Amid emerging reports about the “Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerath Kshetra Trust” planning to invite Takht Jathedars for the inauguration ceremony of Ram Mandir, several Sikh organizations have appealed the SGPC appointed Takht Jathedars as well as common masses to not attend the inauguration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
Khalsa League’s head Bhai Amrik Singh Ballowal said that the Sikh ethos teach
us to stand against the injustices irrespective of victims’ religion, caste,
creed or ethnicity. “Doubtlessly, the Hindu majority of India is forcefully
converting the Babri Masjid into Ram Mandir so every Sikh should refrain from
attending the inauguration of this temple,” he added.
Recalling the recent
gift given by the Islamic State of Pakistan to Sikhs in the form of Kartarpur
corridor, Ballowal said that the Sikhs should refrain from unnecessarily
becoming a bulwark of Hindus. “The Hindus of India destroyed our supreme Sikh
throne Sri Akal Takht Sahib in June-1984 and then subjected us to genocide,” he
said.
Raising questions on the Hindu community’s claim about the sanctity of proposed Ram Mandir’s land, Ballowal said that if the land of Ram Mandir was the holy one, then why the Hindus are collecting holy soil and water of holy Sikh shrines. “It’s just a trick to use Sikhs against Muslims,” he added.
“The Sikh philosophy teaches us to stand by the oppressed and meek people so we should live our lives as per the path enlightened by Guru Sahib instead of becoming a bulwark for the oppressors,” he said.
Ballowal further said
that it was very unfortunate that the Hindus are talking about taking holy soil
of Sri Harmandir Sahib to Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir. “Guru Sahib asked Sai Miaan Mir
Ji to lay the foundation stone of Sri Harmandir Sahib to set an example of
communal harmony for Sikhs but now we are on the verge of getting used against
community of Sai Miaan Mir Ji,” he remarked.
Likewise, other Sikh
intellectuals including Advocate Amar Singh Chahal, Professor Baljinder Singh,
Bapu Gurcharan Singh of Jathedar Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara Working Committee,
along with the Sikh Coordination Committee based of New York, USA, have
appealed the common Sikh masses to stay away from these functions. “We have no issues
over Hindus performing inauguration work as per the standards of their faith,
however, there is no need for the Sikhs to take part in such celebrations,” a
statement by the Sikh Coordination Committee.
“However, we have issues when soil from Sikh Takhts is used to lay the foundation stone of the Ram Mandir. This can be used directly or indirectly to link Sikhs with the Hindus, which is not acceptable,” the statement reads.
