Cong plans Khalsa celebrations

CHANDIGARH, Nov 6: Rising above the party politics, the Congress would celebrate 300th anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa next year at t...

CHANDIGARH, Nov 6: Rising above the party politics, the Congress would celebrate 300th anniversary of the birth of the Khalsa next year at the national and international level.

Announcing this at a news conference here today, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee vice president Jagmeet Singh Brar, said the issue had been discussed with AICC president Sonia Gandhi twice who was for celebrating the event as a non-party affair. He claimed Sonia had written to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee four months back to set up a celebrations committee at the national level.

All the PCCs in the country would set up celebration committees in the respective states. He appreciated the lead taken by the Haryana Congress in this regard. The Congress would also constitute a celebrations committee at the national level under the patronage of Sonia Gandhi.

To begin with, the party would organise a four day march from Muktsar on Maghi on January 14 to Anandpur Sahib, the birth place of the Khalsa. Maghi in Muktsar is associated with Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa. The march would not be under party flag. He extended invitation to the Punjabis all over the world to join this historic march.

He said Sonia Gandhi would be invited to join these celebrations. He also appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Akali Dal to join the march.

Brar, who heads the celebrations committee constituted by the PPCC, said the Sikhs were facing identity crisis, especially the younger generation. Addiction was also on the increase. These issues would have to be tackled by the community.

He asserted a new dimensions would be added to the celebrations with the participation of the Congress which is not just a political party but a movement. He regretted the SGPC and the Akali Dal had not taken the initiative to involve other political parties.

Story continues below this ad

The weapons belonging to Guru Gobind Singh and a copy of the Hukamnama issued by him, which are presently with the former royal family of Patiala, would be part of the march.

He welcomed the grant of Rs 100 crore announced by the Prime Minister for the development of Anandpur Sahib.