Scuffle at Sikh seminar
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 12 — The controversy involving Akal Takht and Sikh organisations continues to create bad blood and violence in Sikh community.

While earlier reports of bloody fights and violence had come from Sikh religious places in the USA, Canada and the UK with regard to the controversy, the scene now seems to have shifted to Chandigarh.

A seminar organised by a group of Sikh intellectuals and scholars at local hotel on the topic "Shri Akal Takht, Takht Sahib's organisations and Sikh sangat" had to be abandoned this morning following a scuffle that broke out between organisers and its opponents.

Among the organisers were Dr Darshan Singh, Mr Tejwant Singh Mann, Mr Gur Rattan Pal Singh, Mr Bhag Singh Ankhi, Mr Manjit Singh Tarn Tarni, Mr Shamsher Singh Maloya, Mr Manjit Singh Khaira and Mr Mishra Singh Toor. Mr Gurdarshan Singh Grewal was to deliver the keynote address and Mr B.S. Danewalia, a former Punjab Police chief, was one of the main guests.

The seminar started around 11.15 a.m. and within five minutes there was free for all which continued for about half an hour. While Dr Darshan Singh was dragged by a group of youth, the turban of one of the main organisers, was also taken away which was later returned on the intervention of a senior Akali leader.

Organisers said Principal Bharbhur Singh, Mr Jasmer Singh Bala, Mr Amarinder Singh, a member of the SGPC, some leaders of the youth wing of the Akali Dal and some employees of the SGPC had a pre-planned programme to create trouble at the seminar.

The organisers, who have called a press conference tomorrow in this connection to present their viewpoint about various Sikh issues, said the seminar was a common forum to deliberate about Sikh institutions. But some people did not like even discussion on their institutions.

He said that he and the principal were mediating with Mr Jaswant Singh Mann, Secretary-General of the World Sikh Council for resolving the controversy with regard to the World Sikh Council accounts and for a patch-up amount the three head priests, including Jathedar of Akal Takht. He said Mr Mann had written a letter to Mr G.S. Tohra assuring full cooperation for getting the issue resolved. However, Mr Bala said there were some organisers of the seminar who were preventing Mr Mann to submit accounts of the council to Justice Kuldeep Singh (retd).

Mr Bala claimed that even Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, had asked Mr Mann to submit the accounts to Justice Kuldeep Singh. He said on behalf of Prof Manjit Singh, two professors of Punjabi University — Dr Balkar Singh and Dr Kehar Singh — had met Mr Tohra for getting the issue resolved among Prof Manjit Singh, Bhai Ranjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh.

Meanwhile, Mr Amarinder Singh, who has been alleged as one of the main trouble-makers at the seminar said that the hotel was not the right place for discussing Sikh religious issues. He said there could be no public debate about Akal Takht as it was the supreme Sikh institution.