AMRITSAR: The Khalsa March organized by the Sikh religious body. Damdami Taksal, began from the Akal Takht here, amid religious pomp and fervor.
Hundreds of vehicles carrying devo- tees began their two-day journey to Anandpur Sahib to participate in the famous Holla Mohalla celebrations. there. The march was led by the “Panj Piaras.” Prominent among those who took part in the march were the Taksal Chief, Baba Thakar Singh, and the Akali Dal (Amritsar) leaders, Bhai Manjit Singh and Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
The five Sikh high priests, including the SGPC-appointed Akal Takht Jathedar, Prof Manjit Singh, were conspicuous by their absence. So was the top leadership of the Akali Dal (Badal) and other leaders of the Akali Dal (Amritsar).
Before the start of the march, an Ardas was performed at the Akal Takht by the former jathedar of the Akal Takht, Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, who was sacked from his post by the SGPC but who is still recognized as the jathedar by the Damdami Taksal. Playing of the festive bands, beating of “nagaras” and display of “gatka” and fights, swordsmanship and singing “dhadi” jathas were the highlights of the march.
Meanwhile, in Jalandhar, a 2,000strong group of people led by Akali Dal (Badal) senior vice-president, w Kuldip Singh Wadala, received the long motorcade of the Damdami Taksal-sponsored Khalsa March at Kartarpur, where it entered Jalandhar district for a overnight halt at, Ludhiana.
The Punjab Janata Morcha secretary general, Gian Chand, and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Ram Lubaya were also among those who welcomed the marchers. The march would culminate at Takht Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib, in Ropar district, last week.
Welcome arches, community kitchens and presentation of “siropas” (robes of honor) greeted the marchers all along the national highway from Amritsar to Jalandhar, Earlier, scheduled to pass through the city, the march took a detour and bypassed the city on way to Ludhiana.
Taksal Chief Baba Thakur Singh followed the palanquin in which Guru Granth Sahib was placed. People from all areas and towns, who converged at several points along the highway, paid obeisance to the holy book.
The Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) general secretary, Amarjit Singh Chawla, said that the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Lakhowal) president, Ajmer Singh Lakhowal, senior BSP leader and former MP, Harbhajan Lakha, Akali Dal (Badal) leader Harcharan Singh Rode, Federation president Rajinder Singh Mehta and All India Sikh Students Federation (Amritsar) president Karnail Singh k Peer Mohammad, among others, also participated in the march.
Manjit Singh, Sucha Singh P Chhotepur and Ram Singh, all leaders of Akali Dal (Amritsar), Major Singh Uboke of the Badal Dal, former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasvir Singh-Rode. Mohkam Singh and Malkiat Singh of the Damdami Taksal companied the motorcade comprising about 150 vehicles, including trucks, mini buses, cars and scooters. Estimates of the participants in the march varied from about 7,000 to 10,000.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 24, 1995
