AMRITSAR: Thousands of Sikh devotees participated in “kar seva” of Akal Takhat when it was formally resumed.

The “seva” is being undertaken by a committee of five Sikh sants including the setting Damdami Taksal chief Baba Thakur Singh

 CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee decided to hand over the kar seva to complete the Akal Takht building, to a five member committee of Sikh sants, They are Baba Thakar Singh, chief of Damdami Taksal, Baba Jagtar Singh, Tam Taran, Baba Diwan Singh Khan Chhabri, Baba Harbhajan Singh Paonta Sahib and Baba Darshan Singh Ghanupurkale.

The decision was taken at the executive committee meeting of the SGPC here on Sunday.

Briefing newsmen, the SGPC president, Baldev Singh Sibia said the kar seva committee would not interfere in the accepted maryada, management and authority of the SGPC. In accordance with the maryada of the Golden Temple, the rooms in the parkarma would not be used for residential purposes.

The kar seva would start from October 29 as already announced by Damdami Taksal.

The decision of the Taksal to start kar seva unilaterally from October 29 had generated a lot of controversy which even divided the militants. The Babbar Khalsa and Akhand Kinani Jatha had opposed the decision by the Taksal to start kar seva unilaterally and favored involving various sections of the Sikhs. The Manjit and presidium factions of the All India Sikh Students Federation had supported the Taksal move. Rather it was the newly created presidium faction which was the first to initiate the move to start kar seva through Damdami Taksal, The Akali Dal (Mann) president Simranjit Singh Mann, had initially supported the Taksal but later amended the stand of his party saying he would welcome the initiative on this issue taken by any organization.

The Panthic Committee (Dr. Sohan Singh) Panthic Committee (Baba Manochahal) and the Akal Federation had also favored the involvement of all the organizations in this cause.

The executive committee after its meeting on Saturday had decided to send emissaries to Baba Thakar Singh and the decision to hand over the kar seva to the Committee after their return here, Sibia said Baba Thakar Singh was also against any controversy on this issue, He said the SGPC had also tried to avoid the controversy. He said any controversy on this issue would have been against the maryada.

Sibia appealed to all to join kar seva

In 1986 also, the SGPC had handed over the Kar Seva to a five member committee which also included Baba Thakar Singh but in practice, it was the Taksal which had supervised Kar Seva. It stopped in 1987 as a result of Operation Black Thunder. Many irregularities were committed during that Period in the temple complex and a number of dead bodies were recovered from the Akal Takht debris.

I was the sarbat khalsa in January, 1986 which had decided to demolish Akal Takht built by the govt, after it was damaged during: Operation Bluestar. The govt had got it repaired by handing over the kar seva to the Nihang chief, Baba Santa Singh, fearing that the dam aged building would be preserved as such.

Sunday’s decision of the SGPC is virally compromise to avoid any controversy.

Chowk Mehta;  In a statement, issued from the Taksal headquarters, on Sunday afternoon, Baba Thakar Singh announced the issue of starting the kar seva was not negotiable. The Baba appealed to all organizations to participate in the kar seva..

Meanwhile, the wood required for the doors and windows and marble for the Akal Takht has been stored at the Taksal headquarters, Artisans rom Rajasthan, who are mostly Muslims, have been here since 1986 to complete the marble work,

The Akal Takht would be given “bath” on October 29 before the kar seva is started, according to Taksal sources,

The district administration has also been in close touch with the Baba on this issue. .

Article extracted from this publication >> November 1, 1991