AMRITSAR: The five Sikh head priests have held two Akali leaders. Ranjit Singh Chhajalwadi and Ranjit Singh Brahampura, guilty of violating “maryada” and showing disrespect to the holy Guru Granth Sahib at function at Khadoor Sahib on Sept.14th. After a marathon hearing at the Akal Takht, the Akal Takht acting jathedar, Prof Manjit Singh announced that the two had been given “tankhah” for 21 days. ‘Prof Manjit Singh also pulled up the president, Shiromani Akali Dal, Parkach Singh Badal, asking him to ‘ensure that such kind of incidents was not repeated. The jathedar said that while on the one hand the World ‘Sikh Convention was being organized and on the other, the leaders were busy fighting a amongst themselves and Towering the dignity of the community.

While Chhajalwadi has been asked to wash utensils and clean shoes, in addition to reciting Gurbani and listening to Kirtan at Goindwal Sahib, Baba Bakala, and Anandpur Sahib for a week each, Bharampura has been asked to perform the tasks at Chola Sahib, Baba Budhha Sahib and Takht Damdama Sahib at Talwandi Sabo.

Both the leaders have been asked to report to the Akal Takht after the completion of their sentence.

But the priests judgment offended ‘a section of the Akali Dal owing allegiance to Prakash Singh Badal. They tried to gherao the acting jathedar who was forced to retreat to his chamber.

The trouble started following the announcement by Prof Manjit Singh is verdict in the case relating to the Akali leaders, Ranjit Singh, Brahampura and Ranjit Singh Chhajalwadi, as soon as he finished his speech, the agitated supporters of Brahampura leveled allegations of favoritism against the jathedar.

As slogans rented the air, with no one prepared to listen to each other, the jathedar’s voice drowned in the din. ‘The former general secretary of the Akali Dal, Manmohan Singh Sathiala, raised his voice and urged Prof Manjit Singh to listen to his viewpoint. But, the jathedar overruling, his request, asked the jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Bhai Kewal Singh, to recite

“ardas” and conclude the deliberans. During the “ardas” Sathiala and some others were again on their feet and a few of them raised “Shiromani Akali Dal zindabad” slogans.

Immediately after the ardas was over, as the jathedar hurriedly media his way to his chamber, escorted by volunteers of the task force, Sathiala and others chased him even as Prof Manjit Singh locked himself in.

But Sathiala accompanied by some Akali workers including Soorta Singha, an eye witness of the Khadoor

Sahib incident on September 14, forced their entry, into, the chamber and strongly protested against the behavior of the jathedar.

Article extracted from this publication >>  September 29, 1995