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| Wednesday, March 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Giani Puran Singh sacked
Bhai Ranjit Singh was given 30 days time to explain his position. After he failed to send his explanation to the SGPC he was sacked as Jathedar and Giani Puran Singh was made the Jathedar in the month of April last year. The history of sacking and appointing of Jathedars was repeated after a gap of 13 months when the same executive which had appointed Giani Puran Singh Jathedar, today removed him unceremoniously. Interestingly Bhai Ranjit Singh was removed as Jathedar before the beginning of the tercentenary of the birth of the Khalsa and Giani Puran Singh was sacked a few days before the concluding functions. But the expulsion has divided the 15-member SGPC executive itself. Mr Balbir Singh Naushehra Pannu, Mr Hardilbir Singh Shah and eight other members of the executive who did not go to the meeting hall in which Bibi Jagir Kaur and Mr Pritam Singh Bhatia were waiting for them, announced in the presence of other executive members that no formal meeting could be held today. They also claimed that the executive meeting had been adjourned till tomorrow. Interestingly, Giani Puran Singh, Baba Mangal Singh Satlani, acting president Gurmat Gurbani Sant Samaj and their supporters were even at that time waiting at the Akal Takht hoping to pre-empt any move of the executive to sack Giani Puran Singh. In the morning, Giani Puran Singh, while issuing a hukamnama, awarded ‘tankhaha’ (punishment for religious misconduct) for five days to Mr Pritam Singh Bhatia, an executive member of the SGPC who had challenged the ‘hukamnama’ issued from Guna (Madhya Pradesh). Interestingly, after cleaning utensils in ‘Guru ka Langar’ as part of the ‘Tankhaha’ he rushed to attend the meeting. He was the first person to sit down besides Bibi Jagir Kaur while other pro-Badal members were sitting in the room of the SGPC secretary. Giani Mohan Singh, head granthi Golden Temple, who was also a signatory to the joint statement which challenged the ‘hukamnama’ on January 26 was today one of the panj pyaras who awarded tankhaha to Mr Bhatia in the morning. Giani Puran Singh has challenged the validity of the decision of the SGPC executive which sacked him as jathedar. “The executive members who were excommunicated from the Sikh Panth can not take any such decision”, he asserted. When asked if ex-communication would not cause legal obstacles to his taking such decisions as per the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925, Giani Puran Singh claimed that as per ‘maryada’ (Sikh tradition) no Sikh could have any social relations with excommunicated persons. He claimed that he had excommunicated four executive members of the SGPC at 2 p.m. while the decision of the executive to sack him as Jathedar was announced at five p.m. He, however, said in a way he was ‘happy’ at being relieved from the responsibility of a jathedar. Earlier, Giani Puran Singh had excommunicated three SGPC executive members including Mr Raghujit Singh Virk, Mr Satnam Singh Bhai Rupa, Mr Gurpal Singh while the fourth member Pritam Singh Bhatia who was awarded ‘tankhah’ in the morning was again ‘excommunicated’ from the Panth. Giani Mohan Singh, who was present in the meeting of the Sikh clergy in the morning, was absent at the time of the excommunication. The four other Sikhs who were present at the time of excommunication of Bibi Jagir Kaur on January 25 were present at the time of excommunication of Bibi Jagir Kaur on January 25. Interestingly, Giani Puran Singh had to amend his hukamnama when he was informed that Mr Jaswant Singh Panjrath and Mr Joga Singh Phaguana were not present at the meeting being presided over by Bibi Jagir Kaur. Giani Puran Singh then deleted both the names. Later discovered that both men had in fact participated in the meeting. Giani Puran Singh then announced that action would be initiated against them at an appropriate time. After from Bibi Jagir Kaur the names of seven members who sacked Giani Puran Singh included Mr Gurpal Singh, Mr Satnam Singh Bhai Rupa, Mr Suba Singh, Mr Joga Singh Phaguana, Mr Joginder Singh Panjrath, and Mr Pritam Singh Bhatia, Mr Kewal Singh Badal, vice-president SGPC was absent from the meeting. Mr Shah, Mr Pannu and Mr Bhagwant Singh stayed away from the meeting. Talking to the mediapersons, Bibi Jagir Kaur said that it pained the SGPC executive to sack Giani Puran Singh as Jathedar but he had violated Sikh maryada and divided the Sikh Panth. Asked whether she could have held the meeting after being excommunicated she said that the ‘hukamnama’ was not accepted by the Sikh sangat as Giani Puran Singh had issued the hukamnama in gross violation of Sikh maryada. So neither she nor other executive members could be treated as excommunicated. When her attention was drawn to the case of Mr Bhatia, who had sought apology from the Akal Takht for challenging the hukamnama, Bibi Jagir Kaur said this question should be directed at Giani Puran Singh who had ‘unnecessarily’ summoned him to Akal Takht. To yet another question, Bibi Jagir Kaur said that it was not mandatory that all members of the executive attend the meeting. “Our quorum was complete and we were competent to take any decision for maintaining the Sikh maryada”. She alleged that the SGPC, being a statutory body, could take independent decisions and there was no need to take directions from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Though Giani Puran Singh claimed that a ‘hukamnama’, once issued from the Akal Takht could not be withdrawn his sack will pave the way for, the other three excommunicated high priests — Prof Manjit Singh, Giani Kewal Singh and Giani Bhagwan Singh to return to the Panth. Some anxious moments were witnessed in the SGPC and at one time it seemed Bibi Jagir Kaur stood isolated with only Mr Pritam Singh Bhatia sitting with her in the meeting room. But Dr Rattan Singh, Mr Tota Singh and Mr Brahmpura managed to bring members around. Mr Brahmpura had earlier wanted that Mr Pannu should be allowed to preside over the meeting. By the afternoon six other members joined Bibi Jagir Kaur. Media persons were assaulted by some SGPC employees and stopped from going to the venue of the meeting. At this the press decided to boycott the meeting. However, the office bearers of the SGPC extended an unconditional apology for the incident and promised to place those responsible under suspension. Talking to TNS, Giani Joginder Singh Vaidanti, who was appointed Acting Jathedar Akal Takht today said that he would perform his duties as per established ‘maryada’. It may be mentioned here that Giani Vaidanti was one of the five Sikh high priests who had challenged both the ‘hukmnamas’ of Giani Puran Singh issued on January 25 from Guna (Madhya Pradesh) and another issued on March 12 by which Bibi Jagir Kaur, Prof Manjit Singh, Giani Kewal Singh, Giani Bhagwan Singh and two SGPC members were excommunicated. While the ten pro-Badal
members had placed Bhai Ranjit Singh under suspension,
Giani Puran Singh was outrightly sacked without being
given the time to explain his position. |
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Installation today AMRITSAR, March 28 — Giani Joginder Singh Vaidanti will be installed as Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht tomorrow. According to a press release, issued by Mr Ajaib Singh, Manager, Darbar Sahib, the new Jathedar would take charge of the new assignment tomorrow at 9 a.m. Meanwhile, the state
government has withdrawn the security cover provided to
Giani Puran Singh. |
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