Akal Takht Jathedar offers to quit, cites health grounds

GS Paul
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, October 19

Amid demand of his removal, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh on Thursday expressed his desire to quit. 

In a statement written in Punjabi and issued through his personal assistant Satinderpal Singh late evening did not carry his signatures.

However, his PA told that the news reports were misleading as of now as the Jathedar is yet to submit his resignation officially.

“Jathedar had expressed his wish to quit due to his ill health and this statement was forwarded to the media late on Thursday evening. The Jathedar may submit the resignation with the requisite official wording to the SGPC president on Friday,” he said.

The SGPC's secretary and spokesperson Diljit Singh Bedi said his resignation was not received as yet.

"As and when we receive it, we will take the move accordingly. At this juncture, we have no official intimation regarding it and no resignation has been received," he said.

The Jathedar remained incognito after issuing his statement in which he had cited health reasons and his advancing age, which do not allow him to continue.

He has asked the SGPC president and executive to find a better replacement and that he should be allowed to step down.

The Jathedar also sought apology from the Sikh Panth in the flip-flop decision of exonerating Dera Sacha Sauda cult Gurmeet Ram Rahim for imitating Guru Gobind Singh.

“ The decision of pardoning Dera head was withdrawn while taking into account the sentiments of the Panth. As per Gurbani, to err is human. While performing sewa for a decade on this position, I might have committed mistakes, for which I seek apology from the Panth,” he stated.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh faced severe criticism for pardoning Dera Sacha Sauda in blasphemy case in September 2015. Though he had revoked the exoneration, but he had to face massive backlash from the community.  

After the Justice Ranjit Singh commission report on sacrilege was tabled in Vidhan Sabha, the issue again took a centre stage as the report pointed towards the alleged role of Badals in persuading the Jathedar to pardon Dera head.

Ironically, a few hours before offering his resignation, he had categorically stated in person that he had no plans to quit on his own.

Now, what prompted him to take such a move in a harried manner has surprised everyone. One school of thought was that his move to extend solidarity to the call of All India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF) of  ‘Punjab Bandh” on November 1.

Giani Gurbachan Singh had appealed the community to support the cause.

“The existing governments have failed to bring justice to the victims and the kin of 84 anti-Sikh riots, sacrilege instances and Sikhs who have been behind bars despite completing their sentence. It was mandatory for the SGPC, the DSGMC, SAD, AAP, Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Damdami Taksal, and other organisations of farmers, students and employees should unite on one platform to raise voice and make November 1 Punjab bandh call a success to wake up the governments from deep slumber,” he said.

Opposing the November 84 Sikh genocide, series of sacrilege instances at Jawahar Singhwala, Barghari and Behbal Kalan shoot out that resulted in claiming the lives of two innocent protestors and Sikh political prisoners languishing in jails, the AISSF’s activists Karnail Singh Peermohammad and Manjit Singh Bhoma has given a call for Punjab bandh.

Boma said the support to bandh call went against him and he “must have been pressurised to quit”.