In open defiance of the Akal Takht’s 2007 edict that Sikhs must boycott Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Malwa region’s Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders on Wednesday announced to facilitate ‘satsang’ (religious congregation) by the controversial sect head in Punjab.
The SAD’s move comes in the backdrop of the Sirsa- based dera extending its support to SAD-BJP candidates for the February 4 assembly elections.
The dera head last held a congregation in Punjab in May 2007 at Salabtpura village in Bathinda, where he courted controversy by wearing attire allegedly similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh. Then, the Takht issued a ‘hukamnama’ (edict) against the dera head and accused him of blasphemy, besides calling upon Sikhs for his social boycott. The issue led to violence in different parts of state between Sikhs and dera followers.
The dera had openly supported the Congress in 2007.
Ram Karn Insan, member, political wing of the dera, said: “We never impose our will on devotees and always go by their wish. This time, the sangat wants to support the SAD-BJP.”
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“The dera followers have unanimously decided to support the ruling alliance,” said Harinder Mangwal Insan, a member the state body of the dera followers. Throughout the day, the dera ‘premis’ organised meetings at several places in the Malwa region where the followers “vowed” support to the alliance candidates. Reports of such meetings being held in Talwandi Sabo, Malout, Sangrur, Fazilka and Abohar constituencies were received.
The decision, however, does not seem to have gone down well with a section of the dera “premis” (as the followers are called). Unwilling to speak openly, some of them said it was strange as the dera “premis” had been confronting Akalis for many years since the 2007 elections.
“Our deras were attacked at several places, while many ‘premis’ were implicated in false cases. The decision to extend support to the SAD-BJP has come as a big surprise to us,” said a follower from Sangrur. The dera has a 15-member state political wing and a five-member national political wing. A 45-member committee was formed to take feedback from followers in the state.
The state political wing completed its “mood gauging” exercise involving devotees across the state before the announcement last night. The members first conducted block-level meetings, then district and finally a state-level meeting was conducted on January 19 in Salabatpura. During the meetings, the members of the wing discussed the local issues with devotees, the performance of present MLAs and their attitude towards dera followers.