The Akal Takht (the highest temporal seat of Sikhism) on September 21, announced to confer the title of “Jilawatan Sikh Yodha” (Sikh warrior in-exile) on Gajinder Singh, leader and founding member of the Sikh separatist outfit, Dal Khalsa, currently residing in Lahore in Pakistan, for his contribution to the Sikh Panth, reports The Tribune. Gajinder is one of the five men accused of hijacking an Indian Airlines plane to Lahore in 1981. Reportedly, the five high priests headed by Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, had decided to honour Gajinder, during a meeting held on September 18.
The Akal Takht Secretariat officially informed the Dal Khalsa Head Office in Amritsar through a letter in this regard. Identical letter was sent to Gajinder’s daughter Bikramjit Kaur who lives in UK. Dal Khalsa ‘spokesperson’ Kanwarpal Singh Bittu said Akal Takht letter has authorised Gajinder’s daughter or any representative from Dal Khalsa to receive this honour at Akal Takht.