Jathedar says Christianity ‘spreading’, wants Sikhs to get weapons training
AMRITSAR: Sikhs are facing challenges in Punjab as Christianity is being spread on a large scale in the state, Akal Takht’s acting chief Giani Harpreet Singh said on Monday, while making an appeal to various Sikh institutions to open shooting ranges for youngsters to train in modern weapons.
Claiming that churches and mosques were being built in large numbers in rural areas, the acting jathedar appealed to Sikh religious leaders and preachers to launch a drive to counter the trend of conversion, especially in border areas.
“Today, we are facing a lot of challenges. Christianity is being spread in Punjab on a large scale to weaken us religiously. Churches and mosques are being built in large numbers in the villages of Punjab, which is worrisome for us,” said Singh, who is the acting head of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of the Sikhs. He was addressing the community at an event organised to mark the 38th anniversary of Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Operation Bluestar was conducted by the army on June 6, 1984, to flush out separatists from the Golden Temple complex. Elaborate security arrangements were put in place on Monday to ensure that the event passed off smoothly. “If we are strengthened religiously, we will gain strength in other fields, too. Being weak religiously will keep Sikhs away from ruling. The qaumi (community) spirit must be instilled in youngsters. This is a community of lions created by
Guru Gobind Singh,” Singh said. “The government has turned Amritsar into a fortress to contain Sikh people, but a Sikh never attacks any innocent person or without any reason.” Singh, who on May 23 asked every Sikh to keep licensed weapons “in these uncertain times”, appealed to Sikh institutions to open shooting ranges to train youngsters in operating modern weapons. “We should open modern weapon training centres. There should be no hesitation in doing so. Other people are training their people in this regard secretly, we will do it openly,” he said.
Christian leaders said Singh’s remarks could lead to disharmony. “This is not true. People have the right to preach any religion. The statement of the Sikh religious leader has not come at a right time,” Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy, bishop of the Diocese of Amritsar said.