Chandigarh, May 16 (IANS) Punjab continued to remain the grip of violence between members of Sikh religious groups and a secular sect Wednesday ahead of a crucial meeting called to decide the Sikh community’s course of action.
The meeting of the Sikh community has been summoned on Thursday by Joginder Singh Vedanti, head priest of the Akal Takht – the highest temporal seat of Sikhs inside the Golden Temple complex in the holy city of Amritsar.
The meeting is to be held at the Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo near Bathinda – the town that has been the worst hit by three days of clashes involving members of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect.
Vedanti had said Tuesday that the Sikh clergy and community leaders will decide their next course of action at Thursday’s meeting.
Meanwhile, several towns and cities in Punjab remained tense Wednesday as the Sikh community continued to express outrage at Dera head Gurmit Ram Rahim’s alleged portrayal of himself as the revered 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh.
Sikh protesters, who want Gurmit Ram Rahim to either apologise or be arrested, came out on the streets of Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Rajpura, Patiala and other towns for the third straight day Wednesday and burnt his effigies.
“We know how to set such people right. They have no business to portray themselves as Sikh gurus,” Damdami Taksal chief H.S. Bhindranwale said.
In Amritsar, Sikh men carrying swords, other traditional weapons and sticks, forced shopkeepers to shut down and broke the windows of shops and offices that kept open.
The violence has prompted appeals of warning from a string of political leaders.
“I appeal to all communities to maintain peace and harmony in the state,” ruling Akali Dal acting president Sukhbir Badal said in a statement as he prepared to go abroad for two weeks.
The protests Wednesday were led by various Sikh organisations, including the Nihang sect of traditional Sikh warriors.
In Patiala, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders following Tuesday’s clashes.
Bathinda, where nearly 50 people have been injured and scores of public properties damaged Monday and Tuesday, remained peaceful Wednesday. The city administration had taken no chances and ordered all schools and colleges closed for three days.
Shops did open in Bathinda Wednesday even though the town remained tense.
Sikhs are protesting against the Dera chief for allegedly portraying himself like Guru Gobind Singh and offering to give nectar to his followers at his Sirsa headquarters in neighbouring Haryana state.
Following Sikh protests, Dera followers took to the streets in Bathinda and other towns to protest the burning of effigies of their leader.