Jan-March 2006 - Institute of Sikh Studies

120ABSTRACTS OF SIKH STUDIES : JAN-MARCH 2006 / 537-38 NSVEDANTI IN FIX OVER MEDIATION IN US GURDWARA DISPUTEAmritsar, November 20. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani JoginderSingh Vedanti is in the fix following ‘mediation’ between twowarring groups of a gurdwara in Los Angeles as some membershave written to the SGPC to take up the matter at the forthcominggeneral body meeting of the Shiromani Committee, to be held hereon November 23.Mr Sukhi Sandhu, and Mr Harjit Singh Saini (USA), in arepresentation faxed to Bibi Jagir Kaur, here today said that thoughAkal Takht was supreme for all Sikhs, but there must be some rulesfor the Jathedar to stop him from interfering in local affairs of theSikhs in foreign countries. They said the Jathedar should not take upthe matters which were sub-judice. However, Mr Prithpal SinghSandhu, personal assistant to Jathedar, Akal Takht said that such issuescould not be taken up by the general house.Meanwhile, Mr Yadvinder Singh, President of the AmericanGurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC), who held a meeting withGiani Joginder Singh Vedanti, said that the Sikh clergy should refrainfrom interfering in local and administrative strife of foreign gurdwaras.Talking to The Tribune, the AGPC president said that Sikh highpriests should issue directives only if there was any violation of‘Maryada’ (Sikh code of conduct) in gurdwaras. He said sometimes,any edict issued by the jathedar regarding local issues encouragedinfighting in foreign gurdwaras.Mr Yadvinder Singh said that Jathedar Akal Takht should help inthe formation of proposed International Sikh Confederation (ISC),which should be responsible for resolving burning issues pertaining toSikhism all over the world. He clarified that the proposed ISC was notaimed at replacing the SGPC at all. He said the ISC would give duerepresentation to the grass-root level Sikhs the world over and helpfulfil long-cherished aspirations of the community. The AGPCpresident said that Akal Takht was supreme for the Sikhs hence the‘Maryada’ approved by it was being implemented in its all 43 membergurdwaras in America.Mr Yadvinder Singh, however, alleged that Jathedar Vedanti had‘dumped’ the manuscript of the proposed ISC for reasons best known to