SAD Misses Akal Takht Deadline; SGPC Suspends Giani Harpreet Singh

On 2 Dec, the Akal Takht (Eternal Throne; AT) had instructed SAD to accept their president Sukhbir Singh Badal’s and other members’ resignation within three days (SDW Vol 2, Issue 49, Story 2). The deadline was later extended to 20 days. The extended deadline has also passed but SAD has still not accepted the resignations. SAD’s dilemma is if it obeys the AT’s directive, it risks being seen as a political party based on religious lines and being derecognized by the Election Commission of India. On 22 Dec, SAD leaders including the party’s working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar, attended a closed-door meeting with AT Jathedar (leader) Raghbir Singh and Takht Sri Kesgarh SahibJathedar Sultan Singh at Charan Kanwal Sahib Gurdwara in Machhiwara, Panjab. SAD will submit a reply explaining the legal points on 27 Dec after the conclusion of the Shahidi Jor Mela (Martyr’s Gathering). Meanwhile, on 19 Dec, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) suspended Jathedar of Takht Damadama Sahib, Giani Harpreet Singh, on the basis of a complaint by his own relative, Gurpreet Singh, over a personal matter. The SGPC has formed a three-member committee to look into the allegations. The decisions were taken at SGPC’s executive committee at Gurdwara Degsar Sahib Katana in Ludhiana under the leadership of SGPC president, Harjinder Singh Dhami. Two members of the executive committee, Jaswant Singh Purain and Paramjit Singh Raipur, opposed the formation of the investigation committee as being ‘one-sided’. Giani Harpreet Singh has alleged that certain SAD leaders are targeting him to distract from AT directions regarding its reorganisation. The SGPC was to hold a meeting on 23 Dec but it was called off citing technical reasons.

Since 24 Nov, eight blasts have taken place in Panjab, mostly targeting police stations and police check posts. The blasts have not caused any loss of life or substantial loss of property. The latest explosion was on 20 Dec at the abandoned Wadala Bangar police post in Kalanaur, district Gurdaspur. Some of the other attacks were: 19 Dec, Kalanaur; 17 Dec, Islamabad, Amritsar; 13 Dec, Ghania Ke Bangar, Batala; 2 Dec, Nawanshahr; and 29 Nov, a vacant post, Amritsar. The frequency of blasts is a matter of concern over the state’s law and order situation and reminiscent of similar blasts in 2021-22. Austrian-made Arges grenades used in these attacks were also used in the following: 1993 Mumbai, 2001 Indian Parliament and recently in Sector 10 Chandigarh. In the Chandigarh case, the suspect was identified as Rohan Masih, arrested from Amritsar. On 23 Dec, three Sikh men were gunned down in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP) in a joint operation by Panjab and UP police. Initial reports called the dead ‘criminals’ but in a few hours national and international media started reporting Gurvinder Singh, aged 25 years, Virender Singh alias Ravi, aged 23 years, Jaspreet Singh alias Pratap Singh, aged 18 years, were Khalistani ‘terrorists’, linked to the Gurdaspur blasts. The three hailed from poor families and had clean police records. Modules of Khalistan Zindabad (long live) Force (KZF) have claimed responsibility for the blasts through unverified social media posts. On 24 Dec, Panjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav claimed British Army soldier Jagjeet Singh alias Fateh Singh ‘Baagi’ was the KZF operative behind the blasts. On 25 Dec, UK Ministry of Defence denied the claim saying no person with that name serves in their Army.

AAP faced mixed outcomes in the recent Panjab civic poll results. The party won only one of the five municipal corporations—Patiala. AAP emerged as the single largest party in Jalandhar and Ludhiana but remains short of majority votes. Despite allegations by BJP and SAD of fake voting, Panjab AAP chief Aman Arora announced that the party secured 55% of the total wards, winning 522 out of 977 wards across five corporations, 41 councils, and nagar panchayats (local councils), compared to INC’s 20% (191 wards), BJP’s 7% (69 wards), and SAD’s 3% (31 wards). Despite this, AAP failed to achieve a majority in Sangrur which is CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s home turf, winning merely seven of 29 wards. Additionally, AAP suffered setbacks as the wives of two sitting AAP MLAs lost their respective seats in Ludhiana. In contrast, the BJP made notable gains, particularly in semi-rural areas, securing victories in multiple wards, as well as in nagar panchayats like Bhadson (Patiala) and Bhikhi (Mansa). BJP’s success included defeating prominent AAP candidates such as Poonam Ratra in Ludhiana’s Ward 77. Meanwhile, the SAD experienced a significant decline, winning only 3% of the seats with 31 victories out of 977 wards, while independent candidates emerged victorious in approximately 15% of the wards. INC led in Amritsar and Phagwara, with the party winning 43 out of 85 wards in Amritsar and 22 out of 50 wards in Phagwara, often supported by Independents. The results have raised concerns about AAP’s dominance. INC leader Sandeep Singh Sandhu said after AAP’s significant victories in the 2022 Assembly polls, these results are a climbdown.

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal’s hunger strike reached a critical stage on 19 Dec where he briefly fainted and prompted doctors to warn that his life now ‘hangs by a thread.’ Dallewal’s fast has since entered its 29^th day. While the Panjab govt. has set up nearby medical facilities, they have reportedly not yet conducted essential tests, leading the Supreme Court of India (SCI) on 19 Dec to sharply rebuke the state’s inaction and demand immediate health examinations for Dallewal. The court compared his situation to that of Irom Sharmila, an activist from Manipur, who continued her 16-year long protest against the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, under medical supervision, urging a similar approach towards Dallewal to ensure his well-being. In a significant observation on the last four years of farmers’ protests, SCI also noted that Dallewal and farmers have never physically confronted the state. Amid this, president of BJP Panjab unit, Sunil Jakhar urged Sarwan Singh Pandher and those close to Dallewal to convince him to call off his fast-unto-death protest because the SCI has taken note of the hunger strike. Pandher accused Jhakar of playing politics, and added that Dallewal’s life can only be saved if the Union govt. listens to their demands. Dallewal’s hunger strike is the latest chapter in Panjab’s history of protests through fasting, following iconic precedents like Bhagat Singh’s 116-day fast in 1929 for prisoners’ rights, Master Tara Singh’s attempt in 1961 for a Panjabi-speaking state, Sant Fateh Singh’s 1966 fast over Chandigarh’s status, Darshan Singh Pheruman’s fatal strike in 1969 for Panjabi-speaking areas, and Surat Singh Khalsa’s extended hunger protest from 2015 to 2023 for releasing Sikh political prisoners.

On the call of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), farmers from various states protested the proposed New Agricultural Trade Policy (NATP). SKM also demanded that the Union govt. immediately hold talks with farmers to save the life of Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political; NP) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death protest has entered Day 29, and free all the farmers arrested from Noida and Greater Noida arrested on 6 Dec. In its letter to the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, SKM said, ‘[…] reduction in food subsidy by USD 7.1B and fertiliser subsidy by USD 7.3B in the last three consecutive years are corporate attacks on the existing system of limited Minimum Support Price and food security of the country.’ On 21 Dec, SKM held a meeting in Patiala with the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), one of two organizations spearheading the current Farmers Protest 2.0. The meeting was to work out the modalities to present a joint front ‘at this difficult time’ during the ongoing agitation at the Panjab and Haryana borders. Soon after the meeting, SKM senior leader Joginder Ugrahan, head of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) said, ‘The talks have been held in a positive environment. We will now hold meetings of our respective unions. After discussions, we will decide the future course of action.’ It must be noted that according to the Indian Constitution, trade and commerce of agricultural products is Article 33 of the Concurrent List. Both state and Union govt. have rights on the list, but if a policy is being made to favour the trader and not the farmer, it is a matter of judicial intervention.

On 21 Dec, the Vice President of India and Chancellor of the Panjab University (PU), Chandigarh, Jagdeep Dhankhar visited the campus for the university’s Global Alumni Meet. Students of the university have been protesting over the absence of university Senate elections this year (SDW Vol 2, Issue 47, Story 7). The Senate term ended on 31 Oct. PU gates were closed for long hours and the protesting students were not allowed to meet Dhankar. Earlier, on 10 Dec, the Union Minister of State for Education, Sukanta Majumdar responded to Chandigarh INC MP Manish Tewari, ‘The government has no plan to convert PU into a central university at present.’ However, students remain suspicious of the Union govt.’s designs and sense that by not conducting Senate elections, the Union govt. wants to compromise PU’s autonomous position. PU was established in 1882 in Lahore and an additional unit moved to India after the 1947 Partition. Until 1966, Haryana was part of Panjab and its colleges were affiliated to the university. Once Haryana was carved out of Panjab, in 1973, the Ministry of Home Affairs notified that the university had ‘ceased to function and operate in the state of Haryana.’ Panjab’s politicians—across political lines—are united in their stance to preserve PU’s status. Panjab INC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also met Dhankar and emphasised on ‘senate elections at the earliest.’ On 21 Dec, a Chandigarh court dismissed PU’s plea seeking a permanent injunction on student protests on its campus.

Canadian authorities have issued formal warnings to Maninder Singh Gill, managing director of Radio India and a known critic of the Khalistan movement, cautioning that his life is in danger due to his public opposition to Khalistani elements in Canada. Gill stated that he received the first ‘duty to warn’ notice from Surrey’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) detachment in April 2023 and another similar warning in April 2024, both indicating his life may be at risk but withholding specific details. In the past, Gill was found guilty and charged by the RCMP for shooting Harjit Singh Atwal at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in 2010. Amid this, a CBC article noted a surge of misleading content about Canada’s Sikh and Hindu communities spread online, allegedly amplified by suspicious social media accounts and pro-Modi Indian news outlets. Meanwhile, Lucknow Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (LGPC) condemned the ongoing tensions between Sikh and Hindu groups in Canada. Acting president and general secretary of the LGPC, Harpal Singh Jaggi alleged that foreign agents were fueling communal tensions after violence erupted between pro-Khalistan and Hindutva groups in November in Brampton, Ontario (SDW Vol, 2 Issue 45, Story 2). Sikhs are a minority in Uttar Pradesh and the statement stems from concerns around antagonising the dominant Hindu majority in the region. Meanwhile, a recent exhibit presented by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) at the Museum of Surrey, British Columbia, drew criticism from the World Sikh Organization for what it deems to be anti-Sikh content. The display allegedly portrayed Sikhi as a branch of Hinduism and referred to Guru Granth Sahib as a ‘Hindu manuscript.’ The exhibit has since been removed.

On the night of 13 Dec, 11 Indians, including 9 Panjabis, died in a gas poisoning incident at a ski resort in Georgia. They worked in a restaurant at a resort, called Haveli, located at Gudauri, a skiing and paragliding destination in the Caucasus mountains on the Georgia-Russia border. Their death was allegedly caused from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty power generator placed near their sleeping quarters. Among those dead were a newly married couple who had invested USD 15K to migrate, a young man who had hoped to celebrate his 27^th birthday, and others who had left their homes years ago seeking better opportunities abroad. Families in Panjab are now grappling with grief, uncertainty over repatriating the bodies, and mounting debts incurred in sending their loved ones abroad. In a statement, the Interior Ministry of Georgia said the deaths occurred in the resting area on the second floor of the Indian restaurant. ‘No signs of injuries or signs of violence were detected. According to the preliminary investigation, a power generator was placed in an indoor area near the bedrooms.’ Indian authorities, including the Indian Embassy in Tbilisi and Panjab’s officials, are working to ensure the swift return of the remains and to support the bereaved families. Politicians, such as Panjab INC MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, have urged the Panjab govt. to expedite the process. The incident has underscored not only the perils migrant workers face while striving for economic stability abroad, but also the need for better safety standards (SDW Vol 2, Issue 13, Story 10).

Three Panjab-based companies—Hoshiarpur’s International Tractors Ltd (ITL), Ludhiana’s Vardhman Textiles, and Trident Limited—have been featured in the latest Fortune 500 India rankings, which list the country’s top 500 corporations by sales and gross revenue. ITL, makers of Sonalika tractors, is placed at 237^th with total revenue of USD 1.2B, solidifying its position as India’s third largest tractor manufacturer. Incorporated in 1996, ITL produces 20-120 horsepower tractors, tailored to regional and application-specific needs, and is known for its engine technology. Meanwhile, Vardhman Textiles, based in Ludhiana, ranked 251^st (down from 212^th last year) with a revenue of USD 1.1B. Vardhman, India’s largest vertically integrated textile maker, produces 240K metric tons of yarn and 220M metres of woven fabric annually, employing over 30K people. Trident Limited climbed from 329^th to 321^st place, reflecting strong performance in its textiles, paper, and energy sectors. Trident also earned a spot in the Dun & Bradstreet Top 500 Value Creators list. Meanwhile, the auto parts manufacturing industry in Haryana and Panjab, comprising over 4K units and employing nearly 5M people, is facing a severe crisis due to rising production costs, competitive market pressures, and high Government Sales Tax rates. Currently producing components and nut-bolts for automobiles worth substantial amounts domestically and for export, these units must contend with over 25% of auto parts imported from China and nearly 60% of accessories arriving from overseas. According to Guru Pargat Singh Kahlo, President of the Auto Parts Manufacturing Association of India, a proposed 25% duty on steel—considered basic raw material—threatens to further harm the struggling sector.

In a workshop tucked away in a bustling lane of Amritsar, Panjab, artisans have quietly been shaping global chess history. The handcrafted chess set used in the recent World Chess Championship finals, won by India’s 18-year-old Dommaraju Gukesh against Ding Liren in Singapore, was made by Chopra Chess, a family-run business that has been supplying sets for the championship since 2012. The connection between a humble Panjabi workshop and the glitzy championship arena overseas highlights a globalized trade in which Amritsar’s legacy as a chess manufacturing hub—rooted in the 19th-century ivory trade and now continued through intricate wood-carving—comes into play. Among the skilled craftsmen is Baljit Singh, one of only two specialists in the world entrusted to carve the knights, the most challenging and detailed chess piece. He and his team produce about 40 knights a week. The wood—boxwood, red padauk, acacia, and ebony—is aged for months before cutting, polishing, and hand-carving. Interestingly, chess itself traces its roots back to Panjab, where the game is believed to have originated. First mentioned in Sanskrit texts written at the time of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya around 3-4 AD, chess was known as Chaturanga. Ancient chess sets from Panjab have been found all over central Asia. Many years later, Mir Sultan Khan, born in 1903 in British India’s Panjab, emerged as a self-taught Panjabi chess prodigy. Khan won the All India Chess Championship in 1928, and he also defeated top players like Jose Raul Capablanca in the Chess Olympiads. The International Chess Federation honored him as Asia’s first Grandmaster.