GS Paul
Amritsar, August 23
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today demolished shops at Akali Market near the Golden Temple to pave the way for a “serai” (inn) — a move that has drawn the ire of traders who claim the SGPC has committed a “grave error”, for they claim it was fourth Sikh master Guru Ram Das who had established the trading community in Amritsar.
The seven-acre Akali market is located near Gheo Mandi behind Akal Takht and is owned by the SGPC. This piece of land was rented out to traders, who had been plying their trade for the past 80 years.
The foundation stone of a multi-storey 1,400-room “serai” was laid in October 2021, when Bibi Jagir Kaur was the SGPC president.
Around 50 shops were posing hindrance to the construction of the “serai”.
Shopkeepers said the SGPC had asked them to vacate the land and gave a “verbal assurance” of rehabilitating them to another location.
Ravinder Lal Singh, president of the Burj Akali Market Shop Association, claimed the SGPC neither served eviction notices nor gave them enough time to shift their belongings.
“More than 100 members of the SGPC task force with bulldozers reached the market today and demolished 15 shops,” he said, adding the demolition drive was stopped after a local SAD leader intervened.
“Guru Ram Das had set up the trading community in Amritsar, but SGPC did the opposite. It uprooted us,” Ravinder Lal added.
The traders claimed to have suffered losses in lakhs of rupees. Sources say some of the shopkeepers had a dispute with the SGPC over rent.
Sanjeev Kumar, whose 60-year-old shop of steel almirahs was among the structures razed today, said: “My father had signed a contract with the SGPC to start a business in Akali Market. There was a dispute over rent. We had withdrawn the case on the SGPC’s assurance that the matter would be settled amicably, but it was not to be. Today, my shop was reduced to rubble within an hour. This was my only source of livelihood.”
Golden Temple’s manager Sulakhan Singh said, “The SGPC is bound to rehabilitate ‘genuine’ tenants or their next generation with whom it has entered into a rent agreement. A meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow to resolve the matter.”
No eviction notice
The SGPC neither served eviction notices nor gave enough time to shift our belongings. Guru Ram Das had set up the trading community in Amritsar, but the SGPC uprooted us. — Ravinder Singh, chief, burj akali market assn
Meeting today
The SGPC is bound to rehabilitate ‘genuine’ tenants or their next generation, with whom it has entered into a rent agreement. A meet has been scheduled for today. — Sulakhan Singh, manager, Golden Temple
