Hazur Sahib, November 1
President of the SGPC Avtar Singh, Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib Giani Tarlochan Singh, Head Granthi of the Golden Temple Giani Jaswinder Singh and most of the employees of committee today left for Amritsar, leaving the Gurta Gaddi Diwas celebrations here midway, in protest against yesterday’s clash.
Following threats by certain members of the Sachkhand Takht Hazur Sahib and members of the local Municipal Committee, the SGPC president directed his employees, including Roop Singh and Satbir Singh, additional secretary and assistant secretary, respectively, to leave the city. They were supposed to camp here till November 4.
However, Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, stayed back on the personal request of Giani Kulwant Singh, Jathedar of Takht Hazur Sahib. They were invited by the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee to extend cooperation for the tercentenary of Gurta Gaddi of Guru Granth Sahib and Parlokgaman (when the 10th Sikh master left for heavenly abode) to be held on November 3.
The rest of the SGPC employees, who stayed back in view of the ongoing Khalsa Sports Festival, would leave for Amritsar tomorrow. Certain persons told the SGPC president and its employees to immediately leave Hazur Sahib since they were not safe there.
It was a goodwill gesture on the part of the SGPC that it extended support to the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee despite their differences over maryada and Nanakshahi Calendar.
Meanwhile, the opposition group of the Takht Hazur Sahib Management Committee, including Ladoo Singh Maharajan, its former president, and S.S. Gill, deputy mayor, held a meeting to discuss the next course of action against P.S. Pasricha, chairman of the Hazur Sahib committee.
Meanwhile, the ceremony to honour Sikh sants passed off peacefully. Panj Pyaras, including Giani Kulwant Singh, Jathedar Hazur Sahib, honoured the dignitaries by presenting them with siropas.
Ladoo Singh Maharaj and S.S. Gill were also present there.
Efforts are afoot to bring a rapprochement between the warring groups of the Hazur Sahib committee even as some members are determined to open a “morcha” against Pasricha due to his alleged “dictatorial” and “undemocratic” attitude during the tercentenary celebrations.
