Having been forced to call off the November 10 ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ due to police crackdown and refusal of permission by the Punjab government, the organizers have now decided to hold the congregation on December 8 in Talwandi Sabo.

Notably, December 8 is also birthday of Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will also be launching its ‘Paani Bachao – Punjab Bachao’ (save water – save Punjab) campaign the same day from Moga on the issue of river waters by holding a rally.

A decision to hold the event was taken at a meeting of three parallel jathedars, including acting jathedar of the Akal Takht Dhian Singh Mand, Baljit Singh Daduwal of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo and Amrik Singh Ajnala of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, at gurdwara Jandalisar Sahib near Kotshamir on Saturday. The three were appointed parallel jathedars during the last year’s ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ held at Chabbewal in Amritsar.

“Meetings of different organisations were conducted earlier and they had authorised us to take the decision on time and place to hold the event and we have decided to conduct the congregation in Talwandi Sabo on December 8,” said Dadulwal.

The congregation earlier was scheduled on November 10 in Talwandi Sabo, but was called off by the organizers because the police had taken over 2000 people, associated with organising the event, in preventive custody ahead of the congregation, while Bathinda district administration had also denied permission for holding the event citing apprehension of law and order problem.