Day after day, the Harmandir Sahib, the abiding symbol of the Sikh faith, continues to inspire and uplift those thousands who come to it. It is, in a sense, the heart of the Sikhs, for wherever beats a Sikh heart, there throbs the sentiment of undying devotion for this holiest of all Sikh shrines.

From news dispatches

AMRITSAR The issue of the restoration of the “maryada” in the Golden Temple and other Sikh shrines has created a difference of opinion between the Sikh head priests and the SGPC.

The five head priests, who held a meeting at Bhai Gurdas Hall here have, according to sources, not only taken a serious note of the failure of the SGPC to get the old “maryada” restored but also ex pressed their displeasure over the manner in which the apex body of Sikh religious affairs had been trying to “pass the buck” to the Sikh clergy. This is the first time in the six decade old history of the SG PC that it has developed differences with the head priests over the “maryada” issue, which has been raking the Sikh Panth for over past ‘one year, according to the sources.

The controversy began last year when the then Jathedar of Akal Takht, Mr. Jasbir Singh Rode, effected several changes in the “maryada” without having man datory consultations with the Sikh scholars and theologizes and approval of the Panth. The amendments made by him allegedly at the behest of the Damdami Taksal, to which the former Takht Jathe dar hails, has changed the format of the six decade old “maryada”.

Mr. Rode had introduced the amended “maryada” in the budget session of the SGPC at Anandpur Sahib without any notice and got it passed amidst opposition. The jathedar had over ruled the resistance, asserting that he being the chief of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs could change the “maryada”.

However, after MrRode and his colleagues were sacked by the SGPC, following Operation Black thunder in May last, the SGPC at it general house meeting here on November 30 had unanimously passed a resolution scrapping the “maryada” introduced by Mr Rode and restoring the old “maryada”. So far, the SGPC has failed to implement the resolution.

Much of the SGPC’s dilemma over reverting to the “maryada” having semblance with the one preached and practiced by the Damdami Taksal, the sources said, arose from its tendency to avoid a direct confrontation with the Taksal, which enjoys a significant clout in the militant organizations and the All India Sikh Stu dents Federation. In the face of the mounting pressure from within and outside, the SGPC discreetly shifted the responsibility of getting the old “maryada” restored, to the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Mr Dar shan Singh.

Entrusting the responsibility to Mr Darshan Singh triggered yet another controversy, with the militant organizations issuing direct threats to him against altering the Taksal’s “maryada”. The things came to such a pass that the jathedar wrote an open letter to the Damdami Taksal chief, Baba Thakur Singh, bringing to his no tice the threats issued to him under the Taksal’s name.

Realizing that he was being unnecessarily dragged into the controversy, Mr Darshan Singh refused to help in restoring the “maryada”. The “evasive” attitude adopted by the SGPC over the issue has been causing embarrassment to the head priests as the religious code prescribed by Mr Rode continues to be followed in the Darbar Sahib and other religious shrines.

At one stage, the head granthi of the Golden Temple had threated to resign if the old “maryada” was not revived, but he was persuaded against doing so by Mr Darshan Singh. The granthis in the Golden Temple have been expressing their unhappiness over the daily rituals being performed in accordance with the new “maryada”.

It is in the background of these developments that yesterday’s meeting is reported to have decided that a letter be written to the SGPC directing it to restore the old “maryada”. The head priests, according to sources close to them, have no objection in introducing changes in the “maryada”, but they favor an approval of the Sikh Panth for it.

The head priests, the sources said, were “not happy” with the delaying tactics adopted by the SGPC leadership, for its electoral interests in the coming elections to the general house. Besides Mr Darshan Singh, the other head priests who attended the meeting were Mr Manjit Singh, Jathedar, Keshgarh Sahib, Mr Jagir Singh Phoola, Jathedar, Takht Dam dama Sahib, Giani Mohan Singh and Giani Kewal Singh, head granthis of the Golden Temple and Akal Takht respectively.

Sources pointed out that the SGPC leadership was in no mood to annoy the Taksal and the militant outfits by scrapping the changes effected in the “maryada” by Mr Jasbir Singh Rode. The SGPC finds itself in a fix in the light of the recent development of according, recognition to Mr Jasbir Singh Rode by the AISSF openly and the Taksal tacitly. The detained SGPC President, Mr G. S. Tohra, is reported to have told the leader ship not to take up the issue till the next SGPC elections.

Like other senior leaders the SGPC Secretary, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, has been favoring a meeting of scholars of Sikh theology and history to sort out the differences over the “maryada” issue. They maintain that the religious code of conduct is subject to change, but there is definite procedure to do so.

In the 1930’s, the SGPC constituted a panel of experts on Sikh theology and history, and head of various Sikh sects and organizations to evolve a common ‘maryada” for the Panth. After deliberations and research for four years the panel formulated a “maryada”, which was implemented in all the shrines, including the Golden Temple, in 1939.

Since then the “maryada” has been followed with minor amendments, The “maryada” specifies various religious codes, mode of their performance and broad framework of religious functions, The SGPC had permitted various sects to continue with their own traditions while adhering to the “maryada”.

The major changes brought in by Mr. Jasbir Singh Rode in the “maryada” pertain to the baptism ceremony, personal code of con duct of the priests, daily prayers. The inclusion of narrative part of the Guru Granth Sahib in the daily Prayers has completely altered its universal and spiritual aspects.

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 3, 1989