Punjab: All religion delegation strives for peace

Amritsar, May 29: The Sarv Dharam Sansad (All religion delegation) which is striving to bring about a reapproachment between the Sacha Sauda and the Akal Takht today held a meeting with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar.

The meeting which lasted for 40 minutes was held at the official residence of the SGPC chief.

The all religion delegation comprising of Swami Agnivesh, Father Domince Emanuel, Jain Sadhvi Aruna and Maulana Jameel Ilyasi Ahmed had reached here late last night. Jain Sadhvi Aruna joined the delegation at New Delhi yesterday in place of Jain Muni, who could not come due to certain pre-occuptaions.

The delegation will meet Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vidanti and other members of the Sikh clergy later in the day to discuss the apology tendered by the Dera for having hurt Sikh sentiments by its blasphemous imitation of Guru Gobind Singh.

Meanwhile the meeting of the Five Sikh High priests to be chaired by Giani Joginder Singh Vidanti to discuss the apology offered by Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh is likely to commence in the next hour or so at the Akal Takht. The clergy will also be holding discussions with heads of various Sikh religious and social organisations after a meeting amongst themselves.

Refering to the meeting with the SGPC chief, Swami Agnivesh expressed satisfaction and claimed that it was held on a "positive note". According to the Swami, Jathedar Makkar told them that the Five Sikh High Priests had to decide on the Sacha Sauda apology and it was the duty of the SGPC to implement the decision of the Akal Takht.

Following the rejection of the apology by radical Sikh groups and the head of one of the Sikh Takhts yesterday, the Sarv Dharam Sansad appealed to the Akal Takht to accept the 'mafinama' (apology) despite the fact that its tone was "not graceful".

" The tone and tenor of the apology does not seem to be graceful and yet in the larger interest of peace in the country and religious tolerance it becomes imperative to be magnanimous and to overlook certain shortcomings", a statement issued by the Sarv Dharam Sansad had stated yesterday.

Prior to their meeting with the SGPC chief, Maulana Jameel offered prayers at a local mosque, while Father Domince prayed at a church. Both prayed for the return of peace and communal harmony in the region, particularly Punjab.

The Dera's apology offered to Guru Gobind Singh was outrightly rejectedby Sikh hardliners who claimed that it was against Sikh tenets andshould have been addressed to the Sikh 'sangat' (community) and theAkal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhism. Takht Damdama SahibJathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh had termed the apology as an attempt bythe Dera to "mislead the Sikh community and lower the dignity of theAkal Takht". The apology should have been signed and addressed to theSikh 'sangat' and it should have come from an individual, JathedarBalwant Singh who will be attending the meeting of the Sikh clergy hadyesterday stated.

The members of the all religion delegation had on May 22 visited the Dera headquarters at Sirsa and had urged Ram Raheem to tender an unconditional apology for the amicable settlement to the standoff between the Dera and the Akal Takht.

The Dera had in the larger interests of humanity and to bring peace and harmony in the region had on Sunday last tendered an apology to the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. The unsigned apology of the Dera came after the Akal Takht had rejected the 'regret' offered by it earlier and had called for an unconditional apology.

Despite the apology, the Akal Takht Jathedar had yesterday clearly stated that the programmes issued by the Akal Takht, including a march on May 31 by heads of various Sikh religious organisations from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh for submitting memorandums against the anti-Sikh policies of the Dera stood. The memorandums are to be submitted to the Punjab and Haryana Governors.

The SGPC had last night formed a 51-committee which will meet the Prime Minister on May 30 to urge him to expedite the onging CBI inquiries against Ram Raheem in two murder cases. The SGPC chief will head this committee.

UNI

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