Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin
Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin
Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin
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was to re-examine our historical and religious literature in the light of Gurbani and introduce Gurmat<br />
practices in the Gurdwaras. Tribune News Service dated Dec.7, 2004 reports that re-editing of Suraj<br />
Parkash has already begun to remove mythological content that is in direct contradiction with Gurbani<br />
and Gurmat. That is precisely what Gurbakhsh Singh Kala Afghana has been saying. For this, instead of<br />
getting an Honorary D. Lit. from Guru Nanak Dev University, which he richly deserved, he got<br />
excommunicated, because in the course of his writings he had examined the writings of Gurbachan Singh<br />
of Damdami Taksal and Randhir Singh of Akhand Kirtani Jatha upon which he commented with the<br />
support of Gurbani. He also commented on Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s role, among others.<br />
All this did not sit well with the two organizations that these personalities belonged to and S. Kala<br />
Afghana started receiving death threats just as Dr. Sangat Singh had upon writing ‘<strong>Sikh</strong>s in History’ and<br />
‘Jathedar’ Iqbal Singh alleges to be receiving from ‘Jathedar’ Vedanti now for opposing Giani Gurdit<br />
Singh’s book ‘Mundavani’. Giani Gurdit Singh, as a member of the SGPC Dharam Parchar committee,<br />
supported the excommunication of S. Kala Afghana which Vedanti carried out under pressure both from<br />
AKJ and Damdami Taksal and upon learning that Kala Afghana’s critique of his publication ‘Gurbilas<br />
Patshahi 6’ had reached the publishers. Now both Vedanti and Giani Gurdit Singh are targets of<br />
excommunication at the hands of Iqbal Singh, ‘Jathedar’ of Patna Sahib for not recognizing ‘Ragmala’ as<br />
part of AGGS. Would it not be in the Panthic interest to apologize to Kala Afghana and invite him to<br />
join a group of real <strong>Sikh</strong> scholars, not the plagiarizing kind, to clean out anti gurmat myths from <strong>Sikh</strong><br />
literature<br />
Recently I came across this in <strong>The</strong> Economist:<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Economist First Published in September 1843 to take part in a severe contest between<br />
intelligence, which presses forward and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.”<br />
This seemed to apply to the reasons for the publication of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong>, except that the ignorant<br />
obstructing our progress are not timid. On the contrary, because of the powers behind them, they are<br />
outright bullies. According to news in <strong>The</strong> Tribune dated Nov.26, 2004, Mr. Prithipal Singh Sandhu, who<br />
is a mere sala of ‘Jathedar’ Vedani but often acts as if he is himself ‘Jathedar’, while referring to SSI-<br />
WSC at Dixie Road Gurdwara in Mississauga, “alleged that the <strong>Sikh</strong> scholars had used most derogatory<br />
language against the ‘Jathedar’ during the function.” <strong>The</strong> reality is that these two characters have<br />
dragged the good name of Akal Takhat down to an all time low. For the most appropriate words to<br />
describe them one will have to look to what Gurbani says about a manmukh. <strong>The</strong>ir commitment is not to<br />
the Guru nor to the <strong>Sikh</strong> Community but to the powers that appointed them. In their battle royal about the<br />
book ‘Mundavni’ the two ‘Jathedars’ of Akal Takhat and Patna Sahib are at each other’s throat. What<br />
goes around comes around. <strong>The</strong>re was a time when Giani Gurdit Singh recommended excommunication<br />
of Gurbakhsh Singh Kala Afghana and ‘Jathedar” Vedanti carried it out. Now, over the book ‘Mundavni’,<br />
Giani Iqbal Singh, ‘Jathedar’ of Patna Sahib, is threatening to excommunicate these two. In his statement<br />
to the press on Dec.7, 2004 about ‘Jathedar’ Vedanta’s ‘sala’ Mr. Prithipal Singh Sandhu, Iqbal Singh<br />
asked some very interesting questions the answers to which we would like to get: “SGPC had terminated<br />
the services of Mr. Sandhu following serious allegations, he continued to work as personal assistant to<br />
Jathedar Vedanti. He asked the SGPC to probe under what capacity Mr. Sandhu had been ‘dictating’ to<br />
the <strong>Sikh</strong> clergy during the meetings”.<br />
So, dear reader, I find it very difficult to keep the personalities out of the issues under discussion. It is all<br />
the more difficult when the personality itself is an issue as is the case with the position of mukh sewadar<br />
of Akal Takhat. We all respect the institution of Akal Takhat but the mukh sewadar as an individual has<br />
to earn that trust, especially since all the mukh sewadars of recent times have not been worthy of that<br />
trust. Until and unless we all understand this distinction and stop courting these people just because<br />
they hold that office we are doing injustice to the integrity and moral authority of Akal Takhat itself.<br />
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