'Body can be destroyed, not ideology': Akal Takht Jathedar meets family of anti-drug activist Parvinder Jhota
MANSA: Following the killing of anti-drug activist Bhai Parvinder Singh Jhota , Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj and Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Giani Tek Singh visited Mansa to meet the bereaved family and offer their condolences. During the visit, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj accorded Bhai Parvinder Singh the status of a martyr of the 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 members of the 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 shot dead. He said Bhai Parvinder Singh had attained martyrdom while fighting against the drug menace.
He prayed to the Almighty to grant strength and success to the anti-drug campaign initiated by Bhai Parvinder Singh, as well as to the family’s ongoing struggle for justice and to dismantle the drug trade. He also prayed for Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and members of other communities in Punjab to unite with courage and determination against drugs, and for the protection of the state’s youth.
The Jathedar embraced Bhai Parvinder Singh’s two sons and encouraged them to remain steadfast and maintain their spirits. He appealed to the Sikh Panth and the people of Punjab to extend maximum support to the bereaved family.
While honouring Bhai Parvinder Singh as a martyr, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said he had other options in life but had chosen the path of sacrifice to fight for the people and the youth. He alleged that a drug trafficker had shot Bhai Parvinder Singh in broad daylight, purportedly with the backing of the government.
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 supported 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 the remark 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 also warned against attempts by certain elements to portray the incident as a conflict between Hindus and Sikhs. He said it was not a Hindu-Sikh conflict but a collective struggle by all communities in Punjab against drugs. He urged the government to identify and take action against those attempting to create communal discord, asserting that efforts to provoke communal tensions and polarise people would not succeed in Punjab. He said the Punjab bandh observed on Wednesday had demonstrated that people from all communities stood united in the fight against drugs.
The Jathedar stressed that the drug menace must be eradicated at its roots, adding that the responsibility rested with the government.
He also announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would bear the medical expenses of everyone 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.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also visited the bereaved family.
Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj offered an ardas (Sikh prayer) in memory of Bhai Parvinder Singh. His father, Bhim Singh, other family members and members of the 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 shot dead. He said Bhai Parvinder Singh had attained martyrdom while fighting against the drug menace.
He prayed to the Almighty to grant strength and success to the anti-drug campaign initiated by Bhai Parvinder Singh, as well as to the family’s ongoing struggle for justice and to dismantle the drug trade. He also prayed for Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and members of other communities in Punjab to unite with courage and determination against drugs, and for the protection of the state’s youth.
The Jathedar embraced Bhai Parvinder Singh’s two sons and encouraged them to remain steadfast and maintain their spirits. He appealed to the Sikh Panth and the people of Punjab to extend maximum support to the bereaved family.
While honouring Bhai Parvinder Singh as a martyr, Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said he had other options in life but had chosen the path of sacrifice to fight for the people and the youth. He alleged that a drug trafficker had shot Bhai Parvinder Singh in broad daylight, purportedly with the backing of the government.
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 supported 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 the remark 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 also warned against attempts by certain elements to portray the incident as a conflict between Hindus and Sikhs. He said it was not a Hindu-Sikh conflict but a collective struggle by all communities in Punjab against drugs. He urged the government to identify and take action against those attempting to create communal discord, asserting that efforts to provoke communal tensions and polarise people would not succeed in Punjab. He said the Punjab bandh observed on Wednesday had demonstrated that people from all communities stood united in the fight against drugs.
The Jathedar stressed that the drug menace must be eradicated at its roots, adding that the responsibility rested with the government.
He also announced that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would bear the medical expenses of everyone 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.
Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also visited the bereaved family.
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