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Akal Takht Jathedar’s authority challenged
Tribune News Service

SAS Nagar, October 26
The controversial World Sikh Convention, organised by a section of the Sikh intelligentia, passed off peacefully as it attempted to redefine and interpret Sikh doctrines, amidst heavy security arrangements at the Phase-V Community Centre here today.

During the convention, which lasted over five hours, the authority of the Akal Takht Jathedar was put under a scanner. Challenging his authority directly, the convention called upon the Sikh community not to follow any edict (hukamnama) issued by the Jathedar from time to time.

The organisers of the convention challenged the Akali leaders and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee on important issues connected with the Sikh tenets and politics. “We are trying to rescue the office of the Jathedar from the clutches of the political bosses,” said Prof Gurtej Singh. Guru Granth Sahib was the only Guru and no other book — meaning the Dasham Granth — should be installed alongside it or in preference to it, said one of the resolutions.

The methodology of addressing complaints and issuing hukamnamas was also challenged. As many as seven resolutions were unanimously adopted at the convention, in which organisers one after the other assailed the moderate Sikh leadership for having allegedly misused Akal Takht and other institutions for political ends. Akalis were tying to make it a Punjabi party, but the Panth stood opposed to this, they said.

It was resolved that if the Jathedar summoned Prof Gurtej Singh, a former bureaucrat and professor of Sikhism, and the Editor of ‘Spokesman’, Mr Joginder Singh, to Akal Takht, they need not go there. The SGPC had asked the Jathedar to summon the magazine editor to offer a clarification with regard to some of his writings.

The organisers had during the delegation session, held at 9 am, clarified that this was not a Sarbat Khalsa, but it was being held on similar lines. The function was held before Guru Granth Sahib and “permission” was sought to hold deliberations. While passing a resolution, Gen Narender Singh (retd), declared Mr Hardev Singh Shergill Jathedar of the convention.

Delegates from various districts of the state, besides those from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, participated in the convention. In addition, Sikh scholars had also arrived from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore and Malaysia to participate in the deliberations.

Expressing strong reservation over Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief K. Sudarshan’s viewpoint that the Sikhs were Hindus, the World Sikh Convention warned the RSS chief of severe consequences of making statements in future.

“This congregation condemns the RSS and other such bodies for their attitude against the minorities, and urges the Sikhs at large to collectively strengthen themselves against such elements who are trying to disturb the peace of the country by their communal and fascist statements and tendencies,’’ said one of the resolutions passed.

Addressing the large gathering, the Khalsa Panchayat convener, Mr Rajinder Singh, said, ‘’We will shed blood if Sudarshan or any other RSS leader made such utterances in future.”

Another resolution admitted that Sarbat Khalsa could only be convened under the aegis of the institution of Akal Takht and such a congregation could only be presided over by Panj Piaras chosen by the gathering.

The convention resolved to free gurdwaras from the “clutches” of politicians. ‘’The possession of the gurdwaras should be given in the hands of only religious persons so that the politicians are not able to hold the reigns of gurdwara managements with the help of money and liquor (during gurdwara elections),’’ said a resolution. The convention also declared the action taken against Gurbax Singh Kala Afghana to be against the tenets of Sikhism.

Mr Mohinder Singh Josh handled the charge of stage secretary of the first delegate convention and the speakers aired their views on the resolutions passed at the convention. However, on the issue of Langar, many speakers said the practice of sitting in a row on the floor should be followed while partaking of langar.

Among the other main speakers were Mr Avtar Singh, Prof Kulbeer Singh, Mr Joginder Singh, Mr Darbara Singh, Mr Harmander Singh Delhi and Mr Surjit Singh.

Hukamnamas can’t be rejected, says Vedanti
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 26
In a hard-hitting statement, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, today described the organisers of the world Sikh conventions as “anti-Panthic” and having scant knowledge of the Sikh traditions. He said the Hukmnamas once issued from Akal Takht could neither be withdrawn nor rejected.

He alleged that the function was held at the behest of the state government which wanted to create division between the Sikh panth. He indicated that action could be initiated against the participants, including Mr Gurtej Singh, Mr Joginder Singh, Mr Hardev Singh Shergil, Mr Rajinder Singh, convener, Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat and Mr Ujjagar Singh Chicago.

NEWS ANALYSIS
Need for in-house deliberations
P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 26
At the World Sikh Convention at Mohali on Sunday, the main focus was on Akal Takht, the supreme spiritual and temporal seat revered by all Sikhs. Also discussed were its jurisdiction or jurisprudence, the issue of “hukamnama” (religious edict) or excommunication of individuals, the concept of the Sikh priestly class having become supreme, instead of Guru Granth and Guru Panth and the place of the Dasam Granth etc.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) had openly opposed the convention. It dubbed it as “anti-panthic”, aimed at denigrating the Sikh Panth, creating schisms, confusion and conflicts in its institutions. It perceived it as a “revolt” against Akal Takht, a charge denied by the organisers.

Observers of the Sikh religio-political scene say that rather than engaging in irresponsible conduct, need was for consensus and in-house deliberations. Neither should such conventions be perceived to arouse emotions of the gullible, innocent Sikhs by projecting that the “Panth is in peril” nor should the SGPC simply dismiss such events, howsoever unsavoury it finds them. There are lessons to be learnt, howsoever unpalatable.

The Sikh leadership must be educated on these sensitive issues, as at stake is the profound reverence and respect the ordinary Sikhs have for Akal Takht, the ‘’rehat mayada’’ (code of conduct) etc. The Sikh leadership does not mean Akalis alone, who are ever divided into factions professing different ideologies suited to their particular brand of politics and always working at cross purposes, all in the name of the Panth!

Notwithstanding the controversies and conflicts that surrounded the convention, should not this serve as a positive development? It could be a wake-up call for the SGPC to introspect and reinvent itself by improving its housekeeping. Observers say that the SGPC lacks vision. It has to undergo surgery to transform its image and enlarge its jurisdiction, if it is to become truly representative and repository of the Sikh aspirations and ethos. This “mini-Parliament” is yet to acquire a “global” image, encompassing the vast diaspora of the Sikhs.

Taking a dispassionate view of today’s developments, Dr Kharak Singh of the Institute of Sikh Studies says: “What is sought to be focused by the convention cannot be changed in the blink of an eye or rabble-rousing or spewing venom against established institutions, Akal Takht or SGPC. Mere aggressive rhetoric is neither of any help nor any need. There is always scope for improvements.”

And time is an important factor in such matters. Giving an example of ‘’rehat maryada’’, he said, it took 15 years before the final draft was approved. Likewise, the issues raised at the convention needed time for resolution. “Take Dasam Granth. It has remained unresolved for a long time, despite intervention by Akal Takht, which had directed SGPC to constitute a committee of Sikh scholars to study the Dasam Granth so that all controversies could be resolved. Till date, no committee has been constituted. The issue remains live even after 18 months of Akal Takht’s directive”.

The same is true of the All-India Sikh Gurdwara Act. At the initiative of the Institute of Sikh Studies, Justice Harbans Singh (retired), a former Chief Commissioner, Sikh Gurdwara Elections, was assigned to prepare the draft after Mr Parkash Singh Badal and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra had given their approval. After much hard-work, a draft was finally prepared. But vested interests have not allowed it to be placed before Parliament. Unfortunately, SGPC itself has remained embroiled in one or the other controversy, mostly of its own making. It is yet to take definite decisions on several crucial religio-political issues, including definition of a Sikh or a Sehajdhari or clear doubts or differences that persist over certain issues.