Akal Takht Jathedar attacks authoritarian and Hindutva policies of Modi government in Diwali message

 

Akal Takht Jathedar targets Modi government, skips crisis relating to missing Granths

Jagtar Singh

Ground Zero

 

Of late, Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has been giving out signals of revival of this supreme religio-political institution of the Sikhs for prayer and politics. However, he has also started slipping on certain important issues relating to Sikh religio-political dynamics, a sign that betrays his inability to confront the crucial issues within the Sikh domain.

His traditional message to the Sikhs at large on Diwali and Bandi Chhod Divas has to be  analysed in this context.

He seemed to be pressing all the right buttons. However, his message would have attained more credibility in case he had questioned the role of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee too, especially in the context of the 328 missing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib, an issue that has serious ramifications. This aspect has opened him to the criticism of not functioning as Jathedar of the Akal Takht who is supposed to be above factionalism of every kind. It is a different matter that this issue also relates to the role of the Akal Takht itself under the changing Sikh praxis in the context of the Sikhs being a global community.

Giani Harpreet Singh alerted against the policies of homogenization and authoritarianism  of the BJP government headed by Narendra Modi of which the Shiromani Akali Dal has been the part till recently. These policies are being practiced since 2014 when the BJP came into power. The Akali Dal has been in alliance with this party having core ideology of Hindutva since 1996 and parted ways only under pressure from the farmers struggle.

He talked of black laws and detention of people with progressive and pro-people ideas; increasing incidents of discrimination against minorities and tribals and attack on diversity. he referred to the violation of human rights.

He extended support to the struggle by the farmers against new farm trade practices introduced by the Modi government with the enactment of three  acts. It is in Punjab that these acts have provoked the most vociferous protests. These acts were initially strongly defended by Akali  stalwarts Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Sukhbir Singh Badal and Parkash Singh Badal, in that order.

Giani Harpreet Singh rightly praised the role of the Sikh community at the global level since the outbreak of Covid.

He targeted the Modi government without making any direct reference to the BJP or the RSS.

His message  coincided with the 100^th anniversary of the formation of the SGPC that constituted the Akali Dal within a few days on December 14, 1920. The SGPC attained statutory status with the implementation of the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925.

The Jathedar should have referred to it too. The functioning of the SGPC has been under attack. This body has become a pliable instrument in the hands of one dominant political family. This downfall started after Gurcharan Singh Tohra had to go unceremoniously in 1999 after he differed with then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on some issues relating to functioning of Akali Dal.

Even the structure of Darbar Singh (Golden Temple) can’t be changed but it has been tinkered with to convert it into studio for live transmission of Gurbani. None has questioned it. The Sikhs have not realized the damage done to the structure, including its earlier majestic look. The Maryada is also under threat.

The latest issue that has hit the Sikh religio-political domain  is that of 328 missing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs have a right to know as to who were the people who were given these Birs without bringing them on record. The probe committee had been constituted by Giani Harpreet Singh but that should not deter him from ordering follow up action.

Giani Harpreet Singh is also a Sikh scholar and he should not allow the position of the Akal Takht Jathedar to be misused or exploited by the vested interests in the religio-political domain.