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UK: Protestors Cause Disruption at Hounslow Gurdwara; Police Enters Guru’s Darbar to Control Situation

Protestors using profanity in the presence of the Guru’s Darbar

HOUNSLOW, West London, UK—On Saturday, December 8, violence erupted at Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Alice Way, Hounslow, after a protest turned violent. Aggression and intimidation close to 100 protestors led to London’s Metropolitan Police surrounding the Gurdwara and entering the Darbar Sahib with shoes on.

Several people, including a young child, were left with injuries after getting caught up in protestors pushing the police officers. Another young man was choked by a protestor in the Darbar but freed by women in the Sangat enraged by the hooligan behaviour of the protestors.

According to the President of the Gurdwara, S. Gurmeet Singh, a large number of the protestors had traveled from Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Other protestors had come from Slough and Southall. Leaders of West Midlands Gurdwaras associated with Gurdwara Guru Hargobind Sahib Tividale were present as protestors and were seen instigating youth.

ਨਕਲੀ ਨਿਰਵੈਰ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਨਾਂਅ ਦੇ ਜਥੇ ਨੂੰ...ਮੁਕੰਮਲ ਤੌਰ ਦੇ ਬੈਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ.
Watch this video on YouTube.

Last month, a video statement was made from Gurdwara Guru Hargobind Sahib Tividale in the presence of other Gurdwara representatives in the West Midlands, threatening protests at Gurdwaras wherever Nirvair Khalsa Jatha was invited. Speaking on behalf of 5 Gurdwaras in Sandwell, Birmingham, the video called for all Gurdwaras to ban Nirvair Khalsa Jatha for “preaching against Gurmat”. These threats have been further fuelled by internet trolls on Facebook who have been targeting Harinder Singh with vicious messages of hate, leading to incitement of potential violence.

Internet troll on Facebook inciting the protest online

After an aggressive protest and threats of violence made at Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib in Leicester, Harinder Singh took the decision to postpone all UK programmes. However, two weeks ago, the group had decided to continue their programmes, beginning with the programme that was scheduled yesterday at Hounslow.

Children awaiting for the scheduled program. A 5-year-old child was injured when a protestor went to push Police officers.

Harinder Singh of Nirvair Khalsa Jatha (NKJ) was scheduled to do a programme at the Gurdwara at 6.30pm. Speaking from the speaker stand, the Head Granthi of the Gurdwara invited the protesters to come to the stage “if they had anyone who wanted to do 15, 20 or 30 minutes of Katha of Gurbani.”

“In the absence of anyone taking up the offer, Harinder Singh will be given the stage in accordance to the majority of the Sangat’s wishes,” he told the sangat.

Sangat trying to calm a vocal protestor

Video footage shows one from Willenhall, standing up and saying they are here to oppose and stop Harinder Singh. Seconds into Harinder Singh being invited to the stage, others stood up and began shouting and the situation soon escalated into violence.

One eyewitness reported, “Several anonymous Facebook IDs have been set up that have time and again posted unsubstantiated accusations of grooming and sexual misbehaviour by Harinder Singh of Nirvair Khalsa Jatha, and other nonsense.” He added, “The Facebook IDs is part of a wider campaign to instigate hatred and violence with unsupported claims against any preacher who does not fit a particular group’s religious ideology. I hope the law enforcement authorities take strict action against those stirring trouble in the Sikh community.”  

On 15 July 2015, after an investigation of a complaint, the UK Police dismissed all charges against Harinder Singh. Sikh24 urges all those with credible proof against Harinder Singh or other members of the Nirvair Khalsa Jatha the Police and Sri Akal Takht Sahib.

This kind of witch hunting is a recent phenomenon in the Sikh community and could lead to severe consequences for anyone who has differing views of Sikhi to another religious group. If there is an opposition to any preacher for their religious views or issues relating to their moral character, then individuals, or groups should take credible proofs they have collected to the representatives of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and or the national Sikh body of the country they live, like the Sikh Council UK in this case, to investigate and take action. Defaming preachers and individuals on the Internet with no proof or evidence using anonymous IDs is not a Sikh way. Furthermore, for any individual or group to disturb the Guru’s Darbar with profanity and violence makes them liable for ‘Thankhah’ (chastisement) in accordance with Panthik traditions.

A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Police said: “Police were called on the evening of Saturday, 8 December following reports of a disturbance at the Gurdwara Singh temple in Alice Way, Hounslow. A number of people are believed to have gained access to the temple to protest. Police attended and worked with temple staff to calm the situation.”

Police Officers with shoes in the Guru’s Darbar

Twenty five police officers had to form a human chain around the stage to protect Harinder Singh’s safety from the angry protestors. Sikhs worldwide have condemned those who caused disruption, intimidation, and violence on Saturday night, causing Police to intervene with their shoes on and heads uncovered, violating the sanctity of the Guru’s Darbar.

No arrests have been made so far.

9 COMMENTS

  1. thank you so much Harinder Singh so very proud of being Sikh because of you, beautiful voice and speaks clear English too we need more like you in the world. Don’t worry about those petty rumour spreaders because amongst them there are those who adore you, I was almost pulled in by the rumours about Gavin case but then examined things out for myself to conclude you’re the most like-able and adorable, for a Singh your quite smart!!, so keep going , want to see you back in UK, by the way your cute

  2. I think these guys are doing good work but need to be more peaceful in their methods. They were right to stop a scandalous kirtan singer from going on stage.

  3. Bal is Singh obviously believes not in Guru Granth Sahib but in some Taksali never heard off. He is with the like of people who attach Gurudwaras like in 1984. Either he is RSS or brain washed by them, get a life Zombie.

  4. Is the protester really sticking his fingers up and swearing in the presence of the guru? in the presence of children? that is horrible. It appears his ego shrouds his sikhi. Is this not oppression by these protesters? causing fear in others.. attacking first? mob rule should not be tolerated. I see no humility in these protestors, i see aggression, ego and total disregard for the sangat.

  5. Key board warriors on the prowl again.

    Look at harinder singh and you can tell he is a groomer

    I do agree that protests should
    Be done outside of the darbar sahib especially when maharaj is there.

    singhs need to organise protest better next time

    Harinder has got a whole host of problems

  6. Regardless of whether Harinder Singh is guilty of what these “protestors” are alleging or not, the actions of these individuals are to be condemned greatly. Why are people not making a bigger deal of the beadbi this caused? Would this have happened if Guru Gobind Singh Ji were on the throne in their physical form? I think not. That means we don’t respect Guru Granth Sahib nowhere near as much as we should.

    It’s not “fair play” to the Taksalis. With all due respect, Taksal has it’s own issues going on. They should be busy cleaning up their own mess rather than pointing fingers at others. See below links for references to the controversial affiliations of the anti-NKJ groups to RSS. Well done to Sikh24 on their fair reporting throughout this incident and past ones. Always find the best and most accurate content on here.

    If people did want to protest, they could have done so outside the Darbar hall in a shaant manner, perhaps giving out leaflets or providing evidence of what they are alleging. Or they could have gone directly to the police, as Harinder Singh has suggested in the past. This would have prevented the beadbi.

    I’m not from any jathebandi or affiliated with any group, but this kind of hooligan behaviour is very dangerous to Sikhs worldwide. Normalising this kind of behaviour gives a chance for the Indian government and other anti-Sikh entities to label Sikhs as thugs.

    I recall a conversation I had with a scuba-diving instructor a few years ago at a resort in Greece I visited. He asked me what religion I was.. I told him I was Sikh.. seconds later he pulled out his phone and he showed me Sikhs with kirpana out during a disruption at Harmandir Sahib at an anniversary of the 1984 genocide and said: are you from this religion that fight each other with swords in your temples? I was left stunned and shocked at how far and wide news spreads.

    This particular incident is not to be taken lightly.

    Here are the links I was referring to earlier:

    https://www.sikh24.com/2018/11/30/guest-op-ed-worrying-rise-of-mob-mentality-hyped-by-social-media/
    https://www.sikh24.com/2016/10/16/expose-vocal-uk-sikh-fringe-groups-silent-on-their-links-with-rss-anti-sikh-punjab-government/#.XA7mpRP7TVo

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