Jalandhar : With State and Central Government Action on Waris Punjab Day Sikhs, journalists and the role of having a big impact on Punjab Akal Takht The Jathedar – who is regarded as the central head of Sikhs worldwide – is taking center stage again in the Sikh religio-political sphere.
In the three weeks since the WPD chief’s search, more Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates started Akal Takht acting Jathedar on March 18 Giani Harpreet Singh has already convened two meetings and played a central role in both. Under normal circumstances, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would have clarified the concerns of the community and given direction.
Happening for the 4th time after Bluestar
since operation bluestarThis is the fourth time that the Akal Takht Jathedar is playing an important role in providing leadership as well as clarifying the politics and concerns of the Sikh community.
During Operation Bluestar in 1984When almost all the Akali leadership, including the then SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra, was jailed, five Sikh high priests, known as the Panj Pyare, assumed leadership roles and expressed Sikh sentiment.
in the second half of the 1980sWhen there was a leadership crisis and the Sikh political space was fractured due to differences between the mainstream and radical leadership, Prof. Darshan Singh Ragi was appointed officiating Jathedar. During his tenure, he played a central role in conveying the sentiments of the community and providing leadership on the ground. This included a massive sit-in outside the Batala police station on September 1, 1988, against the detention and alleged torture of some Sikh women. He also tried to create unity among the factions of Akali Dal.
early 1990sActing Jathedar Prof. Manjit Singh The fragmented Akali leadership assumed a central role. He also tried to create Akali unity and SAD (Amritsar) was formed and Amritsar Declaration was made. Parkash Singh Badal stayed away from the exercise and his faction strongly opposed the move. The Jathedar also got angry about this.
Badal family’s control over Sikh institutions
until the second half of the 1990sThe leadership question was settled with the rise of Parkash Singh Badal, who established hegemony over the SGPC and, by implication, the Akal Takht. In 1999, Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh was sacked for trying to broker a settlement between the Badals and the Tohras. Later, the Jathedars started playing second fiddle to the SGPC and the SAD. In September 2015, when Gurbachan Singh pardoned Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Jathedar’s authority hit Nadir.
Although the Akal Takht is regarded as the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, it is only after about 30 years that the Jathedar has begun to assume a central role mainly due to the sensitive situation and leadership crisis in the community. Though he faced difficulties during his four-and-a-half-year tenure, Giani Harpreet’s recent actions have increased his acceptance and authority.
The Jathedar called a meeting of Sikh representatives in Amritsar on 27 March, nine days after the security agencies began their crackdown, when the impact of the crackdown could actually be gauged in Punjab. Then, amid reports of security agencies restricting journalists, the Jathedar convened a meeting with members of the fraternity at Takht Dumdum Sahib on 7 April.
The role of Jathedar Giani Harpreet in future will now depend on other stakeholders like SAD and SGPC, and also on how the Jathedar conducts itself.
In the three weeks since the WPD chief’s search, more Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates started Akal Takht acting Jathedar on March 18 Giani Harpreet Singh has already convened two meetings and played a central role in both. Under normal circumstances, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) or the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) would have clarified the concerns of the community and given direction.
Happening for the 4th time after Bluestar
since operation bluestarThis is the fourth time that the Akal Takht Jathedar is playing an important role in providing leadership as well as clarifying the politics and concerns of the Sikh community.
During Operation Bluestar in 1984When almost all the Akali leadership, including the then SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra, was jailed, five Sikh high priests, known as the Panj Pyare, assumed leadership roles and expressed Sikh sentiment.
in the second half of the 1980sWhen there was a leadership crisis and the Sikh political space was fractured due to differences between the mainstream and radical leadership, Prof. Darshan Singh Ragi was appointed officiating Jathedar. During his tenure, he played a central role in conveying the sentiments of the community and providing leadership on the ground. This included a massive sit-in outside the Batala police station on September 1, 1988, against the detention and alleged torture of some Sikh women. He also tried to create unity among the factions of Akali Dal.
early 1990sActing Jathedar Prof. Manjit Singh The fragmented Akali leadership assumed a central role. He also tried to create Akali unity and SAD (Amritsar) was formed and Amritsar Declaration was made. Parkash Singh Badal stayed away from the exercise and his faction strongly opposed the move. The Jathedar also got angry about this.
Badal family’s control over Sikh institutions
until the second half of the 1990sThe leadership question was settled with the rise of Parkash Singh Badal, who established hegemony over the SGPC and, by implication, the Akal Takht. In 1999, Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh was sacked for trying to broker a settlement between the Badals and the Tohras. Later, the Jathedars started playing second fiddle to the SGPC and the SAD. In September 2015, when Gurbachan Singh pardoned Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Jathedar’s authority hit Nadir.
Although the Akal Takht is regarded as the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, it is only after about 30 years that the Jathedar has begun to assume a central role mainly due to the sensitive situation and leadership crisis in the community. Though he faced difficulties during his four-and-a-half-year tenure, Giani Harpreet’s recent actions have increased his acceptance and authority.
The Jathedar called a meeting of Sikh representatives in Amritsar on 27 March, nine days after the security agencies began their crackdown, when the impact of the crackdown could actually be gauged in Punjab. Then, amid reports of security agencies restricting journalists, the Jathedar convened a meeting with members of the fraternity at Takht Dumdum Sahib on 7 April.
The role of Jathedar Giani Harpreet in future will now depend on other stakeholders like SAD and SGPC, and also on how the Jathedar conducts itself.