kdsingh80 Posted May 30, 2011 Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 Sikh issues occupy centrestage again Prabhjot Singh Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 29 With elections to the Punjab assembly round the corner, Sikh core issues, including challenge to the temporal authority of Akal Takht on the amended Nanakshahi calendar and delay in holding elections to the SGPC are back into focus. The refusal of the government to reveal the names of 27 blacklisted Sikhs even after the deletion of 117 names early this month and the rejection of the mercy petition of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar by the President has given enough ammunition to the the ruling Akalis to attack the Congress-led UPA government for its “anti-Sikh” bias. The decision of the Pakistan Government not to allow a Sikh jatha to Pakistan to observe Martyrdom Day of Guru Arjan Dev in accordance with the amended Nanakshahi calendar has evoked a strong reaction from the Sikhs. “The Pakistan Government is unnecessarily interfering in the religious affairs of the Sikhs,” said SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar. “How can the Pakistan Government over-rule the Sikh temporal authority on the issue?” He blamed the Centre for trying to create a wedge in the SGPC, saying it was the Congress that was primarily behind the demand for a separate Sikh gurdwara management committee and was now delaying elections to the SGPC. The elections were due more than a year ago. The Sikh Gurdwara election commisssion had recommended March and then May for the elections. The rejection of Bhullar’s mercy petition is snowballing into another controversy. The issue has generated a debate in legal circles -whether the Supreme Court could still adjudicate the review petition filed on behalf of Bhullar for converting his death sentence into life imprisonment. Fresh petitions to the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the President have been made by various Sikh organisations, including the DSGMC, to demand a review of the decision. The emotive issue of deletion of names from the blacklist also continues to be debated. “It is indeed intrigung that on the one hand India wants some Sikh militants in Pakistan to be handed over and on the other their names appear on the blacklist,” remarked a senior police officer. The list is notional and has no legal sanctity. http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110530/punjab.htm#4 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.