Sikh bodies fume but Akal Takht jathedar mum on RSS event row
AMRITSAR: Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has refused to comment on the participation of Takht Sri Patna Sahib jathedar, Giani Iqbal Singh, and other members of the Sikh community in an event that is being organised by an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
This comes despite the fact that panthic organisations have created an uproar on Giani Iqbal Singh’s participation in the said event.
Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, an affiliate of the RSS, is organising an event to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh on October 25 at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. The organisation has invited spiritual leaders of different religions and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to the event.
Giani Iqbal Singh will preside over the function and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be the key speaker.
Giani Iqbal Singh’s participation has raised eyebrows in various Sikh bodies who consider Rashtriya Sikh Sangat to be an organisation created by the RSS to “incorporate Sikhism into Hinduism”.
Despite repeated attempts by HT, Giani Gurbachan Singh did not comment on the development. Speaking to HT over phone, his personal assistant, Satinderpal Singh, said, “Singh sahib (Giani Gurbachan Singh) will not talk on this issue at present.”
Event to promote communal harmony: Organiser
Meanwhile, Avtar Singh Shastri, leader of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, has said the event is being organised to “promote communal harmony”. However, Sikh bodies have termed it to be a move aimed at accomplishing the “hidden agenda” of the RSS.
To counter RSS, they are now referring to a decree issued by the Akal Takht in 2004 wherein it had termed activities of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as a “deep-rooted conspiracy against Sikhism” and had asked all Sikh groups to stay away from its activities and avoid any cooperation with it.
MEMORANDUM TO AKAL TAKHT
On Sunday, Sikh outfits like Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) (SAD-D) and Panthic Sewa Dal (PSD) sent a memorandum to Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh. In it they have requested him to issue a fresh edict to clarify the Takht’s stand on the said event and ask Sikhs to stay away from the event.
Responding to Shastri’s statement wherein he said that “Akal Takht’s decree about Rashtriya Sikh Sangat is misleading”, Harwinder Singh Sarna, general secretary of SAD-D, accused Shashtri of misleading the Sangat about the Akal Takht order.
Meanwhile, Sikh scholars and representatives of various Sikh bodies, including Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Dal Khalsa, Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Khalsa Panchayat and Voice of Khalsa, also issued a statement against RSS over the October 25 event.
NO NEED FOR FRESH DECREE: EX-JATHEDAR
On the other hand, former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, under whose supervision the decree against Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was issued in 2004, said that there is no need to issue another decree and that the incumbent jathedar should ask people to follow the 2004 decree.