Missing ‘saroop’ agitation: Turbans tossed in clash between SGPC task force, Sikh bodies

Gs Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, September 15

Turbans were tossed and several persons received minor injuries at the Golden Temple complex when the SGPC task force and agitating Sikh activists engaged in an altercation on Tuesday.

Following this, numerous passages leading to the shrine and the SGPC-run inns were obstructed since early morning.

Contesting the SGPC’s leniency in dealing with the 328 missing saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib, the activists of Satkar Committees and other Sikh bodies observed a sit-in throughout the night outside the main entrance gate of the SGPC headquarters, known as Teja Singh Samundri Hall. Talks with SGPC officials failed to yield any conclusion on Monday and they resolved to continue the peaceful agitation.

It is learnt that the situation took an ugly turn early morning when some Sikh activists and Nihang organisations who were to join the agitation outside Teja Singh Samundri Hall were intercepted by the SGPC task force.

An eyewitness said that there was a verbal duel between the two sides over gaining entry to the agitation site but soon it was free for all between them for a few minutes before the situation was normalised with the intervention of the police. However, persons belonging to either side suffered minor injuries.

SGPC management ordered the temporary barricading on several passages with the deployment of its task force and police to prevent any untoward incident.

The religious wing of Lok Insaaf Party led by its state in-charge Jagjot Singh Khalsa too joined the agitation but was intercepted few meters ahead of the agitation site. They sat opposite to Gur Ram Das Sarai to stage their contest separately.

Much to the inconvenience of the devotees, the three sides that lead to the Golden Temple--from Guru Ram Dass Langar Hall, Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai Sahib and main Jodha Ghar--were temporarily blocked with high-rise tin sheets.

Those who stayed put in the inns too faced difficulty in movement.

A devotee from Hoshiarpur Amarjit Singh said that he had come to pay obeisance at the Shrine early morning and his family stayed back in the inn.

“As I was prepared to go back to the room, the task force obstructed my way for at least one hour. Like me, several others were not allowed to gain entry to the shrine through sarai route”, he said.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee head Balbir Singh Muchhal said that SGPC was playing an identical role of ‘Masand Narain’ who too had attempted to close the doors of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib to prevent devotees’ entry.

In one voice, the protestors demanded the SGPC to disclose the whereabouts of 328 saroops that were allegedly misappropriated under its command, initiate criminal proceedings not only against the erring officials pointed out by the probe panel, but also make the entire report public as they feared that many influential officials and political leaders who were involved in this scam enjoyed immunity.

On the other hand, SGPC management refrained from commenting over the development.