Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Jathedars
As Jathedars fight charges, insiders blame politics for controversy
Bajinder Pal Singh
Chandigarh, June 24: Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, is in the dock over the mysterious death of his daughter-in-law.
Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, is accused of not submitting the accounts of the World Sikh Council, and faces an SGPC inquiry, along with Giani Kewal Singh.
Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of the Akal Takhat, is accused of handing over a precious handwritten bir to an unauthorised person who has smuggled it to Canada.
THE Jathedars — heads of the five sacred Takhts of the Sikhs — are leaders of the Sikh community, expected to conduct their lives in an exemplary fashion. The will of the community, it is said, speaks through them. But currently, these three Jathedars are being criticised publicly and increasingly vocal demands are being made for their removal.
To be fair to them though, the seats have had their share of controversies in the past. Bhai Ranjit Singh and Giani Puran Singh, both Akal Takht Jathedars, were involved in controversies over property dealings. During the period of militancy in Punjab and in its aftermath, controversial individuals occupied the seat of Jathedars. But the situation was different then.
This is perhaps the first time that all three Takht Jathedars in Punjab are at the centre of some controversy or other. Former SGPC president, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who presided over the organisation for 25 years, places the blame on the increasing political interference in religious affairs. Tracing the history of Akal Takht, Tohra says: ‘‘Whenever political considerations have taken precedence over religious ones, whether it was in the British period or in recent times, the Takhts have been involved in controversies.’’
The Takht Jathedars should enjoy confidence of the entire Sikh Panth, and Tohra feels that the recent trend of appointing and removing Jathedars at will is only complicating the situation. Going back in time Tohra recalls that during the British Raj, Arur Singh and other granthis had to go because they pandered to the British and indulged in anti-Sikh activities. Later, when the community was gripped by miltant seperatism, a section of the militants had tried to bypass the SGPC and appoint Jathedars.
‘‘The decline in leadership should be seen in tandem with the decline in leadership in the Akali Dal,’’ says Bhai Ashok Singh of Bagrian, whose family has been associated with the Sikh leadership since the times of the sixth Guru. ‘‘The Akalis continue to dabble in Gurdwara affairs and politics despite having dropped the Panthic agenda,’’ he says.
Gurtej Singh, former IAS officer and the SGPC National Professor of Sikhism, says: ‘‘Previously, the Jathedars were appointed in consultation with different Sikh bodies and with the eminent people of the community.’’ But this ended with the era of Master Tara Singh and after that politicians sought to use the position of Jathedars to further their own agenda.
Others feel that the decline began when the militants started directing the SGPC to appoint Takhat Jathedars and other functionaries. The case of Gurbachan Singh Manochahal is a prime example.
Similarly, in January 1986, the SGPC was bypassed when a Sarbat Khalsa appointed Jasbir Singh Rode as the Akal Takhat Jathedar. It also constituted a five-member Panthic Committee with members like Manochahal and Wassan Singh Zafarwal.
The appointment of Rode and other high priests was first ratified by the SGPC. But they were sacked later when Tohra was in jail. Tohra then appointed Bhai Ranjit Singh to counter the militants. As Bhai Ranjit Singh was in jail at the time, Prof Manjit Singh acted as the Takhat Jathedar in his absence.
‘‘The golden era of Jathedars of Nawab Kapur Singh, Jassa Singh, Akali Phula Singh is over,’’ says Tohra. During the British period, Sarbrahs appointed by the British had to leave because of their conduct. It was after this that SGPC was given powers to appoint and sack Jathedars.
According to Tohra, sacking of a Jathedar used to be a rarity earlier. ‘‘(there were cases of) Giani Kartar Singh sacking Jathedar Acchar Singh and the one involving Rode,’’ he says, lamenting the trend of frequent sackings in recent times.
Bajinder Pal Singh
Chandigarh, June 24: Giani Kewal Singh, Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, is in the dock over the mysterious death of his daughter-in-law.
Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, is accused of not submitting the accounts of the World Sikh Council, and faces an SGPC inquiry, along with Giani Kewal Singh.
Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of the Akal Takhat, is accused of handing over a precious handwritten bir to an unauthorised person who has smuggled it to Canada.
THE Jathedars — heads of the five sacred Takhts of the Sikhs — are leaders of the Sikh community, expected to conduct their lives in an exemplary fashion. The will of the community, it is said, speaks through them. But currently, these three Jathedars are being criticised publicly and increasingly vocal demands are being made for their removal.
To be fair to them though, the seats have had their share of controversies in the past. Bhai Ranjit Singh and Giani Puran Singh, both Akal Takht Jathedars, were involved in controversies over property dealings. During the period of militancy in Punjab and in its aftermath, controversial individuals occupied the seat of Jathedars. But the situation was different then.
This is perhaps the first time that all three Takht Jathedars in Punjab are at the centre of some controversy or other. Former SGPC president, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, who presided over the organisation for 25 years, places the blame on the increasing political interference in religious affairs. Tracing the history of Akal Takht, Tohra says: ‘‘Whenever political considerations have taken precedence over religious ones, whether it was in the British period or in recent times, the Takhts have been involved in controversies.’’
The Takht Jathedars should enjoy confidence of the entire Sikh Panth, and Tohra feels that the recent trend of appointing and removing Jathedars at will is only complicating the situation. Going back in time Tohra recalls that during the British Raj, Arur Singh and other granthis had to go because they pandered to the British and indulged in anti-Sikh activities. Later, when the community was gripped by miltant seperatism, a section of the militants had tried to bypass the SGPC and appoint Jathedars.
‘‘The decline in leadership should be seen in tandem with the decline in leadership in the Akali Dal,’’ says Bhai Ashok Singh of Bagrian, whose family has been associated with the Sikh leadership since the times of the sixth Guru. ‘‘The Akalis continue to dabble in Gurdwara affairs and politics despite having dropped the Panthic agenda,’’ he says.
Gurtej Singh, former IAS officer and the SGPC National Professor of Sikhism, says: ‘‘Previously, the Jathedars were appointed in consultation with different Sikh bodies and with the eminent people of the community.’’ But this ended with the era of Master Tara Singh and after that politicians sought to use the position of Jathedars to further their own agenda.
Others feel that the decline began when the militants started directing the SGPC to appoint Takhat Jathedars and other functionaries. The case of Gurbachan Singh Manochahal is a prime example.
Similarly, in January 1986, the SGPC was bypassed when a Sarbat Khalsa appointed Jasbir Singh Rode as the Akal Takhat Jathedar. It also constituted a five-member Panthic Committee with members like Manochahal and Wassan Singh Zafarwal.
The appointment of Rode and other high priests was first ratified by the SGPC. But they were sacked later when Tohra was in jail. Tohra then appointed Bhai Ranjit Singh to counter the militants. As Bhai Ranjit Singh was in jail at the time, Prof Manjit Singh acted as the Takhat Jathedar in his absence.
‘‘The golden era of Jathedars of Nawab Kapur Singh, Jassa Singh, Akali Phula Singh is over,’’ says Tohra. During the British period, Sarbrahs appointed by the British had to leave because of their conduct. It was after this that SGPC was given powers to appoint and sack Jathedars.
According to Tohra, sacking of a Jathedar used to be a rarity earlier. ‘‘(there were cases of) Giani Kartar Singh sacking Jathedar Acchar Singh and the one involving Rode,’’ he says, lamenting the trend of frequent sackings in recent times.
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