Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin

with his pictures in his Gurdwara to be used as an example of Darshan Singh endorsing Amar Singh’s
activities.
Later, when we came across one of his statements about providing Missionary College trained
missionaries to villages in Panjab, we not only published that in the Sikh Bulletin but also brought it to
the attention of Singh Sabha International, Canada in Toronto area where Darshan Singh makes his
second home. SSI Canada was already engaged in this type of work and S. Gurcharan Singh Brar
personally went to see him. Jathedar made promises but never kept them.
That is a tragedy, because of all the Akal Takhat Jathedars he is the one most knowledgeable about
Gurbani and willing to change as he has in the matter of Dasam Granth. Right now he is in the news
about his anti Dasam Granth statements brought to the attention of Jathedar Akal Takhat by, who else but,
Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba. See pp. 114-117 of this issue. Page 118 also has the report of the SSI
Canada’s work in providing missionaries to the villages.
2. Paul Singh Purewal: We first met at the first ever conference held at Sikh Center Roseville in
November 1999. He presented his paper on Nanakshahi Calendar. Until then no action had been taken on
it by Akal Takhat. That was no concern of ours. We saw the merit and passed a resolution for us to adopt
it. Another resolution passed was to do away with ‘pratham bhagauti’ in ardas. We had firmly come to
believe that reformation in Sikhi was of utmost urgency and we cannot depend upon corrupt officials of
SGPC or their employees masquerading as Jathedars.
The following year there was a conference in San Jose. Mr. Purewal read his paper on Nanakshahi
Calendar there as well but failed to mention that Roseville Sikh Center had already adopted it. When
asked, he excused himself by saying that he will mention it at the second sitting where all the speakers
will participate in Q&A format. He failed to mention it there as well. It turned out that he was
bamboozled by the Sikh Youth of America as a body controlling large number of Gurdwaras under North
American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee which he thought would be a good start and knowing their
animosity against us he chose a stronger group, so he mistakenly thought, to side with. Subsequently he
made lame excuses to come to any of our other conferences.
3. Dr. Gurbakhash Singh Gill, Dean (Retd.) Agricultural University, Ludhiana, came to Roseville in
December 2000 for a think tank type seminar and conference which was also attended by S. Gurbakhash
Singh Kala Afghana and many others from Canada and USA. By virtue of his long experience with Sikh
affairs in North America he played a leading role. It was he who suggested the formation of Singh Sabha
International to carry on the work of the 18 th century Singh Sabha. He was to move to Roseville and take
charge of the reformation movement.
But, unfortunately for the reform movement, he was friends with late Dr. Kharak Singh of Institute of
Sikh Studies in Chandigarh, who could care less for reform and was an establishment loyalist by virtue of
being a long standing member of the SGPC Dharam Parchar Committee. Year 2001 was to be the year for
Badungar, a friend of Kharak Singh, to take over the Presidency of SGPC. Dr. Gill was told to bide his
time until that happened and got appointed as an Adviser to the Dharam Parchar Committee with a car,
driver and stipend.
But our reform movement did not come to a halt. October 2003 saw a major World Sikh Conference in
Chandigarh arranged from Sikh Center Roseville. Jathedar Vedanti and Manjit Singh Calcutta did their
best to deny us the venue and actually managed to cancel three venues before we had to involve the
judiciary to enforce a contract. Calcutta then formed a 21 member Religious Advisory Board to ‘frame
rules for priests’ and actually oppose us. The Board would also scrutinize the complaints being received
by Akal Takhat before they are taken up by the Sikh Clergy.
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