Punjab: Damdama Sahib Jathedar calls for Sikh unity ahead of Baisakhi

Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Tek Singh Dhanaula on Monday asked the Sikh community to remain united, rising above factionalism and caste divisions.“Stay united Khalsa ji. If we remain united, outside forces will not be able to harm us,” he said in a recorded message to the community while expressing concerns over “attempts to divide the Sikhs”.The appeal comes a day before the Baisakhi celebrations marking the creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh.A large number of people have started arriving in Talwandi Sabo here. According to the Nanakshahi calendar, Baisakhi this time falls on April 14.Talwandi Sabo is also called ‘Guru Ki Kashi’. It is also the site of the Takht Damdama Sahib, one of the five temporal seats of Sikhism.The Jathedar also slammed the Centre for not releasing the Bandi Singhs — the Sikh prisoners languishing in jails for decades despite the completion of their sentences.Raising the issue of drug abuse, the Jathedar said narcotics had reached schools and colleges, posing a threat to the younger generation.“If we do not take care of our children, their future will become uncertain,” said the Jathedar.He also claimed that poor Sikhs were being lured into religious conversions and appealed to Nihang organisations to open academies and schools to educate people and counter such trends.Meanwhile, the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) led by Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, SAD (Amritsar) led by former MP Simranjit Singh Mann and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are set to hold rallies.The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) had organised a rally on April 11, attended by its president Sukhbir Singh Badal, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia and other leaders.The Congress does not hold rallies on religious occasions, and its local leadership will pay obeisance at Takht Damdama Sahib.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is organising langars and medical check-up camps at Kot Shamir and along the Maur-Talwandi Sabo road.“Our state president Sunil Jakhar, working president Ashwani Sharma, Rajya Sabha member Satnam Singh Sandhu and ex-MLA HS Phoolka will pay obeisance at the Takht Damdama Sahib on Tuesday,” said Gurpreet Singh Maluka, BJP’s Bathinda rural president.Meanwhile, turban-tying camps are being held at Talwandi Sabo, for which turbans are being provided free of cost.Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said that control rooms had been set up to ensure that pilgrims did not face any difficulty. He added that a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had also been stationed.

Punjab: Damdama Sahib Jathedar calls for Sikh unity ahead of Baisakhi

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Punjab: Damdama Sahib Jathedar calls for Sikh unity ahead of Baisakhi

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

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