Amritsar, Punjab: Stating that the pardon drama was concocted by Badals and executed by Five Takhat jathedar’s, the Dal Khalsa and Akali Dal Panch Pardani (ADPP) today rejected the decision to exonerate pseudo-baba Gurmit Ram Rahim for his blasphemous act in 2007.
Members of both the organizations today staged a silent sit-in at Akal Takhat to lodge their protest against the Takhat decision to pardon the Sirsa head. Their activists after praying at Akal Takhat converged near the Akal Takhat Secretariat office and stood there in protest by holding placards to convey their message. In a clear rebuke to CM Parkash Singh Badal and his coterie one of the signboard reads “Supreme is Akal Takhat, Not Jathedar”. Another reads “Akali politics corrupting religious institutions” and “SGPC is in wrong hands”. The activists through their written message demanded resignations of Jathedar’s and proclaimed that Panth has not pardoned pseudo-Baba.
A view of the gathering near Akal Takhat Sahib
Bhai HS Dhammi, Bhai Kulvir Singh Barapind and others talking to media reports
Dal Khalsa and Panch Pardhani activists stage symbolic sit in protest
Sikh activists protest against controversial move by Jathedars
Family members of Kamaljeet Singh and Harminder Singh, who fell into the bullets of either police of dera Sirsa followers during protest clashes were present on the occasion. They also questioned the wisdom of Jathedar’s in pardoning the person who is accused of gross sacrilege and violence unleashed on Sikh protester’s.
There was nothing more painful than witnessing a new low that our religious leadership has touched. Instead of showing signs of statesmanship, the five Takhat jathedar’s have succumbed to political pressures only for pecuniary benefits, said Dal Khalsa head H S Dhami. He said the reasoning being given by jathedar’s and Akali minister’s in pardoning the pseudo-godman was hollow and uncalled. “The person, who is charged under heinous crimes including murder & rape by CBI, mocks at Sikhs, undermine Sikh belief system and exploits the political parties in lieu of votes of his handful followers, doesn’t deserve sympathy or pardon. He only deserves to be put behind bars”.
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. Blaming Jathedars for undermining the glory and aura of the institution, he criticized the manner in which jathedars took decisions and behave like masters of the Guru Panth and not sewaks.
Raising the pitch for the demand for the removal of all five Jathedar’s, Panch Pardani leader Harpal Singh Cheema said today’s spirited gathering has resolved to boycott the present incumbents until they withdraw and rectify their faulty decisions. Advocate Cheema alleged that the Akalis continue to dabble in Gurdwara affairs and politics despite having dropped the Panthic agenda in 1996.
SGPC member Kulbir Singh Barapind said without evolving and implementation of specific rules and guidelines regarding the appointment, removal and working sphere of Takhat Jathedar’s, and a strict layered guideline for issuance of Hukamnamas, nothing was going to change. Since the directives of Takht Jathedars affect the entire community, it was necessary to involve the established Sikh institutions including the Gurdwara management’s, seminaries, groups and prominent personalities in the process. To a question, he said the concept of Sarbat Khalsa needs to be revived in the present times. He, however, said Sikhs being spread across the globe, there’s need to define the Sarbat Khalsa, what were the procedures to convene it, who could convene and where and evolve mechanism to engage different and divergent sections of Sikh society in the decision making process.
Representing both the organization, Heads of both while addressing the media said 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. Waving the copy of the decision, he said we were here to give Panthic response to this utterly faulty decision taken by Five. They tore down the copy and remarked “this was theirs response”. They said they had register their symbolic protest and given clear message. Notably they had separated the letter head of Akal Takhat Sahib from the impugned decision’s copy and only the copy of decision was torn.