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Worst fears
come true as Jathedars divide Quom
Excommunication of Prof Darshan Singh leads to sharp and bitter
divisions within Sikh Nation
Sach
Kanwal Singh
 AMRITSAR/CHANDIGARH: In developments that underlined that the
community's worst fears were coming true, the Sikh clergy led by
Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and widely perceived to be
remote-controlled by the ruling Badals of Punjab excommunicated
former top cleric Prof Darshan Singh Ragi for his sharp opposition
to Dasam Granth, thus splitting the Sikh Nation into bitterly
divided factions and triggering loud protests from those asking for
reforms within the SGPC and the Takhts' administration.
Within hours,
several quarters reacted strongly to Friday's development, backing
Prof Darshan Singh. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee
said it will be calling a World Sikh Convention on the issue, while
many panthic organizations saying it was a sad turn of events.
But it seems
Prof Darshan Singh is garnering more support by the day and the
campaign against incumbent jathedars may get shrill. On Tuesday, the
excommunicated former jathedar of Akal Takht was invited for a lunch
at a public place by many organizations and individuals in an action
aimed at open defiance of the Akal Takht's latest directive of not
having any social relations with the Ragi.
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Many
Sikh quarters consider the excommunication of Prof Darshan Singh as
the most controversial in contemporary Sikh history. Most connected
the latest excommunication to an earlier Hukumnama backing changes
in the Nanakshahi Calendar that diluted its unique Sikh identity,
and said all this was being done to appease the Sant Samaj whose
backing could be crucial for the Akali Dal in the SGPC elections due
shortly. |
When Prof
Darshan Singh did not appear before the Jathedars on Friday, the
incumbent Jathedars used some very sharp language while announcing
his excommunication, a step that was in any case expected by now.
"Ragi is a
self-styled professor, arrogant, selfish person, and has an
anti-panthic stand. We call upon the entire Sikh community to
boycott Ragi. Those siding with him or supporting him will also face
action," Giani Gurbachan Singh said in his order that he read from
the ramparts of the Akal Takht.
The entire
proceedings seemed some kind of a caricature from the glorious days
of the supremacy of the Takht when any Hukumnama was delivered after
due diligence and consultations with Sarbat Khalsa, a representative
community interaction, and defiance was unheard of.
Among those
present at the Akal Takht when Prof Darshan Singh was excommunicated
were Jathedar, Takht Damdama Sahib, Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh;
Jathedar, Keshgarh Sahib, Giani Tarlochan Singh; Jathedar, Patna
Sahib, Bhai Iqbal Singh; and Jathedar, Hazure Sahib, Giani Jyotinder
Singh. Insiders said there were some differences among the clerics
but at least none were aired in public. Critics of the move have
often argued that jathedars of the two Takhts outside Punjab have no
right to participate in the proceedings since they are an interested
party and have installed Dasam Granth parallel to Sri Guru Granth
Sahib ji. Also, Jathedar Nandgarh, a vocal dissenter, seems to have
been tamed by political masters.
As for Prof
Darshan Singh himself, he lost no time in hitting back, saying, "The
jathedars are playing in the hands of the Akali Dal." Prof Darshan
Singh maintains that he had appeared before the Akal Takht in
December. In fact, he did go to the Akal Takht and waited, placed a
file ostensibly containing his explanation before the holy bir
installed there, and refused to appear before the Jathedars saying
he did not believe in in-camera hearings. He was given two more
chances, on January 7 and 29, to explain his stand before the
clergy, but again did not make an appearance.
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The entire
proceedings seemed some kind of a caricature from the glorious
days of the supremacy of the Takht when any Hukumnama was
delivered after due diligence and consultations with Sarbat Khalsa,
a representative community interaction, and defiance was unheard of. |
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As for the
controversy, the Punjab-based "Rozana Spokesman" newspaper has
mounted a shrill campaign, devoting columns of space every day to
reports and despatches slamming the Akal Dal and incumbent clergy.
The Ajit newspaper carried a signed editorial by its
proprietor-editor Barjinder Singh Hamdard that obliquely attacked
Prof Darshan Singh. Incidentally, Ajit has been a beneficiary of
many ads released by the SGPC to denigrate Prof Darshan Singh.
Certain Sikh
bodies often described by popular media as "radical" took a rather
more informed line by asking the Sikh sangat to reject the Hukumnama
excommunicating Prof Darshan Singh, underlined the vice-like grip of
Badalites on the SGPC and clergy and critiqued even Prof Darshan
Singh, saying he failed to come across as a "humble Sikh". The
Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), Dal Khalsa, Sikh Students
Federation and Akal Federation gave a call to the community to
liberate the Takhts and the SGPC from the control of the Badals and
said a second reform movement was called for.
The issue had
snowballed after Prof Darshan Singh attacked moves to prop up the
Dasam Granth during his sermon at Gurdwara Rochester in the US where
he quoted some instances from the controversial compositions to
prove that these could have come from the pen of the tenth Sikh
Master. Some known critics of the Ragi, including Gurcharanjit Singh
Lamba, seized upon his words and tried to show that he had insulted
the tenth Guru.
Many Sikh
quarters consider the excommunication of Prof Darshan Singh as the
most controversial in contemporary Sikh history. Most connected the
latest excommunication to an earlier Hukumnama backing changes in
the Nanakshahi Calendar that diluted its unique Sikh identity, and
said all this was being done to appease the Sant Samaj whose backing
could be crucial for the Akali Dal in the SGPC elections due
shortly.
In view of the
Ragi shoring up support, the Sikh clergy is also hardening stance
and issuing warnings, saying those who are backing the former cleric
will have to face music.
The Delhi Sikh
Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has said it will call a
panthic convention with the support of Sikh organisations from
India, the US, Canada, England, Germany and Pakistan sometime before
April 13. The meeting would take up two recent decisions of the
clergy: changes in the Nanakshahi Calendar and the excommunication
of Prof Darshan Singh.
"If the clergy
can excommunicate Ragi for quoting from the Dasam Granth, then why
have they not initiated similar action against the management and
priests of Takht Hazoor Sahib and Takht Patna Sahib, who give due
honour to the scripture by treating it on a par with Guru Granth
Sahib?" DSGMC's Paramjit Singh Sarna asked.
3
February 2010
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