Dhami Withdraws Resignation, 'Damdami Taksal' Opposes 'Jathedar' Removal

On 17 Mar, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Executive Committee rejected Harjinder Singh Dhami's resignation as SGPC chief. Dhami had resigned on 17 Feb. On 18 Mar, Dhami withdrew his resignation and took charge again as the chief of SGPC. Meanwhile, on the eve of Hola Mohalla (festival of colors invoking Sikh preparations for battles), the Damdami Taksal (Sikh seminary, DT) delivered a jolt to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) by opposing the sacking of Jathedars (leaders) of the three Takhts (thrones). In 2011, DT led by Harnam Singh Dhumma had entered into an alliance with SAD for the SGPC elections. A Panthic (Sikh Collective) gathering at Anandpur Sahib on 14 Mar called by Dhumma passed six resolutions, including an appeal to the SGPC Executive Committee to respect the feelings of the Sikh Panth and reinstate Giani Raghbir Singh, Giani Sultan Singh, and Giani Harpreet Singh. Another resolution appealed to SGPC to frame rules for the appointment and removal of the Jathedars. The charter said, if SGPC fails to revoke its decision on the removal of the Jathedars, Sikhs from all over Panjab would march to Amritsar on 28 Mar when SGPC will hold its General House Meeting. Meanwhile, on 15 Mar, the newly installed Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, who was also appointed Akal Takht (Eternal Throne) acting Jathedar, reiterated his appeal to the Sikh community to unite and announced the launch of a Panthic Lehar (unity wave). Earlier he had said, he does not represent the SAD but is committed to serving the entire Panth. After his uneventful address, Sikh organizations and Nihang (traditional Sikh warrior) groups peacefully took out the traditional procession—a custom from the time of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru (Sovereign). The march marked the conclusion of the three-day Hola Mohalla festival (earlier coverage).

The Panjab government has decided not to reimpose the National Security Act (NSA) on seven associates of jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh. The seven associates will be transferred from Assam’s Dibrugarh jail to Panjab to face trial in various cases, including the 2023 Ajnala police station attack on charges of attempted murder, spreading disharmony, and obstructing public servants. The Ajnala attack, led by Amritpal on 23 Feb 2023, involved a violent mob storming the station to free associate Lovepreet Singh Toofan, injuring several police officers. Amritpal, the Waris Punjab De chief, will remain in Dibrugarh jail under NSA and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act charges. The seven associates—Basant Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Gurmeet Singh Gill, Sarabjeet Singh Kalsi, Gurinderpal Singh Aujla, Harjeet Singh, and Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal—will be brought back to Panjab starting 18 Mar, as their NSA detention expires. A police team led by Superintendent of Police Harinder Singh Gill is stationed in Dibrugarh to secure their transit remand. NSA allows the government to detain individuals for up to twelve months without formal charges. Amritpal’s father, Tarsem Singh, hopes his son will also be brought back after his NSA detention ends on 23 Apr. Meanwhile, a parliamentary panel recommended a 54-day leave of absence for Amritpal, to prevent his disqualification due to prolonged absence from Lok Sabha (Lower House) sessions. The panel’s report will be presented before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is hearing Amritpal’s petition to attend Parliament while the session is on. Amritpal’s lawyer, Iman Singh Khara, stated that the NSA detention of four associates ends on 18 Mar, while others will complete their terms by 26 Mar. The Panjab government’s decision not to extend the NSA reflects a shift in strategy, focusing on legal prosecution rather than prolonged detention (earlier coverage).

The Panjab government has announced the dates for the state’s budget session from 21–28 Mar. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema will present the 2025–26 Budget on 26 Mar. After the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) recent electoral loss in Delhi, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal went on a 10-day Vipassana (meditation) session in Hoshiarpur. Upon return he is focussing on Panjab where the party has faced recent setbacks in local municipality polls but manages to retain mayoral posts through alliances and defections. Panjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and Kejriwal marked the completion of three years of AAP governance by paying respects at Amritsar’s key religious sites, including Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple), and two Hindu temples Durgiana Mandir and Ram Tirth Sthal. Kejriwal also met senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lakshmi Kanta Chawla sparking speculation of an alliance between AAP and BJP for the Panjab Assembly elections in 2027. Senior Indian National Congress (INC) leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira criticised CM Mann for ‘remote-control governance’ by Kejriwal, while BJP’s state chief Sunil Jakhar accused the government of allowing law and order to deteriorate. Jakhar insisted only Kejriwal remains safe behind extensive Panjab police security, questioning why the public is left unprotected. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition INC’s Partap Singh Bajwa demanded that in the budget AAP govt. must provide three years of arrears—USD 4.31B—to women awaiting the monthly USD 11.55 allowance promised in 2022. Amid these controversies, Kejriwal dismissed rumors that CM Mann would be replaced, insisting he will complete his term and seek re-election. On the administrative front, the Panjab Cabinet has approved a waiver under the Punjab Transparency in Public Procurement Act, enabling continued ‘English for Work’ training in government colleges, and approved setting up 40 Hunar Sikhiya (talent education) Schools at USD 3.7M.

With the Panjab government set to present its 2025–26 Budget on 26 Mar, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has declared plans to march to the state Assembly on the same day. At a meeting on 16 Mar, SKM said protesters would gather in Sector 34, Chandigarh before proceeding to the Assembly. According to SKM, the march is to negate Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s false narrative that their demands are from the union govt., not the state. Farmers point out that the state govt. had even agreed to some of these demands in December 2023 but has not implemented them. Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led govt. faces mounting criticism for blocking the 5 Mar farmers’ rally and detaining scores of farmer leaders preemptively before the rally. CM Mann’s current stance is ironic because AAP itself is a party born out of protests and AAP supported the Farmers Protest 1.0 in 2020-21. In fact, that protest and people’s will to uproot the traditional parties—Shiromani Akali Dal and Indian National Congress—had brought AAP to power in Panjab. CM Mann seems to be under pressure from urban areas which have now started opposing farmers because they claim protests hamper their business. Meanwhile, farmer unions Samyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mukti Morcha—who are on sit-ins on Panjab and Haryana interstate borders Khanauri and Shambhu—have readied a plan on the implementation of Minimum Support Price referencing parliamentary recommendations and an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report on how Indian farmers are indirectly taxed. Talks are set to take place on 19 Mar between farmer representatives and a union govt. delegation led by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had earlier proposed a five-year procurement plan for pulses, maize, and cotton (earlier coverage).

On 14 Mar, five devotees celebrating Nanakshahi 557 (Sikh New Year) were injured when a man wielding an iron rod stormed Sri Guru Ramdas Niwas (inn) inside the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar. According to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the attacker, identified by police as Julfan from Shadipur in Yamunanagar, Haryana, had left home three days back after a family dispute. SGPC secretary Partap Singh said the man turned violent when questioned, striking two Sevadars (ones performing service) and three visiting devotees, two of whom sustained critical head wounds. The assailant was subdued by Sevadars and handed over to the police. A day later, on 15 Mar, two unidentified men on a motorcycle threw a grenade at Thakurdwara temple in the Khandwala area of Amritsar around midnight, damaging its wall but causing no injuries. Closed-circuit footage showed one suspect repeatedly struggling to remove the grenade’s pin before hurling it. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar linked the incident to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence mischief aiming to disturb communal harmony. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann denounced such attempts, accusing external elements of trying to destabilize the state’s peace. On 16 Mar, police tracked down two suspects believed responsible for the grenade attack, leading to an exchange of fire in which one of the accused, identified as Gursidak Singh from Bal village, was killed. Another suspect, Vishal, fled and is being pursued. These incidents follow a spate of grenade-throwing attacks over the past few months, targeting police posts and police stations. On 17 Mar, Panjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said 'Bullet for Bullet' is not aggressive policy but a self-defence mechanism reminding Panjab watchers of former DGP Julio Ribeiro's infamous statement from the 1980s. Ribeiro helmed the Panjab police from 1985-1988 when the trend of fake encounter killings started.

On 13 Mar, the Moga district president of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) Mangat Rai alias Manga, was shot dead by three motorcycle-borne assailants in Panjab. The attack occurred late in the evening when Manga, 52, stepped out to buy groceries. A 12-year-old boy was also injured when a bullet missed Manga and hit him. CCTV footage shows Manga attempting to evade the attackers by scaling a gate, but he was eventually chased and shot dead. The assailants posted a video on Instagram claiming responsibility, alleging Manga extorted money and threatened their families. Police have registered a First Information Report against six suspects, citing personal rivalry as the motive. Manga’s family denies any enmity, and Shiv Sena workers protested, blocking National Highway 5 at Ferozepur demanding justice, a government job for the family, and financial assistance. Meanwhile, six individuals linked to the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) were sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar for smuggling weapons, ammunition, and explosives via drones in 2019. Three others received ten-year prison terms. The group, allegedly connected to Germany-based Gurmeet Singh Bagga and Pakistan-based Ranjeet Singh Neeta, are allegedly fomenting terror in Panjab, but evidence remains ambiguous. The NIA took over the case in October 2019, uncovering a conspiracy to distribute arms and counterfeit currency in Tarn Taran district. The court imposed fines on all nine convicts, who were charged under the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act. Lawyer Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, representing the accused, lamented the sentencing without the NIA filing cases, faulty evidence and no recovery of weapons. He announced he would boycott the NIA court until the judge Manjot Kaur is replaced.

On 15 March, locals in Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh (HP) caused sword wounds to a young man from Panjab after he refused to remove a ‘Khalistan’ flag from his motorbike. It must be noted that there is no flag of Khalistan. However, the yellow, triangular flag with or without lettering is associated with Sikhs. In another incident at Kasol, a group of twenty tourists from Panjab created chaos at the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) barrier in Kasol. The tourists refused to pay the nominal maintenance fee, broke the barrier and proceeded to Manikaran. In yet another incident, a scuffle broke out between bikers from Panjab and the owner of a village resort in Manikaran. Akal Takht (eternal throne, AT) acting Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj has condemned the violent clash between Sikh and Panjabi youth with locals in HP. He alleged some miscreants tore down Sikh flags and pictures of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale (1947-84, prominent Sikh leader) in the presence of the police. He issued an advisory to Sikh youth to ensure their vehicle documents were in order and refrain from travelling alone. On 18 Mar, Dal Khalsa (a Sikh group) activists stopped Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses coming from HP and other vehicles having the registration plate from the hill state and pasted Bhindranwale’s photo on them. The issue has reached the HP Assembly where former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's Jairam Thakur said the atmosphere in the state was being spoiled due to people coming from other states. Meanwhile, in Patiala, on the night of 13-14 Mar, Panjab police officers assaulted a senior Army officer Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath, and his son, Angad Singh, over a car parking issue. Following the family's repeated complaints and furore in the defence fraternity, Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police apologized and suspended twelve police officials.

Panjab’s ongoing clampdown on the drug trade continued as Tarn Taran Police apprehended an international narcotics smuggler identified as Shehnaz Singh alias Shawn Bhinder on 10 Mar. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has also been pursuing Bhinder who is a resident of Brampton, Canada. Panjab police officials said Bhinder allegedly trafficked cocaine from Colombia into the US and Canada. Four of his associates were already arrested abroad on 26 Feb with 391 kg of meth, 109 kg of cocaine, and several firearms. Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court came down hard on Panjab government for failing to supply data to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), thus hindering a high-level probe into illicit over-the-counter drug sales. The court gave the Panjab govt. a 10-day ultimatum to forward the requested information. On the enforcement front, the Aam Aadmi Party-led govt. declared that non-commercial drug users would receive de-addiction and rehabilitation help under Section 64(a) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act rather than be criminally charged. Officials note Panjab had the second-highest NDPS case count nationally after Kerala in 2024 but recorded cases have declined over the past three years, from 12,423 in 2022 to 9,025 in 2024. Special Director General of Police Arpit Shukla said enforcement, de-addiction, and prevention form the core of the state’s strategy, adding that 1,658 suspected peddlers have been arrested in the last 12 days. However, in violation of the Supreme Court of India’s decision, the Panjab govt. continues to demolish traffickers’ illegal assets. In Sunam, Sangrur district, Budh Singh’s alleged drug-peddling houses or shops were torn down. The Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana also demolished six illegal constructions and eight encroachments in different parts of the city on 12 Mar (earlier coverage).

Indian National Congress Member of Parliament from Chandigarh Manish Tiwari has raised issues with the Delimitation exercise planned for 2026. He said if Delimitation takes place according to the current formula, Panjab and Haryana, which currently have 13 and 10 Lok Sabha (lower house) seats respectively, would be down to just 18 seats cumulatively in the Indian Parliament. Delimitation is an exercise of redrawing boundaries of parliamentary constituencies according to population density. Parliamentary constituencies are defined on the basis of population. Over the past few decades, India has had an uneven growth in population. The population of south Indian states, and Panjab and Haryana—which efficiently followed family planning—has grown slower than the population of central Indian states where family planning was not effectively implemented. Delimitation was carried out in 1952 and 1962. It was first deferred in 1976 and again in 2001 by 25 years each time. Delimitation is now due in 2026 but south Indian parties like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Tamil Nadu, Left Democratic Front alliance in Kerala, Indian National Congress (INC) in Karnataka are opposing the move. Calling for a new formula or a perpetual freeze on the current provisions, Tewari said, 'If delimitation is held on the current principles of one citizen, one vote and one value then not only the south but even north India would lose as the share of the northern states will go down further.' Panjab INC has joined Tiwali’s call. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has tried to reassure those raising their voice by saying, 'The southern states will not lose a single Parliamentary seat on account of Delimitation.' However, his assurance seems hollow because no new formula has been proposed. In fact, even the national Census due in 2021 has not yet been conducted. There are no exact numbers available on how many people reside in any constituency (earlier coverage).

Panjab’s wetlands are seeing a large influx of migratory birds this season, including uncommon raptors such as Red-headed Falcons, Eastern Imperial Eagles, and waterfowl. Officials and ornithologists credit improved prey bases, confirming that protected areas like Harike and Keshopur remain significant stopovers for species traveling from as far away as Siberia. Even as these swamps thrive with flocks of flamingos, Northern Lapwings, and Steppe Gulls, other ecological indicators pose concern. Between June and September 2024, around 25K trees in the reservoir zone of the Shahpur Kandi Dam were felled, although authorities insist the cutting of trees was crucial to prevent floating wood from damaging twenty-two hydraulic gates and nine head regulators. To offset this, 64K saplings were planted around the Ranjit Sagar and Shahpur Kandi Dams. The India State Forest Report released in 2023 reveals Panjab’s forest cover dipped slightly—from 1,846.54 sq km in 2021 to 1,846.09 sq km, down by 0.45 sq km—and remains only 3.67% of the total 50,362 sq km area. Among Indian states, Panjab is next to Haryana in terms of lowest forest cover. Encouragingly, tree cover climbed from 1,297.93 sq km to 1,465.15 sq km, reflecting an uptick in agroforestry. It must be noted that Panjab extracts 28.95 billion cubic meters (BCM) annually, leaving an 11.32 BCM deficit. To address depletion, Panjab plans 3,960 recharge structures—pits, check dams, new ponds—and has begun reconditioning canals to bolster surface-water usage, aiming to reduce reliance on groundwater for irrigation. In tandem, the forest department has embarked on ‘ground truthing’ for 1,143 prospective wetlands across the state. By matching satellite data with on-site verification, officials intend to designate new wetlands, protect biodiversity, and fortify natural aquifer recharge. Experts hail these moves but warn that habitat loss, global warming, and rapid urbanisation could still imperil migratory patterns (earlier coverage).