'Akal Takht' Pardons Dhadrianwale, 'Takhts' Challenge Each Other’s Authority

On 21 May, five years after being first summoned by Akal Takht (Eternal Throne, AT), Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale appeared before the AT and pledged to abide by the Sikh principles and traditions. After deliberations, the Panj Piare (beloved-enthroned)—AT acting Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) granthi (hymns’ reciter) Giani Rajdeep Singh, Takht (Throne) Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Baba Tek Singh, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib head granthi Joginder Singh and AT's granthi Giani Gurbakshish Singh—accepted Dhadrianwale's apology and allowed him to preach Sikhism solely in the light of keeping the sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib (scripture and charter) and Sikh Rehat Maryada (code of conduct). The AT ordered the suspension of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer of Gurdwara Baba Buddha Ji, Hamilton, Canada, over serious allegations of harassment against Bibi Parminderpal Kaur, widow of Sikh martyr Dr. Gurpreet Singh, a native of Ludhiana. Sant Singh, President of the Gurdwara has also been summoned and asked to appear before AT. AT also asked the entire management panel of the Takht Patna Sahib to appear over non-compliance of its orders. In response, the Panj Piaras of Takht Patna Sahib held AT and Takht Damdama Sahib temporal heads tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct) for meddling in its affairs. They have also summoned Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal as well. The AT Secretariat, Amritsar, has now ordered the Takht Patna Sahib management to withdraw this decision or face stern action. The statement said: ‘According to Sikh Rehat Maryada, Sri Akal Takht Sahib is the highest among the five Takhts, and its decisions and orders are binding on all Takht Sahibs and the entire Sikh community.’ These developments indicate the shallowness with which institutions are wielding time-honored traditions and misusing them as labels, lowering their own sanctity. Meanwhile, the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee has elected Jagdish Singh Jhinda as their president. Later, Jhinda announced the committee’s 11-member executive body—five office-bearers and six executive body members (earlier coverage).

At the 10^th Governing Council meeting of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog (Commission) on 24 May, Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann brought up the state's clash with Haryana on river water distribution. He said, Panjab has no surplus water to share and if Haryana has claim over the water in Ravi and Beas rivers, then his state should have an equal claim on the waters of river Yamuna. This has been Mann's public stance for a few years now but his own government's resolutions on 5 May contradict this stand. The fourth resolution passed by the Panjab Legislative Assembly invoked Panjab's Riparian status on rivers Satluj, Ravi, and Beas and asked why is their water diverted to other states? Now, by again discussing Haryana’s claim and bringing up sharing of river Yamuna's waters, Mann is diluting this stand. Earlier, on 20 May, the Union government, Haryana, and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) opposed Panjab’s plea for recalling the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s 6 May order over the Bhakra water dispute. Haryana described Panjab’s actions—locking up the BBMP chairman for two hours at a guest house and not allowing water to be released to Haryana—as unlawful, misleading, and in breach of judicial orders. Haryana also accused Panjab of using 22.67% more water than its allocated share from the Satluj, Ravi, and Beas rivers in the past 21 years. However, Panjab had used only 64-91% of its share in the last decade. On 22 May, the Union govt. sanctioned a contingent of 296 armed Central Industrial Security Force personnel to cover the Nangal Dam. The move came on a day when the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Panjab organized a Fateh (victory) Rally for not letting extra water to flow to Haryana till 20 May after which the next water cycle has begun. The decision to deploy central forces on dams was taken on 19 March 2021 when the Indian National Congress was ruling Panjab (earlier coverage).

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, on 17 May condemned the Panjab government for altering the image of Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) through computer-generated techniques in an advertisement issued to solicit suggestions regarding upcoming centenary commemorations. Dhami further stated that despite hundreds of authentic images of Darbar Sahib being available on the internet, the govt.’s decision to distort one through digital manipulation is deeply painful. The family of artist Sobha Singh also raised objections against the unauthorized use of Guru Harigobind's painting by the Panjab govt. Sobha Singh’s grandson Hirday Paul Singh said, 'Its use without permission, along with the removal of the artist’s name, constitutes a clear case of copyright infringement. It is deeply regrettable that such disregard has been shown toward the legacy of Sobha Singh, who was honored as the State Artist by the Panjab govt. in 1973. Meanwhile, a row has erupted over the SGPC’s decision to put on hold the decision to install former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s portrait in the Central Sikh Museum. Sikh scholars, writers, and historians have termed the SGPC’s move 'deeply disappointing' and politically motivated, accusing it of caving under pressure and undermining the legacy of a globally respected Sikh figure. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh-based All-India Sikh-Punjabi Welfare Council (AISPWC) has claimed that over 3,000 Sikhs have been converted to Christianity in the Terai district of Pilibhit along the India-Nepal border in the last few years. The community welfare organization has drawn up a preliminary list of 160 affected families and sent it to the local administration on 17 May, seeking action against Christian missionaries from Nepal allegedly responsible for the conversion. A copy of the list has been forwarded to Chief Minister Ajay Mohan Singh Bisht alias Yogi Adityanath. Harpal Singh Jaggi, AISPWC state president and acting president of Lucknow Gurdwara Management Committee, alleged pastors have been actively facilitating conversions in border villages such as Bailha, Tatarganj, and Bamanpur Bhagirath since 2020.

On 19 May, a Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar court acquitted Jagtar Singh Hawara serving life for the 1995 killing of former Indian National Congress’ Panjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, in another 2005 arms-and-explosives case. This clears the way for Hawara’s parole, his lawyer said after Judge Tejpartap Singh Randhawa announced the decision. The court noted no weapons were recovered. Apart from the assassination case, in the past three decades Hawara has faced 32 charges and been announced not guilty in all of them. Meanwhile, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decided, after consulting legal experts, that it will not withdraw the 2012 mercy petition for Balwant Singh Rajoana, another death-row convict in the Beant Singh assassination. SGPC insists the Union government must act. Also, in Delhi, the High Court ordered 1993 blast convict Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar to surrender as his parole ended, dismissing his medical exemption plea. Bhullar was condemned in 2001 for the bombing of Delhi Youth Congress (DYC) office that killed nine and injured 31 including then DYC president Maninderjeet Singh Bitta. In 2014, the Supreme Court of India had commuted his death sentence to life and he was transferred to Amritsar Central Jail in 2015 for treatment. In other news, after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, security agencies have widened the Pahalgam terror attack probe. Police in Haryana, Panjab, and Uttar Pradesh have arrested at least nine people, including a travel vlogger, on charges of spying for Pakistan. Panjab police said surveillance of six suspects held earlier in Pathankot, Malerkotla, Bathinda, and Gurdaspur identified about fifty more contacts now under scrutiny. In Batala, Panjab police allegedly dismantled an Inter-Services Intelligence-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) cell directed by Portugal-based Maninder Singh Billa and handler Jaswinder Singh alias Mannu Agwan. Six operatives were captured after an exchange of fire in which accused Jatin Kumar was injured and a 30-bore pistol seized. Investigators say the group had planned a grenade attack on a liquor vendor and took orders from BKI mastermind Harwinder Singh Rinda (earlier coverage).

The Ludhiana (West) by-poll will be held on 19 Jun and the results will be out 23 Jun. The Aam Aadmi Party has named Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjeev Arora, Indian National Congress (INC) has named former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Shiromani Akali Dal has named Parupkar Singh Ghuman and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is yet to name its candidate. Meanwhile, the Union government has imposed a drastic cut in Panjab's open market borrowing limit. The state has been accorded approval to borrow USD 2.5B for the first nine months of the ongoing financial year (April-December), as against USD 4.1B Panjab had demanded for this time period. The AAP govt. is also facing flak for recently appointing 31 people as chairpersons of corporations and other govt. organizations. Reena Gupta, an AAP national spokesperson from Delhi, considered close to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, has been appointed as chairperson of Punjab Pollution Control Board. Deepak Chouhan, aide of Rajya Sabha member Dr Sandeep Pathak from Uttar Pradesh has been appointed as chairperson of Punjab Large Industrial Development Board. Prabhvir Brar, a close aide of Delhi’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia from Panjab has been appointed chairperson of Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited. INC leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira termed the appointments of Chouhan and Gupta as 'double blunder' and an insult to the AAP volunteers from Panjab. Panjab BJP chief Sunil Jhakkar said, ‘The CM is outsourcing Panjab’s governance to Delhi bosses.’ On 23 May, the Panjab Vigilance Bureau arrested Jalandhar Central AAP Member of Legislative Assembly Raman Arora in a corruption case involving former Assistant Town Planner Sukhdev Vashisht. Arora allegedly used Vashisht to issue bogus notices and extort money from targeted individuals. AAP stated: 'Mann’s big action against corruption. No one is above the law—not even those within AAP' (earlier coverage).

On 22 May, Panjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema announced the implementation of the state government's new land pooling policy. He emphasized it was a '100% voluntary participation' scheme and asserted farmers could potentially see returns of up to 400% on their land investment. The policy allows landowners contributing one acre of land, currently valued at approximately USD 146K, to receive developed residential plots of 1,000 square yards and commercial plots of 200 square yards, collectively valued at around USD 493K. Cheema stressed this marks a departure from earlier forced acquisitions by previous govts. and said the move would dismantle 'land mafia' networks previously benefiting political allies. He added, govt. agencies would undertake infrastructure development, including roads, water supply, sewerage, drainage, and electricity, enhancing the market value significantly. However, the announcement sparked outrage among farmers in Ludhiana's 44 affected villages from the 24,311 acres the govt. is targetting. Farmers termed the move as a disguised 'land grab'. Farmers like Jagroop Singh from Hassanpur are skeptical over receiving promised plots promptly or finding buyers. Farmers from villages like Pamal and Gauhar said existing land prices already exceed USD 587K per acre. Member of Legislative Assembly, Shiromani Akali Dal’s Manpreet Singh Ayali questioned the policy’s feasibility, while environmentalist Samita Kaur argued it prioritized urbanization over agriculture. Separately, on 23 May, Panjab's cabinet amended the Punjab Management and Transfer of Municipal Properties Rules, 2021, requiring buyers of govt. properties to pay the full amount within 6 months instead of three years. The aim is to expedite revenue collection and reduce legal disputes. On 27 May, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal launched the Easy Registration scheme. The govt. promises registration of sale deeds will now be processed within 48 hours of the submission of documents. The cabinet also allocated USD 587K to the Punjab Innovation Mission to promote industrial growth and job creation and approved service rules for Panjab police personnel promoted through sports quotas (earlier coverage).

Supported by bumper production and state-level bonuses, the Indian government wheat procurement for the 2025-26 winter marketing season reached 29.7 million tonnes (MT) as of 22 May. This is the highest since the 2021-22 season. Panjab led with 11.9 MT, followed by Madhya Pradesh (7.77 MT), Haryana (7.14 MT), Rajasthan (1.83 MT), and Uttar Pradesh (1.0 MT). Union government’s procurement targets were set at 31.2 MT, but Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi indicated actual purchases could exceed 32 MT ensuring ample stocks for food distribution and market interventions. Reflecting increased output, grain market prices of major food crops except wheat remained below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Madhya Pradesh offered a bonus of INR 175 per quintal and Rajasthan INR 150 per quintal over the MSP of INR 2,425 per quintal, encouraging higher farmer participation. Panjab did not offer a bonus. Meanwhile, India's bumper crop, estimated at 117 MT by the US Department of Agriculture, has prompted flour millers to request the govt. to lift the wheat export ban imposed in 2022. Millers argue that ample grain stocks justify resuming exports of wheat products. Separately, to leverage booming property markets, the Panjab govt. transferred eight villages—Manakpur, Khera Gajju, Urna, Changera, Ucha Khera, Gurditpura, Hadayatpura, and Lehlan—from Rajpura in Patiala district to Banur Sub-Tehsil in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS Nagar) district, simplifying land transactions and enhancing property values. On 20 May, the state govt. announced these villages now fall under SAS Nagar’s jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Indian National Congress’ Patiala Member of Parliament Dr Dharamvira Gandhi's project to connect Chandigarh with Rajpura and further south Panjab through a 24 km railway line was approved this week when Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu approved the project (earlier coverage).

On 18-19 May, the Panjab police raided homes of leaders and activists of the Zameen Prapati Sangarsh Committee (ZPSC) in Sangrur district and arrested 130 activists. The reason for the raid was that on 28 Feb, the Dalits (marginalized caste) from the Malwa region had announced if the Panjab government does not declare 927 acres once owned by the erstwhile princely state of Jind as nazool (public) land and redistribute it among Dalits and other landless communities as per the Punjab Land Reform Act (PLRA), 1972, they would claim it. The ninth and last titular king of the Jind, Satbir Singh, had died in Gurugram in August 2023 without leaving an heir. However, on 20 May, when ZPSC marched to claim the land at Bir Eswan village, the police in six adjoining districts were mobilized and they blocked all the roads leading to the land. When activists marched on foot, hundreds of them were arrested. Many of them were later released but over 400 remain in custody and nearly 300 were jailed. ZPSC president Mukesh Malaud said, 'The detained activists are being subjected to inhumane treatment. They are confined in overcrowded cells, denied clean drinking water, proper food, and even barred from receiving essential items and clothes sent by their families.' The Pendu Mazdoor Union (Rural Labor Union, PMU) has intensified its campaign against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt. The Pendu Khet Mazdoor Union (Rural Farm labor Union) too demanded ‘immediate and unconditional’ release of all arrested activists. Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said, 'The land primarily consists of forest bed, with nearly 800 acres classified as such. Additionally, about 125 acres of arable land are under the cultivation of private individuals linked to the late kin Satbir Singh’s ownership. The transfer of ownership from the kin to the government is currently under dispute. The matter is sub judice.' National Dalit organizations have opposed the arrests and organized a protest at Punjab Bhawan (House) in New Delhi (earlier coverage).

China has announced plans to accelerate work on a flagship dam in Pakistan. The Mohmand dam in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province is designed to serve as a multi-purpose facility for power generation, flood control, irrigation and water supply, generate an estimated 800MW of hydropower, and supply 300M gallons a day of drinking water to Peshawar. The move comes weeks after India placed the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance. The announcement comes ahead of Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Beijing on 20 May for talks with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, 'China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners.' One month after India placed IWT in abeyance, river flow data and geospatial evidence suggest that the Indian government has made flushing of dams a regular exercise. However, to contain all the water in the six rivers under IWT, India needs to build many dams, some of which locals are opposing. On May 23, under the banner of Lahaul-Spiti Ekta Manch (Unity Forum, LSEM), hundreds of residents gathered in Himachal Pradesh's Udaipur to protest against the 17 proposed hydropower projects in the Chenab Valley. According to LSEM, Lahaul is a cold desert region that is extremely fragile both geographically and ecologically. Hence, such projects should not be undertaken. Meanwhile, on 20 May, the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) resumed the Beating Retreat ceremony at the Joint Check Posts at Attari, Hussainiwala and Sadki in Amritsar, Ferozepur, and Fazilka districts on the Panjab border. This has brought relief to the people living near the border, whose primary livelihood depends on tourists attending the ceremony. However, the usual symbolic handshake between the BSF and Pakistan Rangers will not take place, and the border gates will remain closed during the flag-lowering ceremony. Meanwhile, neither has the Kartarpur Corridor been reopened, nor has trade been resumed through the Attari–Wagah border. Pakistan has also condemned India’s visa denial to Sikh pilgrims from attending the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan and the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (earlier coverage).

Amid growing concerns over human rights violations, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO), once led by the late Justice Ajit Singh Bains (1922-2022), has been reconstituted. Justice Ranjit Singh, former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge has been unanimously appointed as its new chairman. The decision was taken during a meeting of over two dozen human rights activists held on Saturday at Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan, Chandigarh. A draft outlining the organization's declaration and structural framework was presented and unanimously adopted after detailed discussions. Former Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Registrar Dr Piara Lal Garg, was elected as vice chairman. The following were appointed: Malvinder Singh Mali as general secretary, advocate Rajvinder Singh Bains as head of legal wing, advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka as head of research wing, and senior journalist Hamir Singh as organizing secretary. The meeting also resolved to elect office bearers and establish district-level committees to strengthen grassroots engagement. Meanwhile, according to data obtained by media house The Hindu under the Right to Information Act, in 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled 57 Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) registrations under Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955. The number is nearly half the number of cancellations in the previous 10 years. The MHA executed 122 such cancellations from 2014 to 2023. OCI is the Indian response to demands for recognition of dual nationality, and OCI card holders, are typically people of Indian descent who no longer live in the country or are foreign nationals married to Indians and have historically been able to travel freely within India and work in the country, with the caveat that they cannot vote or own agricultural land. In 2021, long-term visas of 12 Persons of Indian Origin, mostly Sikhs, in Canada and OCI cardholders were cancelled for their role in Farmers Protest 1.0 (2020-2021) which MHA declared as 'anti-India protests.’