Akal Takht, SGPC release Nanakshahi calendar
AMRITSAR: Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh along with the officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday released the Nanakshahi calendar 2020-21.
This is an amended version of the original calendar that was introduced in 2003 and was later amended in 2010 and was christened as ‘Bikrami’ calendar. However, the SGPC did not acknowledge it as Bikrami calendar. The calendar has courted controversy among the Sikh community as the same events related to the Sikh Gurus were mentioned twice a year.
Giani Harpreet Singh said the calendar was dedicated to the 100th year of the SGPC foundation day. He appealed to the Sikh sangat for commemorating the historic days and Gurupurabs as per the calendar. Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh said the calendar released by the SGPC on Friday is only Nanakshahi by name. He said the Akali Dal Badal, under the influence of a section of the Sant Samaj tact- fully reverted to Bikrami calen- dar in 2015 but deceitfully retained its name ‘Nanakshahi’.
Last week, Sikh hardliner Dal Khalsa had also released the Year 552 calendar in its original form accepted by the SGPC general house and ratified by the Akal Takht Sahib in April 2003. It was debunked by the SGPC executive in 2010. He said the Nanakshahi calendar was the identity marker for the Sikh community and reverting back to Bikrami has hurt the Sikhs. He asked Gaini Harpreet Singh to revert to original Nanakshahi calendar and undo the damage done by his predecessor Gurbachan Singh.