M A I N   N E W S

Hukamnamas revoked by new Jathedar
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, March 29 — The ‘ex-communication’ of Bibi Jagir Kaur, president Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, three Sikh high priests — Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar Takht Sri Damdama Sahib and Giani Bhagwan Singh, head granthi Akal Takht and five executive members of the SGPC was revoked by Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and four other designated Sikh high priests few hours after his installation as acting jathedar, Akal Takht.

Apart from Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Giani Mohan Singh, head granthi, Golden Temple, Giani Gurbachan Singh and Giani Charan Singh — both granthis of the Golden Temple and Giani Rawel Singh granthi Akal Takht were signatory to the joint resolution of the designated Sikh high priests, which rejected all the ‘hukamnamas’ (edicts) ‘declarations’ or ‘directives’ issued by Giani Puran Singh between January 25 and March 28.

The joint directive of the high priests described the ‘hukamnamas’ issued by Giani Puran Singh as ‘declarations’ which were the product of his “narrow-mindedness” which caused collossal demage to the Sikh panth.

This is the first time in the 396-year history of Akal Takht when directives issued by a Jathedar have been subsequently ‘rejected’ by another set of Sikh high priests.

While Bibi Jagir Kaur was ‘ex-communicated’ by a controversial ‘hukamnama’ issued on January 25 from Guna (Madhya Pradesh), the three Sikh high priests and two SGPC members were ‘ex-communicated’ by another ‘hukamnama’ issued from Akal Takht on March 12.

Giani Puran Singh had ex-communicated four executive members of the SGPC yesterday to pre-empt any move for his removal.

The revocation of the ‘ex-communications’ and rejection of all the ‘declarations’ were taken after a series of closed-door-meetings at various places. While Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh held a meeting with their supporters in the basement of the information office of the SGPC and Sikh reference liberary, the newly appointed Acting Jathedar also held meetings at separate places.

The three-page letter of the five Sikh designated priests on the letter head of Akat Takht says “the decision of revocation of ‘ex-communications’ was taken unanimously” as Giani Puran Singh had taken ‘anti-panthic’ and ‘anti-maryada’ decisions due to vested interests.

“These declarations were issued by Giani Puran Singh were devoid of Sikh maryada and tenets.”

Exonerating all those ‘ex-communicated’ the joint statement said that the ‘charges’ framed by Giani Puran Singh against them were ‘baseless’.

The joint-directive further says since the high priests and other SGPC executive members were cleared of all charges and could continue to perform their respective duties.

The tree-page letter sought an apology from the Sikh sangat for the untold agony caused by the arbitrary decisions of Giani Puran Singh.

To seek an apology from the Sikh sangat an ‘ardas diwas’ will be held at Akal Takht tomorrow. During which all SGPC members and the Sikh sangat would jointly recite ‘panths of Japuji Sahib’ at 7.30 a.m. at Akal Takht.

The five designated Sikh high priests also directed to SGPC to frame rules and regulations for jathedars and high priests at the earliest and constitution of a sub-committee of Sikh intellectuals and subject experts for the purpose.

The sub-committee should also ;recommend basic principals and ‘maryada’ for issuing hukamnamas to resolve the Panthic crisis from time to time.

In another significant decision the high priests directed the SGPC to recommend amendments in the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925 in the larger interest of the Sikh Panth.

The joint directive said that the act was passed about 75 year ago and as per requirements on Panth certain points which were causing harm to community should be amended.

Another resolution directed the SGPC to ensure that the management of gurdwaras was kept free of politics.

The high priests were of the firm view that SGPC, Akal Takht and other takhts were supreme bodies of the Sikh Panth and all its ‘sewadars’ should perform their duties in close coordination and mutual amity.

Vedanti installed Acting Jathedar
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, March 29 — Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti was today installed Acting Jathedar Akal Takht at a peaceful and simple ceremony in the Golden Temple complex here this morning.

Though Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Bhagwan Singh, Jathedar Takht Damdama Sahib, Giani Bhagwan Singh, head granthi Akal Takht and Bibi Jagir Kaur, president SGPC were in town they did not participate in the installation ceremony They had been ‘excommunicated’ from the Sikh panth by a controversial ‘hukmnamas’ (edict) issued by Giani Puran Singh on March 12. SGPC members, executive members, Akali MLAs, ministers and a section of the Sant Samaj also stayed away from the ceremony.

Significantly, Giani Mohan Singh, head granthi Golden Temple was the first person to bestow a ‘dastar’ (turban) on the newly installed acting jathedar.

Giani Mohan Singh had not turned up to present a ‘dastar’ to Giani Puran Singh on February 15 last year at the time of his installation. Prof Manjit Singh, Giani Kewal Singh and other designated Sikh high priests were also present at the time of installation of Giani Puran Singh last year.

Though Giani Bhagwan Singh, head granthi, was not present at the installation ceremony a ‘siropa’ was presented by Giani Rawal Singh, Granthi Akal Takht to Giani Vedanti.

Among those who presented ‘siropas’ to Giani Vedanti were Bhai Sukhwinder Singh, Bhai Maan Singh and other designated Sikh high priests, Mr Kirpal Singh president Chief Khalsa Dewan and heads of various Sikh organisations, Sikh institutions and Akal Purkh-ki-Fauj.

Addressing the congregation, Giani Vedanti said he had taken charge of the new assignment at a very crucial period and prayed to ‘waheguru’ to give him strength to perform his duties as per Sikh ‘maryada’.

Before his installation, Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, secretary SGPC said that the SGPC was proud to instal Giani Vedanti, a Sikh scholar as Jathedar.

Giani Vedanti has been performing religious duties since 1965 and was once chief of the Damdami Taksal.

After his installation, the Acting Jathedar paid obeisance at Golden Temple, Akal Takht and Gurdwara Baba Atal Sahib.

Badal against removal of Bibi
By Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 29 — The battle of oneupmanship between the SGPC President, Bibi Jagir Kaur and now ousted Akal Takht Chief Giani Puran Singh has made most Akali Dal leaders including Mr Parkash Singh Badal fumble for words. “But I would not like to comment for the next two or three days, said Mr Badal. However, he said both high priests and the SGPC have to share the blame.

Mr Badal is aware that not only the Akali Dal but also the SGPC and the Sikh clergy stand divided. This perhaps prompted Mr Badal to say that he was not for the removal of Bibi Jagir Kaur. Any hint contrary to this can complicate the matters as the SGPC general house is meeting tomorrow and pass its budget for 2000-01.

According to Akali circles, Mr Badal had yesterday wanted that Bibi Jagir Kaur should not attend the SGPC executive and general house meetings. He had also attempted that the SGPC President obey the hukamnama. While the SGPC executive appeared before the then Akal Takht chief, Giani Puran Singh, the Bibi stayed away. What really complicated the matters was the hukamnama of the Akal Takht Jathedar excommunicating three other high priests.

It was only last week that Mr Badal came round the idea that Giani Puran Singh should also be made to go. Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, a daily editor, Mr Barjinder Singh and Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, met at the Chief Minister’s residence to convince him the dangers of the excommunicating the high priests. Mr Barjinder Singh had earlier challenged the hukamnama of the then Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh and got him removed.

These events have left the Akali leaders vertically divided. Many ministers, MLAs and others from the ruling and the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal and share the view that Sikh institutions were under strain and the leadership had not come to the grips with the situation. Congress and communist leaders, Mr Avtar Singh Brar and Mr Hardev Singh Arshi in the events seeds of fissiparous tendencies. The Akalis, however, expected the crisis to blow over.

Capt Kanwaljit Singh, Finance Minister, said that all this was unfortunate. The leadership was seized of the issue, he added.

But Mr Mohinder Singh Ramana a member of the SGPC felt that Bibi Jagir Kaur has messed up the whole issue. He had no good words for the Akal Takht chiefs who had issued hukamnamas at the drop of a hat, but found the leadership’s stand unclear. “It is time to assert and take a clear stand. The clergy cannot be allowed to dictate. Sikhs grant no such powers to any individual. There is no agent between God and man. I cannot understand the business of excommunication”, he said.

Mr Ramana and Mr Manmohan Singh, Chairman, Sikh Gurdwara Tribunal, had a meeting with Mr Badal this morning and discussed the issue threadbare.

Many others also shared the views of Mr Ramana. A young well read Akali MLA, who found the current events of little interest to him, however, said, “this is no way to take the Sikhs and Punjab to modern times. We are forward looking and some people are trying to drag us to medieval times”. He also felt that the time was ripe for the Akali Dal to become an all Punjab party, secular and modern.

While those who had been working out solutions to end the impasse, were sad. Ravi Inder Singh and Mr Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, both MLAs close to Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal chief, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, felt Mr Badal has failed to resolve the crisis. “First he chose small people to occupy the important positions. When they acted with spite, he could not provide leadership. Now our every institution stands divided. It may not be by design, but due to lack of leadership.

Mr Badal is a party to the calendar controversy, the government accepted the Nanakshai calendar first and then the debate started. Now the RSS and the BJP have also jumped into the fray, though quietly”, they said. Mr Ravi Inder Singh who leads the rebel Akali MLAs found Mr Badal only bidding time. “There is no direction in any institution — the Akali Dal, government or the SGPC”, he added.