This is being supported by Akali stalwarts who have so long followed ‘Birpran Ki Reet’ that now fail even to discern between it and the Guma’s commandment. The recent Press statements attributed to Tohra and Longowal show that they believe that their word is law even if it goes against the Gurus. This must be stopped and the conduct of the Sikh Sangat at the Akal Takhat in full freedom and not under the suzerainty of Government of India as is happening now. Free entry to the Harimandir Sahib is not free but only at the price of not raising ‘anti-national slogans’ and not allowing any terrorists to enter the premises which according to the ‘Baat Cheet’ definition means excluding Amritdhari from the Harimandir Complex.
Restrictions on carrying arms into the complex/Akal Takhat is surrender on the principle or sovereignty of the Sikh doctrine and the Akal Takhat. Sikhs had better kept away rather than give surrender. The same applies to the so-called misuse of the complex for political purposes. We will be asking the Sixth Guru Sri Guru Hargobind Ji to remove one of his (Miri) sword to please the Government. The Akali Masters of the ‘High priests’ appointed a ‘Nikhids’ to the Akal Takhat against Jamail Singh Bhindranwala whose name had been recommended by the Sikh Panth. Gyani Kirpal Singh should have refused to receive the congratulatory message from Home Minister P.C. Sethi because it had cast a shadow on him. A verbal Hukamnama to Sant Bhindranwala against carrying arms in the precincts of Harimandir was later denied after an assurance was held out by S.G.P.C. President to Bhindranwala that he will have (Hukamnama) withdrawn. Did Gyani Kirpal Singh tell a lie?
Rankles in the Sikh mind Sant Bhindranwala was emphatic about the Hukamnama conveyed to him and was ready to produce the man as a witness having conveyed this order of the Jathedar to him (Bhindranwale). More than one magazine has called Gyani Ji a liar in print and no notice appear to have been taken of them. This is derogatory to the Jathedar of the Akal Takhat. Again there was a controversy about secret talks with Government again denied. Where does the truth lie.
Jathedar of the Akalis Takhat like the Caesar’s wife must be aboveboard. Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal made very derogatory remarks against the ‘High Priests’ and these were widely published in newspapers again no notice Mr. Chung of the Indian Express catalogued many of these incidents and added that the credibility of the High Priests’ had been eroded. Why had the Akal Takhat not taken note of these insults and insinuations? It is not taken note of these insults and insinuations? It is not a personal matter of Gyani Kirpal Singh nor of the high priests.
It is a Panthic cancer and a serious one. Why an ex-communicated was allowed to perform Ardas at the Akal Takhat after initial refusal also creates misgivings regarding a sell-out?
The Akali Dal has lost its relevance to the Sikh Panth because of its failure to fulfill the panthic aspirations during the last nearly 65 years of its existence and unflinching Support given to it by the Khalsa Panth which had in fact been taken for granted. The fall from grace by the Akali leaders has been treated too leniently by the Akal Takhat which has been manned by S.G.P.C. employees thus compromising Sikh tradition and old adage clear and un-equivocal pronouncement Uttam Kheti Medham Beopar Nikhid Chakri Bheck Nadar. During the High Court summons case to Akal Takhat Jathedar Bhai Gurdial Singh Ji Ajnoha Daily Ajit had quoted in its editorial by Hamdard that Balwant Singh ex-finance Minister had stated off the record that Bhai Gurdial Singh Ji being an ordinary employee of the S.G.P.C. should obey the High Court summons. Ex-communicated Santa Singh had a point when he called them employees of S.G.P.C. and hence Tankhaiya He had ‘also’ mentioned in one of his Press interviews ‘that one of the ‘high priests’ is also running a shop and only part-time acting as High Priest. We should also categorically repudiate the insinuation made regarding the institution of Sikh clergy. There simply is no clergy/ priestly order with us.
Secret parleys behind the back of the Sangat and Akal Takhat is also reprehensible. Government White Paper had taken the lid off these secret meetings which were denied by Akali leaders who had actually taken part in them. There is a case of the ‘blind woman grinding wheat and a dog eating away right off the mill! The Akal Takhat/Sangat also must know what transpired behind the scenes. A categorical policy decision should also be taken for the Sikh leaders handling important Panthic matters. .
A member of the S.A.Dal negotiating team R.S. Bhatia has leveled serious charges against a member of the Akali High Command. The charge is indeed grave According to Mr. Bhatia G.S.Tohra had met Governor B.D.Pandey shortly before operation Blue Star’ and had in a way Okayed it because Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala had refused to budge from the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. Mr.bhatia had further alleged that Tohra had met some Congress I Ministers in Delhi also and similarly Okayed the army action
Shri R.S.Bhatia has stated this thrice in his Punjabi magazine Quami Ekta in three different issues and even after he had been advised by the adhoc Akali Dal who has abdicated its functions as the political arm of the Sikh Panth and has passed it on to the tender mercies of the ‘high priests’ to desist from criticizing the Akali leaders on pain of his removal from the post he held in the organization
Now what are the credentials of R.S.Bhatia? According to the Government White Paper he is stated to be one of the Akali team attending meetings both secret and official in which Mrs.Indira Gandhi was also present. Being a journalist in addition to his Akali connection Mr Bhatia’s statements cannot be lightly dismissed. This matter is more important than many others and should be gone into by the Sarbat Khalsa. Lastly the Sarbat Khalsa/ Sangat meetings have been stage-managed in the past and strong-arm methods used to keep out in convenient speakers This happened at both the Sikh ex-servicemen’s and Sikh intellectuals conventions in 1982/ 83.A.D. In the Sikh intellectuals convention one of us wanted to move a resolution proposing Sant Jamail Singh Bhindranwala for the Akal Takhat but he was not allowed to speak Sarbat Khalsa meeting should have no fine constraints if that scotches out some responsible members of the Panth who wanted to contribute to the discussions The proceedings should be tape recorded and decisions taken in full glare of the sangat. No short-circuits like Sant Samaj ‘high priests’ and special committees etc. should substitute the sangat. In the past decisions have been taken at the back of the sangat like the recent case of exoneration of Gyani Zail Singh. Conclusion
- The basic conflict in the Punjab is Brahminvad versus Sikhism. After having completed its preparatory stage through proxy ‘out fits’ like Nirankari Mandal Radha Swamis and others Brahminism made a frontal attack on the Akal Takhat and putting a price on the heads of Sikhs baptized as Amritdhari Sikhs and those grant his and pracharak of it by bringing them into the gun sights of the Indian army at its disposal.
The destruction of the Sikh reference library two days after the army action at the Akal Takhat and not allowing the fire brigade to put out the fire in the library shows the depth of malice and planning. The original historical source material destroyed in this fire is irreplaceable and amounts to destroying the roots of Sikh historicity.
Lack of calibre and inept actions on the part of Akali leaders/S.G.P.C. in ‘putting all their eggs in one basket’ enabled the enemy to destroy them at one go. Not arranging mimeograph copies by microfilming for safe record in more than one place represents the worst example of dereliction of duty and lack of competence on the part of Akali/S.G.P.C. authorities. This is the worst damage to the Sikh cause at the hands of these two organizations.
The Sikh youth and the Amritdhari Sikhs will carry on the fight till final victory is won. The Akali leaders and the ‘Elitist Urbanite’ Punjabis and Beopari contaminants want the Sikh Panth to give an unconditional surrender through the newfangled set up of high priests’ for this task. We hope and pray that light will dawn on these misguided Sikh deviates so that they can retrace their steps. The Sarbat Khalsa should however take up their case at the appropriate time.
The Khalsa Panth of Guru Gobind Singh stoutly and resolutely refuses to give up the fight.
- We the Khalsa Panth refuse to accept and repudiate all and any agreement untracking or understanding arrived at by the ‘Sikh high priests’ with Government of India in their bid to buy time and relief for themselves and the defeated Akali High Command
- The Khalsa Panth refuses to accept Government of India’s pseudo-speak’ line that the army action had become unavoidable to flush out terrorists from the Akal Takhat and that the Government wanted to apply the healing touch and restore Hindu Sikh amity and normalcy in the Punjab
- The Government of India through its army action in the Punjab villages has opened up a new ‘rural versus urban’ from between the victims of ‘Daridar Narayan’
Rural masses and the working class on one side and the ‘Elitist-Urbanites’ usurpers on the other. Guru Gobind Singh clearly sided with the under-dog and the have-nots in his In Garib Sikhan ko dai Patshai And ‘Dan Deo Inhe ko Bhalo our ko daan ng legat Neeko’
- Education/Vidya has in the past been used as a weapon against the rural masses and the working class to deprive them of an equal shar of the bounties of nature on artificially created merit considerations. The Khalsa Panth will exert its utmost t0 remedy this defect in the socio-economic environment of India through reservation in favor of the disadvantaged especially on grounds of lack of education.
We will maintain and keep up our historical and socio-economic commitments on the basis of ‘Sarbat Ka Bhala’ and ‘Khalsa Akal Purkh Kee Fauj’. The Khalsa will maintain its global perspective and altruistic approach to human and political affairs. The Khalsa will not only strive to erect a steel wall against attacks on India’s sovereignty and integrity but also act as a steel frame against internal collapse which is being brought about by the twentieth century ‘Jai Chands and Mir Jaffars’.
- The Khalsa Panth will endeavor to quicken the pace of development through scientific research and hard work and give a push to the rest of India in this direction by its example in the Punjab.
- The Khalsa Panth is committed to uproot Daridar Narayan completely from the country by fighting against its four prongs that is ignorance poverty disease and deprivation by equal distribution of wealth and property through a pragmatic balance between idealism and practical reality.
- The Khalsa Panth is not averse to a dialogue on Khalistan for which separation and secession are not sine qua non. The Khalsa Panth will not compromise on its nationhood and the sovereignty of the Sikh doctrine we are committed to live under suitable constitutional and political arrangements to ensure the above Panthic postulate.
- The Khalsa Panth will advise the Government of India in its own interest to withdraw from the Punjab the Indian Army which is accentuating the communal divide by humiliating the Sikhs in front the Hindus.
Post-Script
The draft of the ‘Sikh Counter-White Paper’ was completed by the Sikh Sangat sometime after the assassination of the Indian Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi on 31-10-84 A.D. and hence the need for this note. Sikhs are averse to taking any life and will always regret that she Mrs.Indira Gandhi had allowed her name to be associated in the annals of Indian history with the worst type of sacrilege of the Akal Takhat and an assault on Sikh religion its historicity accurate picture of this unprecedented.
Ghaloo-Ghara’ is available for evaluation. We do not advise the Sikhs not to act in haste nor in anger the issues involved are too do grave and call for Cool consider.
(Concluded)
Article extracted from this publication >> August 23, 1991
