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Baba Ghala accepts tankhah for 1984 kar seva
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 5
Baba Ghala Singh, chief of Nanaksar Kaleran (Ludhiana) today accepted the tankhah (punishment for religious misconduct) for carrying out kar seva of the Akal Takht building, which was damaged during the Army operation in June 1984, on behalf of the Central Government, thereby injuring the Sikh sentiment.

He hs accepted the tankhah on behalf injuring of the late Baba Narain Singh who had carried out the renovation of the Akal Takht building along with four other religious leaders. While all four persons — Baba Santa Singh, chief of Baba Budha Dal, Baba Nihal Singh, the late Baba Mangal Singh Satlani and Baba Bikramjit Singh — have already under gone ‘tankhah’ by appearing before Akal Takht, Baba Ghala Singh today became the last person to accept the same.

With this, Akalt Takht has proved that no kar seva could be carried out against the wishes of the Sikh sangat.

The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had deputed Mr Buta Singh, the then Union Home Minister, to get the damaged building of Akal Takht renovated. For this purpose, the services of Baba Santa Singh were sought. Mr Buta Singh has already accepted the tankhah in the matter. The kar seva was carried out on August 1, 1984.

Later, the building which was renovated with the assistance of government departments was pulled down at behest of the SGPC and a new one got constructed by the sangat.

The tankhah was pronounced by the five Sikh high priests, including Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar Akal Takht, Giani Iqbal Singh, Jathedar of Patna Sahib, Giani Tarlochan Singh, acting Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Jathedar of Damdama Sahib, and Giani Jagtar Singh, priest of the Goden Temple. It was for the first time after Operation Bluestar that the Jathedar of Patna Sahib attended a meeting of the Sikh clergy.

In another ‘hukamnama’ (edict) pronounced from Akal Takht, Mr Mohinder Singh Romana was directed to undergo tankhah for using derogatory language against the Sikh high priests at a religious function held in Chicago on April 27. Mr Romana was also accused of debating on the Dasam Granth in violation of the directive of Akal Takht. He was charged with moving the District Court, Patna Sahib, despite the fact that the case was pending with Akal Takht. As a part of the tankhah, Mr Romana would listen to kirtan at the Golden Temple for two days for half an hour and dust the shoes of the sangat and listen to religious hymns at Takht Patna Sahib for three days (half an hour daily.