The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has stepped up preparations for a Panthic gathering scheduled for July 5, amid the controversy surrounding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's video. The congregation will be held at Gurdwara Manji Sahib Diwan Hall in Amritsar, following a day after SGPC leaders met MLAs over the proposed Satkar Act at the Akal Takht secretariat.
Invitations Extended to Sikh Leaders and Sects
SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Tek Singh personally met leaders of various Sikh organisations and sects, handing over invitation letters and urging them to participate in the congregation. Among those approached were Shiromani Panth Akali Budha Dal chief Balbir Singh, Ghala Singh Nanaksar Kaleran, Hakam Singh, Resham Singh Barnala, Jagjit Singh Lopon Wale, and several other religious leaders.
According to the SGPC, discussions during these meetings focused on the challenges facing Panthic institutions and other Sikh issues. The leaders also appealed for large-scale participation in the July 5 gathering, which comes after the Akal Takht declared Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as "Guru Dokhi" and "anti-Khalsa Panth".
SGPC's Outreach to Villages and Households
Addressing a meeting of Sant Samaj leaders at the historic Gurdwara Nankiana Sahib, Dhami stated that the SGPC was taking the message of Akal Takht Sahib's directives to every village and household across Punjab. He emphasised the need to make the Sikh community aware of what he described as the present government's "anti-Panth" stance. Dhami said the July 5 congregation had been convened to seek the collective opinion of the Panth and determine its future course of action.
Dhami further stressed that the directives of Akal Takht are supreme for every Sikh and highlighted the importance of identifying and collectively confronting forces working against Sikh institutions and the Panth. He expressed confidence that the July 5 gathering would symbolise Sikh unity and resilience.
Background of the Controversy
The Panthic gathering is a response to the controversy surrounding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's video, which led to the Akal Takht declaring him "Guru Dokhi" and "anti-Khalsa Panth". The SGPC, which manages Sikh shrines, has been actively mobilising support for the congregation, which aims to address the challenges facing the Sikh community and its institutions.
