Hoshiarpur (March 16, 2011): The Dal Khalsa organized a spirited March to pay their rich tributes to Sikh warrior and towering personality of yesteryear Baba Baghel Singh, who is credited with the unfurling of the Nishan Sahib atop the historic Red Fort in 1783.
The March after passing through streets of the city culminated at Gurdwara built in memory of Baba Baghel Singh at Hariana town 15 km from here.
To convey their message, the young members of the Dal Khalsa displayed saffron flags and placards.The big size hoardings were displayed having photographs of Sikh Generals of yesteryear and recent Sikh struggle.
Earlier the speakers addressed the gathering and extolled the military and political qualities of Bhai Baghel Singh. Apart from being a brave warrior, he was strategist and statesman.
Harchranjit Singh Dhami, president of the Dal Khalsa, delivering the keynote address explained the concept of the Khalsa Raaj and urged the youth to remain attached to their cultural roots. He talked of unfinished agenda of Punjab’s Sovereignty to ensure safety and respect for all its citizens irrespective of religion.
He told the audience that the interests of Sikhs and Punjab were the sole concern of Baba Baghel Singh, while the concern of the present leadership was to mint money and enjoy power and privileges. He took the SGPC leadership for task for backtracking on the issue of erecting memorial of June 1984 martyrs and “killing the letter and spirit of the original Nanakshahi calendar through amendments to appease Sant Samaj”. He warned the Punjab government not to take the electorates for granted and asked the Chief Minister to fulfill poll promises including abrogating of Clause 5 of the Punjab’s Waters Termination Act, 2004.
Launching a frontal attack on the functioning of the SGPC management and its failure to meet the global challenges, the Dal Khalsa leader made an appeal to Sikh electorates to replace the corrupt and disgruntled lot in the ensuing elections.
Our appeal is based on overhauling of working system of the SGPC and meet the challenges thrown by external and internal forces inimical to Sikh interests and aspirations, said he.
Blaming the policies of Akali Dal and Congress, Kanwar Pal Singh said both were responsible for criminalization and commercialization of politics of Punjab. Leaders of both have ruined Punjab ethically and financially to satisfy their personal greed. Both the parties have miserably failed to break the vicious circle of debt under which Punjab was reeling, said he.
Commenting on the Dalai Lama’s decision to seek retirement from political head of Tibetan government-in-exile, Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib said those aeging Sikh leaders who were at the helm of their party offices since decades should draw lesson from Tibetan leader’s sacrifice for office. “There was need to groom new faces and bring them to fore to break the impasse and take the community forward”.