Deras deserted, premis’ fingers crossed
BATHINDA/DABWALI: With no word from Dera Sacha Sauda’s Sirsa headquarters in the wake of the conviction and arrest of their sect head G ur meet Ram Ra him Singh in a rape case, dera followers in Punjab districts have their fingers crossed over the future of their faith.
All the 11 'naam charcha' (prayer) centres in Bathinda district and other places has been under the watch of the Punjab Police, while the cult followers hesitatingly narrated their remorse and uncertainty.
“There is no message from Si rs a so far. We do not know what is going to happen. We had planned to hold ' naam charcha' after the August 25 verdict, but there were not enough 'premis' due to the tension," said Paramjit Singh,a manager of der a complex on the city’s outskirts. He introduced himself as Paramjit Singh instead of Paramjit Insan as he was earlier referred to.
“The faith will prevail, and we want Sat guruji to come back ," he said, when asked whether they are waiting for a new face to lead the sect. At Dabwali town in Sirsa, adjacent to Bathinda, the local der a centre was guarded by six cops, including four policewomen. Three dera disciples there were quiet over what was happening. Bald ev Singh, ad era devotee, said with his voice choked, “The dera chief is not at fault. People are not praying at centres anymore as they are scared. Pained, many are remov- ing their lockets.” “Neither the administration nor the Sir sad era has conveyed anything to us ," he said, asked about the deras’ fate .
GRUDGEAGAINST SIKHCLERGY
The 'premis' still have a grudge against the Sikh radical groups in the back drop of the appeal by the Akal takht jathdear to them to embrace Sikhism. “In many villages, gurdwara managers refused to give us utensils and beddings during the tension in 2007,” said Nachhattar Singh of Naseebpura village in Bathinda.
SEC 144 AT CENTRE SON
Bathinda deputy commissioner Diprava Lakra said Section 144 will continue at these dera centres foran indefinite period in the wake of the search operations at the dera headquarters in Sirsa. “They can visit the der as but cannot hold congregations .”