SGPC fuels confrontation in the Sikh domain rather than answering questions relating to its functioning

 

Panthic idiom missing at 100^th anniversary function of SGPC held under shadow of controversies relating to Guru Granth Sahib

Jagtar Singh

 

Ground Zero

Amritsar: Created on November 15, 1920, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee took upon itself the role of articulating aspirations and ambitions of the Sikh community and came to be perceived as the mini-Parliament of the Sikhs over time. Its history by way of contribution to the religio-political domain of the Sikhs is glorious. It was the first constitutional body in India that guaranteed voting right to women.

However, its 100 anniversary function organised at Manji Sahib Diwan Hall in the Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple ) complex on November 17 was not only dispirited but also lacked Panthic idiom in tone and tenor going by the main speeches.

The only outcome that can be inferred is that this function is going to sharpen confrontation within the Sikh religio-political matrix.

The tool that was resorted to was to dub the critics and those asking questions as instruments of some forces (read Congress). SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal even invoked the name of radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa set up in 1978 in this context.

However, he overlooked the fact that it was the Dal Khalsa that had hijacked the Indian Airlines plane to Lahore to demand release of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale whose memorial now stands in the Darbar Sahib complex next to Akal Takht. This memorial is the only notable contribution of the SGPC during the last two decades, although its construction was dictated by political exigencies of the Akali Dal. Sant Bhindranwale too had been attacked by a section of the Akali Dal as having been propped up by the Congress. This is a matter of record.

The last party stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra too was attacked by Parkash Singh Badal with this very weapon when they parted company in early 1999.

The agitation against missing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib can’t be attacked as Congress sponsored rather than providing the answers.

The case of missing 328 Birs and the earlier decertation of Guru Granth Sahib at Bargari in 2015 when the Akali Dal was in power continues to cast shadow over the party that at one time was Panthic but turned Punjabi like any other political party under the present leadership.

The Manji Sahib Hall used to reverberate with Jaikaras at such functions till a few years back. Not only more. Spontaneous enthusiasm was missing completely. But then there was nothing to inspire the people.

The Sikhs badly need a role model.

Even the resolutions that were adopted were stale with just one change and that relates to timing as the Akali Dal has come out of alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal talked of increasing sense of insecurity among the minorities. However,  the party had been silent on this issue since 1996 when it entered into alliance with the BJP. The Akali Dal had supported the divisive policies of the Modi government including the CAA and the revocation of Article 370 along with division of Jammu and Kashmir and reducing it to two union territories.

Another resolution talked of Operation Bluestar, the code name for army attack on the Darbar Sahib complex in June 1984 but only in the context of relief to the army personnel who had left their barracks in protest. The Akali Dal has backtracked from probing role of the Congress in violence in Punjab after coming into power.

The issue of missing articles and rare books from the Darbar Sahib library during Operation Bluestar was not even raised. The SGPC has been under a cloud on this issue like the missing 328 Birs of Guru Granth Sahib.

There is nothing wrong in the Akal Takht Jathedar articulating political line and Giani Harpreet Singh tried to do that when he talked of Punjab to Panth in this context. However, the slogan can be effective only when it is backed by the religio-political force. Giani Harpreet Singh was on the way of attaining that force when he today exposed himself in the context of missing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib. Rather than attacking those staging agitation on this sensitive issue, he should have directed it towards the SGPC and the Akali Dal leadership.

He too today lost his credibility.

Yet another resolution reiterated the separate and exclusive identity of the Sikhs. But then it was the SGPC that diluted it under pressure from the RSS and the BJP by tempering with the Nanakshahi calendar that was implemented in 2003. This Sikh almanac hammered the separate and exclusive identity of the Sikhs. This virtual withdrawal of that calendar has divided the Sikhs across the globe. Most of the Sikh bodies abroad including in USA and Pakistan observe the Sikh events as per the original Nanakshahi calendar.

And last of all, nothing was said about the rot that now characterise the functioning of the Sikh institutions. But then this can’t be expected from the very leadership responsible for the present mess.