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The Supreme under
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Jathedar should be independent of all political and
administrative pressures and manipulations
WSN Bureau
 Amritsar:
Sikh scholars, legal brains and heads of Sikh socio-religious
organizations unanimously passed a resolution reiterating that the
Akal Takht was supreme and its supremacy and sovereignty cannot be
challenged, compromised and questioned as was being done by certain
vested interests.
At the same
time, they expressed their desire to free jathedars of all the Five
Takht from all political and legal bindings.
The occasion was
the seminar organized by the Dal Khalsa to discuss about the role,
working sphere, status and appointments of the Takht jathedars. The
speakers were vocal and went on to the extent in saying that the
incumbents use and misuse the authority vested in them, the
political leadership manouvres the religious heads –calling them
head priests and employees of the SGPC as per the exigency of the
situation.
They observed
that the concepts of Sandesh, Gurmata and Hukamnama have become
hazed over the years because of the manner in which edicts have been
handed over in recent years –from the blatant interventionist to the
utterly ridiculous and the politically motivated.
Delivering the
key note address, the party president Satnam Singh said today's
Seminar was the first in the series of 6 Seminars proposed to be
held over the next year to go into the entire gamut of issues
relating to the institution of the Akal Takht Sahib and its jathedar.
One of
the resolutions read by H S Dhami stated that the institution of
Akal Takht Sahib is a highest temporal authority of the Sikh nation
and the devout Sikhs, irrespective of political leanings revere the
institution. The gathering passed another resolution empowering the
organizers to constitute a 'drafting committee' of Sikh scholars,
experts and thinkers to fix norms for the post of the jathedar Akal
Takht and other Takhts.
 The names of
the members of the proposed drafting committee would be finalized
very soon, said Kanwar Pal Singh and added that the proposed draft
would be submitted after due deliberations before the Akal Takht by
14 March 2009. He explained that they had to undertake the project
because the SGPC has failed to do so.
Former Minister
Manjit Singh Calcutta said the jathedar should be independent of all
kinds of political and administrative pressures and manipulations.
He said the jathedar should not be answerable to any person, group
or his appointing authority but to the Sikh collectivity i.e. the
Panth. He suggested that the jathedar should be independent of any
pecuniary authority. "The Panth should create a financial corpus for
his honorable sustenance and for running the affairs of the Akal
Takht secretariat".
Advocate H S
Phoolka in his address said Jathedars of these Five Takhats were
appointed and removed by the committees in whose jurisdiction of the
respective Takhat falls. "There is no laid down procedure of any of
these for appointment/removal of Jathedars though the Singh Sahibans
have the highest authority in the Sikh Religion and their writ run
among the Sikhs but the committees treat them like their employee".
He said the Jathedars of these Five Takhats concerns and affects the
whole of Sikh Nation throughout the World. As such the appointment
of the Jathedar shall not be left only to the whims and fancies or
prerogative of the respective committee, he asserted.
 Damdami Taksal head Baba Harnam Singh and Akand Kirtani jatha head
Gaini Baldev Singh while speaking applauded the efforts and assured
the organizers of their wholehearted support. They admitted that the
conduct and working of the present lot of Jathedars has undermined
the glory and aura of the institution of the Akal Takht and other
Takhts. Narien Singh of Akal Federation was at his best when he
explained that 'intellectuals sans faith and religious preachers
without discerning knowledge' are harming the interests of the
religion. He said the Akal Takht is not the name of the building but
it symbolizes the Sikh principles and the concept of Miri-Piri
and sovereignty.
Chief Khalsa
Deewan secretary Bhag Singh Ankhi and Director of Sant Singh Sukha
Singh School Jagdish Singh dwell on the need of codifying the post
of the Jathedars'.
Dr Gurdarshan
Singh from GNDU was critical of the working of the Jathedars. He
said none could restore their honour than they themselves. He said
they had to prove their worth, stick to principles and live up to
the expectations of the people.
KAC convenor
Mohkam Singh made startling revelations when he revealed details of
how the Central government scuttled moves to appoint Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale as Jathedar of the Akal Takht in the wake of demise of
Jathedar Gurdial Singh Ajnoha. He recalled how in 1983 during a
congregation attended by prominent scholars, retired civil as well
as army officers at the Langar hall within Darbar Sahib complex, a
resolution was passed proposing the name of Sant Jarnail Singh for
the post. Within no time the
Delhi rulers
through Akali leadership got active and 'engineered' the appointment
of Gaini Kirpal Singh for the top seat.
SKP chairman
Rajinder Singh was vocal in saying that there was no priestly class in Sikhism. He said
"the concept of Panj Pardhani doesn't
mean the established five Jathedars". He criticized the manner in
which Jathedars took decisions and behave like masters and not sevadars.
Former jathedars
Kewal Singh and Jagtar Singh Jachak shared their experiences as they
had deep insight into the circumstances in which Jathedars had to run
the affairs.
Amongst
others who graced the occasion were Wing Commander (retd) R S
Chhatwal, Daljit Singh, chairman of Dharam Parchar of the DSGMC and AISSF president Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad.
12
March 2008
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