Terms for inviting Manjit Singh
From Our Correspondent

CHAMKAUR SAHIB, Dec 6 — Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Takht Keshgarh Sahib, will not be invited to any function or activity to be organised by Akal Takht till he submits accounts of the World Sikh Council to the highest religious body of the Sikhs.

This was stated here today by the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Bhai Ranjit Singh, while talking to reporters after the departure of the Khalsa march from Gurdwara Katalgarh Sahib here, for Gurdwara Jyoti Sarup at Fatehgarh Sahib.

Bhai Ranjit Singh said this in reply to a question regarding the non-participation of Prof Manjit Singh in the march. He clarified that Prof Manjit Singh was invited to the march as a Sikh and not as a Takht Jathedar.

He said the Gurmat Sagar Trust was an individual trust of Prof Manjit Singh. If this was not true, then Prof Manjit Singh should tell the sangat as to who would head the trust in case he ceased to be a jathedar. He said that the Sarbat Da Bhala Trust mooted by Akal Takht could not be compared to the Gurmat Sagar Trust.

The Akal Takht Jathedar said the Sarbat Da Bhala Trust was founded for the welfare of people and would provide financial aid to widows and others, irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. The trust had so far collected Rs 2 lakh and had not received any money from abroad. Schoolchildren had also been donating to it, he added.

The trust had the chairman of the World Sikh Council, the President of the SGPC and the Jathedar of Akal Takht as its trustees.

Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, SGPC chief, who was also present said the minorities had always felt insecure under different regimes.

Mr Tohra refuted the charge that the SAD had been creating problems for the Sikhs, living outside Punjab, by raising various issues. He said the SAD would not allow the Centre to include Udham Singh Nagar into the proposed Uttaranchal state.

Regarding the report of a three-member committee on the Udham Singh Nagar issue, he hoped that justice would be done.

Mr Tohra also demanded the inclusion of all Punjabi-speaking areas into the state. He said with this, the number of Hindus in the state would also increase.