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New dera plans anger Sikhs
WSN Bureau
 Bathinda/Mansa:
Massive tensions have gripped Mansa since September 21 over the
construction of Dera Sacha Sauda’s new branch near Nangal village on
the Mansa-Sirsa road as Sikhs protested such expansionist activity
of the dera.
Akali Dal (Panch
Pardhani) president Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu has been sitting on an
indefinite dharna near Kot Dharmu village for the past few days
opposing the Dera construction.
The continuing
fast has not attracted much media attention in mainstream press but
the tension in the area has been keeping the administration on its
toes.
Hundreds of
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)
activists, led by Gursewak Singh Jawahar Ke, on Sunday hoisted the
Khalsa flag on the Chowk situated on the Bathinda-Patiala road,
named after Shah Mastana Ji, founder of Dera Sacha Sauda.
Raising anti-Dera
slogans, they announced to rename it as Dashmesh Chowk. The
activists also blocked traffic for more than four hours and sat in
dharna.
In April 2007,
the Dera-Sikh clashes virtaully began here as someone had vandalised
the chowk.
Mansa Deputy
Commissioner Kumar Rahul and SSP Manminder Singh were among those
who on Monday rushed to the site. Many protesters were arrested.
The
administration also removed the flag and hoisted it in the gurdwara
to avoid a law and order problem.
Jawaharke
demanded that all the Deras should be sealed as per the Akal Takht
hukumnama and said the state government was not doing anything to
resolve the row.
Bhai Daljit
Singh Bittu said their dharna has been peaceful and they want a
peaceful solution but the state was not paying any attention.
Meanwhile,
hundreds of Sacha Sauda followers also gathered to protest the
incident. They submitted a memorandum seeking action against those
who disrespected the Chowk.
24 September 2008
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