M A I N   N E W S

Akal Takht chief dissolves WSC units
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, March 1 — The newly-constituted executive committee of the World Sikh Council (WSC) at its meeting here today presided over by the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Puran Singh, dissolved all zonal units of the WSC.

The meeting also imposed ban on the holding of a seminar on March 4 at Jalandhar by the Amritsar zone of the WSC under the patronage of Bhai Ranjit Singh, former Jathedar, Akal Takht.

The zonal councils of the WSC, including the USA, Canada, West Asia, Delhi, east India, western India, south India, Amritsar and Chandigarh which stood dissolved were constituted by the then Jathedar, Bhai Ranjit Singh.

Justice Kuldip Singh (retd), former chief of the WSC and a close confident of Bhai Ranjit Singh, did not attend the meeting as he had already showed his inability to work in the 12-member executive committee constituted by Giani Puran Singh on February 23. The Akal Takht Jathedar had constituted the committee to unite two warring factions of the WSC.

Mr Jaswant Singh Mann, general secretary of the council, and close confidant of Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Kesgarh Sahib, submitted the entire record, including Rs 17 lakh, to Giani Puran Singh.

It may be mentioned here that the then Jathedar, Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh, had banned the entry of Prof Manjit Singh to the meeting of the Takht till he submitted the accounts of the WSC. However, the other faction of the council headed by Justice Kuldip Singh did not submit the accounts as directed by Giani Puran Singh. Mr Jaswant Singh Mann claimed that Justice Kuldip Singh would submit the accounts within a day or so.

In all probability, the zonal council (of the WSC) would go ahead with the seminar on the controversial Nanakshahi calendar on April 4 at Desh Bhagat Hall, Jalandhar, under the patronage of Bhai Ranjit Singh, who has already stated that “come what may the seminar would be held as Giani Puran Singh had no locus standi to dissolve the WSC which was formed from Akal Takht”.

Giani Puran Singh also expanded the executive of the WSC from 12 to 17 members. Five new members included in the committee are Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Secretary-General, SAD and union minister, Baba Kashmira Singh, president, Gurmat Gurbani Parchark Sant Samaj, Mr Baldev Singh Brar, advocate, Supreme Court, Mr Santokh Singh Amritsar and Mr Kartar Singh Kishangarh (Bihar).

Interestingly, the venue of the meeting was shifted from Akal Takht with a view to avoid any confrontation with the SGPC. The SGPC had deployed its task force in good strength to meet any eventuality. By virtue of being the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur is also member of the WSC. Baba Mangal Singh Satlani, acting president, Gurmat Gurbani Parchark Sant Samaj, had announced that his followers won’t allow her to attend the meeting till she joined the Khalsa panth.

Among those who attended the meeting included Mr Jaswant Singh Mann, (general secretary), Dr Darshan Singh of Panjab University, Mr Talib Singh Sandhu, former MLA, Giani Bachitter Singh, Mr Avtar Singh Hitt, President, SAD (Delhi) and Dr Puran Singh Jassi and Giani Puran Singh (patron). Two members — Dr Balkar Singh and Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar — did not attend the meeting. However, Mr Didar Singh Bains and Mr Mota Singh from the USA and England, respectively, could not attend the meeting as intimation could not be given to them.

The resolutions unanimously passed at the meeting included that no faction of the WSC could function except the 17-member executive committee till the elections of the office-bearers within a year. The committee would make certain amendments in the constitution of the council which would be placed at the next meeting for approval.

In another resolution, the council called upon the Sikh all over the world to come under one umbrella for the welfare of the community.

The council also decided to take up the variety of ethnic, political and social problems of immigrant Sikhs with their respective governments.

Addressing mediapersons, Mr Mann said the expansion and constitution of the executive to run the affairs of the WSC was an effort to adopt the policy of “forget and forgive”.

Meanwhile, WSC decided to present a “Sikh agenda” to the 11-member national commission formed to review the working of the Constitution.

The general secretary, Mr Jaswant Singh Mann, said particular emphasis in the Sikh agenda would be to seek amendment of Section 25 (1) (B) of the Constitution regarding the Sikh identity.

The “Sikh agenda” would also ask for replacement of present system with the federal set up to provide stable governments.

These were the main demands of the Akali Dal contained in the 45-point charter of demands based on the Anandpur Sahib resolution, which were presented to the then Government of India in 1981.