AMRITSAR: On the first day of the Sikh calendar, Dal Khalsa held prayers at Akal Takht Sahib and released the original Nanakshahi calendar and submitted a letter to the 'Jathedar' of Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Raghbir Singh, appealing to resolve the ongoing controversy and confusion regarding the Nanakshahi calendar.
The organization in its letter said that we are entering in Samant 556 with the prayer and hope that there will be unity in the panth, divisions will be removed, the dreams of martyrs will come true, Bandi Singhs will be released, the honour and dignity of the panth will touch the heights and the disciples of Granth Sahib should keep their faith and believe only to Sikh principles and the supremacy of Akal Takht Sahib.
In the letter written to Jathedar Raghbir Singh by party leader Kanwarpal Singh, it has been said that the recent calendar published by the SGPC and released by the Jathedar Sahib at the Secretariat is actually Bikarmi under the label of Nanakshahi.
The letter further states that for the last 9 years, the Shiromani Committee has been misleading the nation by printing the Bikarmi calendar under the title of 'Nankashahi' and by roping in the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, it is also making him its partner.
The leader said that the Nanakshahi calendar dispute has divided the Sikh nation for the past decade. Dal Khalsa appealed to the Akal Takht Sahib by writing this letter with the intention of resolving the ongoing dispute in this regard and ending the divisions within the nation under the name of calendar.
Earlier, the senior members under the leadership of Dal Khalsa President Harpal Singh Cheema have printed the original Nanakshahi calendar of this current year and released the first copy of it after praying in front of Akal Takht Sahib.
The organization has dedicated this year's calendar to the 40th anniversary of the Indian attack on Darbar Sahib. While talking to the journalists, the leaders said that in the wake of the army assault in June 84, the Sikh panth has been fighting for its freedom from the domination of India for the last four decades, which is still going on today.
Spokesperson Paramjit Singh Mand told the media that this year's calendar has been dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Indian attack on the Darbar Sahib, but also to the martyrs of the ongoing national struggle for the sovereignty and independence of Punjab during these 40 years.
He said that beside Indian attack on the Darbar Sahib, 40 years of the Delhi Sikh massacre have also been completed and the ongoing national struggle for Khalistan has also completed 40 years.
In the calendar, along with the dates of Gurpurab, historical days as well as the Ghalugharas of June and November 1984, dates of martyrdom days of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa, Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, Bhai Balwinder Singh Jatana, Bhai Hardeep Singh Nijhar, Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Babbar, Bhai Dilawar Singh etc. have also been mentioned.
The leaders said that in the last forty years, the sons of the Panth had to offer sacrifices to uphold the unique status and separate identity of the Sikh community. They had to undergo detentions and some are still languishing in jails, hundreds of Sikh youth are living in exiles.
The absence of an independent calendar separate from the Hindus is need of the hour.
In the letter, he wrote that the Nanakshahi calendar is a symbol of the distinct identity of the Sikh community. They appealed to the Jathedar Sahib to engage both pro and anti factions of the Nanakshahi calendars equally and arrive at an amicable solution so that this dilemma can be removed from within the nation.
The meeting of the organizations executive Committee, office-bearers and district presidents was held at the head office in which the young face and party’s spokesman Paramjit Singh Mand was elevated to the post of the working president of the Dal Khalsa and a 10-member committee was formed to support him in chalking out the programs to observe the June 84 Ghallughara at a large scale. The leaders said that the new complete organizational structure of the organization will be formed by the month of August.
Mand, 32 has done MSc from GNDU. He is a good orator and widely heard on social media platforms.