Sarbat Khalsa to open office near Golden Temple

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, April 27

Sarbat Khalsa’s appointed jathedars today announced to open their new office, similar to the Akali Takht, near the Golden Temple to address the grievances of the Sikh Community.

They also announced to participate in the SGPC elections to take back the control of gurdwaras.

Appointed by Sarbat Khalsa, Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Baljit Singh, Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar, officiating jathedar Dhyan Singh Mand and Takht Shri Kesgarh Sahib jathedar Bhai Amrik Singh Ajnala among others were present in Bathinda durinh the press briefing.

The jathedars announced to pay obeisance at all the five Takhts of the Sikh community — Takht Hazoor Sahib on May 4, Patna Sahib on May 6, Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar, on May 10, Kesgarh Sahib on May 13 and Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, on May 15.

“The office will be opened near the Golden Temple where people from the Sikh community would be able to bring up their grievances. We were kept in jails under sedition charges by the ruling government for a long time after the Sarbat Khalsa was organised. On November 10, the Sarbat Khalsa will again be organised at Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo,” Said Baljit Singh Daduwal.

“The ‘Patit- Sikhs’ are also our brothers and a departed part of the Sikh community. We will bring them into the fold of Sikhism,” added Daduwal.

Replying a media query, jathedar Dhyan Singh Mand claimed that both Badals and Captain Amarinder Singh were not Sikhs.

Both the parties, for their own benefits, had distributed drugs among the youth ruined their lives.

Sikh bodies have maintained that any person with shorn hair never had any right to vote in the SGPC elections. They believe that there are some Sehajdharis and that too only in Pakistan while in Indian Punjab, there are no Sehajdharis.

A majority of Sikh bodies, who have been critical of SAD (B), had given their support to Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016, that debarred Sehajdhari Sikhs from voting in Shiromani Gurudwara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) elections.