Latest news with #Jathedar
Hans India
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Giani Harpreet elected chief of Akali Dal breakaway faction
Amritsar: Akal Takht's former acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was on Monday unanimously elected as President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) breakaway faction, while Bibi Satwant Kaur was elected as Chairperson of the party's religious wing at an election conducted by the Akal Takht-constituted five-member committee in this Punjab holy city. The participants in the election were rivals of the SAD, which is led by Sukhbir Badal, son of late Parkash Singh Badal. Both claimed to be the original Akali Dal that came into being on December 14, 1920, to free gurdwaras from the control of 'mahants'. The election of the party was conducted following last year's edict by the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs that tasked the five-member committee to hold a membership drive for the party and subsequently hold the organisational elections. The rivals accused Sukhbir Badal of ignoring last year's 'hukamnama' (edict) from the Akal Takht, which called for fresh membership and unity across Akali Dal factions. The Sikh high priests, then led by Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, had directed a reorganisation of the Akali Dal and formed a seven-member committee, led by then SGPC President Harjinder Dhami, to enrol new members. Giani Harpreet Singh, jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, was a signatory to the directive. However, the SAD led by Badal rejected the Takht-constituted committee and carried out its own membership drive. Later, it re-elected Sukhbir Badal as the party President in April. Referring to last year's directive of the Akal Takht, SAD spokesperson Daljit Singh Cheema had said the directive was aimed at consolidating the SAD. He said anyone who had headed the Akal Takht couldn't compete for the post of a political party's President, indirectly hinting that the Akal Takht's former acting Jathedar couldn't become the party President. Monday's election, held at the Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh, saw the presence of nearly 500 delegates elected from across the country under the supervision of the committee to reorganise the Akali Dal.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
The jathedar who outplayed Badals, Giani Harpreet Singh to lead new Shiromani Akali Dal faction
In its century-plus-long existence, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has undergone several splits and transformations, with one faction or the other holding a pre-eminent position. Synonymous with the Badal family for decades, the SAD now has a new faction with a new president. On Monday, the latest SAD breakaway group unanimously elected Takht Damdama Sahib's ex-Jathedar and former Sri Akal Takht Sahib acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh as its president, days after he ruled himself out of the race. With this, he has become the first Sikh from a Scheduled Caste (SC) community to head an SAD faction. The new faction has been formed by the members of a seven-member committee that was originally constituted by the Sri Akal Takht Sahib — the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs — on December 2, 2024, for the reorganisation of the SAD. Giani Harpreet Singh was part of the Sikh clergy that held SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and others in his party guilty of violating the religious code of conduct with their mishandling of the crisis sparked in Sikh politics following the incidents of sacrilege in October 2015. The Akal Takht Sahib also formed the committee for reorganising the SAD. Though Badal, a former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, and his party submitted to the religious sentence, they refused to allow the committee to reorganise the party. It subsequently targeted Giani Harpreet Singh who was removed from his post at Takht Damdama Sahib by the SAD-controlled Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in February. The SGPC also removed Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Raghubir Singh and Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Sultan Singh. Hailing from Muktsar, the home district of the Badals, Giani Harpreet Singh was a priest in SGPC-run gurudwaras when he was appointed acting Akal Takht Jathedar in 2018, replacing Giani Gurbachan Singh who had become an unpopular figure. At the time, the SAD's critics and rivals did not hold much expectation from him as he was considered someone remote-controlled by the Badals, who have maintained their control on the high temporal seats of Sikhism through the SGPC. Tasked with restoring the confidence of Sikhs in the Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of Sikhism located exactly opposite the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, the 53-year-old paused his PhD work at Punjabi University in Patiala to focus on the job at hand. He surprised everyone by winning the confidence of the anti-Badal factions in the community. He also adopted a softer approach towards jathedhars appointed by the Sarbat Khalsa (assembly of the entire Sikh community) who posed a challenge to not only his authority but that of the SGPC. This moderate stance towards his opponents won Giani Harpreet Singh praise. Before the 2022 Assembly elections, the Jathedar surprised many when he told The Indian Express that he was not reluctant about a non-Sikh becoming the Chief Minister of Punjab. 'Behtar insaan hona chahiye, achchai pehle number pe. Sikh hona ya Hindu hona secondary hai (Should be a good person, that is the primary consideration. Whether the CM is Hindu or Sikh is secondary).' Though he tried to build cross-party relations, he did not escape the allegations of working under the influence of the SAD and the Badals. In 2020, he was accused of favouring the Badals' party over other Akali factions and Sikh parties in his address on the 100th foundation day of the SGPC. In his address from the Harmandir Sahib complex, he gave a call to the SAD to start a journey from 'Punjab to Panth'. At the same event, the Jathedar had also targeted the BJP. However, by 2022, things had changed and the SAD appeared unhappy with the Jathedar. The party's Delhi unit president at the time, Paramjit Singh Sarna, openly criticised him over his links to leaders of other parties. This came in the backdrop of his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had also met him the year before. This created a sense of unease within the SAD. Objecting to his ties with non-SAD leaders, Giani Harpreet Singh was removed from Akal Takht in 2023, though he still remained part of the Sikh clergy as Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar. When the SGPC appointed Giani Raghubir Singh as Sri Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar, many expected it would be difficult for Giani Harpreet Singh to work with him. However, the two developed a cordial relationship and made it nearly impossible for the SAD to expect any favour from the Akal Takht Jathedar when Badal submitted to the high temporal seat in July 2024 and confessed his mistakes. The party, according to insiders, had expected that Badal would get away with his confession in exchange for a religious sentence. However, Giani Raghubir Singh, with Giani Harpreet Singh standing beside him, first made Sukhbir confess every mistake in a live telecast of the proceedings and then ordered him to resign as SAD president. In addition, a committee was formed to reorganise the party. The same committee ran a recruitment drive, with the delegates elected during the process having now chosen Giani Harpreet Singh as the new faction's president. While in terms of the hierarchy of Sikh institutions, Giani Harpreet Singh's latest appointment appears to be a step down, it is a challenge similar to the one he faced in 2018 when he had to restore confidence in the Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The challenge this time is more political: reviving Akali politics. And standing before him is a familiar adversary he once managed to outmanoeuvre.
Hans India
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Akal Takht summons Punjab education minister on Aug 6
Chandigarh: The Akal Takht on Monday asked Punjab Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains to appear before the five Singh Sahiban (high priests) on August 6 for allegedly 'hurting Sikh sentiments'. Bains has been summoned for organising 'entertainment performances' at a programme held in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur. A meeting of the five 'Singh Sahiban' will be convened at the Akal Takht Sahib Secretariat in Amritsar on August 6 under the leadership of the officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj to deliberate on various 'Panthic' and religious matters, said a statement. Bagicha Singh, in-charge of the Akal Takht Secretariat, stated that an e-mail has been sent to Bains, summoning him to appear before the five Singh Sahiban. He added that Jaswant Singh, director of the language department, Punjab, will be summoned at a later date as he has gone abroad until August 12 for a relative's wedding. Earlier, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had taken strong objection to the 'entertainment performances' involving singing and dancing at the event organised by the Punjab government's language department in Srinagar last month to commemorate the martyrdom anniversary of ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur. The SGPC had condemned the performances, calling it a direct affront to Sikh religious values. Education Minister Bains had earlier said that he would appear before the Akal Takht and would be bound to obey every order while accepting his moral responsibility.
Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Service Norms of Akal Takht jathedar: SGPC removes GNDU V-C from panel days after his interaction with RSS chief
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Friday removed Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Vice-Chancellor Dr Karamjit Singh from the committee formed to frame service norms for the Akal Takht's Jathedar, the move coming days after he made some comments during a discussion with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, which have been perceived as offensive to the sentiments of the Sikh community. 'A video circulating on social media shows Dr Karamjit Singh expressing views aligned with an anti-Sikh ideology during his conversation with the head of the RSS,' SGPC secretary Partap Singh said. 'In light of objections raised by the community, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami has taken the step to remove Dr Karamjit Singh from the aforementioned committee,' he added. The Akal Takht in July 2004, had issued a directive asking all Sikhs to remain cautious about the activities of RSS and its Sikh wing — Rashtriya Sikh Sangat. The directive was issued as both bodies were at the time taking proactive steps to celebrate 400th anniversary of first installation of Guru Granth Sahib, something that had irked the Akal Takht. The GNDU, meanwhile, issued a statement saying that the Vice-Chancellor had attended a programme organised by Amrita University, Kochi, which brought together V-Cs from various institutions. 'The purpose of this gathering was to strengthen academic collaboration and share information about initiatives being undertaken at their respective universities,' it said. During the event, V-C Singh shared details about the institution's efforts to digitize the Punjabi language as a response to modern needs, environmental initiatives inspired by Sri Guru Har Rai Ji, and the university's role in promoting Sikh philosophy, it said. The university further said that misleading statements based on incomplete information about the event are being circulated on social media, and such claims are far from the truth. The university urged the public not to believe or spread unverified or misleading information. Earlier, Punjab Congress MLA Pargat Singh had raised objections after a video purportedly showing GNDU V-C briefing Bhagwat at the Mysuru event on July 28 surfaced. The allaged interaction took place at the 'Gyan Sabha – Education for Viksit Bharat', an event organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham at BN Bahadur Institute of Management Sciences (BNBIMS). The event focused on the role of education in building a developed India. Pargat criticised the Punjab government, accusing it of ideological alignment with the RSS. Taking to X, he posted: 'When GNDU's Vice-Chancellor is seen abjectly explaining things to the RSS chief, it raises serious questions. It shows how the AAP government in Punjab has helped the RSS to take control of the entire education system, including universities, in Punjab.' The video shared by the legislator purportedly shows the V-C rising from his seat in the audience and informing the RSS chief about initiatives at the university, including the introduction of a compulsory PhD course on Bharatiya Parampara (Indian tradition) and the establishment of a Sikh Chair aimed at studying the connections between the Rigveda and the teachings of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. Pargat Singh further alleged that the AAP government had already displayed its alignment with right-wing policies by implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) in the state. The Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas was established in 2007 as an extension of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan, and has since emerged as the RSS's principal platform for educational outreach. It promotes value-based education, textbook reforms, and the revival of Indian knowledge systems.
Time of India
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Denied rites at gurdwara after mother's death, says Sikh family in Germany
Amritsar: A Sikh family has alleged that Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Singen, Germany, refused them the right to perform Bhog and Antim Ardas there after the death of their mother. The grieving family has approached Akal Takht, seeking the intervention of the Jathedar, even as the Singen gurdwara management said that the family was stopped from entering the gurdwara on the directions of local police. The controversy has sent shockwaves through the Sikh diaspora. Balwinder Singh, a resident of Singen for over four decades, said that brothers Daljit Singh and Paramjit Singh approached the local gurdwara to hold the Antim Ardas and Bhog ceremony for their mother, but the management denied them. The letter, written by the 'entire Sikh sangat' of Singen, says, "Regrettably, due to personal grudges, the current gurdwara committee denied permission to hold this religious ceremony. This decision is not only unjust and against Sikh values, but also a clear violation of Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of religious conduct) and Gurmat principles." Balwinder Singh said that the sangat spoke with the gurdwara management committee and asked them to reconsider, reminding them of the core Sikh values of compassion and inclusion. "But the committee didn't listen or show any intention to resolve the issue with understanding or care," he alleged. Davinder Singh, president of Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Singen, told TOI that the management committee stopped the family from holding the ceremony on directions from the local police. He claimed that the persons involved had previously clashed with members of the sangat and caused disturbances, prompting police to advise the management not to allow them entry to the gurdwara. Balwinder Singh said that the family brought a granthi from another Gurdwara, nearly 150km away, to perform the Antim Ardas and Bhog. "We have now requested the Jathedar of Akal Takht to investigate the incident, summon the gurdwara management to the Akal Takht, and deliver justice," he said. MSID:: 123016954 413 |
