HOSHIARPUR, INDIA—As Pakistan and India will be observing their respective independence day on the 14th and 15th, the Dal Khalsa has decided to observe August 13 as “Azaadi Sankalp Divas” (Independence Determination Day) by organizing a Conference at Jalandhar.
Party head H S Dhami, while addressing the press conference here today, said Muslims got Pakistan on August 14th and Hindus got India on the 15th while Sikhs missed the bus. He said since then, Sikhs have been longing for their own self-rule.
He said coincidently their organization’s 36th foundation day also falls on August 13. He said by tying their destiny with India in 1947, the Sikhs literally enslaved themselves again. He asserted that their persistent struggle for the right to self-determination through democratic and political means braving the repressive apparatus of the State would one day reach its logical conclusion.
Flanked by other party leaders, including Kanwarpal Singh and Dr Manjinder Singh, he said the face-off between Akalis of Punjab and Haryana Sikhs was dangerous and unfortunate. He said the sensible persons within the community have been crying from day one that internal bickering and internecine clash within both the warring groups would severely damage the image of the community. He expressed regret that the SGPC has been bifurcated. However, he blamed Parkash Badal and his coterie for precipitating the tension. He alleged that both sides have put the honour of the community at risk.
“Badals were unable to digest their moral defeat. They had misused the seat and seal of the Jathedar of Akal Takht to fix the other side. They had prepared the ground for the physical showdown. In case, if better sense doesn’t prevail the Gurdwaras will be turned into violent battlegrounds, putting the entire community into shame.”
He said that like predecessors, the present Jathedar has failed to call a spade a spade. He also opposed the trend of appointing Jathedars from a priestly class. The Jathedar should be a scholarly person having strong political insight and religious zeal, he said.
