ALAMGIR: Mr. Jasbir Singh Rode the Akali Takht jathedar removed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee on Saturday called upon the SGPC to participate in the Sarbat Khalsa convened by him at Akal Takht in Amritsar in November and explains its viewpoint on various issues facing the Sikhs today, including the removal of five Sikh head priests who included him.
Talking to newsmen in the historic Gurdwara here, after an important meeting of four head priests Unified Akali Dal leaders and members of the All—India Sikh Students Federation and militant organizations, Mr. Jasbir Singh remarked the SGPC should be glad that it was being provided an Opportunity to explain its stand. He maintained that the sacked head priests were still in the dark about their removal. They had received no official communication in this regard.
Mr. Rodesaid that only a group among the SGPC and not the entire body was opposed to the proposed Sarbat Khalsa. According to him, the SGPC secretary, Mr. Manjit Singh Calcutta, had no right to issue a statement on his own opposing the Sarbat Khalsa and barring the entry of anybody to historic gurdwaras. He was the Just to release the decisions taken by the SGPC.
Mr. Jasbir Singh clarified that the Sarbat Khalsa had been summoned since a grave crisis faced the community today and no single group was able to resolve it. He asserted that the Sarbat Khalsa was a way to achieve Panthic unity.
Earlier, the five hour long meeting chalked out plans for the Sarbat Khalsa and passed five resolutions. Those who attended the meeting included besides Mr. Jasbir Singh, Mr. Kashmir Singh, Mr. Jaswant Singh and Mr. Savinder Singh, the head priests who have been removed by the SGPC, the Unified Akali Dal leaders, Baba Joginder Singh, Mr. Sucha Singh Chhotepur, Capt Harcharan Singh Rode, Mr. Baldey Singh Lang, Mr. Baldev Singh Zira, Mr. Bharpur Singh Balbir and Mr. Tejwant Singh Grewal, the SGPC members, Mr. Satnam Singh, Mr. Chhotepur and Bhai Vir Singh.
One resolution remarked that the Government wanted to weaken the SGPC and maintain its influence over the supreme Sikh body. For this reason, the Government had not organized elections to the SGPC for a decade now. The present SGPC executive, it felt, had accepted the Government’s terms and was trying to put curbs on the Sarbat Khalsa. The executive was thus becoming a party in the Government’s implementation of “antiSikh” legislation that separates religion from politics.
The meeting supported the ultimatum by Mr, Jasbir Singh Rode and other head priests to free the Golden Temple complex from Government control.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 7, 1988
