Samana Agitation to Conclude Soon Following Approval of Anti-Sacrilege Law

In a significant development, 43-year-old protester Gurjeet Singh Khalsa has agreed to climb down from a 400-foot-high telecom tower in Samana after continuing his protest for nearly 18 months. He had climbed the tower in October 2024, demanding the enactment of a strict law against sacrilege. The decision comes after Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria approved the “Jagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026,” paving the way for the implementation of a stricter anti-sacrilege law in the state. Expressing his feelings, Gurjeet Singh Khalsa said that the development brought him a sense of satisfaction rather than mere happiness, adding that his prayers had finally been answered. Members of the Samana Tower protest have also announced that an Akhand Path Sahib will be organised near the protest site at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk. The agitation will formally conclude on the day the religious recitation is completed. A resident of Kheri Nagaian village in Patiala, Gurjeet Singh Khalsa stated that he would wait until the conclusion of the Akhand Path before descending from the tower. He added that he would come down in the presence of supporters who had stood by him throughout the prolonged protest. “I am in no hurry. I am thankful to the Punjab government, the Chief Minister, and the Governor for this law. Now, those involved in sacrilege will face strict punishment,” he said. Despite repeated assurances from state government officials over the past year, Khalsa had earlier refused to end his protest. He remained atop the tower through harsh weather conditions, continuing his agitation with determination. His supporters had launched a foot march from Samana on January 1 and began an indefinite protest in the city from March. During his stay on the tower, Khalsa has been living under a temporary tarpaulin shelter, with two volunteers delivering food and water once a day. A dairy owner and farmer by profession, Gurjeet Singh Khalsa said he was deeply hurt by reports of sacrilege incidents in the state, which prompted him to take this extreme step in 2024. At the time, he had arranged for his brother to take care of the family and business while he continued his protest.