NEW DELHI: The head priest of the Akal Takht, the highest religious cu temporal seat of the Sikhs, Bhai Ranjit Singh, spurned Congress overtures immediately after his release from Tihar jail. According to sources, a Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Union Minister, Mr. S.S. Ahluwalia, had offered to escort the head priest to the main gate of the jail, as soon as the latter was released. Mr. Ahluwalia had driven inside the jail to meet the head priest and offer his services. The development is seen as ominous in Congress circles which had hoped to win over the head priest and send a strong signal to the Sikh community. What stumped observers was the presence of Akali leader and newly elected president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGNC), Mr. Mahender Singh Matharoo, with the Congress leader.
Sources close to Bhai Ranjit Singh said that he has been fiercely opposed to the Congress ever since Operation Blue Star and is credited with the view that the Congress was close to the Nirankaris. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the assassination of the then Nirankari chief, Baba Gurbachan Singh. A large number of Sikh devotees today visited him at the historic Rakab Ganj Gurdwara where he is staying and hundreds of others had gathered outside the Tihar jail to have a glimpse of him. The acting head priest of the Akal Takht, Prof. Manjit Singh had a closed door meeting with Bhai Ranjit Singh. Issues relating to the Sikh community and to Bhai Ranjit Singh’s reinstallation as Jathedar of the Akal Takhat a“gaddi nashini” function to be organized in Amritsar were said to have figured prominently in the meeting.
According to Prof. Harmeet Singh, who had led a campaign for the release of Bhai Ranjit Singh there was a plan to organize an Akhand path on behalf of the religious leader on October 17 subsequently, he would leave for Amritsar. The outgoing President of the SG PC, Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra and the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr. S.S. Bamala are also supposed to arrive here shortly to meet the head priest before him. Leaves for Amritsar. Bhai Ranjit Singh and Mr. Tohra had a lengthy discussion on the telephone, this morning. Significance is being attached to the release of Bhai Ranjit Singh in political circles although he is considered “apolitical’ and a devout Sikh. There are indications that Sikh politics which has religious overtones will be affected. The fact that Bhai Ranjit Singh had been indicating his unhappiness over the handling of issues relating to the Sikh community by Sikh leaders during his imprisonment has not been lost.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 16, 1996