calls for Panthic gathering
The Damdami Taksal has strongly opposed the removal of Takht Jathedars and appointments made in violation of the ‘maryada’ in a hush-hush manner by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the extending religious arm of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa ‘Dhuma’, the head of the Taksal has given a call to organise a panthic gathering on March 14 at Panj Piyara Park, Damdami Taksal premises, Gurdwara Gurdarshan Prakash (Sri Anandpur Sahib) at 1 pm, to lodge protest against the “disrespect” shown towards Sikh principles, the Takht Sahibs and Panthic traditions.
In a video message, Baba Harnam Singh did not specifically name any SGPC official or SAD leader, yet he had attributed the existing Panthic chaos as an attempt to save ‘one-family’.
“Come out to teach them a lesson for their ‘man marzi’ (self-styled) decisions orchestrated just to save the egoistic approach of some individuals at the cost of Panthic principles and institutions. All representatives of the Sant Samaj, Sikh Dal, Nihang Singh organisations, Sikh institutions and the entire Sikh sangat are humbly requested to participate in it,” he said.
The SGPC, which is the appointing authority of Takht Jathedars, had terminated the services of Giani Raghbir Singh as Jathedar of the Akal Takht and Giani Sultan Singh was relieved from the service of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib. Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj was appointed the Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and was entrusted with the officiating charge of the Akal Takht. He had quietly assumed the charges of both Takhts on Monday.
Once headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the Damdami Taksal’s close proximity with the SAD and the SGPC could not be ignored in the past.
The Taksal generally supported their decisions, including the 2015 controversial exoneration to Dera Sirsa cult and those on a series of sacrilege incidents then. Their ties got stronger especially after the SAD-SGPC permitted the construction of a memorial gurdwara as a mark of respect to the Sikh martyrs killed during the June 1984 Army’s Operation Blue Star, just adjacent to the Akal Takht, inside the Golden Temple complex. However, this move had not gone down well with the SAD’s then alliance partner — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
However, the political equations changed with the passage of time. The Taksal tilted towards the BJP after the SAD-BJP alliance was officially terminated during the 2020 on agrarian cause. Baba Harnam Singh gave a surprise by extending open support “on behalf of Sikh Samaj, Maharashtra” to BJP-led Mahayuti (BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP) in the Maharashtra Assembly elections held in November. This was largely criticised by a section of religio-political leadership, including SAD and the SGPC.
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