Chandigarh: Amid the ongoing tussle between the Akal Takht and Shiromani Akali Dal, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Friday removed Giani Raghbir Singh as the Jathedar of the Akal Takht.
The decision to remove Raghbir Singh was taken by the executive committee of the SGPC, headed by vice president Raghujit Singh Virk in the absence of Harjinder Singh Dhami, who had resigned from the position of the president last month.
The executive committee also removed Giani Sultan Singh as the acting Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib. This comes after SGPC removed Giani Harpreet Singh as the Jathedar of the Takht Damdama Sahib last month.
With Friday’s development, three Sikh Jathedars, who had ordered then SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s removal as the party president, declared him ‘Tankhaiya (sinner)’ and announced a series of punishments against him and other Akali Dal leaders, have been removed.
Virk said in a statement that Giani Raghbir Singh was removed from his position for having failed to “adequately” guide the Sikh community and take a firm stance on critical matters. “His inconsistent statements and reluctance to address serious incidents impacting Sikh values and morality led to disappointment among the Sikh Sangat,” he said.
Giani Kuldeep Singh Gadgaj has now been appointed as the Jathedar of Takht Keshgarh Sahib, and given the additional charge as Jathedar of Akal Takht. Baba Tek Singh, head of Bunga Mastuana, Damdama Sahib has been appointed as Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib.
The Akal Takht is the highest temporal body of the Sikhs, while the SGPC regulates the functioning of all historical gurdwaras in Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. Both bodies are the upholders of the Sikh maryada, or Sikh code of conduct.
Takht Damdama Sahib and Takht Keshgarh Sahib are among the four other seats of temporal authority of the Sikhs, each of which is headed by a SGPC-appointed Jathedar.
Virk added in the statement that the Akal Takht is the supreme authority of Miri Piri (Sikh doctrine of close relationship between religion and politics), established by Guru Hargobind Sahib, and remains the spiritual and political centre of Sikh governance. “However, in the face of growing challenges, the leadership of former Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh was deemed inadequate in guiding the Panth and addressing contemporary issues effectively,” he said.
The SGPC vice president highlighted concerns over increasing divisions within Sikh institutions, rising threats to Sikh identity worldwide, and the alleged failure of the former Jathedar to take a firm stance on critical Panthic matters.
“In this era of globalisation, the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib must provide clear, unwavering leadership to safeguard Sikh interests. Unfortunately, Giani Raghbir Singh’s inconsistent approach has weakened Panthic unity instead of strengthening it. Given these serious shortcomings, the executive committee decided to retire him from the post of Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib,” he said.
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Akal Takht vs Akali Dal
The major reshuffle in Sikh institutions has come at a time when the Akal Takht has poised itself against the leadership of SAD by Badal, siding with a breakaway faction of the party.
On 2 December, Raghbir Singh, Harpreet Singh and Sultan Singh had collectively ordered Badal’s removal as SAD chief and set up a committee under Dhami to undertake the party’s membership drive and conduct fresh elections to the post of the president.
While the party had agreed to remove Badal from the post, it had refused to hand over its functioning to the committee formed by the Akal Takht. The party tried to reason with the Akal Takht, saying that the constitution of a committee by the Akal Takht to run the face of a political party was illegal, and could lead to the party losing its “secular” credentials, which could land it in trouble with the Election Commission of India.
Giani Raghbir Singh and Giani Harpreet Singh had, however, insisted on the Akali Dal giving up its functioning to the committee, making their displeasure clear to Dhami, who was heading the committee.
On 10 February, the SGPC had removed Giani Harpreet Singh from his position after its executive committee accepted the report of the investigation panel that had indicted him of multiple acts of misdemeanour, seen to be diminishing the position of the Jathedar.
Following his removal, Harpreet Singh was invited by multiple Sikh extremist groups to join them, including the newly formed outfit led by jailed Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh.
Following Harpreet Singh’s removal, several acrimonious comments were made by Giani Raghbir Singh against the SGPC, following which on 18 February, Dhami offered to quit as the SGPC president.
Following Akali Dal’s parliamentary poll debacle last year, a breakaway faction of the party had complained to the Akal Takht against Badal’s leadership seeking his removal. Acting on the complaint, the Akal Takht had in August declared Badal Tankhaiya and sentenced him and other Akali leaders in December.
Reacting to the move Friday, Giani Harpreet Singh said in a video message that the action had been taken against the three only because of the decisions taken by them on 2 December. “It is a black day in the history of the Sikh community and Sikh institutions,” he remarked.
Several leaders of the breakaway faction of the Akali Dal also termed the move as “highly unfortunate”. Surjit Singh Rakhra, one of its leaders, told media persons that the move was not aimed to bring unity into the Sikh community, but to punish the Jathedars for taking a stance against the Badals. “If anything, this will lead to further division in the Sikh community,” said Rakhra.
Akali Dal leader and MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, a member of the committee created by the Akal Takht to run the party, called the move to remove the Jathedars “painful”. He said in a statement that this was the result of the action taken against the Badals by the Akal Takht.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Malwinder Singh Kang said that the move was unfortunate. “The Sikh community will give a befitting reply to the Akali Dal for this.” AAP MLA and Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Kultar Singh Sandhwan told media persons that the move had lowered the dignity of the Akal Takht, for which the Akali Dal was responsible.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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