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Punjab: Act in 15 days over missing saroops, Dallewal tells state govt, SGPC
Extends support to Sikh Sadbhawna Dal that has been spearheading a protest in the heritage street near Golden Temple for the last five years; Dallewal says failure to act will trigger a gathering to decide further steps, he says
Jagjit Singh Dallewal-led Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM-non political) on Saturday extended support to the indefinite protest that the Sikh organisation — Sikh Sadbhawna Dal (SSD) — has been spearheading at Dharam Singh Market along the heritage street near Golden Temple for the last five years. The protesters have been demanding justice in the case of missing 328 saroops of Guru Granth Sahib in the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) publishing house. They gave a 15-day ultimatum to the SGPC and the state government for action.
Led by Golden Temple’s former hazuri ragi (gurbani exponent) Baldev Singh Wadala, the SSD, along with other Sikh bodies, had launched the indefinite stir in November 2020. The agitators have been seeking stringent action against the SGPC functionaries indicted in an Akal Takht-appointed penal’s probe report on the issue of 328 missing saroops, besides wanting to know the whereabouts of the saroops.
Accompanied by other SKM (NP) leaders, including Baldev Singh Sirsa and Sukhdev Singh Bhojraj, Dallewal turned up at the protest site on Saturday and announced to support the cause. “Apart from being farmers, we are also Sikhs. And Guru Granth Sahib is our guru who guides us. On behalf of the farmers’ forum, I had committed during the Khanauri border morcha that we would support the morcha being undertaken by Wadala. The time has come to support this morcha,” he said.
Dallewal, who is also the president of BKU (Ekta-Sidhupur), further said, “We fear a conspiracy. The Akal Takht probe report recommended FIRs against those indicted, but no case has been registered so far. If no action is taken by the SGPC or the state government in 15 days, we will call a gathering here to take further steps.”
The matter of missing saroops allegedly came to light on June 26, 2020, after the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) wrote a letter in this regard to the Punjab government and the Akal Takht. The SGPC faced backlash and an inquiry was conducted by the Akal Takht under its supervision. According to the inquiry report, 328 saroops were found less in the record of the SGPC publication house. As the SGPC failed to give details, the saroops were considered missing. The misappropriation continued for several years, up to 2015, as per the inquiry report. Countering the charges, the SGPC maintained that it was not a sacrilege. It said that it was a case of misappropriation committed by the employees concerned.
