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Enough is enough, you aren't
serious: Lawyer slams SGPC
WSN Bureau
 CHANDIGARH:
In a significant development, a senior lawyer engaged repeatedly by
the SGPC and also otherwise known for his advocacy of cases
concerning the Sikh religion has felt so frustrated with the
lackadaisical attitude of the SGPC authorities that he has written a
damning letter to its president Avtar Singh Makkar asking to be
excused from taking up any SGPC cases in future.
"I should be
excused from such cases in which SGPC is not serious at all, and
exposes the Sikhs to the ridicule of the people," Dr M S Rahi,
advocate practising at the Supreme Court of India and at Punjab &
Haryana High Court, said.
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I should
be excused from such cases in which SGPC is not serious at all,
and exposes the Sikhs to the ridicule of the people, advocate
tells SGPC president. |
Rahi, who also
heads Singh Legal Foundation, said the SGPC has shown utter
callousness in dealing with a case regarding a book published by the
namdhari sect that contained "insulting and objectionable remarks
against Sri Guru Granth Sahib" and the SGPC's conduct in the case
showed "unbelievable insensitivity".
Rahi said he was
hurt after some SGPC officials asked him to file a case against the
author of a book ‘Adam to Aaj Tak’ and also pleaded that he should
stop pursuing the case regarding another book ‘Purakh Guru’ written
by one Mehar Singh and published by Sarb Hind Naamdhari Darbar,
Bhainisahib.
"I would like to
point out once again that if the SGPC does not want to pursue the
matter against such a denigrating book like ‘Purakh Guru’, then it
is of no use to file a case against another book," Rahi has now
written to the SGPC president.
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My own
experience since 1995 is very distressing and painful, either it
was a case of objectionable remarks against Sri Guru Gobind
Singh, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, remarks against the Sikhs in film
like ‘Gadar’, the turban case and lastly the case of unshorn
hair, the SGPC did not behave with the sense of
responsibility...The history would not forgive the SGPC people
who are responsible for this. |
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He said Purakh
Guru book of 298 pages is a "very serious, extensive, systematic and
ridiculing attack on many basic principles and institutions of
Sikhism" but the way the SGPC has dealt with it "is very
distressing, shameful and deeply painful for the true Sikhs of the
Guru."
The row erupted
in 1998 after Surjit Singh Cheema, then member of the SGPC,
initiated the case in 1998, and made a detailed complaint regarding
the insulting content of the book. The SGPC then passed a resolution
authorizing Rahi on 2.11.2004 to move against the book. "During all
these years, the approach of the SGPC has remained very casual," he
said.
 He
said the SGPC approach was similar in case of other issues. "As per
my information, NCERT has deleted substantial portion of the history
of the Sikhs, reducing them to the status of non entity and ignoring
the contribution of the Sikhs to the history of India. This is much
more serious matter and once again I would suggest that the SGPC
should frame a clear cut policy on these subjects and serious
efforts should be made to protect the history of the Sikhs and the
turban in other countries of the world, if the glory of Sikhism is
to be kept intact. The funds of the SGPC are supposed to be meant
for that," Rahi said.
"My own
experience since 1995 is very distressing and painful, either it was
a case of objectionable remarks against Sri Guru Gobind Singh, Sri
Guru Tegh Bahadur, remarks against the Sikhs in film like ‘Gadar’,
the turban case and lastly the case of unshorn hair, the SGPC did
not behave with the sense of responsibility, which the situation
demanded in order to protect the interest of the Sikhs and Sikhism.
The history would not forgive the SGPC people who are responsible
for this," he concluded.
Copies of the
letter were also sent to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht.
2
September 2009
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