CHANDIGARH: Confrontation between the Sikhs and the Dera Sacha Sauda followers is expected to intensify with the Dera Sacha Sauda deciding to intensify its opposition.
The action committees of more than three dozen Dera centres from various parts of the country assembled in Sirsa on Tuesday to chalk out the action plan. Dera spokesperson Aditya Insan said the Dera followers were being deprived of their fundamental rights to pray and also of undertaking social reform activities. He said at more than 30 places, Deras had been forced to shut down and the Dera followers were not being allowed to hold prayers within their premises.
Followers of Dera Sacha Sauda in Fatehabad organised a demonstration against their alleged persecution at the hands of some Sikh organisations. They also voiced their protest against the authorities, accusing them of failing to safeguard their legitimate right to profess the religion of their choice.
The Dera followers submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, addressed to the president of India, saying that they were being attacked by some “anti-social elements” for performing “naam charcha”, a religious ritual they had been practising since 1947.
The memorandum alleged that the authorities remained mute spectators even as Dera followers were being targeted every day. It said shops and residences of Dera followers were attacked and torched in Dabwali after a Sikh, Harmandar Singh, who had come to “attack Dera followers” died accidentally of a fall.
The memorandum also said an old Dera situated at Dhukianwali, which was built by Shah Mastana, founder of Dera Sacha Sauda, was also torched by some anti-social elements, but the authorities did nothing to nab the culprits.
The Dera followers demanded the immediate release of Sunder Lal Mehta and another person booked for the murder of Harmandar Singh, and also demanded the arrest of Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa and Baljit Singh Dadu for allegedly attacking Dera followers.
A large number of Dera supporters held a demonstration in Panipat as well, demanding action against those who had attacked Dera followers in Dabwali. Elaborate security arrangements were made by the district administration to check any untoward incident.
The protesters later gave a memorandum to the additional deputy commissioner regarding their demands. The Dera followers alleged that the authorities were deliberately not taking any action against those who had attacked Dera followers.
Meanwhile, three days after the Dera-Sikh clashes in Dabwali, the Sirsa police chief suspended a sub-inspector and sent another police official to the Police Lines on charges of dereliction of duty and “carelessness” towards a verbal complaint of Sikhs.
According to Sukhwinder Singh Khalsa, president, Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Sabha, Haryana, activists of the Sabha had intimated police officials in Dabwali to stop followers of Dera Sacha Sauda from organising a “naam charcha” at their residence.
However, the officials took the complaint lightly and did not take the required precautionary measures.
b_ajay@dnaindia.net
