Haryana IPS officer's suicide: Akal Takht Jathedar condemns caste-based discrimination

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj on Sunday expressed concern over the death of Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide allegedly due to caste-based discrimination that he faced at his workplace.

Kumar (52), a 2001-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, allegedly shot himself at his residence here on October 7.

In an eight-page 'final note' purportedly left behind by Kumar, he accused eight senior IPS officers, including Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur and now-transferred Rohtak SP Narendra Bijarniya, of “blatant caste-based discrimination, targeted mental harassment, public humiliation and atrocities”.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Gargaj said the supreme temporal seat of Sikhs stands firmly against casteism and any form of discrimination.

The tragic incident is a “glaring reflection of the centuries-old caste-based bias still prevailing in India”, which deserves the strongest condemnation, he said.

Despite the constitutional guarantee of equal rights to all communities, many people continue to face discrimination, he said, emphasising that there was an urgent need to transform casteist mindset in society.

The Akal Takht jathedar underlined that, according to the Sikh Gurus' philosophy, all humans are equal, so it was deeply concerning that caste-based prejudices still surfaced even in this age.

“Being the land of the Sikh Gurus, who spread the message of universal brotherhood, Punjab continues to uphold their teachings, which have greatly reduced caste-based divisions compared to other parts of India,” Gargaj said.

“The Harmandar Sahib in Amritsar and its sacred 'Sarovar' are living examples of this – where anyone from any part of the world can pay obeisance, take a holy bath, and join the 'langar' (community kitchen) of Sri Guru Ramdas Ji without any discrimination,” he said.

The Jathedar stressed that casteism was a deeply-sensitive social issue, and every section of society should raise its voice against it.

Punjab should continue to serve as an example for the rest of the country by spreading the Sikh philosophy of equality, he said.

Owing to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, a large section of people from the so-called lower castes in Punjab have embraced the Sikh faith, which treats everyone equally, Gargaj said.

He also called for collective unity to counter caste-based discrimination and to respond firmly to false narratives and hate propaganda.

The Akal Takht stands unequivocally against all forms of caste-based discrimination, and the Sikh community will continue to oppose any such oppression and injustice with full determination, the Jathedar said.