being Moga, Faridkot and Bathinda districts.
The protests will continue till October 25, when the ‘bhog’ of those killed in police firing will be held. The protesters want action against those involved in the alleged desecration.
BIR FOUND TORN IN lUDHIANA, SITUATION TENSE
Torn pages of a bir (religious scripture) of Guru Granth Sahib were found on Sunday in Ghwaddi village of ludhiana district after which heavy police force was summoned to avert any untoward incident.
The state has witnessed a spate of protests last week over alleged desecration of Sikh holy books and two people have lost their lives in police action, prompting Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to appeal for calm to assuage the community.
Three alleged instances of desecration of Sikh holy books have recently taken place. On Sunday, 20 pages of a bir were found torn in Gurudwara Ravi Dass of a village.
Scores of villagers gathered at the Gurudwara after hearing the news following which the police intervened and the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Narinder Bhargwa, along with a heavy police force, reached on the spot.
“The situation is tense but under control. Police is keeping a vigil,” the DCP said.
Several Sikh leaders of the area, including village sarpanch and the Gurudwara president collected the torn pages and handed it over to the head granthi of historic gurudwara Katana Sahib. Police has registered a case of sacrilege against the unknown persons.
PROTESTOR DIES OF CARDIAC ARREST
A Sikh protestor, participating in a protest dharna at Harike in Tarn Taran against the alleged desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, died of cardiac arrest on Sunday.
The body of 54-year-old Pooran Singh, a resident of Dhollan village, was preserved by making arrangements at the dharna site. The radical Sikh organisations have decided against cremating the body. Singh, who had arrived at spot to join the ongoing agitation for the last four days, suddenly felt unconscious and later found to be dead. Zira DSP Hardev Singh Boparai confirmed the death.
TARN TARAN’S BATH VIllAGE HOlD AKHAND PATH
An akhand path has been started at Bath village where the pages of Guru Granth Sahib were torn by unidentified miscreants two days back. The ‘bhog’ of Sri Akhand Path would be performed on Tuesday.
Bath Gurdwara Committee’s president Surjit Singh said that the village ‘sangat’ was staging dharna in the village since the day of the incident.
The district administration led by Deputy Commissioner Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal has appealed to the masses to maintain peace.
The district has turned into a fortress with heavy police force deployed, while entry and exit points have been sealed. The district and police administration are keeping a close watch on the situation.
SGPC EMPlOYEES PRAY FOR PEACE, COMMUNAl HARMONY
The employees of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Sunday offered prayers for peace and communal harmony in Punjab.
The prayers were offered during the ‘bhog’ of ‘akhand path’ held in memory of two Sikhs who were killed in police firing at Kotkapura during a protest dharna over the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
AKAl TAKHT ASKS SIKHS TO RECITE SCRIPTURES
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has asked all the Sikhs, who could read and recite the Sikh scripture, to offer prayers for repentance of the sacrilege of the scripture. This would involve reciting the ‘Japji Sahib’ five times by every Sikh.
CONG MlA SIKKI RESIGNS FROM VIDHAN SABHA IN PROTEST
Congress’ Khadoor Sahib MlA Ramanjit Singh Sikki on Sunday tendered his resignation from the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in protest against the sacrilege of bir of Guru Granth Sahib.
“I feel helpless in today’s situation, especially after the sacrilege of bir of Guru Granth Sahib in Bath village of my constituency. I don’t want to continue with my membership of Punjab Vidhan Sabha,” said Sikki in his resignation letter, the copies of which were sent to the assembly Speaker and the Governor.
He added: “Under the given circumstances, I do not wish to be part of this ‘jhoothi sarkar’ (a government that lies) and the Vidhan Sabha. Hence, being a true and devoted Sikh of the guru and understanding my moral responsibilities, I quit my Vidhan Sabha seat. Kindly accept my resignation.”