M A I N   N E W S

11-member panel restrained
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Jan 23 — The Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh has debarred the 11-member committee on the Nanakshahi calendar from functioning. The committee was formed nine days back.

Giani Puran Singh also resusciated the seven-member committee formed by him in December 1999. Sant Mangal Singh of Sat Satlani has been made a member. The sant was removed from the committee.

The decision was arrived at after a meeting of his supporters and members of the Gurmat Sidhant Parcharak Sant Samaj headed by Sant Kashmira Singh at his house last evening. The Jathedar was party to the formation of the 11-member committee on January 16 at a joint meeting of the Sikh clergy and Bibi Jagir Kaur and other office-bearers of the SGPC.

Giani Puran Singh refused to attend the meeting convened by Bibi Jagir Kaur at Guru Nanak Nivas. The meeting venue had to be shifted to Akal Takht secretariat after all efforts to persuade the Jathedar to attend the meeting at Guru Nanak Nivas.

The Jathedar also removed four members nominated on the committee by the new convener, Dr Kharak Singh. These members are Dr Bachan Singh Bachan, who has been restrained from working as the SGPC Secretary by the Sikh Gurdwara Judicial Commission, SGPC member Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, Dr Paramjit Singh Goraya and Dr Darshan Singh.

The Jathedar in a statement issued on the official letterhead of Akal Takht, stated at the January 16 meeting no decision was taken to form an 11-member committee. No statement was issued in this connection. Moreover Dr Kharak Singh was not made its convener.

“Dr Kharak Singh without my permission nominated four members namely Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, Dr Paramjit Singh Goraya and Dr Darshan Singh and I was informed about this through a fax message. With this three members Sant Mangal Singh, Giani Santokh Singh, convener of the seven-member committee and Mr Surjit Singh Nishan resigned in protest”.

In order to restore the “maan maryada” (respect and tradition) and considering the formation of this committee as a jolt to the supremacy of Akal Takht. I debar this committee from functioning and remove all the four new members added to the original committee.”

The Jathedar soon after signing the statement left for Nanded in Maharashtra to participate in the bhog ceremony of the head priest of Takht Hazoor Sahib of Giani Hazura Singh. He is expected here in the first week of February.

Giani Mangal Singh, who is also an acting president of the Sant Samaj, too is reported to have accompanied the Jathedar to Hazur Sahib.

The calendar controversy cropped up last year when the SGPC decided to switch over to the Nanakshahi calendar based on the solar system. The new calendar excluded certain common Hindu and Sikh festivals like Divali, Holi and Lohri. The calendar has been designed by Mr Pal Singh Purewal based in Canada. He had claimed that the Nanakshahi calendar would provide a separate identity to the Sikh festivals, including the birth anniversary of Sikh Gurus. The calendar row led to celebration of festivals twice in a year.

As the controversy deepened Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh directed the SGPC to stop the implementation of the Nanakshahi calendar.

The new Jathedar Giani Puran Singh, appointed by the pro-Badal group in the SGPC, too issued a directive stopping its implementation till a consensus was reached. The SGPC in violation of the directive celebrated the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar on January 5. These celebrations were boycotted by the Jathedar of Akal Takht.

The Jathedar offended the SGPC and took part in the parallel celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth anniversary on January 14 as per the Bikrami calendar. This brought the Jathedar and the SGPC on a collision course.

The celebrations of the Sikh festivals in accordance with the Nanakshahi calendar also irked BJP leaders of Punjab.Dr Bachan Singh Bachan, said the action of the Jathedar was wanting in valid reasons. “As per his status he should not have taken this decision alone when it was a unanimous decision to allow smooth functioning of the 11-member committee. He should have taken such a decision by consulting other members also, he added.

Dr Bachan Singh claimed that the convener of the 11-member committee, Dr Kharak Singh, is also of the similar views.

Bibi Jagir Kaur said she was not aware of the new development. It might be a unilateral decision of Jathedar Giani Puran Singh, she remarked.

She added that what she knew was the unanimous decision of the five Sikh head priests, executive members of the SGPC and members of the Dharam Parchar Committee to form the 11-member committee.

Bibi Jagir Kaur was of the view that committee is going to submit its report by March 15 as decided on January 16.