No political conferences would be organised this time during the Shaheedi Jor Mela at Fatehgarh Sahib — something happening for the first time in the recallable past.
led by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which had announced its decision of not organising the conference on Monday, all political parties including the ruling Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday declared that they will too stay away from politicising the religious event.
The move came after a group of social activists led a social media campaign against politicising the religious events as the political leaders pollute the atmosphere by making aggressive statements against each other.
While the Congress party claimed that the decision was taken “respecting” the people’s sentiments and keeping in view the sanctity of the occasion, SAD maintained that it was cancelling its conference slated for December 26 on the directions of Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh.
Congress took the decision after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh discussed the matter with Gurdaspur MP and the state Congress president Sunil Jakhar.
Chief Minister felt that the martyrdom day of Baba Zorawar Singh and Baba Fateh Singh, the young Sahibzadas (sons) of Sikhs’ tenth master Guru Gobind Singh, and his mother Mata Gujri should be observed with utmost reverence.
It is a solemn occasion that should not be used by persons with vested interests as a platform to gain political mileage, the Chief Minister said.
The Shaheedi Jor Mela in Fatehgarh Sahib is being held every year to eulogise the supreme sacrifice of the sons and mother of the tenth Sikh Guru.
However, the people of Punjab felt that it was increasingly becoming a forum for political parties to score brownie points, Capt Amarinder said.
Notably, every year political outfits used to hold political conference on the occasion at Fatehgarh Sahib.
Capt Amarinder and Jakhar also appealed to the people, especially political leaders, to offer their tributes to the great martyrs as humble devotees at the sanctum sanctorum of Gurdwara Sri Fatehgarh Sahib instead of holding political conferences or rallies.
“We appeal to the conscience of all political parties to refrain from holding political conferences on this solemn occasion,” said Jakhar.
Earlier, Fatehgarh Sahib MlA Kuljit Singh Nagra called on the Chief Minister to apprise him of the sentiments of the general public, who were opposing political conferences at the Shaheedi Jor Mela.
Meanwhile, SAD president Sukhbir Badal said that his party has always stood by the directions of the Akal Takht (highest temporal seat of Sikhs).
He said that a large number of people, who come to Jor Mela to pay their obeisance, used to feel bad about the “propaganda of the lowest level spread by some political parties on this revered occasion”.
Sukhbir said that the party has decided that it would not hold its proposed political conference slated for December 26.
Meanwhile, the state Congress president Jakhar has urged the Chief Minister to direct the state police chief to take all steps to ensure that law and order is maintained during the three-day Shaheedi Sabha to be held from December 25 to 27 to enable the millions of devotees, who are expected to converge at Fatehgarh Sahib not only from the country but from across the globe, to pay their obeisance in a smooth and hassle-free manner.