Fatehgarh Sahib: In a bid to project united front, the section of hardliners have urged the organizers of the Sarbat Khalsa to convene it at Akal Takhat on November 30 and build a consensus on its agenda so as to make it a grand success.
Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema of Akali Dal Panch Pardani, Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib of Dal Khalsa, R P Singh of Akand Kirtani Jatha and Gurpreet Singh of Kendri Singh Sabha, senior journalist Karamjit Singh today met S. Simranjit Singh Mann (SAD-Amritsar) Mohkam Singh (United Akali Dal) and Gurdeep Singh Bhatinda- the organizers of the event in person. The meeting lasted for 5 hours at local Gurdwara.
The meeting was also attended by Giani Kewal Singh of Panthic Talmel Sangathan besides Ragi Baldeep Singh and Sikh youth leader Mandhir Singh.
L to R: Jaskaran Singh Kahan Singh Wala, Satnam Singh Paunta Sahib, Bhai Baldeep Singh, S. Simranjeet Singh Mann, Harpal Singh Cheema and RP Singh
In a written release Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema told the media that they wanted the venue to be shifted at Akal Takhat as that’s central place for all Sikhs and appropriate place for such historic events. “We had focused on certain principles. Sarbat Khalsa is an historic institution. It’s not the game of numbers- who could gather how much. It is a representative gathering that reflects the collective will of the community”.
We had urged them to adopt proper procedure, guidelines, concrete agenda and mechanism to engage the Sikh Diaspora. We also wanted the organizers to delay the event just for twenty days so as to rope in all those Sikh organizations and personalities in India and abroad that had expressed reservations to be part of the event.
Harpal Singh Cheema, who met Sikh political prisoner Jagtar Singh Hawara at Tihar prison also conveyed his message to S. Simranjeet Singh Mann. Jagtar Singh Hawara reportedly wanted S. Mann to postpone it for a while so as to make it more representative and less controversial.
Harpal Singh Cheema clarified that if the organizers would consider their viewpoint positively then only they would become part of the event. We have conveyed our point of view to the organizers and now the ball is in their court. “We had focused on certain principles”, clarified Cheema.