Amritsar, Oct 29 (PTI) SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Saturday along with a "jatha" crossed over to Pakistan to participate in a programme to mark the centenary of the "Shaheedi Saka Panja Sahib" on October 30.

Dhami-led a "jatha" (group) to Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan and those who accompanied him included 'granthi' (priest) of the Golden Temple Giani Gurminder Singh, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee executive members Jarnail Singh and Sarvan Singh.

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It also comprised "raagis", "dhadis" (balladeers) and "kavishars" (poets).

SGPC chief Dhami said, "Marking the centenary of Shaheedi Saka Panja Sahib by the Khalsa Panth is a tribute to the martyrs of this massacre."

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He said after two-day congregations related to Saka Panja Sahib at Amritsar, now events are being held at Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Pakistan.

This event is being jointly organised by the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) and the SGPC.

Meanwhile, the centenary congregations started at Gurdwara Panja Sahib and a 'Gurmat Samagam' (religious congregation) was organised at the Hasan Abdal railway station in Pakistan, said a SGPC official.

The incident had taken place on October 30, 1922 at the Hasan Abdal railway station, close to the sacred shrine of Panja Sahib.

Several Sikhs from Panja Sahib had blocked the railway track to stop a train carrying Sikh prisoners from Amritsar to Attock (now in Pakistan) as they wanted to serve them food.

When the station master refused to stop the train, some of them sat in the middle of the track.

The driver brought the train to a screeching halt but 11 Sikhs were injured. Two of them succumbed to injuries later and hailed as martyrs of "Saka Panja Sahib".

Before leaving for Pakistan, SGPC chief Dhami rejected the Haryana government's notification regarding a 41-member adhoc panel for the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and said this is "direct government interference into the Sikh affairs".

"The SGPC had already expressed its apprehension that the government wants to take control of managements of gurdwaras through the HSGMC and the fresh notification of Haryana, is its confirmation. I caution the Sikh 'sangat' to strongly oppose this intention of government possession of the gurdwaras," said Dhami while speaking to reporters.

"In its notification, the Haryana government notified that besides forming a 41-member adhoc committee for 18 months, if the election of the HSGMC is not held within the stipulated time, then the government will increase the tenure of the adhoc committee for next 18 months," said Dhami.

"This means, for three years, the management of gurdwaras will be in the hands of the government," he said.

The SGPC chief said the Haryana government has also made a provision of appointing a 'patron' of the adhoc HSGMC.

"No person is patron of Sikh Qaum (community) and Sikh bodies, but only the Guru Granth Sahib and Akal Takht Sahib. In 1920, even the British government had attempted to keep the management of gurdwaras in its own hands through a government appointed committee but after the ‘Panthic' opposition, the government had to back down. Today, the Haryana government is doing the same, which will not be accepted by the Sikhs,” said Dhami.

Over a week ago, the Haryana cabinet had accorded approval to bring an ordinance, which was later promulgated, paving way for setting up of the adhoc committee to manage and supervise the gurdwaras.

The Haryana Cabinet had given the approval to bring the Haryana Sikh Gurdwaras (Management) Amendment Ordinance-2022.

The Supreme Court had recently upheld the constitutional validity of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014 under which a separate committee was formed to manage the affairs of gurdwaras in the state.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)