Prayer at Akal Takht to commemorate lakhs of Punjabis who died during Partition
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Aug, 2022 10:35 AM
Amritsar, Aug 16 (IANS) Lakhs of Punjabis, who lost their lives during the 1947 India-Pakistan Partition of the country, were remembered at Akal Takht on Tuesday.
A special Ardas Samagam (prayer congregation) was organised in this regard at Akal Takht, in which, tributes were paid to lakhs of people who lost their lives during the country's Partition.
Earlier, 'bhog' (concluding ceremony) of Akhand Path Sahib was held and hazuri raagis jathas of Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib performed the Gurbani Kirtan.
Addressing during Ardas Samagam, Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh said that the governments of India and Pakistan should pass condolence resolutions in their respective parliaments for the lakhs of people who lost lives during the country's Partition and suffered the pain of displacement.
"While celebrating the 75th anniversary of Independence, the governments of both the countries should have remembered the people who suffered pain of displacement by voluntarily passing the condolence resolutions but the governments did not treat it as important. The governments should pass the condolence resolutions," said Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh.
Jathedar said that open visas should be granted with a big heart to those who took birth before 1947 on either side so that they can easily visit their birthplace, ancestral places, and religious shrines.
"Punjab has suffered the most in the Partition of the country in 1947 followed by the Bengalis. People of two states Punjab and Bengal struggled most fiercely against British, who were then punished by dividing their states dreadfully. Both Punjab and Bengal were divided and they got their properties seized. Most of the sacrifices in the struggle against the British are of Punjabis, Sikhs and Bengalis," said Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Harpreet Singh.
Meanwhile, Jathedar also expressed concern over the present situation in Punjab.
"Atmosphere of Punjab in present time is extremely worrying. Inhumane phenomena like drug addiction and ecological crisis due to carelessness towards nature are taking Punjab towards the brink of destruction," he said.
Among others who were present on the occasion included Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, granthi of Darbar Sahib Giani Rajdeep Singh etc.
The first of the session commenced with Pro-tem Speaker Inderbir Singh Nijjar administering the oath of office and secrecy to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann as Member of the Vidhan Sabha. Breaking the convention, all women members were administered oath after the Chief Minister.
The ruling BJP and opposition Congress, meanwhile, locked horns in the assembly over the bandh. The BJP sought action against those who are going against court verdict and the Congress maintained that they have the right to protest.
The plea sought a direction to the SEC to conduct the municipal elections in Delhi, according to the initially conceived schedule, before the expiry of the tenure of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi, in May 2022, in a free and fair manner. The petition contended that the SEC, on March 9, issued a press note for holding the polls in April.
Modi met Morrison in Washington for their first in person meeting after the Covid-19. This meeting was held last September on the margin of Quad leaders summit 2021.
The SYL canal, the major portions of which were completed in the 1990s at a cost of over Rs 750 crore, is entangled in a political and legal quagmire with Punjab and Haryana unwilling to give up their respective stands on the controversial canal issue and sharing of river water.
At the oath-taking venue, three podiums were set up on the stage. While the Governor and Mann were on the central podium, the second was occupied by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet, and the third by AAP's 91 legislators.
