DGPC demands holiday on January 5
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 3: An impressive ‘Nagar-Kirtan’ was taken out by the Sikh community in connection with the birthday (Prakash Parv) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, in the winter capital city here today.
Organised by the District Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DGPC) Jammu, on the eve of Prakash Parv (Gurpurab) of 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, a large number of Sikh community members, including children from various schools and Ragi Jathas from J&K and outside, participated in this grand religious procession (Shobha Yatra) in the City of Temples today.
Since morning, a large number of Sikh community members, including women and children besides students from various schools in their respective uniforms, started assembling at Gurdwara Yadgar Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji at Lower Gumat, near the ‘Samadhi’ of Bibi Chand Kour (Chand Nagar), Jammu. DGPC Jammu members besides organizers from various Sikh bodies jointly organized this grand religious affair.
A vehicle had been highly decorated and converted into a chariot, where Holy Guru Granth Sahib had been placed. The vehicle/chariot was decorated with flowers and buntings and fitted with loud speakers. Besides head priest, several other Sikh religious personalities were on board this specially designed chariot.
As per Sikh religious traditions, five warriors of the great Guru (‘Panj Piyaras’), holding swords in hand and attired in traditional dress code, were leading the chariot, followed by Sikh Sangat and other devotees. The school children in two lines with band parties ahead were also part of this long religious procession which started from Lower Gumat/ Chand Nagar at around 10.45 am.
Tadi Jatha of Bhai Manjeet Singh Ji from Ludhiana, Bhai Harmeet Singh Ji Makhanpur, Bhai Nachatter Singh from Gian Missionery College Ludhiana, Bibi Harvinder Kour Parcharak Guru Granth Sahib Study Circle, Bhai Gurmeet Singh, Bhai Balbir Singh from Dasuya, Bhai Joginder Singh from Nangal and Bibi Manjit Kour from Pahuvind Sahib and other Sikh religious personalities were part of this procession.
The district administration Jammu had made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of Shobha Yatra. The traffic had also been diverted to the other alternative routes. Despite diversions, traffic jams were witnessed at several city points, specially, Canal Road, Bakshi Nagar, Railway Road, Satwari and some other parts of the old city.
Chanting religious slogans and sermons, the ‘Shobha Yatra’ kept on moving slowly through the traditional route, via Dogra Chowk, Main Tawi Bridge, Bikram Chowk, Asia Crossing, Green Belt Gandhinagar, Gole Market and then towards Nanak Nagar. It finally, culminated at Gurdwara Singh Sabha at Nanak Nagar at around 5.30 pm
Display of martial art (Gatka) by the Sikh youth was the main attraction of the procession. Many Sikh youth were displaying different feats, during the display of martial art.
The members of other communities had established stalls of drinks/sweet water and tea besides fruits and other eatables for the Sikh Sangat en-route ‘Nagart-Kirtan’, depicting a true picture of secular India.
At Gole Market, Gandhinagar, several DGPC Jammu members including president, Ajit Singh Tohra, vice president, Balwinder Singh and general secretary, Surjit Singh projected demand of the Sikh community and the representative body of the community to declare holiday on January 5, in connection with the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. They said on December 12 a representation had been submitted to the Chief Secretary of JKUT demanding holiday on January 5 but the DGPC kept waiting and no response has been received from the UT Administration so far. They sought intervention of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha into the matter.
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