M A I N   N E W S

Nanakshahi calendar out
No row: Badungar; CM fears chaos
Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, SGPC President, releasing the Nanakshahi Calendar along with Mr Parkash Singh Badal, SAD President, and Capt. Kanwaljit Singh, SAD general secretary, at Talwandi Sabo on Monday. — Photo Kulbir Beera

Talwandi Sabo, April 14
While presenting the first copy of the controversial Nanakshahi calendar to the President of SAD Mr Parkash Singh Badal, today, the SGPC chief, Prof Kirpal Singh Badungar, expressed satisfaction that like other communities, the Sikhs now had their own religious calendar, even as the Chief Minister. Capt Amarinder Singh, expressed doubts that the event could unleash chaos in the state.

Professor Badungar today released the solar-based Nanakshahi calendar, which was formed by using the birth of Guru Nanak as base year. The new calendar would ensure fixed dates for gurpurbs and other important events of the Sikh community. While claiming that there was no controversy among the Sikhs over the implementation of the calendar, he said that it had been formulated after prolonged discussions with Sikh scholars and religious leaders. He said that it had been accepted by almost the entire Sikh community.

He said that though the SGPC had not written to state government for implementing the Nanakshahi calendar for determining the days of important events in the Sikh history, it was hoped that the Punjab Government would do so on its own as it had been doing for the Muslim and Christian minorities. He added that from today, the Sikhs would celebrate the historic events on the basis of the Nanakshahi calendar.

However, Capt Amarinder Singh said while the state government and the Congress would react only after it had studied the new calendar, he expressed reservations and said separate calendars from different states could create chaos among the people.

He said the Congress would expose the “doublespeak and hollow claims” made in connection with the uplift of the Sikh Panth by the Akalis. He further said that the government would not allow the beleaguered Akali leadership to exploit religious sentiments for political capital.

He justified the removal of Mr Badal from the chairmanship of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation saying that the Chief Minister was its ex-officio chairman and the state government had done the same. He pointed out that list of NRIs donors for the Khalsa Heritage Complex would be floated on its website and if it was found that such money had been “eaten” by anyone during Mr Badal’s government, a probe would be launched. He added that efforts would be made to complete the complex by September, 2004.

Bhindranwale’s anniversary

As per the Nanakshahi calendar, six months would be of 31 days, five months of 30 days and one month of 29 days. The first month of the new calendar would be Chet and last Phagun. The Nanakshahi calendar would not be implemented for determining the dates of Divali and Holi festivals. Interestingly, June 4 would be observed as anniversary of the attack on Akal Takht and June 6 as the “martyrdom” of Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.