Holy books set on fire

By our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 30: Tension prevailed as people from various communities blocked traffic on the National Highway No.1 for more than seven hours today to protest against the burning of seven copies of a holy book at village Tarkhan Majra in Fatehgarh Sahib district, about 40 km from here, last night.

According to witnesses and sources in the district police, the unidentified miscreants allegedly broke open the window of the Kotha Sahib of the Gurdwara of village Tarkhan Majra, just two kilometres off the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway No.1. The copies of the holy book, which is locally referred to as ``birs'', were set on fire. The residents of the village realised the development early morning, when the priests were preparing for the prayer service.

According to reports this is the seventh such incident in recent times, where holy scriptures have been set afire by some miscreants. People from all communities from the neighbouring villages and the towns of Sirhind and Mandi Gobindgarh began to gather at the spot. Led by their chief, the All India Shiromani Akali Dal (AISAD)chief, Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, they blocked traffic for two hours on the G.T. Road. On persuasion by the district authorities they lifted the blockade at 11 am.

However, the agitated people resumed the blockade from 12 noon and carried on their protest for another five hours, till the Jathedar of Takhat Keshgarh Sahib, Prof. Manjit Singh, requested them to suspend the action and allow the authorities to carry out the investigations. While the people accepted his request to lift the blockade, they rejected his proposal to grant five days to the police. The people warned that if the police failed to arrest the culprits within 24 hours, an indefinite agitation would be launched.

While protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits, they sought stringent action against a self-styled godman, Baba Piara Singh Bhaniara, who has been arrested recently by the police of Ropar district for instigating his followers to burn the ``birs'' (copies installed in Gurdwaras) of Guru Granth Sahib and being in illegal possession of arms. The Civil Judge of Ropar had yesterday remanded the Baba to police custody till October 6.

Earlier, the alleged activities of Baba Piara Singh had caused major tension at various places in Ropar and Ludhiana districts. A book written by him, the ``Bhavsagar Granth'' was also banned by the Punjab government following major protests.

The Baba had previously refused to accept the summons of Akal Takhat chief, claiming that he was not a Sikh. Ultimately, the Akal Takhat issued an edict about three months ago, directing the Sikhs not to associate themselves with the Baba, who is said to have some following in Ropar, Nurpur Bedi and Jagraon town.

Meanwhile the detractors of the Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal, have drawn parallels between the crisis situations raised currently by the alleged activities of Baba Piara Singh and the Nirankari sect during his previous tenure.

The Nirankari sect has also been a centre of various controversies due to the publication of their scriptures under the name of ``Avtar Bani'' which many Sikhs believe is blasphemous to the Sikh gurus, saints and scriptures. Following a clash with the Nirankaris on Baisakhi Day in 1978, when 18 Sikhs died, the Akal Takhat had issued a directive ordering all Sikhs not to maintain any relations with those associated with the Nirankari sect.

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