LUDHIANA: Akal Takhat Jathedar Darshan Singh is trying to unite the heads of all the Takhts so that the issues pertaining to the Sikhs are decided untidily and unanimously, Sikhs have five Takhts — Akal Takht at Amritsar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib at Nanded (Maharashtra),

The jathedars of Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib have not been participating in the affairs of the Sikhs for the past few years. They have been working under “pressure of the Government.” In order to have decisions by the “Panj Piares,” Darshan Singh has been associating the two head priests of Harmander Sahib and Akal Takht in the absence of

the jathedars of the two Takhts.

Darshan Singh who has initiated steps to unite the five Takhts met the jathedars of Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Mann Singh and Hazoora Singh of Sri Hazoor Sahib last week. Hazoora Singh has set up a board of “Panj Piaras” at Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib and Darshan Singh also met the members of the board.

Darshan Singh told The newsmen that the response of the two jathedars had been going good and they had promised to participate in issues pertaining to the Panth.

He said that there were a few religious issues which required to be taken up soon and he wanted that decisions on the same should be unanimous. Darshan Singh said “we are trying to intensify the propagation of the Sikh Gurus teachings. We want to present Sikhs tenets in the true spirit and we will cut the antiSikh propaganda now being launched by certain agencies.”

Akal Takht was set up by Guru Hargobind who gave the concept of “miri and piri” and the other four takhts were created later and when the situation demanded. Takht Damdama Sahib was given the status of the fifth Takht in 1968. Sant Harchand Singh Longowal was its first jathedar. Jagir Singh Phoola is the present head. Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib is currently without a jathedar. The present head priest of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib is appointed as a jathedar while taking any decision.

Immediately after Operation Blue Star Mann Singh participated in the kar seva at Akal Takht undertaken by the Nihang Chief, Baba Santa Singh.

Article extracted from this publication >>  June 2, 1989