Sri Amritsar-Following the killing of Bhai Parvinder Singh (Jhota), who had been campaigning and struggling against drugs in Punjab, the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj and Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Giani Tek Singh visited Mansa on Thursday to meet the bereaved family and express their condolences. During the visit, the Jathedar accorded Bhai Parvinder Singh the status of a martyr of Sikh community.
Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj offered an ardas (Sikh prayer) in memory of Bhai Parvinder Singh. His father, Bhim Singh, other family members and sangat attended the prayer.
During the ardas, the Jathedar said Punjab’s youth were falling victim to drug overdoses, while those raising their voices against drugs were also being killed by bullets. Bhai Parvinder Singh, he said, had attained martyrdom while fighting against the drug menace.
He prayed to the Almighty to grant strength and success to the campaign against drugs initiated by Bhai Parvinder Singh, as well as the family’s ongoing struggle for justice and to dismantle the drug trade. He also prayed that Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and members of other communities living in Punjab be blessed with the courage and determination to unite against drugs, and that the Almight protect the state’s youth.
The Jathedar affectionately embraced Bhai Parvinder Singh’s two sons and encouraged them to remain steadfast and in high spirits. He appealed to the Sikh Panth and the people of Punjab to extend maximum support to the bereaved family.
According honour to Bhai Parvinder Singh as a martyr, Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said he had other options in life but had chosen the path of sacrifice while fighting for the people and the youth. He said that a drug trafficker had shot Bhai Parvinder Singh in broad daylight, purportedly with the backing of the government. He also questioned the police administration’s multiple cases registered against Bhai Parvinder Singh.
The Jathedar said young people raising their voices against drugs were being targeted and killed. “A person’s body can be destroyed, but not their ideology, ” he said, adding that the self-respecting people of Punjab would strongly oppose such acts.
He said Sri Akal Takht Sahib endorsed the programmes to be announced by the committee formed to pursue justice for Bhai Parvinder Singh. He also strongly condemned a Punjab minister’s reported description of the incident as a case of personal enmity. Calling it shameful, he accused the state government of attempting to undermine Bhai Parvinder Singh’s struggle and sacrifice by portraying the killing as a personal dispute.
The Jathedar further warned against attempts by certain elements to project the incident as a conflict between Hindu and Sikh communities. He said the issue was not a Hindu-Sikh conflict but a collective struggle by all communities in Punjab against drugs. He asked the government to identify and take action against those attempting to create communal discord, asserting that communal provocation and polarisation would not be allowed to succeed in Punjab. He said the Punjab bandh observed on Wednesday had demonstrated that people from all communities stood together in the struggle against drugs.
The Jathedar stressed that the drug menace must be eradicated from its roots and said the responsibility rested with the government.
He also announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would bear the medical expenses of all those injured in the incident. He said SGPC president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami would visit the area soon and ensure that the necessary steps were taken.
Those present during the visit Bathinda MP and SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal; SGPC member Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar; and Akali leaders Tejinder Singh Middukhera and Parambans Singh Romana, among others.