The controversy surrounding the next Jathedar of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha has become public and many in the Sangat have questions about what is going on.

An international group of various Akhand Kirtani Jatha units has announced Bhai Mohinder Singh as the next Jathedar of the AKJ. At the same time there have been reports about the announcement of Bhai Bakshish Singh in Amritsar. This post will attempt to shed some light on the issue.

Firstly, it is important to recognize what is at issue. The Akhand Kirtani Jatha is a group of Gursikhs dedicated to the principles of naam, bani, rehit and seva in the spirit of Tat-Gurmat. The Jatha has a history of being at the forefront of the Panth in doing seva and upholding Gurmat principles. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh was sentenced to life in prison by the British for struggling for the freedom of the Panth. He spent years in dark solitary cells, but remained steadfast in his dedication. The Jathedari of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha is a position that carries with it a very large responsibility. The Jathedar of the Jatha must be a highly spiritual Gursikh, leading an inspirational life, dedicated to Gursikhi. The Jathedar must be able to lead in the spirit of Gurmat and refuse to compromise his principles at any price.

Bhai Mohinder Singh Kala Sanghiyaa has been selected by the International Sangat because he embodies so many of the principles the Jatha stands for. Bhai Sahib has been in the Jatha since the time of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh. He has maintained strong rehit and in the spirit of the puraatan Singhs in the Jatha including amrit vela, sarbloh bibek, kirtan and seva. Bhai Sahib has served as the Jathedar of the Punj Pyaaray in a great many amrit sinchaars for a number of decades now and is respected by the entire Jatha in that role. Bhai Sahib remained committed to serving the Panth during the dark days of the 80s-90s. He continued to do seva in amrit sinchaars and advise Singhs even though he was imprisoned and tortured on a number of occasions by the Indian security forces. Bhai Sahib has been unwavering in his principles over the decades and no one can question his honesty and Jeevan.

Bhai Mohinder Singh is the ideal choice for Jathedar at this time. The International Sangat has faith that in a time where politics and greed have resulted in corrupt leadership in the Panth, Bhai Sahib will be a unique ray of hope. He will speak loudly and clearly for what is Gurmat and not compromise those core principles at any cost.

As mentioned, it is unfortunate that in India, some Singhs have announced Bhai Bakshish Singh as jathedar. To be clear, the International Sangat has no personal problem with Bhai Bakshish Singh. The problem is with the process of his selection. Bhai Bakshish Singh was elected by the 11 member committee in India. The 11 member committee was appointed on a temporary basis in 2005 in response to Baldev Singh’s attempts to declare himself the Jathedar of the Jatha after Jathedar Bhai Ram Singh.

The 11 member committee is not representative of the entire Jatha and does not have the authority or right to elect the next Jathedar unilaterally without consulting the Sangat. More importantly, they do not have the right to vote for the next Jathedar like a common political election. Bhai Bakshish Singh, himself a member of the 11 member committee, was elected by votes cast by 8 of his fellow members of the 11 member committee (3 members were not present or did not vote). Bhai Bakshish Singh received 3 votes while the remaining 5 votes were split between 3 other candidates. Bhai Bakshish Singh’s background and jeevan are not well known in the jatha and he received less vetting than ordinary politicians. It is also worth noting that input from sangat was refused during this private meeting and representatives from sangat living abroad were told that their opinions were not wanted.

It cannot be stressed enough: Jathedars cannot be elected by votes. The concept of voting does not exist in Gurmat when selecting a Jathedar. Only merit is considered. Although the 11 member committee may have wanted to elect someone with influence and thus voted for Bhai Bakshish Singh, this is not the Gurmat approach.

The lack of knowledge about the jeevan of Bakshish Singh has also to many been a major factor in declaring support because on one hand we have someone who has not been vetted in seva and on the other hand we have someone who has been the Jathedar of the Panj Payare in most Amrit Sanchaars as having been seen as the ideal Gurmukh with the right qualities for the biggest seva there can be.

The selection of Bhai Mohinder Singh was done by consensus. It was a decision based on Gurmat principles and not on politics, friendships, influence or family relations. More importantly, it was not done by voting. The International Sangat stands with Jathedar Bhai Mohinder Singh because he is the right and principled choice.

A tight security cordon was put in place at the Punjab police headquarter in Sector 9 ahead of the arrival of Ram Rahim Singh for questioning in a case pertaining to hurting the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Barricades blocked all traffic almost 500 metres from the complex.

Even Punjab police employees, and those working in the Punjab mini-secretariat and other adjoining government offices were not allowed to take their vehicles to their regular parking areas. They were forced by the police to park their vehicles far from the police headquarters.

Nearly 500 armed Punjab police personnel, including gun-toting commandos, and scores of Haryana police personnel who provide security to the sect chief also swarmed the area near the Punjab police headquarters.

Since early morning, over 1,500 Chandigarh police personnel were on the roads as over 30,000 sect supporters were expected to be here in support of their sect chief. Traffic hold-ups could be seen on Madhya Marg and other roads as sect followers arrived.

“We have posted enough personnel to control things. Additional forces have been sought from Punjab and Haryana. Nearly 30,000 people are expected to come here today. We have earmarked a special rally ground in Sector 25 for the people who want to assemble here and demonstrate,” said Senior Superintendent of Police S.S. Srivastava.

The sect chief got embroiled in a controversy in April 2007 after he dressed like 10th Sikh guru Gobind Singh during a religious ceremony of the sect. The Punjab police slapped him with a case of hurting the sentiments of the Sikh community at Bathinda town, about 250 km from here.

Nearly 100,000 sect followers had brought Chandigarh to a standstill two years ago when their sect chief was forced to come here for questioning. Traffic jams and complete chaos prevailed in the city as sect followers swarmed most areas.

The Dera chief is accused of having plotted the murder of sect follower and his former manager Ranjit Singh in July 2002.

He is also an accused in the November 2001 murder of Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chandra Chhatrapati, who had written about shady activities inside the sect headquarters near Sirsa, 300 km from here.

The sect chief has also been accused by a former female follower of raping her more than once inside the headquarters of the sect.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing all three charges against the Dera chief, has already filed its chargesheet in a special CBI court in Ambala town in Haryana, about 45 km from here.

The court framed rape charges against the sect chief in September this year and the trial is on in the two cases of murder conspiracy.

The management of the sect has been refuting all these charges so far.

The sect chief was embroiled in another controversy in June this year when his armed security men fired at and killed a Sikh man who was protesting with others against his visit to a mall in Mumbai.

(Courtesy: IANS)

Renowned Sikh Classical Religious Musicians Face Public Harassment and Discrimination

Sacramento, California, USA:  In a disturbing incident reminiscent of widespread discrimination in 2001, three eminent Sikh classical religious musicians, Gulbag Singh, Davinder Singh, and Iqbal Singh were ‘kicked off’ a US Airways flight, and were told that the US Airways pilot for the plane was refusing to fly with them on board. UNITED SIKHS has written to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and US Airways, warning legal recourse against US Airways unless prompt action is taken to redress the incident.

UNITED SIKHS urges you to report any and all incidents of discrimination.

• During the Thanksgiving Holidays, you may face improper or discriminatory conduct while traveling.

• Familiarize yourself with your rights: Download the Guide & Bill of Rights for Sikh Air Travelers in the USA

•Contact UNITED SIKHS immediately to report your incident, by clicking here or by telephone at 1-888-243-1690

The incident occurred after Gulbag, Davinder, and Iqbal Singh cleared Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security and boarded US Airways flight no. 0493 on November 15th in Sacramento, California, on their way to Salt Lake City, Utah. The three were sitting together in the rear of the plane, in their assigned seats. After having been on the plane for approximately ten minutes, they were approached by one of the ticket-reception desk workers and asked to exit the plane. While none of the three adequately comprehend or speak English, the group complied and exited the aircraft. When it became apparent that the group was unable to converse with US Airways representatives, a Panjabi interpreter was called to assist.

The Panjabi interpreter informed Iqbal Singh, on behalf of the US Airways representatives, that the US Airways pilot for the plane was refusing to fly if they were onboard the aircraft. When Iqbal Singh asked why, the US Airways representatives were unable to give a clear answer, and the interpreter went on to persuade the three not to raise any objection because it could lead to more problems. The group, having become concerned, fearful, and worried about what had happened, took the only option they were given, which was to stay the night in a hotel and depart on a Delta Airlines flight the following morning to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Commenting on the discriminatory and publicly humiliating treatment, Gulbag Singh commented, “I would like to ask the average American to think about how they would feel if they were cleared by security, were sitting on their plane, and then were asked to leave for no good reason. It is ridiculous that a person should be submitted to such second class treatment.” (Translated from Panjabi)

In the formal complaint letter to US Airways, UNITED SIKHS stressed the severity of the racial profiling and discriminatory treatment, asked for an apology and compensation for the three Sikhs, and offered training for US Airways staff. “Sikhs will not stand to be discriminated against. There is no satisfactory justification for US Airways to treat people in this way. This is a clear violation of civil rights and they must take immediate actions to address this issue,” stated Harpreet Singh, Legal Director, UNITED SIKHS.

In a separate incident on November 17, 2008 at Logan International airport in Boston Massachusetts, a Sikh man, Jaspal Singh, was sent to secondary screening where he was subjected to humiliating treatment when a Transportation Security Officer ( TSO) roughly searched his turban, almost untying it, after threatening him with arrest. UNITED SIKHS has written to and spoken with the TSA which is currently reviewing video footage of the incident.

(Issued By: Jaspreet Singh International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy, UNITED SIKHS)

Chandigarh, November 12 : Officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) visited Burail Jail on Wednesday and questioned Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit Singh Bheora of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in connection with the mid-air bombing of Air India’s Kanishka flight on June 23, 1985.

The extensive interrogation of the two terrorists convicted for assassinating former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995 continued for around six hours. The two are facing a death penalty. They were questioned separately.

The names of Hawara and Bheora are among the dozen witnesses on the list prepared by the Canadian police, who reopened the Kanishka bombing case even after a March 2005 verdict by the Supreme Court of British Columbia acquitting two suspects, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri.

The two-member Canadian team accompanied by a CBI official reached the Burail Jail around 10.45 am. Jail officials said the team first interrogated Hawara for more than two hours. Bheora was questioned till 4 pm post lunch. The Canadian officers refused to divulge any details regarding the questioning to the media. The jail officials, however, said Hawara was questioned regarding the foreign links of BKI and its members who were active in the UK, USA, Canada and Germany.

According to information, the entire interrogation was videographed.

The bombing of the Toronto-London flight has been widely blamed on Sikh separatists who used British Columbia as a base for their independence campaign.

Members of the RCMP team also met the director-general of the Punjab Police. They had earlier met top officers of the Punjab Police, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Chandigarh Police to seek their help in interviewing certain terrorists who are currently lodged in prisons in Chandigarh and Punjab.

In January this year, the RCMP had sought help from the Indian security agencies to interview the 12 “witnesses”, who it said could have information regarding the Kanishka bombing that killed all 329 passengers, most of them Canadian citizens of Indian origin.

According to details that have been publicized after the event, the blast took place in a room next to the Gurdwara Sahib kitchen.  According to police reports, the blast does not seem to have been planned.  Further investigations will take place tomorrow and appropriate actions will be taken to ensure safety of the Gurdwara Sahib.

Following the blast Gurdwara Sahib premises have remained inaccessible for the Sangat.  Local streets – Lenton Boulevard and Gregory Street have also been put under surveillance as a safety measure.  Local residents had to be evacuated but later allowed to return after two hours.

Editors can be reached at editors@panthic.org

Chandigarh, Oct 23: Two Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) activists booked by the police after the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, were sentenced to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment by a special court here on Thursday.

Pronouncing the quantum of sentence, Additional District and Sessions Judge R K Sondhi slapped fines of Rs 17,000 and Rs 14000 on Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh respectively. The duo, described in the police chargesheet as “human bombs”, were booked under the Explosives Substances Act and the Arms Act about a decade ago following the assassination of Punjab chief minister Beant Singh in 1995.

According to the prosecution, Paramjit Singh and Kamaljit Singh planned to revive ‘terrorism’ and had been trained by BKI head Jagtar Singh Hawara, the prime accused in the Beant Singh assassination case who was awarded death penalty by the court in August 2007.

(Source : http://www.zeenews.com/articles.asp?aid=478421&sid=REG)

Patiala, October 10 :  The city police have foiled an alleged bid by “human bombs” to attack Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and some other dera members, following the arrest of two persons, including a woman, suspected to be the alleged “human bombs or suicide attackers”.

Police officials said former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant Bakhshish Singh was the mastermind behind this plot, and together he and his accomplices were planning to eliminate the dera chief. Police have arrested Bagicha Singh and Gobind Kaur.

Sources in the police told The Indian Express that an FIR under Sections 419, 420, 465, 471, 153-A, 108 and 120-B has been registered against four persons at police station Samana and more sections would be added in a few days after preliminary investigations are over. “The accused in the FIR are Bagicha Singh, Amarjeet Singh and Gobind Kaur, who procured mobile numbers on the basis of fake identity and were in touch with the fourth accused, Bakhshish Singh, through these connections,” reads the FIR. A senior police official confirmed that Bagicha Singh and Gobind Kaur had visited the dera at Sirsa and had stayed there for a few days, apparently to get inside information on the working of the dera. “Bagicha Singh was the mastermind along with Bakhshish and they were planning to eliminate the dera chief inside his dera and one of these accused could have been used as a suicide bomber,” he added. Investigating officer, SHO (City), Samana, Shaminder Singh confirmed that Qeorah village resident Gobind Kaur was actually used by the conspirators as the main tool that would actually lead them inside the dera in the near future. “We are further interrogating the arrested accused to ascertain their real motive but preliminary investigations have revealed that dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on their hit list,” he told ENS. When contacted, Patiala SSP S.K. Asthana said it would be too early to comment on the entire matter as it is very sensitive. “I would talk to the media tomorrow,” he said.

Bakhshish Singh was earlier a member of Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan and later joined KCF. He was out on bail since 2003 before the attack on the sect head, after which he went underground. DIG Patiala PS Gill confirmed that the arrested accused were planning a suicide attack on the dera chief.

Interestingly, many have labeled Rahul Gandhi’s visit as completely ‘religious’ as he planned to seek the blessings of the Sikh Gurus.  The matter has received a lot of publicity simply because of the fact that Rahul is the first man from the Gandhi family to visit Sri Harmandir Sahib after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

 Why so much thought is being put into the simple facts is totally surprising.  Rahul belongs to a political family and undoubtedly, he is the future head of Congress (I) and the likely Prime Minister of India.  This is a simple fact that can be acquired from the day to day developments in the Congress party.

 At a time when practically no media organization has let Rahul Gandhi’s visit go unnoticed, only the Akalis seem to have resisted the matter by showing no interest whatsoever.  Of course, the unrivaled Badals, Sukhbir Badal and other primo-Akali Dal leaders, have stated that Rahul Gandhi’s visit will have no impact on the forthcoming elections in the State.

 According to a press statement by Sukhbir Badal, Punjab is a state where Gurus, Saints, Bhagats and Warriors have taken birth.  For any person to seek Punjab and Harmandir Sahib’s blessing is natural. 

 Obviously, it is. But what Sukhbir Badal and other Akali Dal leaders are afraid to ponder upon is the fact that it was none other than Rahul Gandhi’s grandmother who ordered the attacked on Harmandir Sahib. Just as the Badals are not willing to hinder the so-called “Sikh/Hindu” unity (because of votes, obviously), the motive behind Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Punjab is simple: use his overly hyped fame to attract voters.   It is true that Gandhi did visit Harmandir Sahib, but he also went to Durgiana Mandir to ensure no Hindu could complain about his visit to Punjab.

Another interesting fact to deliberate on is that after the attack on her mother-in-law and husband, Sonia Gandhi did admit that Indira Gandhi made a mistake by ordering the attack on Harmandir Sahib.  Although such comments have come from the Congress Party President herself, even the “Sikh” Prime Minister of the country, who comes from the same Party, will not speak regarding the unjust attack on the holiest Sikh Shrine.

The moral of the story is that the Sikh Community remains without a political party that will stand up for not only its’ rights, but for what is right.  This is the face of the world’s biggest farcity, led by the people of Hindustan in the 21st century.  

Patiala, Punjab (KP) – A former member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Darbara Seona (60) was killed outside his home, Friday evening.

According to press reports, Seona was attacked by two unknown assailants on motorcycles who fled the scene immediately after the attack.  While initial reports stated that Seona was shot at multiple times by gunmen, other reports also mention the assailants charging at him with sharp instruments. 

“Seona  had written an offensive article in the Rozana Spokesman claiming that Guru Gobind Singh Ji never bestowed Gurgaddi to Guru Granth Sahib Ji and implied that Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroop is a mere book and should not be treated as a Guru.”
 

After the attack, Seona was taken to Patiala’s Rajendra Hospital by his grandsons Jaswinder and Lakhwinder, but was pronounced dead upon arrival. 

Darbara Seona attracted controversy after he had written an offensive article in the May 24th edition of Rozana Spokesman, run by the ex-communicated heretic Joginder Sawney.  In the article, Seona claimed that Guru Gobind Singh Ji never bestowed Gurgaddi to Guru Granth Sahib Ji, instead, by bowing in front of the Punj Pyare, the Gurgaddi was conferred to the Khalsa Panth.

Seona also referred to the tradition of giving satkar to Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroops by presenting rumallay as a Brahmanical ritual, implying that Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s saroop is a mere book and should not be treated as ‘Pargat-Guraa-Ki-Deh’. 

The article, which drew the wrath of Sikh organizations, eventually lead to an attack on Seona in late May, which left him seriously injured.  Seona continued to defend the article and never apologized for his offensive remarks.   

Ironically, the former SGPC member was at one time close to the late Jathedar Gurcharn Singh Tohra, and politicians such as Prem Sinh Chandumajra, and Atinderpal Singh of Shiromani Akal Dal International. 

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Related Links :    http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/4134/2008-05-30.html

DRI, conducted a raid at Amritsar’s CSJS Hotel, and was investigating the shipment of 5kg of heroin sent by the owners’ son Robbie Sinh to an overseas destination.  

Reacting to the news, SGPC President Avtar Makkar and Akal Takht Sahib appointed Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh both stated that if the allegations were true, serious actions would be taken against the publishers, again.

The owner’s of the Chattar Singh Jiwan Singh firm have previously been in hot water for improperly printing, transporting and handling saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and were reprimanded by Sri Akal Takht Sahib and many Panthic organizations for their sacrilegious deeds.