Jan-March 2006 - Institute of Sikh Studies

WORLD SIKH CONVENTION95Gurbakhsh Singh. He advocated that the younger generation must beencouraged to eventually take over the ISC. Both speakers totallysupported the Constitution of the ISC. Dr Surjit Singh from Cleveland,Ohio, said that he had opposed the WSC because of the lack ofdevotion by its organisers. He, however, praised the present WSCAmerican Region and its functioning. He stressed that individualsmust not be allowed to dominate the ISC and advocated Panth ka Raj.He wholly supported the ISC. Sardar Balwant Singh of Chicago whohad started the Sikh Study Circle in the USA, felt that elections causedstress and ego problems. He also felt that we must connect Sikh dharmwith other religions by meeting their representatives. He praised theIOSS, magazine as classy. Criticising our Takht Jathedars he felt thatwe must lay down basic qualifications for them. He added that theneed genuine parcharaks to go abroad and spread the religion and alsotranslate Guru Granth Sahib into other languages. He supported theConstitution of the ISC with modification.Some very eminent speakers from our country addressed theaudience. These included Dr Gurnam Kaur, Sardar Prithipal SinghKapur, ex-Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Guru Nanak Dev University, Dr KeharSingh, Ex-Director PSEB, Prof Balkar Singh, GNDU, Sardar SurinderjitSingh Pall, Chief Commissioner Income Tax, Ludhiana, Brig GurdipSingh, Ex Secretary General, World Sikh Council, Dr Harnam SinghShan, a noted Sikh scholar, Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan ex-SecretarySGPC, Dr G S Kalkat, ex-VC, PAU and now Chairman, FarmersCommission Punjab, Sardar Bakhshish Singh Subra, Sardar KaramjitSingh Aujla from Ludhiana, Sardar Bakhshish Singh Jaura and SardarJagdish Singh, our upcoming student of Punjabi literature. All acceptedthe urgent need for the ISC and lent whole-hearted support to theorganisers.We need to make special mention of the contribution of SardarYadvinder Singh, LLB from New Jersey who represented the AmericanGurdwara Parbandhak Committee, which controls nearly 43 gurdwarasin the USA. He narrated his experience in interacting with the USGovernment on various Sikh issues. He congratulated the organisersfor mooting the ISC as a platform to discuss international problems ofSikhs, such as identity, kirpan, maryada and conflict with various myths.