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Found 16 results

  1. Some positive winds of change. Some highlights: Call made for Sikhs to start up firing ranges and get acquisition and training in firearms. Pinds need to halt the contruction of churches and mosques Parchariks and panthic sampardais need to leave their comfort zones and restart parchar in pinds in the face of aggressive christian campaigns jawarhar lal nehru was blamed for betrayal and denial of our raaj Sikhs have a right to seek raaj And some other points were made. Jathedaar also pointed out that the 'caging in' of sangat this year by heavy deployment of security forces is unprecedented in recent times and will not go unnoticed. All in all, this is positive news that the decimation of Badal Dal has prompted a pivot in favor of facing some real issues. The SGPC just a few years back was flat out rejecting that whole scale conversions were turning Gurdaspur and all of border areas into Christian strongholds. Im glad they have summoned enough courage to include mushrooming mosques in the list.
  2. Good News press conference held by Akal Takht Jathedar , panth dokhis/ GurNindaks have been named and shamed , the demand is out for them to appear before Akal Takht and in the meantime all Gurdwarey worldwide have been told to not book them, allow anyone to propgate their work and sangat hass been warned not to warm their shop or spread their videos https://www.facebook.com/harpreetsingh.khalsa.92798/videos/1348632732204353
  3. Guest

    Harnam Singh Dhumma

    Wjkk wjkf! Sangat ji I don't have much knowledge about the Damdami Taksal's current affairs. Can somebody please enlighten me by telling in brief why is the current Jathedar Harnam Singh Dhumma considered by many Sikhs as corrupt? Thanks! Wjkk wjkf!
  4. KINGS WITHOUT THRONES The so-called Jathedar of Akal-Takhat. The unsavoury controversies which impugn the office of Jathedar Sri Akal-Takhat, from time to time, have rendered the position a fulcrum of religio-political conflict. The most recent crisis to afflict the management of the Takhat, and it’s head honcho, saw the unconditional pardon of controversial godman Ram Rahim for his provocative mimicry of Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the tenth Sikh Guru) in early 2007. Rahim’s caricature had ignited widespread riots across the sensitive Indian border-state of the Punjab. (1) Sikhs, of all hues, had clashed with Rahim’s followers in a frenzied orgy of violence which spanned several days and resulted in the deaths of several Sikh protesters. (2) Political exigency, it seems, played a crucial role in Rahim’s pardon which the godman stringently denied requesting. All hopes of gaining votes via Rahim, however, were exhausted owing to two unforeseen circumstances: -The widespread opposition of all sections of Punjabi and non-Punjabi Sikhs to the pardon which was issued from the Akal-Takhat, and ratified by the other Takhats with the exception of Hazur Sahib. -Rahim’s subsequent conviction in a rape case dating to 2002. (3) The limelight, throughout this entire period, was continually focused upon the Jathedar of Sri Akal-Takhat whose charge holds paramountcy in Sikh theo-politics. The subsequent Sarbatt Khalsa-a premature eyewash in all respects except some- gave vent to the demands of a majority of Sikhs and declared all SGPC employed Takhat Jathedars as Personae non gratae. Ironically the very jathas which were instrumental in the passing of the latter resolution have today, unanimously and candidly, revoked it and are now the blue-eyed darlings of their one-time foe. Yet not all is smooth-sailing in the Sikh world. Already an increasing number of the community’s youth are beginning to call for a critical re-evaluation of the role of all Sikh sampradas and jathas, and whether they are required in the context of the Guru Panth Khalsa doctrine. Naturally, the Takhat system and it’s administration have received more than their fair share of scrutiny. The four Takhats, as historic and current embodiments of the Nanakian doctrine of Miri-Piri, cannot be divorced from the Panthic framework owing to their grounding in Sikh ideology. Their administration, though, was born out of post-Sikh empire politics and does not bear any relation to how the Takhats were managed in the past. It is crucial, then, that the below queries be scrutinized attentively: -What parameters define/regulate the office of Jathedar for the Akal-Takhat which is paramount among the four Takhats? Is he/she a sovereign Per se; a dictator or a Caliph of the Sikhs retaining the power to impose personal arbitration upon the Panth? -Can any organization/group which acquires control of the administration of the Sri Darbar Sahib (the theo-political hub of the Sikh world) elect a Jathedar of the Takhat and/or claim itself to be sovereign? -In light of historic precedents, particularly Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s dissolution of personal Guruship into the more corporate Guru Panth Khalsa and the scriptural Guru Granth, is the current stead of Jathedar ideologically viable? This is not the first time that a situation has arisen concerning the functioning of the Akal-Takhat. The first time was when the dissident Minas acquired sway over the Darbar Sahib in the 17th century. They were ousted, after six decades, by the warrior-savant Bhai Mani Singh who subsequently regulated the Takhat under the directions of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. (4) The demise of Akali Phula Singh in 1823 A.D. allowed Maharajah Ranjit Singh to acquire control of the sacrosanct Darbar until his own demise in 1839 A.D. (5) State control was renewed by the British who were finally forced to relinquish control of the complex to the Sikhs in 1920 A.D. Yet all dreams of re-establishing a pristine Akal-Takhat, as it had been under Bhai Mani Singh and pre-Sikh empire polity, were effaced by the Sant Fateh Singh Akali administration in 1962 A.D. (6) In 1986 A.D., two years after the commencement of the Sikh militancy, gun-wielding separatists would temporarily evict the Akali-SGPC combine and nominate their own administration. (7) It would be short-lived and the ensuing decade would see the Akali-SGPC combine return. From a particular perspective, then, there is ground enough to desire change in the Jathedari system which seems opposed to impersonal law. Yet change can only manifest if the workings of the entire system are comprehended in a historic context and not in light of any sampradaic/ organizational bias. The Akal-Takhat in principle: Speaking conceptually, the edifice located next to the Harimandir (commercialized as the Golden Temple) is not necessarily the Akal-Takhat per se. Rather, it symbolizes the concept of truth and morality outranking all other allegiances. (8) The epithet Akal-Takht consists of two differing terms: Akal signifies the timeless Purakh, Sri Vaheguru (misconstrued to define God in the Abrahamic purview of Sikhi) whose immanence resides in creation and is the truth in toto. (9) Takhat signifies a throne or locus of temporal power; Akal-Takhat, then, means the throne or seat of truth and morality- the edifice is intended to symbolize this salient concept of Nanakian philosophy which forms a bedrock conviction of the Sikh worldview. The edifice, owing to it’s conceptual basis, has become a prominent facet of the Sikh world. It can be consummately summarized that the Akal-Takhat is the de facto polity of the Sikhs; those who seek to acquire control over it do so with the intent that they might impose their writ upon the Guru Panth Khalsa. (10) Yet the latter is one of the two pontificate constituents of the Panth (with it’s other half being the Guru Granth), and as history establishes not prone to being imposed upon. Initiation: Though Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Nanak I) established the ideological foundations of the Sikh praxis, it was left to his successors to consolidate them and implement them in deed. The martyrdom of the fifth Nanak Guru Arjan Dev Ji, in defense of the Sikh ideal of freedom of conscience, acted as a catalyst for the ideology’s swift evolution. Having presciently forecast the adverse changes about to be wrought in the contemporary political milieu- the proliferation of Islamic theophany and the consecutive impeachment of all infidels- (11) the Guru, prior to his execution, advised his son to construct an edifice signifying Nanakianism’s temporal leanings and to raise a standing army to protect the weak and liberate the tyrannized. (12) His advise did not fall on deaf ears. Upon receiving news of his predecessor’s, and father’s, martyrdom Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji (Nanak VI) with the aid of the venerable Baba Budha and Bhai Gurdass commenced constructing a stone plinth which was ultimately completed on 15th June 1606 A.D. As Sikhs gathered to witness the investiture of a new Guru, they were awestruck when the latter mounted the plinth dressed in the regal apparel of an emperor. Whilst war-balladeers sang glories of war and the battlefield, Baba Budha presented the Guru with two swords intended to signify Miri(temporality) and Piri (spirituality). The welding of the empirical and theoretical having been initiated by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji ratified it by physically manifesting it. The plinth, in defiance of the government of the day and in accordance with Nanakiandiktats, was named Akal-Takhat. Early Days: As a result of contemporary politics, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji was incarcerated in the Gwalior fort for three years. (13) In the mean time the Sikhs were lead by an elective council consisting of Baba Budha, the chief steward of the Harimandir; Bhai Gurdas, the chief caretaker of the Akal-Takhat; the mother and wife of the Guru and several other confidants of the Guru. (14) This council would hold communes of the Sikhs at the Akal-Takhat and pass resolutions vis-a-vis the community. After his release, the Guru would war with the Mughals for a brief period of time before shifting his headquarters to the sylvan Shivalik hills. (15) The Darbar Sahib, as a result, would fall into the hands of the Minas. There is a general concurrence in all scholarly circles that Harji, chief of the Minas, was an able administrator despite his anti-Nanakian stance. (16) Yet the man could not visualize employing the Akal-Takhat for his own selfish ends because the Takhat was accepted as a symbol of Panthic suzerainty and not as some supreme Vatican dominating the latter. If the Takhat had indeed been some prime authority, Harji could have effortlessly disrupted the line of Gurudom and declared himself and his lineage Guru ad vitam aeternam. Principally: Harji’s inability to utilize the Takhat for personal aggrandizement brings the following considerations to the fore: -The Akal-Takhat, contrary to current perceptions, as a concept was more potent than physical edifice. -The concept was embodied by the incumbent Guru who retained all de facto paramountcy over Panthic affairs. -Ideology was more pontificate than locus. The third factor is possibly the most critical as the prior two factors arise out of it. Contrary to modern-day contentions, the admixture of Miri and Piri was institutionalized by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Why then was a Takhat never established at Nanakana Sahib or Kartarpur; two loci sanctified by the Guru’s stay? Well aware of the importance of ideology, Guru Nanak commanded his successor to emigrate to Khadoor Sahib thus divorcing the essence of the Guru from any particular region or locale. The same principle was at play when Guru Gobind Singh Ji (the tenth Nanak) invested the Khalsa with the epithet and mandate of Guru Panth Khalsa. Miri-Piri would be the mainstay of the Guru Panth (the collective) as long as it remained loyal to the Guru Granth (ideology). Not even a single shred of evidence has been found which posits that the Akal-Takhat was ever mentioned by the said Guru as being some supplementary authority to either the Granth or the Panth. (16) Ascendancy of the Guru Panth: In the post-Guru era period, the warrior-savant Bhai Mani Singh traveled to Amritsar and after a prolonged struggle ousted all Mina and Brahminical factions which had transformed the site into a den of immorality. (17) One of the tenth Guru’s close confidants, the Bhai implemented the policies of tenth Master vis-a-vis the Darbar. (18) The original plinth constructed by the sixth Guru was renovated and covered to shield it from the elements. Weaponry was placed inside and recitations of the Adi Guru Granth Sahib Ji were commenced. The Harimandir received it’s own version of the updated Adi Granth and sophists, tasked with providing elucidations of Gurbani, were posted outside both structures. Professional musicians, trained in the Sikh musical tradition, were employed for the Harimandir whereas balladeers where deputed outside the Takhat. (19) In the dark days which followed, Mani Singh and other associates of the tenth Guru remained firm to the mandate of the Guru Panth Khalsa and invested considerable effort in institutionalizing practices for the latter’s assemblies and resolutions. The Darbar Sahib complex having been intended as the theo-political hub of the Sikh world, Sarbatt Khalsas or corporate assemblies of the Sikhs were held therein. Ratan Singh Bhangu vividly describes the routine adopted on assembly days: ‘They sat in the Harmandar listening to wisdom and contemplating on the Guru’s word. They ascended the Akal Bunga and sat at the Takhat. They held congregations and adopted resolutions for destroying the anti-Sikh people and for preserving the Singhs. The Sarbat Khalsa held court there…’ (20) Institution of the Dal-Khalsa: The ever-growing military strength of the Guru Panth Khalsa and it’s social-cum-political policies convinced the oppressed classes of the Punjab that salvation lay with the Sikhs. Having initially been split into two general bodies, the Budha-Dal and Tarna-Dal, a Sarbatt Khalsa was communed on 29th March 1748 in which the 66 constituent battalions of the Guru Panth were re-organized into 12 various Misls or confederacies. (21) The Misls followed a three-tier structure when it came to Panthic politics. Populations falling under a particular Misl elected councils to represent their voice to Misldars: the constitutive element of the Misls. These were often Sikhs who were military veterans; stringent in their adherence to Sikhi, and often cohorts in battle. The Misldars, in turn, were outranked by an elected Sirdar or chief who was authorized to represent the entire Misl at Sarbatt Khalsas. Misldars would often sit behind a Sirdar at Sarbatt Khalsas and advise the latter with respect to resolutions and implementations. (22) The Misls, for military purposes, retained the aforementioned dual general bodies. As a collective, they were known as the Dal-Khalsa; the cumulative of the Khalsa. The Akal-Takhat served as their assembly ground. The most respected Sirdar was elected to see to the defense of the Darbar, proclaim the resolutions of the Sarbatt Khalsas and tax each Misl on the basis of it’s profit earned in wars. The upkeep of the Darbar; the implementation of resolutions or Gurmatas; the duty of being the first line of defense et al was bequeathed to the Akalis- once the Praetorian guards of the Guru and now of the Guru Panth Khalsa. (23) With political ascendancy, however, would come hubris and the Akalis would fail in arresting it. As a result, the Misls would soon be on the route to ruin and Ranjit Singh would ultimately relegate them to oblivion. The Last Great Sirdar: Ranjit Singh, the emperor of Punjab, would subsume all Misls except one in his empire: this was the Shahid or martyrs’ Misl, consisting solely of Akalis and lead by Akali Phula Singh. The Akali, from the onset, would preserve the Budha-Dal and Tarna-Dal divisions of the Dal Khalsa including the Akalis role of seeing to the upkeep of all Gurudwaras and acting as an independent militia of the Guru Panth Khalsa. (24) He would base his headquarters at Amritsar from where he would occasionally travel to Lahore to impart advice to Ranjit Singh. On two occasions he would pull up the latter for transgressing against the Sikh Code of Conduct. Once Singh would be passing by the Akali’s residence in Amritsar when the latter happened to be looking out. Seeing the emperor of Punjab on Lali, an Afghan horse which had cost the lives of 200 Sikh soldiers, the Akali caustically asked: ‘blind fool, who gifted you this he-buffalo?’ (25) Ranjit Singh, initially, treated the Akali with disdain whose predecessor had been at odds with him. (26) But after being boycotted by his fellow Sikhs and fearing the Akali’s military prowess, he elected to humbly submit himself before the belligerent warrior. The streets of Lahore would soon be aflame with the news that a Muslim dancer, Moran, had fallen pregnant to the emperor. Matters would be exacerbated further when the dancer, branded as a prostitute by her own community, would be taken in wedlock by Ranjit Singh. The ceremony was performed in the presence of the Adi Guru Granth Sahib Ji much to the Akali’s chagrin. After consulting his fellow Akalis and other leading members of Sikh religiosity, the Akali would summon Ranjit Singh to the Akal-Takhat where he would be judged against the Code of Conduct he had violated. It would be found that not only had he debased the exterior features of Sikh physicality-bequeathed by the Gurus themselves- by having an affair out of wedlock, but also that he had violated the sanctity of the Guru Granth by attempting to wed a non-Sikh (who expressed no desire of conformism and was equally guilty in the scandal) in it’s divine presence. The penalty pronounced was a public flogging. It goes to Ranjit Singh’s credit that he instantly denuded himself and allowed the Akalis to tie him to a flogging post for public debasement. Witnessing his humility the Sangat requested that the penalty be downgraded to some mundane service. The emperor was untied and after being ordered to submit finances to the Darbar, was forgiven. (27) Akali Phula Singh would fall fighting in 1823 A.D. Subsequently, Ranjit Singh would acquire control of the entire Darbar Sahib complex suo motto. British Ascendancy: The fall of Sikh sovereignty, in 1849 A.D., created a vacuum which was swiftly plugged by the British. Fearing a resurgence of Sikh ascendancy the British acted swiftly in hijacking all Sikh Gurudwaras and imposing a priestly class, the Nirmalas, upon the Guru Panth. (28) The entire Darbar fell under British administration which cemented itself by the formalization of contractual agreements (dastar-ul-amal) which were politically ratified in 1859 A.D. (29) In a bid to augment their stranglehold, various administrations introduced selective rogue elements in the capacity of poojaris (religious employees) and in 1881 A.D. a Sarabrah or chief manager. Akal-Takhat as a Fiefdom: In a bid to turn the tide of evangelism flooding the Punjab, and restore dignity to Sikh self-hood, Professor Gurmukh Singh launched a literary offensive against all proselytizers and also Sikh traditionalists who were in cohorts with the British. Gurmukh Singh’s popularity increasing day-by-day, his prime detractor Khem Singh Bedi approached the poojaris at the Akal-Takhat to expel him from among Sikh ranks. Bedi’s main ambition was to see himself declared as the 15th Guru of Sikhs and the ouster of the Adi Granth from Sikh Gurudwaras ubiquitously. (30) He had fallen foul of Gurmukh Singh, however, who publicly denounced him. On March 14th 1887 an edict was issued from the Akal-Takhat-an edict without a Gurmatta, a true travesty of Sikhdom- with an addendum provided by a self-proclaimed 29 member intellectual panel, Sarabrah Akal-Takhat and the chief Granthi of Taran Taran expelling Gurmukh Singh for alleged anti-Panthic activities. Bedi’s delight soon soured, though, as Sikhs sub-continent wide ignored the edict and demanded his expulsion from both the Panth and his ancestral residence. (31) The World Sikh Convention of 1995 would finally declare the controversial edict null and withdraw it after a posthumous apology to Gurmukh Singh. The Height of all Illogicality: Sarabrah Arur Singh, in a bid to appease his Occidental masters, conferred a robe of honor upon Gen. Dyer and Capt. Briggs immediately after the notorious Jallianwalah massacre. He would, then, invite them to the Akal-Takhat to partake of the Sikh initiation ceremony. When both men laughed him off stating that they had no desire to imbibe the Sikh Code of Conduct, the Sarabrah exempted them from retaining the appearance of a Sikh and avoiding both alcohol and tobacco. (32) The 1925 Gurudwaras Act: Ubiquitous corruption in Gurudwara administrations would see the birth of the Gurudwara Reform Movement which would expel all atrophied traditionalists from major and minor Sikh shrines. In 1920 A.D. a strong Jatha under the command of Teja Singh Bhuchar would march into the abandoned Darbar Sahib and take over the day–to-day operations of the locus. Bhuchar would be named as Mukh Sewadaar or chief administrator of the Akal-Takhat, and by default the entire Darbar. It is intriguing to note here that Bhuchar never referred to himself as Jathedar of Akal-Takhat nor was he ever named as such by his parent body, the S.G.P.C. (33) In 1925 A.D. the Gurudwaras Act would be implemented vis-a-vis the Sikh community. The Act, still relevant today, would define the Jathedar of Akal-Takhat as Mukh Sewadaar retaining no prerogatives to arbitrate upon any matter(s) whatsoever. (34) It is crucial to note here that the template for Jathedar would be derived from the custom prevalent at Hazur Sahib, Patna Sahib and Anandpur Sahib where the Jathedars function as the voice of the majority rather than autarchs. (35) Post-Independence: Until the 1960’s, the role of Jathedar of the Akal-Takhat was defined via the regulations implied by the epithet of Mukh Sewadaar. Any decision which was to be arbitrated/mediated upon by the Jathedar was done in tandem with Panthic bodies established specially for the purpose. (36) What is more, the Jathedar would often wait outside the Gen. Secretary’s office to receive his daily wages. The triumph of the Sant Fateh Singh Akali-Dal, in both state and religious politics, would soon mark the dawn of a new and tendentious era in which the prevalent Status quo would be ousted in favor of a more party-friendly approach. The Sant “gifted” the position to list MP Sadhu Singh Bharu who had campaigned for him in the 1960 elections but lost. (37) Bharu’s political sycophancy and the Akalis’ inability to unite would land him in hot water. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, having re-united with the Akalis, however would come to the rescue. The Akalis had transformed the position of Jathedar from Mukh Sewadaar to autocrat. The final nail, in the coffin, would be delivered when Tohra issued a statement proclaiming that: -The Jathedar was supreme arbitrator and beyond the laws of the S.G.P.C. – The position of Jathedar was for life. -The Jathedar could veto any/all decisions passed by Sikh bodies etc etc. (38) S. Kapur Singh’s voice would be the sole voice of dissent against Tohra. Ironically, he was ignored. Bluestar and After: If the Sikhs thought that post-partition their history would be one of peace and progress, they were roughly jolted awake when the Indian Army invaded the Darbar Sahib complex in June 1984. Employing the pretext of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to attack the sacrosanct complex on a Sikh religious anniversary, the succeeding years would see a mass subversion of Sikh ethics and doctrines. Some of the more visible facets of this subversion would be: 1.) The manifestation of militant vs. militant conflict. 2.) The rise of Damdami Taksal as some sole Panthic authority retaining chief prerogative over Panthic politics. 3.) Infiltration of Sikh institutes by the so-called “third agency.” 4.) Commencement of the myth that Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale is alive and will soon return to establish Khalistan. 5.) Taksal’s refusal to organize any Sarbatt Khalsa versus the militants’ holding of such an event in 1986. (39) 6.) The creation of a new political entity in the form of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji’s father, brothers and nephews. 7.) Baba Joginder Singh Ji’s, the Sant’s father’s, termination of all Akali-Dal factions and the birth of a new ad hoc Akali-Dal/S.G.P.C. 8.) Santa Singh Budha-Dal’s ephemeral claim that he was Panthic dictator and as such some ‘Panth Padshah.’ (40) 9.) Jasbir Singh Rode’s volte face over the issue of Khalistan. 10.) The election of Darshan Singh Raagi and the latter’s attempts at positing himself as Panthic autocrat. 11.) Professor Manjit Singh’s ludicrous attempts at establishing an amalgamated ad hoc Akali-Dal, and his ultimate ouster from the Takhat. Summary: To reiterate some salient aspects of what we have established: 1.) The Akal-Takhat imbues Panthic sovereignty rather than is Panthic sovereignty. 2.) The Guru is the de facto authority of the Panth. That authority, currently, is retained by the Guru Panth on the precondition of it’s adherence to the Guru Granth. 3.) The position of Jathedar is not despotic and the latter cannot be accepted as some prime authority of the Panth per se either under historic precedence or the All India Gurudwaras Act 1925. There is no easy solution to the crisis which currently afflicts the Akal-Takhat. It has been suggested that a World Sikh Parliament be convened in the vogue of the Dal-Khalsa which acted as the fifth and democratic Takhat of the Panth. Every solution has it’s own range of difficulties though. What is currently required, however, is that the parameters of Mukh Sewadaar be promulgated among the Panth and an intellectual body be created to either re-introduce the historic precedents behind Jathedar Akal-Takhat, or a new criterion be introduced. Sources: (1) Accessed from https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dark-history-behind-india-s-guru-in-bling-ram-rahim/story-zH3VFLAgvYVcxp6ZgbXNaM.html (2) Accessed from http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Mumbai_Sikh-Dera_Sacha_Sauda_clash#SGPC_announces_Rs._5_lakh_for_Sikh_killed_in_Mumbai (3) Accessed from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/gurmeet-ram-rahim-rape-case-took-15-years-heres-a-timeline/articleshow/60255191.cms (4) Dilgeer H; (2011) Akal Takht Sahib: Concept and Role, The Sikh University Press (Waremme, Belgium); pg. 60-61. (5) Jathedar Akal Takhat- In Historical Perspective, paper presented by Dr. Sangat Singh. Accessed 2018. (6) Sikhism and the Sikhs, S. Kapur Singh; pg. 184. (7) See Sangat Singh. (8) See Dilgeer, pg. 11. (9) Ibid. (10) See Kapur Singh, pg. 196. (11) Singh G; (2015), A Brief Account of the Sikhs, Dharam Parchar Committee (Amritsar, Punjab); pg. 7-8. (12) Sikhaan Di Bhagat Mala, ed. Trilochan Singh Bedi (1994); pg. 126. (13) Singh K; (1963), A History of the Sikhs vol. i, Oxford India Paperbacks (New-Delhi, India); see section on Sikh Gurus. Singh refutes Gupta’s oft repeated canard that the Guru was imprisoned for nine years. (14) Singh G; (1974), Sikh Gurua Da Ithiaas, self-published, pg. 232. (15) See Sangat Singh. (16) Ibid. (17) See Dilgeer, pg. 60-61. (18) Ibid. (19) Dhillon K; (1963), Twarikh Harmandar Di, self-published, pg. 21. (20) Sri Gur Panth Prakash, vol. ii, ed. Gurtej Singh; Singh Brothers (Amritsar, Punjab); pg. 789. (21) See Dilgeer, pg. 84-86. (22) Gandhi Singh S; Sikhs in the Eighteenth Century, Singh Brothers (Amritsar, Punjab)- please see subsection titled Misl Polity and Structure. (23) Ibid, Misl Shahidaan. (24) Ibid. (25) Singh K; (1983) Sikh Jarnail Akali Phula Singh Shahid, Singh Brothers (Amritsar, Punjab); pg. 8. (26) See Sangat Singh. (27) Ibid. (28) See Dhillon K, pg. 84. (29) See Sangat Singh. (30) Badhwal S; (1954) Dukh Di Twarikh: Professor Gurmukh Singh te Behmoniaad Hamla, published in Patrika magazine. (31) Ibid. (32) See Sangat Singh. (33) Ibid. (34) Ibid. (35) Ibid. (36) Ibid. (37) See Dilgeer, pg. 166. (38) Ibid, pg. 164. (39) See Pettigrew’s Sikhs of the Punjab– interviews with Zaffarwal. (40) India Today, September 15, 1984. https://tisarpanthdotcom.wordpress.com/2018/06/11/kings-without-thrones/
  5. I find it quite interesting that extremist missionaries always used to say that that there is no such post as "Jathedar of Akal Takhat". Yet after Ex-Jathedar Ragi Darshan Singh joined up with the extremist missionaries by denouncing the Dasam Granth Sahib, they did an interesting thing: They would describe him as "Sabka (ex) Jathedar, Akal Takhat, Singh Sahib Darshan Singh". Yet to refer to the sitting Jathedars, they would say "so-called Jathedars". That's quite strange. If you think a post is made up, why would you describe someone as a former holder of that imaginary post? Now let me introduce the Emperor of the United States. Joshua Norton was a drifter who in 1859 declared himself to be Emperor of the United States. If you've read the US Constitution, or even if you haven't, you should know that there is emphatically no such post. Joshua Norton was a nutcase. How much sense would it make to introduce him as a former (or current) Emperor of the United States, in the manner that ex-Presidents of the US are presented? It wouldn't make any sense whatsoever. So now, to the point: Why do missionaries describe Ragi Darshan Singh as ex-Jathedar when (according to them), the post of Akal Takhat Jathedar is as imaginary as that of Emperor of the US? The answer, friends, is will to power. They will say anything and everything to gain power, and once they do, they will change all the rules to consolidate power, just as in every Communist revolution. Once they get power, they will forget that they ever said there is no Jathedari of Akal Takhat, rather, they will use that power to ex-communicate any Sikh that believes in God, Guru, and Sikhism.
  6. Latest news , is this a good thing or bad ? http://www.sikh24.com/2016/10/02/breaking-jathedar-hawara-handovers-responsibility-of-sarbat-khalsa-2016-to-suspended-panj-pyare-singhs/#.V_E6ke9rjIV
  7. This strange backwards act of Dhumma forcing himself on DamDami Taksal is underhanded and completely not in accordance with DamDami Taksal ethics and morals. The students of DamDami Taksal who appointed him did so out of arrogance. The Dhumma clan is saying higher ups in Taksal appointed him, which in itself is very questionable. Reading DamDami Taksal history the appointing of the next Jathedar happened by the previous Jathedar or Sant or Sants. Sant Baba Sundar Singh ji was appointed as Jathedar by the previous Jathedar of DamDami Taksal, Sant Baba Bishan Singh ji. Next in line was Sant baba Gurbachan Singh ji who was appointed by the previous Jathedar. Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji would be the next Jathedar, but there is only mention of how Sant baba Gurbachan Singh ji had said multiple times that Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji will be the next Jathedar of the Taksal. Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh ji didn't tie the dastar as a sign of making him the next Jathedar. However, Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh ji's word was followed by the Taksal. This is where the Dhumma clan will want to hide or alter the history of how Sant Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa became the next Jathedar after Sant baba Kartar Singh ji. Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji was involved in a serious car accident. He was taken to the hospital where the doctors would have to remove his hair to address his injuries. Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji refused to remove any hair and due to his injuries he left his body for Sachkhand. Before leaving his body, Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji had given the responsibility to Sant baba Thakur Singh ji to appoint the next Jathedar. Taking on the seva Sant Baba Thakur Singh ji tied the dastar of DamDami Taksal on Sant Jarnail Singh ji. After 1984 attack on Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sant baba Thakur Singh ji announces Sant Baba Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa is still the Jathedar of DamDami Taksal. From 1984 to the time Sant baba Thakur Singh ji left his body in 2004, he never appointed anyone to be the next Jathedar of DamDami Taksal. When asked and pressured by students of the Taksal, Baba ji had always given the response Sant Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa is the Jathedar. If anyone was going to appoint the next Jathedar of Taksal, it would have been Sant Baba Thakur Singh ji because he was trusted by Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji to appoint the next Jathedar after him. Gursikhs like Bhai Gurdev Singh ji Kaunke were around after the attack of 1984 to be appointed as the next Jathedar of Taksal. Yet Baba ji did not appoint anyone. If anyone deserved the dastar, it was Bhai Gurdev Singh ji Kaunke. Harnaam Singh Dhumma was around Baba ji, but never did Baba ji give him the dastar of DamDami Taksal. Some have and make the argument, after Sant Baba Thakur Singh ji, somebody had to lead the Taksal. This weak attempt falls on deaf ears because only Sant Baba Thakur Singh ji could have appointed the next Jathedar, if there was going to be one. The argument stops at Baba ji saying the Jathedar is still Sant Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa. Some say baba ji was the next Jathedar, but Baba ji never said he was the Jathedar and how could this be when Baba ji is saying Sant Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa is the Jathedar. Additionally, why did the corrupt Taksal students wait two decades to appoint their own corrupted student as the Jathedar? Why didn't they do it in 1984 or a year or two afterwards? Sant Baba Kartar Singh ji trusted Baba ji to appoint the next Jathedar. Sant Baba Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa made plans after the attack of 1984 for the Dharm Yudh Morcha. But how come Sant Baba Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa did not instruct Baba ji to appoint the new Jathedar after him??????? Such an important role must have been discussed if their was going to be another appointed Jathedar. Once a person looks at the facts without getting emotional. It is very evident who is the Jathedar and who has imposed himself on the DamDami Taksal.
  8. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/demand-release-supreme-religious-leader-sikhism-jathedar-jagtar-singh-hawara-head-sri-akal-takhat OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE RESPONSE TODemand The Release of Supreme Religious Leader of Sikhism, Jathedar Jagtar Singh Hawara, Head of Sri Akal Takhat A response to your petition on the release of Jathedar Hawara Thank you for taking the time to sign a We the People petition on Sikh leader Jathedar Hawara. The President has made clear that our nation's deep respect for religious liberty and pluralism must not stop at our shores. In an address to the people of India last year, the President stressed the importance of these fundamental principles to both our democracies: "In both our countries, in India and in America, our diversity is our strength. And we have to guard against any efforts to divide ourselves along sectarian lines or any other lines. And if we do that well, if America shows itself as an example of its diversity and yet the capacity to live together and work together in common effort, in common purpose; if India, as massive as it is, with so much diversity, so many differences is able to continually affirm its democracy, that is an example for every other country on Earth." The United States remains committed to coordinating with governments around the world to promote religious freedom for all citizens. We encourage you to continue to use the We the People platform to petition the Administration to take action on the policy issues you care about, but we cannot comment here on the specific foreign criminal justice matter raised in your petition. You can read the full Terms of Participation to get a better sense of why We the People is designed the way it is, and to learn more about its guidelines for use. Thanks again for raising your voices. -- The We the People Team
  9. This video shows all the jathedars and leaders being together when the news reported them being sent to different prisons. It doesn't look like they are being held captive, they are all in a friendly mood.
  10. The Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbhachan Singh condemned protests by Sikhs overseas against the Akali Dal. He said, Overseas Sikhs are ignorant on issue of Punjab and should come to Punjab and see what the government has done. He further added, we shouldnt protest but unite. The Jathedar has also faced protests for his silence on Bapu Surat Singh Khalsas hunger strike during his visit to Italy and New York. Can issue of Sikhs serving life sentence be resol: from http://dailysikhupdates.com/jathedar-condemns-overseas-protests-against-akali-dal/
  11. I am curious about the procedure. Is there some sort of Gurmata passed, or is there a minimum qualification required? Who chooses the Jathedar? What credentials are kept in mind when choosing? Who has the authority to choose? Etc. etc. Please share if you are aware Thanks
  12. Waheguru Here is a great book on operation blue star by Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Kirpal Singh Ji. This is a detailed book and an eye witness account of what happened during 1984. Akhi Dhatta Saka Neela Tara
  13. Almost Half-Century Later, Sardar Kapur Singh's Warning Continues to Haunt Sikh Nation SOURCE: http://www.panthic.org/articles/5528 Sardar Kapur Singh, the Sikh parliamentarian, theologian, was a former member of the elite Indian ICS. He was the main architect behind the famed “Anandpur Sahib Resolution” and was an unrelenting critic of the prejudiced policies of India in terms of the Sikh Nation. His famous work "Saachi Sakhi", details the systematic subjugation of the Sikh community after 1947 under the newly founded Indian hegemony. Highly regarded in Panthic circles, Sardar Kapur Singh was bestowed the title "National Professor of Sikhism" by Sri Akal Takht Sahib. He would publicly scorn the ineffectual callous Sikh leadership and in his lectures, he would passionately implore the youth to reject this scourge as they had become an obstacle in fulfilling the divine destiny of the Khalsa. On August 23rd, 1968, during a conference organized by the All India Sikh Students Association, at Punjab University, Chandigarh, he uttered the following: “...The Young Khalsa now must actively undertake to deliver the Sikh masses from the slavery of spiritual charlatans, called the sants and the Sikh Panth from the ruinous leadership of incompetent thugs and uneducated hooligans, called the jathedars." These prophetic words of caution uttered by the great Sikh statesman nearly half a century ago, still ring true today, as the people of Punjab for whom Sardar Kapur Singh tirelessly agitated for all his life, seem content shackled by the mental slavery imposed by the current Panthic leadership of spiritual charlatans (sants) and incompetent thugs (jathedars) . SOURCE: http://www.panthic.org/articles/5528
  14. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh ji The below post was posted a while back in gupt and subsequently locked, no reasons given. Though its not my place to comment on the posters sexuality, i do think he made some valid points worth discussing. Also, if for some reason admin think this post should be locked, please give reasons. Thank you. " Hello All, Before I get to my question, I'd like to give some background as to where it's coming from. I am a western born and raised proud Sikh male. I am not amritdhari, as I don't believe I will be able to follow the strict "rules" constructed by society and applied to those who choose that path. I am also gay and therein lies the issue. From my research, I have come to understand that the Gurbani is silent on the issue of homosexuality. However, the Akal Takth has taken a heavy stance against it (I find this ironic since Sikhi is a religion founded on the basis of acceptance and equality. Telling people there's no such thing as homosexuals and they don't deserve the support of the community is the last thing I would expect from a leader of the faith.) Recently, I have been contemplating telling my friends and family of my sexuality. I understand this will cause them much pain, but it is who I am and people deserve to know the "real" me, and I also deserve to be proud of who I am (by hiding it, I'm making it out as something to be ashamed of; which I don't believe it is). Also, the idea of marriage is becoming a larger issue in my life, and there is only so much time that I will be able to manage to put it off. I have 3 questions which I'd like opinions about: 1) How would you react to the knowledge that someone you were close to was gay? 2) What are your thoughts on the consequences of the combination of my sexuality and religion? 3) What are your thoughts on the Akal Takth's stance against gay marriage and homosexuality? Now before people ask: Yes, I have tried "not to be gay", but it's not a choice. Trying is akin to pretending; which is lying; which is wrong. Also, have you "tried" not to be straight?"
  15. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Punjab/chandigarh/Takht-Kesgarh-Sahib-Jathedar-dies-of-heart-attack/SP-Article1-1101047.aspx Giani Tarlochan Singh(59),Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, one of the holiest sikh shrines, died at Anandpur Sahib following a massive heart attack around 1 am on Wednesday. The Jathedar suffered heart attack few hours after he returned to Anandpur Sahib from Talwandi Sabo last night .He was rushed to a private hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.Giani Tarlochan Singh served as granthi and head granthi of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, before his elevation as Jathedar of the Takht in 2003.His cremation would take place at Anandpur Sahib at 10 am on August 1. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal visited Anandpur Sahib to pay his last respect to Giani Tarlochan Singh today and shared his grief with bereaved family. Chief Minister described Giani Tarlochan Singh as a great sikh scholar who propagated the tenets of Sikhism in every nook and corner of the world through his religious discourses, adding that the void caused due to the death of Giani Tarlochan Singh Ji in the arena of Sikh religious affairs was difficult to be filled. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary KJS Cheema. Prominent amongst other who were present included Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh , SGPC president Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar, General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Rupnagar MLA Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema. Bhog and Antim Ardas of Giani Tarlochan Singh would be held on August 10 at Anandpur Sahib.Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Madan Mohan Mittal has also expressed his grief over the death of Giani Tarlochan Singh.
  16. GURFATEH SAD SANGAT JI From April 1st to the 7th singh sahib Jathedar Giana Iqbal singh sri patna sahib will be doing katha at Nanaksar Tath Isher Darbar wolverhampton from 8pm to 9pm. Giani Iqbal Singh has also asked that if anyone wants to have gurmat veechar discussions about maryada or anything else please come to the gurdwara sahib and Singh Sahib will be happy to to speak to you. For more information contact Bhai Gursharon singh on 07815 125770 ps benti to admin to leave this post here as most people visit the whats happening page rather then the events and this it will have maxmium exposure. Thank you Bhul chuk marf
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