'Respect Sikh Sentiments': 'Panthic' Gathering Urges SGPC To Reinstate Jathedars, Rejects New Appointments

A Sikh gathering rejected the SGPC's appointment of new religious leaders and demanded reinstatement of previous ones. The ousted leaders include former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh.

File Photo of former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh

Source : PTI

Sri Anandpur Sahib (Punjab), Mar 14 (PTI) A 'Panthic' gathering here on Friday, call for which had been called by Damdami Taksal head Baba Harnam Singh, rejected the appointment of the new 'jathedars' demanded to reinstate the previous ones removed by the SGPC.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) recently removed Giani Raghbir Singh as Akal Takht Jathedar, saying his leadership was deemed "inadequate in guiding the 'Panth' (Sikh community)" and his "inconsistent approach weakened the 'Panthic' unity." Giani Sultan Singh was also removed by the SGPC as the 'jathedar' of Takht Kesgarh Sahib, which is one of the five Sikh temporal seats in Anandpur Sahib of Rupnagar district.

Akal Takht in Amritsar is the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs.

Before these two 'jathedars,' Giani Harpreet Singh was also removed from Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in February.

Amid the replacement row, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Monday assumed charge as the 'jathedar' of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and as acting 'jathedar' of the Akal Takht in Amritsar.

Meanwhile, the "Panthic" gathering here passed six resolutions, including an appeal to the SGPC executive Committee to respect the feelings of the Sikh Panth and reinstate Giani Raghbir Singh, Giani Sultan Singh, and Giani Harpreet Singh.

Another resolution made an appeal to the Sikh community to boycott the members of the SGPC executive committee.

The resolution hailed the three SGPC executive members who opposed the decision to remove the 'jathedars'.

Another resolution appealed to SGPC to frame rules for the appointment and removal of the 'jathedars' with the approval of Sikh intellectuals.

If SGPC fails to revoke its decision on removal of the 'jathedars,' the Sikhs from all over the Punjab would march to Amritsar on March 28 when SGPC will hold its general house meeting.

Notably, Baba Harnam Singh, the head of the Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal, had given a call for a gathering on March 14 to protest the violation of the 'panthic' traditions in appointment of 'jathedars' by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)