FEROZEPUR, Punjab—A meeting was held at Ferozepur to deliberate upon preparations for Sarbat Khalsa 2016 on November 29 in which prominent Sikh personalities including Interim Akal Takht Jathedar, Dhian Singh Mand and President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), S. Simranjit Singh Mann took part.
Addressing the meeting, Jathedar Mand said that the Sikh community has basic right to hold the Sarbat Khalsa to deliberate upon immediate challenges facing the Sikh community. He added the there were a many examples in Sikh history when the Sikhs organized their congregation to tackle their problems.
Slamming the Badal led Shiromani Akali Dal for denigrating the Takht Sahibans (temporal Sikh posts), Jathedar Mand said that the SGPC appointed Jathedars were playing into the hands of anti-Sikh forces. He maintained that the Sikh community was outraged at the Jathedars because of their acts of continually reducing Sikh dignity.
Similarly, a gathering was held at Tarn Taran on November 29, where Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib (appointed by Sarbat Khalsa 2015) Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala reiterated his stance to successfully conduct the event on December 8, at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib (Bathinda). He announced that Sarbat Khalsa 2016 will prove to be the last nail in the coffin of the SAD-BJP alliance in Punjab.
Jathedar Ajnala said that the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) led Punjab government had sabotaged the original Sarbat Khalsa 2016 event scheduled for November 10, by making statewide arrests of thousands of Sikh activists and deploying paramilitary forces at Talwandi Sabo. He further added that the Sarbat Khalsa 2016 will now be successfully concluded at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib on December 8.
Jathedar Satnam Singh Manawa (United Akali Dal), S. Harbir Singh Sandhu (Office Secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar), Bhai Balwant Singh Gopala (President, Sikh Youth Federation Bhindranwala), Bhai Amrik Singh Nangal, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Sheron, Bhai Jarnail Singh Sakhira (General Secretary of Amritsar Unit of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar), S. Karam Singh Bhoian (Distt. President of Tarn Taran Unit of Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar), Bhai Buta Singh Khalistani, Bhai Satnam Singh Kot Khalsa, Bhai Sikandar Singh Warana, Bibi Kulwant Kaur, Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Mand, Bhai Ranjit Singh, Bhai Heera Singh, Bhai Shamsher Singh, Bhai Satnam Singh, Bhai Kulbir Singh, Bhai Manjinder Singh Malli, Bhai Jasbir Singh, Bhai Baljit Singh Bahadr Nagar etc. were also present in the meeting.