The Akal Takht acting jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, has issued a call to the Sikh community to converge at the historic Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda district, Punjab, on the occasion of Baisakhi. He has appealed to Sikhs to gather in large numbers at the shrine, which is one of the five temporal seats of authority of Sikhism, to mark the annual celebration.
The call for Sikhs to gather at the Takht Damdama Sahib comes amid speculation that radical Sikh leader Amritpal Singh, who has been on the run since March 18, may surface at the shrine. A video message from Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De, had urged Giani Harpreet Singh to convene a Sarbat Khalsa (an assembly of all factions of Sikhs) at Damdama Sahib on Baisakhi. Although no Sarbat Khalsa is being held, the authorities have tightened security around the shrine to prevent any untoward incidents.
The additional director general of police (ADGP) for the Bathinda range, SPS Mr. Parmar, has been camping at Talwandi Sabo for the past week, and Punjab Police chief Mr. Gaurav Yadav has visited the town twice in the past week to review security arrangements. The road leading to the shrine has been barricaded, and vehicles are being checked as scores of security personnel from Punjab Police and paramilitary forces have been deployed around the gurdwara to ensure law and order.
Despite the security measures, the annual mela (fair) at Talwandi Sabo has been going on smoothly, with an impressive footfall. The town’s sub-divisional magistrate, Gagandeep Singh, has confirmed that all arrangements are in place for the main celebration on Friday. However, the political conference that the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) usually holds in the town on Baisakhi has been cancelled this year, as party leaders are busy campaigning for the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by election scheduled for May 10. The SAD (Amritsar) president, Simranjit Singh Mann, has announced a gathering at Talwandi Sabo on Friday.
However ADGP Parmar has stated that there is no confirmed information about Amritpal Singh’s whereabouts, but the police are leaving nothing to chance. He has assured the public that the police are ensuring that devotees do not face any difficulty while also preventing any person wanted by the law from creating any untoward situation.
