18-month tower protest in Samana finally to end

Patiala: Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, a 43-year-old former soldier and dairy farmer from Kheri Nagaian village, is set to climb down from a BSNL mobile tower in Samana after the Punjab government issues the gazette notification for the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, expected on Monday.Khalsa has spent over 18 months perched nearly 400 feet above ground, refusing to descend until a stringent anti-sacrilege law was formally notified. He climbed the tower on October 12, 2024, days after a sacrilege incident in Jalandhar, vowing to remain there until legislative action was complete. His descent is expected after the Bhog of an Akhand Path at the protest site.Living under a tarpaulin with one meal a day, Khalsa said the prolonged protest took a severe toll on his health, leaving him with diabetes, high blood pressure and heart complications. He said immobility, exposure to extreme weather and lack of electricity worsened his condition.Khalsa continued the protest despite serious illness in his family and repeated appeals by authorities. Support for the agitation grew in recent months, with road blockades and dharnas in Samana. The amendment Bill was cleared by the Cabinet on April 11, passed unanimously by the Assembly on April 13 and received the Governor's assent on April 19, paving the way for formal notification.Once issued, Khalsa's 575-day protest will finally end.