Amritsar, Punjab: Throwing the ball in the court of President of India, the Dal Khalsa writes to Shri Parnab Mukherjee to tell him that the issue of the movie Nanak Shah Fakir has the potential of enraging the Sikh community as was the case a few decades back.
The memo faxed to Rashtarpati Bhavan, stated that the pseudo saint – Baba Gurbachan Singh and his protégés, with the tacit and open support of government of India, challenged the basic tenets of Sikhism and defamed the Sikh religious system and beliefs. It further says that on this day in 1978, that 13 devout Sikhs were killed at the hands of armed Nirankaris, while they were protesting against their blasphemous propagation.
After 37 years, history has come full circle. Another misinformed and misguided Sikh-Harinder Singh Sikka has made a movie Nanak Shah Fakir depicting Guru Nanak in human form, the sister of Guru Nanak -Bebe Nanaki played by an actor in utter disregard of Sikh tenets, severely hurting the Sikh belief system. Like then and now, the Sikh nation had no choice but to respond, he said.
Terming the present situation as volatile, the Dal Khalsa head said the central and state government’s silent indifference towards Sikh sensitivities and the mischief unleashed by the producer of the movie could degenerate into another confrontation.
The activists of the organization choose this day to send a stern warning to the producer as they paid homage to 13 martyrs at a Gurdwara built in their memory. The organization pledged that they would not tolerate any more blasphemy and they will do all it takes to uphold the fundamental beliefs of Sikh faith.
For the Sikhs, film producer Harinder Singh Sikka is no less than Baba Gurbachan Singh. Like pseudo-Nirankari chief, Sikka’s profanity has invited the wrath of the community and the ire of the Almighty.
Party head H S Dhami at a press conference said the meeting of all Sikh parties be it religious, social or political has been called on 15th at Gurdwara Guru Teg Bahadur, Jalandhar to chalk out the action programme to stop the release of the film. He said heads of Damdami Taksal, Akand Kirtani Jatha, Nihang Singh’s and various youth organizations would take part in the meet..
He said all attempts to convince the film-maker to see reason, to let the union as well as state government understand the Sikh side of things and stop the slated release of the film on 17 April, 2015 has yielded no results. Hence, we had written to President as nobody more than him, among the present Indian leadership can fathom this. “We are certain that he clearly understands the genesis of the Sikh problem, which unfolded after the events of April 1978”, reads the letter.
Accompanied by Satnam Singh Paonta Sahib and Kanwar Pal Singh, Dhami expressed anguish that the present Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal has not yet even bothered to utter a word of caution to the producer.
Dhami through his correspondence has informed the President that the Sikh community was up in arms. From Sri Akal Takht Sahib to SGPC to Damdami Taksal to youth organizations and University students, all have expressed shock and dismay at the contents of the movie as seen in the trailer and reported in the media.
Seeking the President’s immediate intervention, Dhami urged him to ask the Union government to stop the release of the movie before it conflagrate into another Frankenstein monster.
Meanwhile, about a hundred students of GNDU led by Paramjit SIngh Mand and Amrinder Singh today staged a protest against the film demanding complete ban on it. They walked in the premises carrying placards to spread their message.