Amritsar, April 1
Most employees, members and office-bearers of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), attended a condolence meeting at the SGPC complex here today, to mourn the death of SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra.
Tohra was described as ‘baba bohar’ and ‘maryada purshottam’ by various speakers. Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta said Tohra had devoted his entire life to the Panth and had been shaping the course of Sikh polity over the years.
Offices of the SGPC would remain closed till April 2 as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Guru Nanak Dev University, including its Jalandhar and Gurdaspur regional centres, would remain closed tomorrow. The undergraduate examinations of the university would be held as scheduled. Faculty convocations, proposed to be held on April 2 and 5, were postponed.
Vice-Chancellor S.P. Singh, Registrar R.S. Bawa faculty members, employees and students of the university condoled Tohra’s death. The office of the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission would also remain closed till April 2. Mr Manmohan Singh Brar, President, Mr Ajwant Singh Mann and Mr Amrik Singh Randhawa, members, said the void created with Tohra’s death would be difficult to fill.
Mr Jaswinder Singh Advocate, SGPC member, Mr Harminder Singh Gill, President, All-India Sikh Students Federation, and the Principal and staff members of Sri Guru Harkrishan Senior Secondary School condoled the demise of Tohra.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President and former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal expressed grief over the death of SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra. Mr Badal said the death rendered an irreparable loss to the socio-political and religious life.
Mr Badal, who was in Faridkot in connection with the SAD election campaign, left for Rajpura to receive the body of the departed leader at Shambhu barrier this afternoon.
The body would be kept at Tohra’s native village Tohra in Patiala district for the public to pay last respects.
Former minister and SAD Senior Vice-President Ranjit Singh Bhrampura said Tohra’s death had created a void in the socio-religious life of Punjab.
CHANDIGARH:
Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, on Thursday expressed shock and grief over the demise of Gurcharan Singh Tohra. In a condolence message, Mr Chautala described Tohra as a great leader of the Sikh community, who had remained President of the SGPC for about three decades.
PHILLAUR: Former Punjab ministers Madan Mohan Mittal, Swarna Ram and Manoranjan Kalia, former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and Punjab Bahujan Samaj Party convener Satnam Singh Kainth, on Thursday condoled the death of the SGCP chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra. In separate press notes, they said a large vacuum had been created in the political sphere.
JAMMU: Leaders of various Sikh organisations expressed sorrow and grief over the demise of Gurcharan Singh Tohra, here on Thursday. Mr Sudershan Singh Wazir, former president of the state Gurdwara Parbandhak Board, presided over the condolence meeting.
Mr Rangil Singh, Vice-President of the PDP, said Tohra had, as a political and religious leader, served the people of Punjab for the last 50 years.
Others who paid tributes to Tohra included Mr Mohinder Singh, chief organiser, Bhai Kanahaya Nishkam Sewa Society, Mr Paramjit Singh, president, AISSF, Mr Balbir Singh, general secretary, state Akali Dal, Mr Amar Singh, president, Sikh Welfare Society, Mr Manmohan Singh, Mr Kanchan Singh, Mr Gajan Singh, Mr Kultar Singh and Mr Kulwant Singh.
A two-minute silence was observed at the meeting. It was decided to send a delegation of senior Sikh leaders from Jammu and Kashmir for attending Tohra’s cremation.
JALANDHAR: Veteran Congress leader Umrao Singh on Thursday expressed shock over Tohra’s death. “It is a great loss to the Sikh
community, which has lost a simple man with a statesman-like approach,” said Mr Umrao Singh.
KARNAL:
Union Minister for Home I.D. Swami paid floral tributes to Gurcharan Singh Tohra when his body arrived here on Thursday afternoon on way from New Delhi to Tohra village in Patiala district.
The local police also paid tributes to the departed soul by ‘reversing arms’ when the ambulance carrying the body had a brief halt here.
Hundreds of people started gathering on the national highway since morning when they came to know that the body was passing through Karnal by road. Local politicians and senior civil and police officials were also presented to pay tributes.
The ambulance carrying the body reached here around 12.15 p.m. Former Union Minister of State for Industries Sukhbir Singh Badal, Tohra’s son-in-law Harmel Singh Tohra,
daughter Kuldeep Kaur, President of All-India Sikh Students Federation Harminder Singh Gill and a few other Akali leaders were present in the ambulance.
PANIPAT:
Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal and senior Akali leader Prem Singh Chandumajra, who were carrying SGPC chief Gurcharan Singh Tohra’s body from Delhi in an ambulance, stayed for 10 minutes at Pehli Patsahi gurdwara at GT Road here on Thursday. Local administrative officials and a large number of local residents paid tributes to Tohra.
