Written by Ashok Sharma
Friday, June 15, 2007
Gurmit Ram Rahim is back at it, Jaam-e-Insa in hand
But this time, clergy, Badal, panthic lobby are all silent
Twenty-four hours before a panthic delegation was to meet Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on June 11, and at a time when the CM was ingulging in loudspeak about the achievements of his government in the first 100 days since taking over power, Dera Sacha Sauda’s head Gurmeet Ram Rahim was back to his idiotic drama: distributing his Jaam-e-Insa once again in total imitation of the amrit sanchar ceremony of the Sikhs.
Cocking a snook at the state government which has registered a case under 295-A of IPC (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class), and fortified with his newly acquired Z-plus security, murder-accused Gurmeet Ram Rahim virtually challenged the entire Sikh panth on June 10 once again, distributing his roohafza-water concoction called ‘Jaam-e-Insaan’ to thousands of followers in Sirsa at a huge ceremony.
This time, the Sikh clergy did not issue a single statement, most panthic bodies seemed to have resigned themselves to the situation, the Parkash Singh Badal government enumerated the achievements in 100 days, not a single minister referred to what happened in Sirsa, and the issue did not come up at the meeting of the panthic delegation with Badal the next day.
How deafening can silence be? When the SGPC members met the CM on June 11, less than 24 hours after the repeat act of provocation, they did talk about Dera controversy but forgot to make any noise about the previous day’s developments at Sirsa and instead were keen to convince the CM that SGPC members should get the right to sport red lights atop their vehicles.
Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama with a shining red headgear, the Dera chief, himself an accused in case of molestation of young girls, was the first to drink the Jaam-e-Insa. Later, it was distributed among the followers, who had filled up a form and agreed to abide by the rules.
The ritual, which began at 7 p.m., lasted an-hour-and-a half and the ceremony was shrouded in complete secrecy.
Strangely, the Punjab Congress, which had been somewhat soft towards Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the attire controversy, strongly reacted to his June 10 function.
All visitors and their vehicles were checked thoroughly and the height of the boundary wall of the Dera is also being raised. The local administration, too, had positioned BSF and the local police on all roads leading to the Dera.
Source World Sikh News.