MUMBAI: SHOTS rang out in a crowded Mall in India\'s commercial and business capital Mumbai when security guards of Dera Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim fired point blank into unarmed, innocent Sikhs protesting against the self-styled fraudulent holy man. One Sikh was killed, the Baba was whisked away.
The incident occured at the upmarket Nirmal Lifestyle Mall and agitating Sikhs immediately took to the streets and blocked traffic. The victim was identified as Balkar Singh. Two others were also injured. The Dera chief was present in the area when the killing happened.
The Sikh community in Mumbai has announced that they will not cremate Balkar Singh, unless the \'Baba\' is arrested.
On Saturday, the Sikhs blocked railway tracks and a shutdown was observed in areas dominated by the community. Last evening witnessed clashes between Sikh protesters and bodyguards Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
India\'s federal investigative agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has named Gurmeet as a prime accused in murder and rape cases but the Government of India continues to back and support the baba because of his anti-Sikh stance.
Sikhs squatted on railway tracks near Mulund station and stopped suburban and long distance train services from 11.30 a.m. This inevitably caused some hardship to thousands of office-goers and college students.
A Central Railway spokesman said the agitators blocked all the four lines and damaged the Mulund railway station. He added that two suburban lines were later cleared with police help and the other two would be cleared soon.
Mulund and neighbouring suburbs of northeast Mumbai remained tense Saturday with a shutdown observed since morning. Groups of Sikhs were seen walking the streets, brandishing swords.
All schools and colleges run by the Sikh community remained closed and a shutdown was in place in Sikh majority areas in Thane district like Kalyan and Ulhasnagar.
Badal protests
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has called his Maharashtra counterpart Vilasrao Deshmukh and demanded that those responsible for the firing be arrested. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil ordered an inquiry into the incident.
SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar and the DSGMC chief Paramjit Singh Sarna, alongwith many others, have expressed solidarity with the Sikhs in Mumbai and urged the government of Maharashtra to arrest the pseudo-baba.
SGPC has announced a grant of Rupees two lakhs for the family of the deceased who was a daily wage earner for his family.
Some of India\'s TV news channels went hammer and tongs against the Sikh protesters in their bulletins, ignoring the long drawn out struggle being put up by the Sikh community against the Baba who has been provided Z-level security by the state, the highest in the land. The Sikhs of course must take care during the protests because there is no end to the embedded enemies in the media that will make a mountain out of any mistake.
And for a community that professes Sarbat Da Bhala, it is all the more necessary that it sends out signals to that effect.
And the TV channels would do well to see the restraint of the Sikhs over the months right from the time when the Sikh crowds could have razed Salabatpura dera to dust but held their rage and anger. The point is: When will the media start seeing the things in a wholesome perspective?
20 June, 2008
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