M A I N   N E W S

SGPC gives go-ahead
Probe against 2 head priests
From Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

AMRITSAR, Jan 16 — In a significant development, the SGPC executive which met at Gurdwara Alamgir yesterday has asked the three-member inquiry committee to go ahead with the inquiry against Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, and Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar, Damdama Sahib.

The inquiry committee comprising Mr Balbir Singh Pannu, senior vice-president, Mr Kewal Singh Badal, vice-president, and Mr Hardalbir Singh Shah, the then general secretary, was constituted in March 1999 when Bhai Ranjit Singh was placed under suspension as Jathedar of Akal Takht. However, the inquiry was held in abeyance as Bibi Jagir Kaur, the then SGPC chief, did not allow it to hold meetings.

Mr Onkar Singh Sharifpura, executive member belonging to the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal (SHSAD), said the “go ahead” to the inquiry committee against the two High Priests was a unanimous decision.

In yet another significant decision, the SGPC executive decided to give 8 per cent dearness allowance to its employees for two years. This would “compensate” the employees who were denied Rs 200 enhancement in their monthly salary as announced by Bibi Jagir Kaur, a few days before her removal as SGPC chief.

The issue of the Rs 51 lakh grants to educational institutes announced by Bibi Jagir Kaur was kept pending once again. The grants were stopped by the SGPC a few days after Jathedar Talwandi took over as SGPC chief. The SGPC executive has also decided that the proposed colleges will be converted into schools as the Shiromani committee cannot bear the enhanced salaries of college staff as per UGC norms. However, the existing colleges will continue to work.

The SGPC members belonging to the SHSAD expressed surprise over the statement of Jathedar Talwandi that the SGPC would refer the issue of Sikh definition to the Minority Commission which does not have a locus standi to do so. Mr Sharifpura, who was present at the meeting while talking to TNS said no such issue came up for discussion at the meeting. He dissociated himself from the decision.

Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, former SGPC chief, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, a former SGPC secretary, and Mr Paramjit Singh Sarna, a former president, Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee, in their separate statements said it was “unfortunate” that Jathedar Talwandi wanted to “dilute” the powers of the SGPC. 

Sources in the SGPC executive said the public announcements of Jathedar Vedanti and Prof Manjit Singh on the definition of Sikh and holding SAD government responsible for the menace of drug peddling was criticised by the ruling party.

The decision of reviving the Dharmik Salahkar Committee (religious advisory committee) by the SGPC executive would serve two purposes. One, all religious matters received by Akal Takht would be first screened by the advisory committee. Second, the High Priests would prefer not to issue public statements on sensitive issues before consulting the committee. The committee was active a few years ago, however, it was ignored by successive jathedars.

The SGPC sources said religious issues, screened by the advisory committee would be referred back to the Sikh clergy.

The SGPC would also have a look at the decisions of the Sikh clergy before these were pronounced from Akal Takht. Interestingly, on March 29 last year, Jathedar Vedanti and other High Priests had directed the SGPC to constitute an advisory committee and fix the jurisdiction of jathedars.

A member of the ruling party had also raised an objection that some High Priests made foreign tours without the knowledge of their president.

On the current Panthic crisis, one of the ruling executive members suggested that all High Priests should be sacked as they had become “controversial”. However, Jathedar Talwandi ignored the point.

The decision of the SGPC executive to allow Giani Puran Singh, Head Granthi, Golden Temple, to attend the meeting of the Sikh clergy has started an interesting debate among Sikh scholars. This is the fifth decision about Giani Puran Singh ever since Jathedar Talwandi took over as SGPC chief. On December 9, Jathedar Talwandi had appointed Giani Puran Singh as Head Granthi even before the approval of the SGPC executive. Despite the controversy which followed, the SGPC executive amended the decision of Jathedar Talwandi at the meeting of December 12. The executive confirmed the appointment of Giani Puran Singh a week later. However, Jathedar Talwandi refrained Giani Puran Singh from attending the meetings of the Sikh clergy. Yesterday, the executive allowed Giani Puran Singh to attend the meetings. Earlier, Jathedar Talwandi had asked Jathedar Vedanti to call Giani Charan Singh in place of Giani Puran Singh.

Baba Mangal Singh, acting president, Gurmat Gurbani Parcharak Sant Samaj, and confidant of Giani Puran Singh, said Giani Puran Singh would not attend the meetings of the Sikh clergy anymore as Prof Manjit Singh and Giani Kewal Singh were “excommunicated” from the Sikh Panth by a hukamnama issued by him.

Ridiculing the decision of Jathedar Talwandi to refer the Sikh definition to the Minority Commission, Mr Calcutta said though the SGPC had no authority to change the definition as established by the Sikh Gurus, it could change the definition of a “voter”.

Everybody must know that there is difference between a votary and a voter”, he said.

He said for a Sikh to become a voter the Delhi Gurdwara Management Act, 1971, should be referred.

He alleged Jathedar Talwandi was diluting the powers of the SGPC at the behest of Mr Parkash Singh Badal who wanted to please the BJP for remaining in power.

The Sikh scholars are of the view that all three executive meetings+ presided over by Jathedar Talwandi had led to one controversy or the other.