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Internecine warfare turns ugly leaf
in action against
Prof Darshan Singh
WSN Bureau
 Amritsar:
Internecine wars within the Sikh community are a continuing sad
story, and the latest chapter has come as a shock, underlining how
the self-styled well wishers of the Sikhs are indulging in actions
and counter actions that are only harming the larger cause and
frittering away the energy of the community.This when the community
is facing much larger enemies on many fronts and is passing through
an acute crisis.
In an
unprecedented move, the Sikh clergy of Patna Sahib led by Jathedar
Iqbal Singh last week excommunicated Prof Darshan Singh, a former
Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, from the Sikh Panth, an action that
was quickly condemned by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management
Committee and is not likely to find support in many quarters. The
root cause is the bitter warfare going on within the community on
the issue of Dasam Granth.
Prof Darshan
Singh, whose scintillating kirtan in the immediate aftermath of
Operation Bluestar (codename for the Indian Army's attack on Sri
Darbar Sahib and Sri Akal Takht Sahib) had lent an aggressive edge
to the community's sense of rage and had helped resurrect the
self-respect, had lately expressed himself as being against
advocates of Dasam Granth. A section of the community considers the
Dasam Granth as being the composition of Tenth Sikh Master Guru
Gobind Singh ji, while another one is strongly opposed to it. The
fact that the two Takhts outside
Punjab
have 'parkash' of Dasam Granth at the Takht Sahib has become quite a
core issue for both sides, and Iqbal Singh has been unhappy with all
opponents of Dasam Granth. A lot of community's energy and reams of
newsprint is being splashed on this internecine warfare.
Jathedar Iqbal
Singh led clergy declared Prof Darshan Singh a “permanent tankhahiya”
(guilty of religious misconduct), and asked the Sikh Panth all over
the world to snap ties with him. Earlier, the former Jathedar of
Akal Takht was asked to appear before Takht Patna Sahib clergy by
May 10 but he publicly refused to do so. Large sections of the
community have expressed sadness that the developments come at a
time when the community is celebrating Guru'ta Gaddi Diwas later
this year.
The DSGMC
president and former president, Parmjit Singh Sarna and Harwinder
Singh Sarna, (both brothers) have described the action against Prof
Darshan Singh as “most unfortunate” and said it was part of a
“deep-rooted conspiracy”. Lately, the Akal Takht jathedar had been
keeping Jathedar Iqbal Singh out of the meetings convened by the
Akal Takht.
"I wonder why
Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti and Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee president.
Avtar Singh
Makkar are mum on this issue," the Sarnas said. Jathedar Vedanti was
on a personal visit to the United States when the development
happened.
14
May,
2008
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