Amid jathedars' removal row, Giani Kuldeep Singh takes charge of Akal Takht, Takht Kesgarh Sahib

Chandigarh, Mar 10 (PTI) Amid the row over the removal of two jathedars by the SGPC, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj on Monday assumed charge as the jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib and the acting jathedar of the Akal Takht in Amritsar.

Sikh scholar Gargaj, 40, called upon the entire Sikh community to unite in light of the current 'Panthic' situation, saying the December 2 edicts of the Akal Takht issued in accordance with 'Gurmat' (teachings of Sikh Guru) remain unalterable.

The Akal Takht and Takht Kesgarh Sahib are two of the five seats of temporal authority of Sikhism.

Earlier, various Nihang groups opposed the appointment of the new jathedar (head priest), saying the 'Khalsa Panth' will never accept him.

The installation ceremony was held in the early hours of Monday instead of the scheduled time of 10 am, apparently in the wake of threats by various Nihang bodies to scuttle the event.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on March 7 appointed Gargaj as the jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Punjab's Rupnagar district. He would also serve as the acting jathedar of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.

The appointment was made after the SGPC removed Giani Raghbir Singh from the post of Akal Takht jathedar and Giani Sultan Singh as the jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib.

The decision of the SGPC executive committee to remove the duo drew condemnation from various Sikh, Akali and other political leaders, including senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia and a few of his party colleagues.

Meanwhile, SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema congratulated Gargaj on the appointment.

Before assuming charge, Gargaj paid obeisance at Takht Kesgarh Sahib. The head 'granthi' of the takht, Giani Joginder Singh, offered 'ardas' (prayer), following which the 'Panj Piaras' presented a ceremonial turban to Gargaj.

SGPC secretary Partap Singh and Takht Kesgarh Sahib manager Malkit Singh also presented turbans in his honour.

Additionally, the 'granthis' of Takht Kesgarh Sahib honoured him with 'siropas' (robe of honour).

Later, he reached the Golden Temple to take charge as the acting jathedar of the Akal Takht. He also performed 'sewa' of cleaning dishes in the community kitchen.

However, questions were raised over the installation of the jathedar by various Nihang bodies, which claimed that 'panthic' traditions were not followed as Gargaj assumed charge of the Takht Kesgarh Sahib.

The chief of Nihang group 'Baba Budha Dal 96 Crori', Baba Balbir Singh, said the SGPC president, its chief secretary, 'head granthi' of the Golden Temple, and 'sant mahapurkh' (spiritual leaders) were not present on the occasion.

"We strongly oppose the violation of 'maryada'," Singh told reporters in Anandpur Sahib.

Asked whether the Nihang bodies have accepted Gargaj as the jathedar, he said all of the Nihang outfits and the 'Khalsa panth' do not approve of him.

A spokesperson of the Damdami Taksal (Sikh seminary) too said the 'Khalsa Panth' will never accept the new jathedar as he asked the Sikh community to oppose Gargaj.

However, Gargaj in Amritsar said he assumed the charge at Takht Kesgarh Sahib in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib at 'amrit vela' (early hours of Wednesday).

On the opposition by Nihang bodies, Gargaj said these are great and respectable organisations.

Meanwhile, SGPC officials claimed the installation ceremony was held in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib, and it was done according to the 'rehat maryada' (Sikh code of conduct).

When asked why Gargaj assumed charge at 2.50 am instead of the scheduled timing of 10 am, SGPC vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk said it was done due to the heavy rush anticipated in view of the commencement of the Holla Mohalla festival.

SAD leader Sucha Singh Langah, meanwhile, accused the BJP-led central government of interfering in Sikh affairs and asserted that by making Gargaj take charge in the early hours of Wednesday, the SGPC avoided a bloody clash between Sikhs.

He said the SAD had faced many crises earlier and emerged stronger every time.

Reacting to Majithia's statement on the removal of the two jathedars, Langah, without taking any name, said the party has faced revolts in the past, but the miffed leaders have always returned to the party fold in due course of time.

Earlier, in his address at Takht Kesgarh Sahib, Gargaj called upon the Sikh community to unite under one 'Nishan Sahib' in light of the current 'Panthic' situation.

He expressed gratitude to the 10 Sikh Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib for bestowing upon him the honour of serving the Takht. He also acknowledged his privilege of receiving the sacred responsibility despite being born into a simple Sikh family.

Lamenting the growing religious disunity among Sikhs, he emphasised that internal divisions and ideological differences have created significant rifts.

Gargaj also criticised the lack of cohesive religious and political leadership, which, he claimed, has led to a culture of undermining people instead of resolving the issues collectively.

In these difficult times, the urgent need is to establish platforms for dialogue based on mutual trust in the Guru, he stressed.

Expressing concern over the demographic and political shifts in Punjab, Gargaj warned that the Sikh population is being forced to migrate while a deliberate effort is underway to make Sikhs a minority in the state by settling a large number of non-Punjabi people.

He also criticised Punjab's political leadership for prioritising the votes of certain Deras and immigrant communities over the needs of the state's Sikh population, attributing this to the deep divisions within the community.

Expressing deep concern over religious conversions, Gargaj stressed the need for a robust grassroots-level religious awareness and preaching campaign. To address this, he pledged to launch an effective outreach initiative in collaboration with Sikh saints, scholars, sect leaders, and intellectuals.

On the edicts issued by the five jathedars on December 2 last year regarding SAD leaders, which he called unalterable, Gargaj warned all concerned parties to refrain from making inflammatory statements on the matter.

He also pointed out that while the edicts included a directive for Panthic unity, neither of the involved parties took any initiative toward its implementation.

Moving forward, he said, the claims of the concerned parties will be reviewed to ensure that the edicts are acted upon.

Pronouncing religious punishment for SAD's Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders for the "mistakes" committed by the party and its government in Punjab from 2007 to 2017 last December, the Akal Takht formed a committee for launching a membership drive of the Akali Dal and holding elections for the post of party president and other office-bearers within six months. PTI CHS VSD RHL