Radical ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ on Dec 8 in Talwandi Sabo

BATHINDA/MOGA: Having been forced to call off the November 10 ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ (religio-political congregation of Sikhs) due to police crackdown and refusal of permission by the Punjab government, the Sikh radicals have now decided to hold the congregation on December 8 in Talwandi Sabo.

Importantly, December 8 is also birthday of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will also be launching its ‘Paani Bachao - Punjab Bachao’ (save water - save Punjab) campaign the same day from Moga on the issue of river waters by holding a rally.

The radicals’ announcement to hold ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ on this day is in continuation of their targeting the Badal family. Radicals have already called upon the Sikhs for political boycott of the Badal family after they had to call off the November 10 congregation.

A decision to hold the event was taken at a meeting of three parallel ‘jathedars’ (high priests), including acting jathedar of the Akal Takht Dhian Singh Mand, Baljit Singh Daduwal of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo and Amrik Singh Ajnala of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, at gurdwara Jandalisar Sahib near Kotshamir on Saturday. The three were appointed parallel jathedars during the last year’s ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ held at Chabbewal in Amritsar. “Meetings of different organisations were conducted earlier and they had authorised us to take the decision on time and place to hold the event and we have decided on Talwandi Sabo, December 8,” said Dadulwal.