M A I N   N E W S

Calendar conflict continues
From Gurdip Singh and Rashmi Talwar

AMRITSAR, Jan 5 — The ongoing ‘Nanakshahi’ calendar conflict between the SGPC and Sikh intellectuals on one side and the Sikh clergy headed by Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh and the Sant Samaj on the other, took its first casualty today by leaving ordinary Sikhs in utter confusion on the first Gurpurb of the year.

Thus the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh was celebrated today by the SGPC in violation of the directive of the Akal Takht for maintaining the status quo till a final decision was reached by a seven-member committee appointed at a meeting on December 23.

The SGPC, however, did not stick to this decision. Instead, asserting its authority it bypassed the takht directive and decided on that very day in its executive committee meeting to celebrate gurpurb today as January 14. The date for celebration according to the Bikrami calendar would clash with the coming Maghi mela.

Today’s date was published in the ‘Nanakshahi’ calendar, which was later withdrawn following a suggestion of the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh.

The seven-member committee meeting scheduled to be held here tomorrow, will thus be confronted with a de facto situation although many of its members have shown a clear preference for the ‘Nanakshahi’ calendar.

Meanwhile, arrangements are already on to celebrate the gurpurb for the second time on January 14. Certain Sikh organisations, like the Sikh Sabha and the Chief Khalsa Diwan, which abstained from the nagar kirtan yesterday has already made known its positions on the eve of the celebrations. The Sikh Sabha organised nagar kirtan in the past.

Despite the ongoing dispute the day was celebrated in the Golden Temple and other SGPC run gurudwaras today with the usual enthusiasm. A large number of devotees thronged the Golden Temple and participated in special programmes. Illuminations and fire works were held in the evening.

When contacted on the dispute the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh refused to comment muttering. “With the grace of god everything will be alright”.

JALANDHAR, PTI adds: The author of the controversial Nanakshahi calendar Pal Singh Purewal defended his almanac saying it was based on the scientific concept of a tropical year and would help fix dates of important Sikh festivals and days as per various references in Sikh scriptures.

“All communities and faiths have their own calendar as a mark of their distinct cultural identity. Just as the Islamic world has the Hijri calendar and Hindus have Bikrami calendar, the Sikhs will have a Nanakshahi calendar along with the common era (CE) calendar which is in use throughout the world,” Mr Purewal told reporters here.

He said the controversy over the calendar issue was “unfortunate” as the project was finalised only after thorough and wide-ranging discussions among Sikh scholars and had the backing of the current SGPC, chief Bibi Jagir Kaur as well as her predecessor Gurcharan Singh Tohra.

Asked about the scientific principles on which the new calendar was based, Mr Purewal, an NRI, said currently the Sikhs were celebrating all festivals as per the Bikrami Calendar which is partially based on the solar principle and partially on the lunar.

“This was resulting in various festival dates being pushed further down the year with the passing of each year, thus negating the association between certain festivals and the prevalent seasons they are connected with,” he added.

Mr Purewal said when the Khalsa was founded by the tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh on the Baisakhi of 1699, it was March 29. However, Baisakhi in 1752 occurred on March 29 while next year (1753), it occurred on April 9 due to changeover from Julian to Gregorian calendar. The shift continued with Baisakhi of 1799, 1899 and 1999 falling respectively on April 10, April 12 and April 14.

Controversy over Nanakshahi calendar
By P.P.S. Gill
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 5 — An unfortunate and unsavoury controversy has been sparked off over the acceptance and implementation of the Nanakshahi calendar.

It is a contentious issue for Sikhs now. In fact every key issue that has ever surfaced has invariably been embroiled in a wholly avoidable controversy. First, it was the issue of “rehatmaryada”; then came the “all-India Sikh Gurdwara Act, and now the “calendar”, prepared after great deal of research and consultation by a Canada-based Sikh, Mr Pal Singh Purewal.

The present controversy involves the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the jathedars of the Takhts, including the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Puran Singh, the Sant Samaj (a section of it allegedly owing allegiance to Mr Parkash Singh Badal. This faction, Gurbani Gurmat Sidant Sant Samaj of Jalandhar is headed by Baba Kashmira Singh), and the Sikh intellectuals.

The Nanakshahi jantri (calendar) published by the SGPC has a foreword by the former President of the SGPC, Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra. It is dated March 18, 1998. Over one lakh copies of this publication are ready but have not been distributed due to the ban imposed by Giani Puran Singh, who does not subscribe to the Nanakshahi calendar. This has resulted in tension in the religion-political set up.

At present there is visible confusion and division in the Panthic organisations over the calendar. Despite the SGPC having “approved” it, the Jathedar of Akal Takht has constituted a seven-member committee to “resolve” the issue. Meetings in the recent past have only compounded the confusion, generating more heat.

What exactly is the Nanakshahi calendar? An answer was provided by Dr Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon, President, Institute of Sikh Studies. This very institution had deliberated, discussed and debated the calendar and approved it. This fact is acknowledged by Mr Tohra in his “message” printed in the SGPC “jantri” for 1999-2000. The institute consulted several Sikh and Panthic organisations, including the Damdami Taksal and Chief Khalsa Dewan.

Dr Dhillon says the new calendar is based on universally accepted solar system; the old calendar had followed the lunar system for fixing dates (gurpurbs, birth and death dates of the gurus, historic occasions, etc.) On “Bikarami samvat” calculations which means dates are fixed afresh every year.

Bikarmi year being longer than a solar year by about 20 minutes, it creates a difference of almost one full day over a period of 70 years. Over the centuries, the accumulative difference had led to many problems. Primarily, certain occasions came to be observed at least twice in a single year or within a short span of time; the latest example is of Gurpurb of Guru Teg Bahadur, observed on November 24 and again on December 13; the present controversy being on the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh, January 5 and January 14.

“The new system evolved by Mr Purewal is progressive, scientific and accurate”, said Dr Dhillon.

In fact since 1994 the controversy has raged on. The calendar was to come into effect from Baisakhi, 1999. But keeping in view the contradictory views the SGPC has held back the distribution of its calendar and jantri. The matter is level now.

Dr Dhillon feels that Giani Puran Singh was under the spell of the Sant Samaj. Those opposing it were acting in the same manner as was the situation when the Sikhs had launched a struggle to “free” the Golden Temple from the clutches of the “Sants and mahants”. Men like Giani Puran Singh and a section of Sant Samaj, ostensibly, seem to have some vested interest. “It is time to steer clear of retrogressive and alien influences” by adopting “healthy, positive and progressive measures” in the new millennium”, he added.

What prevents the SGPC from acting firmly and putting its foot down? Must it cow simply because some religion-political interests are affected?

Browsing through the Nanakshahi jantri (calendar) one finds a detailed note on the calendar, which, is said to be the “need” of the time and hour. In Sikh scriptures and Sikh maryada, there is no taboo on either dates or days, all dates and days are “sacred”. The ones making an issue of these were simply trying to confuse the matter being under the “Hindu” influence, remarked Dr Dhillon.

The detailed note by Mr Purewal is in a question-answer/explanatory form. It puts at rest all doubts that are now being cast. In a nutshell, the note in the jantri clearly enunciates that what has been prepared was as per the tenets of Gurbani. The basic philosophy being to follow the “bara maha” (12 months) pattern adopted by Guru Nanak, incorporating both “bara maha — manjh and bara maha — Tukhari”, according to which the months have been listed, beginning with “chet, baisakh, jeth, haar, sawan, bhadon, assu, katak, maghar, poh, magh and phagun”.

Revising a calendar, therefore, was not something new or unique. It is a man-made thing. Over the centuries changes have been effected, says Mr Purewal. In fact, Muslims, Christians and Hindus have had their own calendar. So far the Sikhs had no calendar of their own. Therefore, the new presentation. It puts at rest fixing of important religious and historic dates. Mr Purewal has even given the mathematical formulae to show how he calculated particular dates and why. There are also quotes of historians and experts on the calendar and its basis.

It is a sad day that the Sikh opinion leaders and key institutions are today divided over an important issue. Non-entities seem to call the shots, while the SGPC appears to have acquiesced. In fact the dates of various gurpurbs contained in the Punjab Government’s new calendar (2000) are as per the Nanakshahi calendar. Otherwise how would one explain declaring January 5 as a holiday on account of Gurpurb of Guru Gobind Singh by it? It had to declare two holidays for Guru Teg Bahadhur’s Gurpurb in November-December last year.

The SGPC chief, Bibi Jagir Kaur, is away in the USA because of a bereavement in the family. The issue is also to be taken up by the jathedars on receiving the report of the seven-member committee, appointed by Giani Puran Singh on December 23 last. The committee members are: Col Surjit Singh Nishan (Chandigarh), Mr Pal Singh Purewal (Canada, who is expected to explain), Mr Ajit Singh (Mohali), Dr Pritam Singh, Dr Rai Jasbir Singh (both Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar), Mr Santokh Singh and Mr Kirpal Singh (Amritsar).

Baba Kashmir Singh, who is opposing the new calendar tooth and nail, had created a “scene” at Akal Takht when a meeting was held. There is a demand to summon him to Akal Takht. He has the support of (besides Mr Badal) the following as well: Baba Amarjit Singh, Baba Didar Singh, Nanaksar; Baba Gurnam Singh, Harkhowal; Baba Bhartheri Dass of Punjabi Aid Mandal of which he is president; Baba Balwinder Singh of Sewapanthi; and Dr Bhupinder Singh of Manav Ekta Kender.

With the SGPC give in or will Giani Puran Singh see reason?