Reinstate Panj Pyaras sacked in ’16: Sikh bodies to Akal Takht
After Akal Takht held the 2015 panel of Takht Jathedars ‘equally indicted’ for taking wrong decision of pardoning Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 2007 blasphemy case, voices clamoured out to reinstate the then ‘Panj Pyaras’ (Guru’s five beloved ones) who had challenged the Jathedars’ decision but ended up losing their jobs.
Representatives of several Sikh organisations —former SGPC member Jaswinder Singh (Akal Purakh ki Fauj), Hardeep Singh Mehraj (Panth Sewak Jatha, Malwa), Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal (Sikh Youth Federation), Prof Balwinder Singh (Sikh intellectual) and Sandeep Kaur (Shaheed Bhai Dharam Singh Khalsa Trust) have appealed to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh to restore the services of ‘Panj Pyaras’.
Jaswinder Singh said they had also appealed to Akal Takht that the ‘Panj Pyaras’ should be awarded with arrears for the span when they were out of job as a token of recognising their courage to raise voice against the then high priests’ blunder of pardoning the Dera head.
The former ‘Panj Pyaras’ of Akal Takht — Satnam Singh Kanda, Satnam Singh, Mangal Singh, Tirlok Singh and Major Singh — had revolted against the decision of the five high priests led by Akal Takht Jatheder Giani Gurbachan Singh to grant pardon to Dera Sirsa cult on September 24, 2015.
However, on October 16, 2015, following strong resentment among the Sikh community, the Jathedars had withdrawn the ‘pardon’.
On October 23, 2015, the ‘Panj Pyaras’ had sought explanation from the Jathedars at Akal Takht. This unprecedented move had sent the top SGPC and Akali leaders into a tizzy.
The then SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar had suspended the ‘Panj Pyaras’ for violating ‘service norms and trying to divide the Sikh community’.
Later, their suspension was revoked amid dissent from within the SGPC and several Sikh quarters but they were transferred out of Amritsar. Ultimately, they were dismissed on January 1, 2016. The services of four were terminated whereas Major Singh got retired by then.
One of the ‘Panj Pyaras’ Satnam Singh Kanda said, “We became the scapegoat. Though late, yet we were relieved when some Sikh activists initiated to raise voice in favour of us. We will rejoin the services if Akal Takht directs us to do so.”
In the context of deciding upon the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) to the SAD leadership led by Sukhbir Singh Badal regime between 2007 and 2017, Akal Takht has sought ‘clarification’ from three former Jathedars — Giani Gurbachan Singh (Akal Takht), Giani Gurmukh Singh (Takht Damdama Sahib) and Giani Iqbal Singh (Takht Patna Sahib).
On December 2, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh declared that their clarification was not satisfactory and hence they were held equally responsible. They were ordered to submit an apology in person. Till then, they were barred from sharing any religious stage and the SGPC was directed to withdraw the perks of Giani Gurbachan Singh and transfer Giani Gurmukh Singh outside Amritsar.
