Three of the four-member Dhadhi Jatha (Ballad singers) have disappeared in Canada. They were in Canada on a six-month sponsored tour to perform at Gurudwaras. The trio has been identified as 39-year-old Bhai Harpal Singh, 30-year-old Bhai Ranjit Singh Rana and 36-year-old Bhai Ranjesh Singh Mahay. Group head and noted singer Jaswinder Singh Shant said in a statement that they might seek asylum in Canada using fraudulent means. Notably, photographs of the missing persons with Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President and MP Siranjit Singh Mann have surfaced on social media.
In the past few years, multiple reports of Punjab band members disappearing abroad have come to light. Times of India quoted Shant saying that such incidents bring a bad name to Sikhism, Punjab and India. He informed the media house that before leaving for Canada, Harpal and Ranjit got their photographs clicked with Simranjit Singh Mann. Initially, he did not know the intentions behind getting those photographs clicked. Mann is the President of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and has openly supported the separatist Khalistani movement.
Mann had quit the police service due to Operation Blue Star, which was launched by the Government of India in 1984 to eliminate Khalistani terrorists ensconced in Amritsar’s Harmandir Sahib. According to reports, Mann’s party workers raised pro-Khalistan shouts at the Golden Temple on the anniversary of Operation Blue Star in 2022. Simranjit Singh Mann has openly demanded Khalistan and often spoke about a separate state for Sikhs. Reports suggest he has been arrested over 30 times including over charges of sedition but never got convicted.
TOI quoted Shant saying, “Now I understand that they intended to misuse those photos by claiming that they are related to Mann’s party and there is a threat to their life in India,” said Shant. “The visas of Harpal and Ranjit are valid till February 23 and they have already applied for an extension. But we have withdrawn their application.”
They were sponsored by the Gurudwara Committee of Victoria City, British Columbia. They were scheduled to perform at the Baisakhi festival. Following the disappearance, the Victoria police registered a case based on the Gurudwara Committee’s complaint.
As per Dainik Savera’s report, the family of one of the missing persons has blamed Shant for the incident. His wife said that it was Shant’s responsibility to take care of her husband.
In a statement, Bhai Harvinder Singh Nijhar, senior vice president of Gurudwara Dashmesh Culture Centre Calgary said that the group came to the Gurudwara on January 9 after staying in Victoria for a few days. Three of the four-member team were serving as Dewans in the Gurudwara. However, on January 22, they disappeared. He added that Shant was not informed by the trio about leaving the premises.
