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<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong> &`gx 535 February 2004<br />
but they cannot be denied freedom of expression. AT should<br />
not allow itself to be perceived as ' thought police' created<br />
specifically to manipulate certain insidious agendas. <strong>The</strong>re is<br />
abundance of <strong>Sikh</strong> scholars to debate controversial issues<br />
raised by Kala Afgana and others. Respected Jathedars must<br />
demonstrate fair play and respect freedom of speech, viz,<br />
expression.<br />
Dr. Chahal Ji rightly observed, "<strong>The</strong>re is no system of<br />
excommunication of any <strong>Sikh</strong> in Gurbani." Mrs A. Singh<br />
Ji reaffirmed this further, "No one can excommunicate any<br />
believer of AGGS." Dr. Jodh Singh of New York wrote,<br />
"You (AT) have threatened us all (significant proportion)<br />
with the same punishment if we continue to be associated<br />
with him (Afghana)." Dr. Jaspal Singh Mayell reflected, "I<br />
will not be surprised if one of us is also excommunicated in<br />
the near future." Dr Mayell posed an interesting question, "Is<br />
there any one who is in favour of excommunication of<br />
Joginder Singh or any other <strong>Sikh</strong> by the <strong>Sikh</strong> religious<br />
managers" <strong>The</strong> jury is out! Tejpal S. Thind, Montreal. Canada<br />
*****<br />
MISUSE OF SGPC FUNDS<br />
Amritsar, January 9, 2004<br />
<strong>The</strong> Khalra Mission Committee (KMC) along with some<br />
<strong>Sikh</strong> religious and social organisations today filed a petition<br />
before the <strong>Sikh</strong> Judicial Commission against nine persons<br />
including Mr Parkash Singh Badal, President, Shiromani<br />
Akali Dal (SAD), Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar<br />
Akal Takht and Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president,<br />
SGPC, allegedly for misusing SGPC funds.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y (petitioners) alleged that the nine alleged<br />
celebrated birthday of Mr Parkash Singh Badal on December<br />
8, 2003 using SGPC funds and its notified gurdwaras,<br />
causing loss of Rs five lakh which was against ‘<strong>Sikh</strong><br />
maryada’ (code of ethics) as only birthdays of <strong>Sikh</strong> Gurus<br />
were entitled to be celebrated from gurdwara funds. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
claimed that on the day of hearing of Mr Badal in a<br />
corruption case at Ropar, the Manager of Nadda Sahib<br />
Gurdwara in connivance with other respondents had provided<br />
free of cost meal to the SAD workers. <strong>The</strong>y alleged that it<br />
caused loss of Rs two lakh to the SGPC.<br />
On another count they said, Giani Puran Singh, head<br />
granthi, Golden Temple and Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti,<br />
Jathedar Akal Takht presented a siropa (a robe of honour) to<br />
Mr Badal on December 11, 2003 on his visit to the Golden<br />
Temple after release on bail in a corruption case in which he<br />
was chargesheeted which was against <strong>Sikh</strong> tenets. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
compared it with “the <strong>Sikh</strong>s giving siropa to General O’Dyer<br />
who had massacred Punjabis and <strong>Sikh</strong>s at Jallianwala Bagh<br />
in 1919.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y said that Mr Badal was instrumental in making<br />
Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister, a known RSS<br />
worker, chairman of the Committee for celebrating 300-year<br />
anniversary celebration of Khalsa Panth. <strong>The</strong>y said now<br />
again Mr Badal had made Mr Vajpayee, Chairman of a<br />
committee constituted to celebrate the coming 400th<br />
Prakash Utsav of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.<br />
<strong>The</strong> petition has been filed under Section 142 of the<br />
<strong>Sikh</strong> Gurdwara Act, 1925. <strong>The</strong> next date of hearing is on<br />
January 12. <strong>The</strong> five petitioners, include Mr Jasbir Singh,<br />
President, Ashutoshwad Virodhi Morcha, Mr Dalbir Singh,<br />
Patron KMC, Mr Harmandeep Singh, Chairman, KMC, Mr<br />
Joginder Singh, General Secretary, Gurmat Prachar Sabha<br />
and Mr Virsa Singh convener <strong>Sikh</strong> Jagriti Morcha.<br />
<strong>The</strong> other six persons against whom petition was filed<br />
are Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Honorary Secretary, and Mr<br />
Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, General Secretary of the SGPC,<br />
Giani Puran Singh, Head Grandhi, Golden Temple, the<br />
Managers of Darbar Sahib, Dukh Niwaran Sahib<br />
Gurdwara and Nadda Sahib Gurdwara.<br />
*****<br />
NATIONHOOD NOT RELIGION!<br />
"<strong>Sikh</strong> Gurus never meant us to be a religion. <strong>The</strong>y meant us<br />
to be a full-fledged people, a nation, a PANTH - defined<br />
and driven by a comprehensive ethical human culture"<br />
Dear fellow <strong>Sikh</strong>s across the globe:<br />
I take this opportunity to briefly and respectfully share with<br />
you my potent concerns over the continued use and<br />
imposition of the term 'religion' and 'religious' on the <strong>Sikh</strong>s<br />
and their matters. Please read and consider the following<br />
substantive points and questions. <strong>The</strong>se invite careful<br />
thought and a response to key fundamental points.<br />
1. Firstly, the term 'religion' is a vague, stigmatized and<br />
legally UNDEFINED term! Both European, United<br />
Nations, British and other territorial laws refer to 'religion';<br />
but leave it undefined (certainly in European and British<br />
law). Even the recent European Union Directive<br />
establishing equali rights on grounds of sexual orientation,<br />
religion and philosophical thought; fails to define the critical<br />
point of what is 'religion'. This begs the question, what<br />
makes a group or community a 'religion' What are the<br />
qualifying factors Perhaps, our wise <strong>Sikh</strong>s could comment<br />
on this fundamental point In contrast, British law explicitly<br />
and comprehensively defines what an 'ETHNIC' group is.<br />
Indeed, this was done in 1983, in direct response to a<br />
landmark <strong>Sikh</strong> legal case (Mandla v Dowell Lee, 1983,<br />
House of Lords), to decide the question of whether <strong>Sikh</strong>s<br />
were merely a 'religious' group or a much wider<br />
and comprehensive social and cultural entity - ETHNIC. It<br />
was decided, on merits of their common language, history,<br />
sociology, social customs (including 'religious' and beyond)<br />
territorial commonality, community feeling, etc; that<br />
<strong>Sikh</strong>s were "more than just a religion". It was decided that<br />
they were a full-fledged ETHNIC community, and should<br />
be treated as such under public and private law!<br />
2. Why do <strong>Sikh</strong>s have a fixation with the term 'religion'<br />
Where is this term used in <strong>Sikh</strong> history or <strong>Sikh</strong> historic<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> Center Roseville, 201 Berkeley Ave, Roseville, CA. 95678 11