Sant Samaj flays Badal's statement
From Our Correspondent

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 27 — "I cannot bring about rapprochement between the Tohra and Badal camps. Both senior leaders have their own political interests and consider themselves supreme. They have been quarrelling and will remain quarrelling. They can live neither separately nor jointly, said Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht, while talking to The Tribune at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib today.

In a statement he said Akal Takht did not see the Akali Dal and the SGPC as separate bodies rather the Akali Dal had been looked after by the SGPC "like a mother". He said when a morcha was started, the SGPC performed an ardas at Akal Takht and the SGPC named its political wing as Akali Dal to fight politically.

When asked to comment on Mr Badal's statement that the SGPC was a wing of the Akali Dal, the Akal Takht Jathedar said he had not read the statement but the reality was that the Akali Dal was a wing of the SGPC.

Asked if his appeal to stop fighting till April 13 had any effect on the two camps. He said it seemed it had worked. At least the war of words has stopped. "I can only pray to the 'Almighty' to prevail upon them, he added.

Answering a query about the Rs 100 crore grant announced by the Prime Minister, he said if the Prime Minister was sincere to the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa, he should release all those detained under TADA in various jails. He said thousands of Sikh youth were still in jails.

The then Akali Dal President Sant Longowal after taking oath at Akal Takht and 'ardas' had set up suicide squads (marjeeware) and thousands of youths sacrificed their lives, but till today the Akali Dal had done nothing for them. He said the Sikhs did not need Rs 100 crore grant because this amount was likely to be misused.

He clarified that Bhai Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Keshgarh Sahib, and Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Damdama Sahib, would not be allowed to join any religious function till they gave account of the World Sikh Council funds. "I am adamant on this and no compromise will be reached on this issue".

"Mr Badal has made Bhai Manjit Singh member of the Anandpur Sikh Foundation that is why I am not taking any harshly step. I don't want the foundation work to suffer", he said adding till then they will not be summoned to Akal Takht".

Earlier, he had a closed-door meeting with Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra at Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib.

Tohra to file reply in time
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Dec 27 — The SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who has been served a show-cause notice by the disciplinary action committee (DAC) of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for "indiscipline" has decided to submit his reply as a "humble Akali" well in time, according to sources close to him.

Supporters of Mr Tohra are jubilant over the "moderate language" reportedly used by the DAC in the notice served on him.

The speech of Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, Chairman, DAC, at "Jor Mela" yesterday also made supporters of Mr Tohra happy. Mr Talwandi had asked Mr Badal and Mr Tohra to forge unity.

Mr Tohra is now busy consulting with his supporters the contents of the show-cause notice.

When contacted, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, secretary SGPC who had resigned from the Badal Government to put "pressure" on the Badal camp said Mr Tohra would submit his reply within the stipulated time (15 days from the receipt of the letter).

Supporters of Mr Tohra are of the view that though Mr Badal was unmoved by the unity call on the occasion of "Jor Mela" yet he (Mr Badal) cannot afford to ignore the appeal of Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht to put off the feud till April 13.

If all efforts/moves of the "Tohra camp" fail to bring about a rapprochement between the two leaders, then Mr Tohra will hold a meeting of his supporters to plan the next course of action, sources close to the SGPC said.

LUDHIANA (FOC): Delegates of the Ludhiana (Urban) unit of the SAD have removed Jathedar Hira Singh Gabria, a close associate of the SGPC chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, from the presidentship of the unit. This decision was taken yesterday at a meeting of the party delegates at Gurdwara Shaheedan. A resolution was also passed through which the delegates expressed their faith in the leadership of the party president, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and also empowered the party vice-president, Jathedar Amarjeet Singh Bhatia to appoint a new president in place of Jathedar Gabria, after consultations with Mr Badal.

Meanwhile, some senior leaders of the SAD, Ludhiana, have welcomed the removal of Mr Gabria through a joint statement issued to the press today.

Jor Mela concludes
From Our Correspondent

FATEHGARH SAHIB, Dec 27 — The three-day annual Shaeedi Jor Mela to pay homage to Guru Gobind Singh's two younger sons concluded here today.

A nagar kirtan was taken out from Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib with the "ardas" performed by Bhai Jaswinder Singh, Head Granthi of the gurdwara, for Gurdwara Jyoti Swarup Sahib, where the two sons were cremated. More than 3 lakh devotees participated.

The nagar kirtan was led by "Panj Piaras". The palanquin carrying "Guru Granth Sahib" was placed on a well-decorated four wheeler. Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar Akal Takht, Bhai Mohan Singh, Head Granthi, Golden Temple, Bhai Jaswinder Singh, Head Granthi, Fatehgarh Sahib, Bhai Sukhdev Singh, Head Granthi, Dukhniwaran Sahib Patiala, and Bhai Harjinder Singh, Head Granthi, Damdama Sahib were present. Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, President, SGPC, Mr Balbir Singh, Nihang chief, Mr Didar Singh Bhatti, senior Akali leader, Mr R.S. Cheema, former minister and other Akali leaders and workers accompanied the palanquin.

Bhai Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Kesgarh Sahib and Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Damdama Sahib, who had been earlier accompanying the palanquin, did not attend the concluding ceremony as they were not invited by the SGPC this year due to their differences with Jathedar, Akal Takht. Both the jathedars came to Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib early in the morning to pay their obeisance but refused to comment.

The skills of gatka were performed by Nihangs while school children played the band and members of the Sukhmani Sahib Sewa Societies recited gurbani.

Addressing a press conference Mr T.R. Sarangal, Deputy Commissioner, and Mr Paramraj Singh Dhaliwal, SSP, expressed satisfaction over the arrangements. The SSP said the police had made elaborate security arrangements. He said no untoward incident was reported and thanked all devotees for maintaining peace.

Although during the political conference of the Akali Dal, Mr Badal and Mr Tohra presented siropas to each other but Mr Badal did not even mention the name of Mr Tohra in his speech. After the conference Mr Badal went to the residence of his close associate, Mr Didar Singh Bhatti, along with Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, and all MLA's and SGPC members loyal to him. He spent an hour there and discussed further course of action.

TNS adds: While addressing a religious gathering here the SGPC chief, Mr G.S. Tohra, said some writers were distorting the Sikh code of conduct. He said these writers who wanted to modernise the Sikh religion were in fact causing damage to it.

Having a dig at a Jalandhar-based editor, Mr Tohra said that such people were opposing the "philosophy of Anandpur Sahib" just to serve their vested interests. He said they were a big threat to the Sikh religion.

Bhai Ranjit Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, who also addressed the gathering called upon the Sikhs to follow the Sikh way of life as determined by the Sikh Gurus. He said those who did not know much about Sikhism were imparting lectures and writing essays on it.