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Jhinda, associates declared tankhayia
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

President of HGPC (ad hoc) Jagdish Singh Jhinda (second from right) at Akal Takht on Tuesday. Photo: Vishal Kumar

Amritsar, November 17
The five Sikh high priests have not only accorded tankha (religious punishment) to the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC-Adhoc) chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda and four of his associates in the September 13 Kurukshetra gurdwara row, they have also directed a former Akal Takht Jathedar, Prof Darshan Singh, to appear before Akal Takht on December 5 and explain his alleged blasphemous remarks against Guru Gobind Singh.

At the same time, the five Sikh high priests led by the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh, have also directed Sikhs and Sikh organisations like Singh Sabhas, societies to not allow Prof Darshan Singh to speak from any stage till he offers a clarification and explanation in respect of his alleged remarks against Guru Gobind Singh.

The five Sikh high priests have also directed the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Parmjit Singh Sarna to explain his alleged act of not allowing Delhi-based Sikh leader Kuldip Singh Bhogal to hold akhand paths to seek early justice for 1984 riot victims in New Delhi. Sarna has been given 10 days to offer his explanation.

On the other hand, taking a tough stance regarding the controversial remarks made allegedly by Prof Darshan Singh during one of his discourses at Rachester Gurdwara in New York recently, the SGPC chief Avtar Singh has asserted that since the former Akal Takht Jathedar has indulged in an act of “blasphemy” against the 10th Guru, he will not be allowed to speak publicly at any place. Giani Gurbachan Singh and other high priests, including Balwant Singh Nandgarh, Tarlochan Singh, Iqbal Singh, and Jaswinder Singh, had already found Jhinda and his associates, Kanwaljit Singh Ajrana, Avtar Singh Chakku, Hazoor Singh Nambardar and Joga Singh Yamunanagar, “guilty” of “misconduct” in the Kurukshetra gurdwara row during their October 14 meeting but they had reserved their judgement.

Pronouncing their judgement in the presence of Jhinda and his associates, the five Sikh high priests directed Jhinda and others to peform sewa for five days each at Akal Takht, Takht Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Damdama Sahib and at Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi in Kurukshetra.

During their 20-day long tankah period, Jhinda and others will be listening to kirtan for one hour every day apart from undertaking an hour-long bartan sewa (cleaning of utensils). They would also be cleaning shoes of visiting devotees for one hour every day. On the concluding and 21st day of their tankah, Jhinda and others would be appearing before Akal Takht where they will have to make an ardas apart from offering ‘deg’ of Rs 1,100 to seek atonement for their religious “misconduct”. Each of the five Haryana Sikh leaders will also be offering ‘deg’ worth Rs 500 at all the three other religious places.

Jhinda and others have said they would start the sewa from November 21. “We have all the respect for Akal Takht,” said Jhinda and others. Turning a bit defiant, Jhinda and his associates, who have been clarifying that they had done nothing wrong and had just taken over ‘sewa sambhal’ of the Kurukshetra gurdwara for a few hours on September 13, asserted that they would continue to do so in near future also. “The issue was blown out of proportion. Come what may, we will form the separate Sikh body for the Haryana gurdwaras. The Haryana Sikhs will also initiate an agitation if the Nanakshahi calendar was amended or revoked by the Sikh priests or by the SGPC. The Nanakshahi calendar is very important for maintaining a separate Sikh identity,” they asserted.