Dera Sucha Sauda -Sikh conflict in India

ramana · 06-02-2007, 12:26 AM

From Pioneer 1 June 2007

QUOTEOnce again, hardliners have been sidelined

Satinder Bains | Chandigarh

The Dera controversy has given yet another chance to the moderate Sikh leadership in Punjab to marginalise the radical Sikh organisations who wanted to regain their lost ground after having been rejected by people in the last Assembly elections.

The deft handling of the crisis by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Shiromani Gurdawara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has not only eased the communal tension but isolated hardliners.

The SAD-BJP Government was in full control of the situation though there were some disturbances in Bathinda and other parts in the initial stages. The Akali Dal's tacit understanding with the Sikh clergy helped to diffuse the tension.

The peaceful protest march by Sikhs on May 31 at Fatehgarh Sahib is yet another example of the upper hand the liberals enjoy over the hardliners.

The SAD president Parkash Singh Badal and working president Sukhbir Singh Badal have reportedly sent a strong message of restraint to all concerned.

The decision of the Akal Takht to reject the apology offered by Dera Sacha Sauda was a tactical move. This has helped the Sikh clergy to implement its writ over radicals. It was rare in Sikh politics that hardliners have withdrawn from violent protests although there was enough provocation.

The political observers said that to prolong the confrontation with the Dera was in the interest of both SAD and hardliners for obvious reasons. They would try to keep alive the agitation in some form or the other so that Dera stays away from politics.

The main reason behind the confrontation between the Dera and Akalis was support extended by the former to Congress party in the Assembly elections. The Dera support to Congress has eroded the SAD base in the Malwa and radical vote bank is understood to have rallied behind traditional Akalis in retaliation of Dera factor.

This was the first time that senior radical leaders like Simranjit Singh Mann had lost their deposits.

Now, for Akalis of hues, eliminating the Dera factor is crucial for rebuilding their base in the Malwa belt. At religious level, the SGPC is persuading the Dera followers to come back to the Sikh fold and at political level SAD is trying to isolate the Dera leadership in a peaceful and effective manner.

In the last one week, hundreds of neo-converts to Dera have abandoned the sect and returned to Sikhism.

To keep the agitation alive, the Sikh organisations have put forward four points in their memorandums to the Governors of Punjab and Haryana. Interestingly, the demand to arrest the Dera chief Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh ahs been dropped in the new charter of demands. This has been done to avoid an embarrassing situation for State Government in near future.

06-02-2007, 01:14 AM

QUOTEAkal Takht chief, SGPC lock horns 
Pioneer News Service | Chandigarh
Akal Takht chief Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and the SGPC has crossed swords over the publication of an advertisement in leading newspapers of the State on behalf of the latter regarding shortening of the route of the protest march.

It is learnt that SGPC officials did not bother to seek permission from the Akal Takht secretariat or the Sikh clergy before publishing such an advertisement on behalf of the Jathedar. This is for the first time that such an advertisement was published on behalf of the Jathedar, which has triggered fresh debate in the religious circles. <!--emo& Big Grin

--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

The advertisement caused immense embarrassment to the Sikh high priests since they themselves had pronounced that the protest march would be taken out from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh. Jathedar Vedanti described advertisement "unprecedented". The Jathedar said he would take up the matter with the SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar. He said the advertisement should have been published on behalf of SGPC's Dharm Parchar Committee.

Earlier advertisement, published in various newspapers regarding Punjab bandh on May 20 was also published on behalf of the Dharm Parchar Committee and not on behalf the Akal Takht Jathedar. Akal Takht has been receiving a number of complaints following publication of sandesh (message) on behalf of the Akal Takht Jathedar.

SAD (Amritsar) general secretary Bhai Ram Singh said the working committee meeting of his party would be convened within a week to discuss the shortening of the route of the protest march. He said it was unfortunate that the Jathedar Vedanti had amended the

Gurmatta, the edict pronounced from Akal Takht regarding the route of the protest march. He said as per the original announcement, its route was from Fatehgarh Sahib to Chandigarh, which was later changed under political pressure.

06-04-2007, 05:38 AM

Punjab turmoil: Bitta demands to expell Amarinder from Congress QUOTEAMRITSAR: All India Anti Terrorist Chairman and former All India youth Congress President M.S. Bitta Saturday lashed at the former Congress Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh and accused him for the recent turmoil in Punjab.

Talking to the media persons here today Bitta said that Captain Amarinder Singh was the real person who allegedly created crises in Punjab through Dera Sacha Sauda. Since the spokesperson of the Dera Sacha Sauda Dr. Aditya Insaan allegedly very close to Captain Amairnder and held number of meeting recently, said Bitta.

Adding further Bitta alleged that Captain Amarinder Singh instigated the dera Sacha Sauda people to create law and order problem in the state. Similarly former terrorist Daljit Bittu and DSGMC (Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee) chief Paramjit Singh Saran supporting captain Amrainder Singh for disturbing the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab.

Bitta alleged that Captain Singh has close proximity with the most wanted terrorists like Wadawa Singh Babbar and Parmjit Singh Panjwar presently hiding in Pakistan. Bitta said that Captain Singh was seeking their help from Pakistan to create disturbance in Punjab.

Urging the Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Bitta said that Party High command should expel Captain from the party fold for keeping warm relation with the Pakistani lady journalist Aroosa Alam who was the main source of ISI (Pakistan based intelligence agency) and visited India to Captain during his tenure as chief minister of Punjab.Â

06-05-2007, 08:57 AM

QUOTESikhs, Hindus condemn article
Punjab Feud
By UMENDRA SINGH, SPECIAL TO 24 HOURS
A joint meeting of Sikh and Hindu leaders Sunday condemned a local newspaper for publishing an article calling for the destruction of a 16th century Hindu temple in Punjab. 

The president of the Vedic Hindu Cultural Society, Amrit Lal Arora, said the article in a Punjabi-language newspaper based in Surrey could incite religious hatred.

A spokesman for the Society, Vinay Sharma, said the article stated that the Durgiana Hindu temple in Amritsar, Punjab, should be destroyed because it was copy of the Harminder Sahib, the holiest Sikh shrine in Golden Temple in Amritsar as well. 

Over the last two weeks, there was been violence in Punjab after a sect leader tried to imitate the last Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singhji.

"We would like all religious organizations to unite and condemn this kind of hate propaganda," Sharma said.

A local Sikh leader, Giani Harkirat Singh, called on the federal government to bring in laws to prosecute publishers and writers who propgate this kind of hate against one religion or another.

A Hindu-Sikh Unity Committee was formed to take action against the newspaper and file an official complaint with the RCMP for inciting religious hatred.

ramana · 06-10-2007, 01:34 AM

Tehelka.com

QUOTEPERSPECTIVE

KEEPING FAITH IN PUNJAB

VIKRAM JIT SINGH
If a stark parallel is being drawn between the 1978 clash of the Akalis and the Nirankaris that led to two decades of bloodshed in Punjab, and the recent conflict emerging from the Dera Sacha Sauda Babaâs controversial advertisement, it is a misconceived one. From television talk show hosts to armchair analysts across India, the affair has simply been a matter of âsecularists vs fundamentalistsâ. This is, mildly put, a case of missing the woods for the bushes. Machinations of the Congress and intelligence agencies in 1978 â abetted by dogmatic secularists â ended up pitting the Sikhs against the Nirankaris and eventually squeezed out the space for the moderate Akalis.

Circa 2007 and there is a replay. The Deraâs controversial chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is facing charges of heinous crimes and cannot be confused with an iconoclast tilting at the windmills of orthodox religion. The Damoclesâ sword hanging on his head in the form of cbi cases as well as the vested interest behind the political misadventure of the advertisement, detract from any sympathy for the Deraâs chief. Apart from the offensive advertisement aping Guru Gobind Singh, the fact that the Deraâs name is derived from the teachings of Guru Nanak also hurts many a liberal Sikh, given the Deraâs sullied antecedents. The Baba had cleverly used orthodox religious symbols to widen the appeal of his cult and possibly enter the electoral fray in the future through sponsored candidates.

Shailendra Pandey

Televised images of sabre-rattling Sikh youth harm the communityâs image of a responsible majority in Punjab
In 1978 too, the Congress had backed the Nirankaris and secretly sponsored a hardline faction of the late Bhindranwale. This time around, the Congress backed the Dera, even as its covert allies in the radical/ex-militant fringe are gunning for extreme measures against the Baba with the aim to fan the fires in Punjab. The Dera row nearly turned into a Hindu-Sikh question and threatened to bring back the mistrust between the two communities that was sown in 1978.

Secularism in such times cannot itself turn into a blind belief, simplistically assigning labels to what are complex communal conflicts. Even the Pope had to apologise to the Muslim community, and he did so gracefully. Of what use are the appeals of this blinded secularism if society itself burns out? Of what good would the secularists be in the aftermath of a communal bloodbath, as they go about with bagfuls of medicines trying to soothe the victims of unheeded popular sentiment? Whatever may be the freedom of speech and religion, it cannot be at the cost of communal harmony.

Undoubtedly, the Dera has excelled in social service and has given a lifeline to the socially marginalised and those denied a rightful place in the community by the Sikh clergy. However, as investigations into the Dera on criminal matters reveal, this huge sacrifice by the âpremisâ in terms of social, personal, economic and political contribution, has been appropriated by the luxury-loving Baba. Even as the Baba and his coterie snuggle in their gufa at Sirsa under heavy paramilitary protection, their followers who constitute a minority in Punjab face the wrath of Sikh hardliners.

For the Sikhs too it is time to reflect deep into the origins of their religion for its most powerful impulses have come from the Gurus sacrificing their lives for the protection of other faiths. The Sikhs are a majority only in Punjab, and are perilously outnumbered outside the state. Televised images of sabre-rattling Sikh youth on Punjabâs streets are going to do little good to the communityâs image of a responsible majority in Punjab. A backlash against the Sikhs outside Punjab in some form or the other can always be a possibility. Turn back to the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom where even sections of the educated and well-heeled justified the killings as the âSikhs needed to be taught a lessonâ for the excesses against the Hindu minority in Punjab by rabid elements amongst the Khalistanis. And for leaders like Parkash Singh Badal and the Congressâ Amarinder Singh â dependant as they are on the Panthic vote â it remains a question as to whether they are under pressure not to crack down on rioting Sikh mobs in Punjab.

In fact, Badal on May 17 wrote to the Prime Minister protesting strongly against the move of the Centre to determine minorities on the basis of state populations and not national numbers. The past three weeksâ incidents in Punjab will hardly help Badalâs cause and that of the Sikhs, if a âminority tagâ is what the community aspires to.
Jun 16 , 2007


Quite complex. Again shows how secular formula fall to deaf ears when there is issue of religious hurt. Secualrism and its child Modernism works in Christianity. Cant invoke it when dealing with wilfull hurt of whole communities.

06-18-2007, 10:31 AM

QUOTEDera row: Sikhs to court arrest from June 19 
Pioneer News Service | Chandigarh
The radical Sikh organisations on Sunday reiterated their ultimatum given to the Punjab Government to arrest Dera Sacha Sauda head Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh before June 18 or face the agitation by Sikhs.

The constituents of the Sant Samaj led by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa head of Damdami Taksal and Baba Sarabjot Singh Bedi, president Sant Samaj said that they would court arrest if the police did not arrest the controversial Godman by June 18. Harnam Singh Khalsa said that first jatha of religious leaders would leave Fatehgarh Sahib to court arrest at Civil Secretariat at Chandigarh on Tuesday when the Assembly would be in session.

Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said that this decision was taken at a meeting organised at Gurdwara Karamsar Rara Sahib recently. He said that a five-member committee had been constituted to monitor agitation.

The meeting was considered significant in view the approaching deadline given by radical Sikh organisations of the State for the arrest of Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh who according to them had committed an act of blasphemy by trying to ape Guru Gobind Singh.

Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa said that all the constituents of the Sant Samaj were unanimous about starting a "peaceful action plan" to impress upon the respective Governments to ensure that the religious sentiments of Sikhs, hurt by the blasphemous act of the Dera chief, were taken care of. "Keeping in view the significance of communal harmony in the State we have decided to start courting arrest in a phased manner from June 19, in case the police failed to arrest the Baba by June 18. But our action plan will be purely religious and no individual or organisation will be allowed to harness political mileage out of our protest," said Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa.

He claimed that activists and office-bearers of various radical Sikh religious organisations, who had gone abroad or to other States had been asked to return to their native places so that the chain of arrests were maintained till the Baba is arrested.

Sant Daya Singh, Baba Makhan Singh Tarna Dal, Baba Hari Singh Randhawa, and Baba Paramjit Singh Mahalpur, besides chief of Damdami Taksal and president Gurmat Sidhant Parchar Committee Baba Haranam Singh Khalsa have been inducted in the committee to draft the programme of courting arrests

06-21-2007, 11:16 AM

Warrant out; Dera apology comingQUOTEA non-bailable arrest warrant was issued on Wednesday against the Dera Sacha Sauda sect head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, in connection with a criminal case registered against him at the Bathinda police station.

Before the warrant was issued, however, the Dera chief had already been planning a formal apology to the Sikh masses â he faxed an unsigned apology letter to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee President Paramjit Singh Sarna on Tuesday evening.

"The Dera chief faxed me the text for getting it cleared so that he could send a signed copy to the Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti," Sarna told the Hindustan Times. He added that the Khalsa Action Committee would soon take a decision on the letter.

And even as all this is transpiring, the Dera Sacha Sauda called on the sant sangat on Wednesday to get prepared for qurbaani.

"The time to shed blood has arrived. Telephone your villages and call as many people as you can. The Punjab government has pressurised the court to issue non-bailable warrants against Santji," intelligence sources quoted Dera management committee office bearers â who spoke at the evening majlis â as saying.
.........

06-28-2007, 04:04 AM

QUOTEGovt go-ahead for arrest of Dera chief 
Pioneer.com
Satinder Bains | Chandigarh
Sikh high priests on Wednesday rejected the second 'apology' submitted by the Dera Sacha Sauda and announced that a Sikh conclave would be held in Ratia town in Haryana on July 11 to press for the arrest of the Dera head Baba Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Government on Wednesday gave the sanction for arrest and prosecution of the Dera chief. "Formal permission for prosecution of the Dera head has been given", Punjab Principal Secretary (Home) BC Gupta told PTI here.

Earlier, the Sikh clergy which held its meeting at the Akal Takht in Amritsar for more than six hours expressed shock over arrogant behaviour of the Dera head and said that its authorities had issued a Press note instead of tendering a proper apology.

The Akal Takht decision is bound to aggravate the situation which is already considered explosive in the wake of clashes between Sikhs and Dera followers in various parts of Punjab and Haryana. The issue of alleged forcible conversion of Dera followers into the Sikh faith also rocked the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday.

The Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti in a written statement said that the Dera head had not expressed any remorse for the sin he had committed nor had he given an assurance of not repeating the same in future. Paramjit Singh Sarna president of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee had claimed to have mediated to bring the fresh apology from the Dera. He also faced the wrath of the Khalsa Action Committee for allegedly hobnobbing with the Dera Sacha Sauda. The action committee has summoned meeting on June 29 to consider action against Sarna.

07-12-2007, 01:07 AM

QUOTEHaryana Govt imposes restrictions on Dera 
Pioneer News Service | Chandigarh
Haryana Government has issued instructions that the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda would neither be allowed to use any public place nor loudspeakers for the purpose of their scheduled Naam Charcha on July 12 at Ratia in Fatehabad district. This was revealed by Haryana Chief Secretary Prem Prashant while interacting with mediapersons here on Wednesday.

Prem Prashant said that in case anyone wanted to do Naam Charcha it could be done at home. He said that a decision to this effect had been taken to maintain peace.

In reply to another question, Prem Prashant made it clear that no instruction had been issued to prevent people from visiting the gurdwara in Ratia. The State Government was in touch with the Punjab Government and Chief Ministers of both States had been discussing the issue with each other, he added.Â

07-12-2007, 11:34 PM

CBI ready to nail Dera chief for murder, rapeQUOTESources have told CNN-IBN that the CBI has completed its investigation and will file a charge sheet on July 31. The story begins on July 10, 2002 when Dera followers allegedly shot dead their former colleague Ranjit Singh, whom they suspected of leaking an anonymous letter written to the Prime Minister and the CBI in which he had alleged that the Baba raped his sister, a former sadhvi.

Dera Pradhan Kishan Lal, Dera chief manager Inder Sain, Harayana Police Constable Sabdil Singh, who was on security duty for the Baba, and the Babaâs private bodyguard Jasbir Singh were among the seven persons arrested after the murder.

The CBI says it has forensic evidence that Dera Pradhan Kishan Lal's licensed revolver was used to murder Ranjit. A statement by Gurmeetâs driver Khatta Singh alleges that the Baba plotted Ranjitâs murder. Ten other witnesses too have given statements before a magistrate that the Baba was behind the murder

Ranjit Singhâs father alleges that the Baba wanted his son to take back his allegations. âThey came and demanded an apology from my son. He did not know for what,â claims Joginder Singh.

Ranjitâs sister Sanjeevan has alleged that the Baba raped her for three years and has sexually assaulted several other Sadhvis. CNN-IBN has learnt that three more Sadhvisâtwo from Harayana and one from Punjabâhave given statements alleging that the Baba had raped them.

The CBI has procured medical records, which allegedly prove that a gynecologist, who is the wife of a powerful Dera functionary, performed abortions on Sadhvis in a hospital the sect runs.

.............
Will CBI nail the Baba
For one year, the CBI has not informed the court about the statements of three more Sadhvis alleging that the Baba had raped them. Investigating officers in the case have repeatedly recommending the Babaâs arrest but the agencyâs top brass has refused to take any action.

The Baba enjoys immense political clout and the people who have made allegations against him fear that the CBI may not include its evidence in the charge sheet .

07-16-2007, 09:48 PM

Dera chief attacked by mob near Sirsa, escapes unhurtQUOTEThe police and the district administration were keeping a tight vigil to maintain law and other.

"We had advised Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh not to halt anywhere along the way, but he stopped in the village after his followers insisted on and this aggravated the situation," the Sirsa DC said.


Looks like pre-planned cheap stunt by Dera Chief.

07-30-2007, 11:57 PM

Dera chief held for murder, rape; out on bailQUOTENew Delhi: A Punjab Police team arrested Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Sirsa on Monday, though he is now out on bail. His passport has been seized by the police.

The move to arrest the Dera chief comes even as the CBI is expected to file a chargesheet in cases of murder and rape filed against him.

08-02-2007, 08:09 AM

QUOTEDera chief charged of murder and rape by CBI 
PTI | Chandigarh
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has charged the head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda Baba Gurmeet Ram Singh in two murder cases and one of rape.

CBI standing counsel Rajan Gupta, told the media outside the Punjab and Haryan High court here that the Dera head been named accused in all the three different cases.

The cases relate to the murder of Dera Manager Ranjit Singh, Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chatterpatti and alleged rape of a disciple.

He said that a special CBI court at Ambala had also issued notice to the Dera chief on August 31.

Gupta, who was accompanied with CBI DIG M Narayan and agency's Superintendent of Police SP Singh, said that besides the Dera head ten other persons had been accused in the two murder cases by the investigation agency.

Earlier, the CBI filed a "status report" in the court of Justices Adesh Kumar Goel and Ajay Lamba about the three cases in compliance of the high court's order.

08-17-2007, 10:17 PM

Dera chief Gurmeet grilled by Punjab Police 

Punjab Police confiscates dress worn by Dera headQUOTEChandigarh, Aug 17: Punjab Police Friday confiscated the dress resembling that of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and worn by Dera Sacha Sauda chief that had earned the wrath of Sikh clergy who accused him of blasphemy.

"Police took the possession of the dress from Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh," Bathinda Police Chief Naunihal Singh told reporters over phone

08-27-2007, 12:19 AM

Dera supporter immolates self in Bhatinda QUOTE
Bhatinda, Aug 26: Gurjeet Singh, an ardent follower of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, on Sunday immolated himself outside a gurudwara in a village.

The 24-year-old youth, who was married four months ago, poured petrol over his body and set himself ablaze, police said.

He died instantly, they said adding the incident happened in Bangi Nihal Singh Wala village.

The youth took the extreme step as he was apparently perturbed over certain remarks of his father's brother against the Dera chief, police said.Â

02-02-2008, 10:19 PM

Dera chief's cavalcade attacked, 11 injuredQUOTEKarnal (Haryana), February 02, 2008
The cavalcade of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who had earned the wrath of Sikh clergy, on Saturday came under attack when a tyre stuffed with explosives was hurled triggering a blast near a vehicle injuring 11 persons, two of them seriously.

The sect chief, who has been provided the Z-plus category security, however, was unharmed as he was travelling in a vehicle at a distance from the one that went up in flames.

Unidentified persons from a truck parked on a highway on which the Dera chief's cavalcade was passing, threw a tyre at one of the cars which burst into flames, Additional Director General of Police VB Singh told PTI in Chandigarh quoting the injured.

it is happening in COngress state, he is with Z security, how a guy in truck had information about route and able to throw tyre.
I smell Congress hand here.

02-04-2008, 08:58 AM

QUOTE'Khalistan outfit behind attack on Dera chief' 
pioneer.com
Satinder Bains | Chandigarh
Haryana Police on Sunday claimed that Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is behind the bid on the life of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh on Saturday near Karnal. The police said RDX was also used for the attack.Â

Karnal SSP AS Chawla said that a former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant Bakshish Singh of Samana in Patiala masterminded the attack on the motorcade of the religious leader.

Police teams from Haryana and Punjab conducted raids at various hideouts of KCF militants in Patiala, including a gurdwara at village Baran. Police teams have also been sent to Uttar Pradesh.

According to police, Bakshish Singh had hired the two youth, who were later arrested by police.

Police said that Bakshish Singh had motivated Mahender Singh of Asandh in Haryana and Swarn Singh of Mansa in Punjab to carry out the explosion. His name cropped up during their interrogation by Haryana Police. "They were taken into custody soon after the explosion on Saturday," said the SSP
.......
this is total nonsense. same tactics blame Pakistan for Indian Muslin involvement in terrorist attack.

02-28-2008, 04:58 PM

Know it's not a PC site but still ...

Stormfront Britain-Sikh extremists exposed

QUOTEThe Islamists have worked out that Sikh demands for their own homeland would radically destabilise India. it's no more bizarre than the Stern Gangs approach to Nazi Germany.

06-22-2008, 02:06 AM

QUOTEAnti-Baba riots engulf Mumbai 
Pioneer.com
TN Raghunatha | Mumbai
North-eastern Mumbai reeled under wide-spread anti-Baba Ram Rahim riots for most part of Saturday, as irate Sikh mobs went on a rampage blocking suburban trains for over two hours, bringing traffic to a halt on the eastern Express highway and damaging vehicles in protest against the death of their community member in a firing resorted to by the bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda's chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at Mulund on Friday night.

Lives may not have been lost and damage to public property was not as much, but the Sikh anger was conspicuous by its presence in the north-eastern suburbs. In the worst-ever Sikh rioting witnessed in the metropolis after the community members' protests in 1984, the Sikh protesters - armed with swords, kripans, lathis, knives - laid siege to railway tracks at Mulund and the Eastern Express highway, the two major arterial routes used by people living in Mumbai.

Though the city police was quick on arresting four persons - all Baba Ram Rahim's security guards - in connection with Friday's incident and rushed a team of police officials to Khalapur in Raigad district to detain Baba's remaining bodyguards for questioning, the Sikh protesters were in no mood to be convinced of the intentions of the city police.

What began as a silent protest demonstration at Mulund at 9 am on Saturday turned out to be a full-fledged riot in later part of the day.

A huge posse of city police personnel - complimented by the State Reserve Protection Force (SRPF) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel - tried hard to control the rioting mobs by resorting to a lathi-charge, bursting tear-gas shells and cordoning off the Eastern Express highway. However, the Sikh protesters remained undeterred all through the day.

The anti-Baba Ram Rahim protesters had a field day, as they stoned the passing vehicles. They did not spare some suburban trains, which managed to speed past them when they staged "rail roko" at the Mulund railway station, which is located less than two km away from the upmarket Nirmal Life Style mall. It was in front of this mall that trouble had broken out on Friday night after the Sikh protesters demonstrated demanding the arrest of visiting Baba Ram Rahim. The demonstration had resulted in a Baba's bodyguard opening fire at the protesting Sikhs, an incident that claimed the life of a Sikh community and left two others injured.

Though scores of vehicles were damaged, official sources maintained that only eight civic buses and nearly a dozen private vehicles were damaged.

As the day passed, the police and the Maharashtra Government was understandably unnerved to see the otherwise peace-loving members of Sikh community taking recourse to violence demanding the arrest of Baba Ram Rahim.

Meanwhile, one of the three bodyguards has confessed to having fired at the crowd, a senior police official said on Saturday

07-18-2008, 11:23 AM

One killed in clash between Dera supporters and SikhsQUOTEOne person was killed when a group of Sikhs clashed with Dera Sacha Sauda supporters in Dabwali town in Sisra district this morning.

The clashed between the two groups broke out following an altercation between them during morning prayer - namcharcha - of Dera supporters, Deputy Commissioner of Police V Umashankar said.
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