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Tuesday, August 6, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Sikh bodies for ban on Ashutosh, Bhaniara outfits
15-day ultimatum to govt
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 5
By a ‘Gurmata’ (agreed religious decision among Sikhs), passed under the aegis of Akal Takht, the Sikh bodies today sought a ban on the congregations of Mahant Ashutosh and Baba Bhaniara and their immediate arrest to avoid direct confrontation.

Sikh high priests, including Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Kesgarh Sahib, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, President, SGPC, and representatives of various Sikh bodies pass a ‘gurmata’ against the activities of Ashutosh, head of a religious sect, at Teja Singh Samundari Hall in Amritsar on Monday.
— Photos Rajiv Sharma

While the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra and the All-India Sikh Students Federation (Gill), were conspicuous by their absence, representatives of more than 100 Sikh bodies, including the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and radical Sikh outfits participated in the meeting convened by Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Akal Takht at Teja Singh Samundari Hall in the SGPC complex.

Most of the speakers criticised vehemently the SGPC for having failed to propagate the Sikh faith at the grass root level which encouraged the ‘dera cult’ in Punjab. The Panthic leaders also emphasised the need to introspect in this regard.

Sounding a note of warning to the state government, the ‘Gurmata’ said that a committee would be set-up within a fortnight to formulate an action plan for stopping the activities of self-styled godmen. The meeting recorded this with grave concern that neither the state government nor the Central government took steps to stop the ‘anti-Panthic’ activities despite several reminders, which were bound to create communal tension in the state. The speaker after speaker attributed the activities of Noormahalia and Baba Bhaniara to the ‘deep-rooted’ conspiracy, hatched by certain ‘anti-Panthic’ forces.

Jathedar Vedanti said that if the state government failed to check the activities of Noormahalias and Bhaniarawala the Sikh Panth was in a position to accept the challenge of ‘anti-Panthic forces’ on its own and capable of giving a befitting reply to such forces. He said the Panth would adopt all possible means to smash ‘anti-Panthic’ activities, if any, as preached by the Sikh gurus. He called upon the leaders of various outfits to rise above party affiliations and petty politics so that the Panth could defeat the nefarious designs of ‘anti-Sikh’ forces unitedly. He also appealed them to come on a single platform, especially to oppose the activities of self-styled godmen.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), headed by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, a Member of Parliament, said that an emergency session of the SGPC General House be convened to address the current problem being faced by the Sikh Panth. Bhai Ram Singh, general secretary of the Dal, said the Akali MPs should raise this issue on the ‘floor of Parliament too. Bibi Jagir Kaur, a former president of the SGPC also echoed same views. She, however, said that all religious ‘deras’ should not be made the target as there were some which followed the ‘maryada’ of Akal Takht.

The SGPC chief, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, while defending the ‘dharam prachar’ activities of the Shiromani Committee said that the Sikh preachers were being given intensive training to carry the message of ‘Guru’ to every nook and corner of the world.

Chief of the Khalsa Panchayat sought summoning of the entire family of Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, a former Akali Minister and senior vice-president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) for his alleged close links with sects of Noormahalias and Baba Bhaniara. He alleged that the daughter of Mr Badal had organised a congregation of Noormahalias at house. “The Akali leaders themselves are responsible for encouraging such activities”, he alleged. Mr Rajinder Singh, said it was a matter of concern that the SAD chief, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, himself participated in ‘havans’ which was not admissible in Sikhism. Mr Sucha Singh Langah, a former Akali Minister organised 501 paths of the ‘Ramayana’ and was never summoned by Akal Takht for the violation of Sikh tenets. “We have to keep our own house in order”, he said.

The Dal Khalsa spokesman, Mr Kanwarpal Singh said the phenomenon of living Guru got the much desired boost as the Sikh bodies, especially the SGPC failed to check this trend in the past. He alleged there seemed to be a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the activities of Mahant Ashutosh who had come all the way from Bihar to spread his ‘tentacles’.

Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, general secretary, SGPC, Mr Harsimran Singh, a Sikh scholar, Mr Narain Singh, convener, Akal Federation, Mr Charan Singh Lohara, Mr Gurcharan Singh Grewal, president Sikh Students Federation (Mehta), Bhai Mohkam Singh, a spokesman of the Damdami Taksal, Dr Rattan Singh Ajnala, a former Akali minister, Bhai Baldev Singh of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Mr Gurmit Singh of Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle and representatives of various Nihang organisations also attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Mr Harminder Singh Gill, president, AISSF (Gill) deplored the ‘mild programme’ mentioned in the ‘Gurmata’. He said his federation would give a call shortly to oust Mahant Ashutosh from Punjab.