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Giani Harinder Singh exposes
Pavit Mattewal’s
sworn lies in High Court
WSN Network
 CHANDIGARH:
Even as Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal's loyalist Pavit Mattewal, who
describes himself as a Legal Advisor to the CM and is also the son
of Punjab Advocate General H S Mattewal, claimed that his
submissions before the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding
essentiality of unshorn hair in Sikhism were based on consultations
and advice of Giani Harinder Singh, the latter has strongly refuted
the claim and said Pavit Mattewal completely misrepresented him.
In an affidavit
submitted before the High Court, a acopy of which is with the WSN,
Giani Harinder Singh said he "never engaged Pavit Mattewal,
Advocate, as my counsel and whatever synopsis he has submitted in
this Hon’ble Court was never prepared on my instructions at all, as
he did not show me what he had written and submitted to the Hon’ble
Court."
He said he
stands by his own submissions that he made on February 20, 2009 to
explain the importance of unshorn hair "in the total perspectives of
Sikhism" and added that Mattewal "totally misrepresented my views on
the importance of unshorn hair during the Guru period."
Giani Harinder
Singh said as he did not have enough command of English and as the
High Court had desired his views in English language, Mattewal "did
then mischief without consulting me."
"He had
collected from me the Quotations from Gurbani and Sikh history and
should have given the translations without elaborate and meaningless
quotations and strictly adhered to the meaning. At places I shall
show, he had deviated from the true meanings to cause confusion. He
never consulted me after the initial interaction," the Sikh scholar
said.
Giani Harinder
Singh's expose of Pavit Mattewal comes shortly after this AG's son's
role was exposed behind a controversial affidavit submitted by the
SGPC defining a Sehajdhari. That affidavit had to be withdrawn when
Sikh scholars confronted the SGPC top brass and the ruling Akali Dal
who had to deal with much egg on the face.
Giani Harinder
Singh said Mattewal's submissions are "totally unwarranted and at
variance with my views on the importance of Keshas in Sikhism."
"Besides,
because of his own limitations, he had messed up translation of the
Gurbani in proper language."
While Pavit, who
himself is a clean-shaven and does not ordinarily use "Singh" in his
name, had tried to argue that the first nine Gurus did not
essentialise hair for a Sikh, Giani Harinder Singh blew such claims
to smithreens, saying, "My submission ... has been that right from
Guru Nanak’s times, Sikh parameters were clear. For instance,
Puratan Janam Sakhi of Guru Nanak says that Guru Nanak told Bhai
Mardana right in the beginning that he would not subject his hair to
be cut i.e. would led them to grow his hair to natural length and
would not take tobacco. Guru Nanak in Gurbani talks to Lord and
says, the eyes are pretty, teeth pearly, nose lovely and hair
stunningly long."
Giani Harinder
Singh also accused Pavit Mattewal of trying "to confuse and
confound" the court "mainly with the purpose to weaken the case of
unshorn hair." He said: "Guru Gobind Singh only formalized what was
already there in Sikh scriptures and Sikh traditions."
"Mr. Pavit Singh
Mattewal has deliberately and out of mischief mugged up the
translation of Kabir couplet, quoted at page 8. He, to suit his
selfish ends mistranslates second part of Kabir’s Salok as if Kabir
Sahib was justifying one’s keeping long hair or having one’s head
shaved off...Pavit has deliberately chosen to place this hymn of
Kabir (S.G.G.S. p. 1365) separately... Even Bhaktas were all for
keeping of unshorn hair."
In a rather
blunt criticism of the SGPC too, Giani Harinder Singh said it was
"unfortunate that it should have been for the SGPC to come clear on
the issue." Instead, he said, it was left to scholars like him "to
be straight forward in the matter."
Giani Harinder
Singh even nailed the straight lies by adding that he "did not tell
him (Pavit) at any stage that an exhausted study of religious texts
and authoritative tenets of religions is required and the applicant
(Giani Harinder Singh) would address" the court.
"The applicant
had already addressed ...on 20.2.2009 and had explained the whole
position of the significance of unshorn hair in the total
perspective of Sikh history," Giani Harinder Singh said.
With this
document, the controversial role of Pavit Mattewal once again lies
totally exposed and most believe that his actions were motivated and
inspired by the anti-Sikh lobby in the BJP and the Radha Soami cult
to which Mattewals’ affiliations are well known.
8
April 2009
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