Devotees go without langar at gurdwara

[Azaad]

Brahmins who organised a yatra to express their gratitude towards the Ninth Sikh Guru had to go without langar at Rakabganj Sahib gurdwara on November 23. Hurt and humiliated, they have written a letter to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, seeking his intervention.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Devi Dyal Prashar, president of the Shree Brahmin Sabha, which had organised the “Rin Uttar Yatra”, said the sangat comprising 6,000 elderly men, women and children were not allowed to enter Bhai Lakhi Shah Hall even though they had permission of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief PS Sarna to stay there for the night. The sangat had to go without langar. Prashar alleged that despite the sabha having booked the hall for November 23 night (vide letter no. SBSP/2012-13/2025), the sangat was not allowed inside when it reached the gurdwara at 10. 30 pm.

“When I, along with senior functionaries of the sabha, went inside, a group led by Charanjit Singh threatened us that we would be thrashed by members of the gurdwara task force. It was only on the intervention of some Sikh devotees that the staff allowed us to spend the night in the langar hall,” said Prashar.

“It is probably for the first time that a Sikh shrine has turned away devotees seeking shelter and food,” he regretted. He said the sabha had written to the Akalt Takt chief to ensure such an incident did not recur.