Press Statement About Pasricha's Money Collection Drive In The Name Of Celebrations At Takht Hazoor Sahib

[tufaan_sikh]

PRESS STATEMENT

DIASPORA SIKHS OUGHT TO BE WARY OF

THE CULTURAL GENOCIDE BEING CARRIED OUT

IN TAKHT HAZOOR SAHIB IN MAHARASHTRA & WATCH OUT

FOR INDIAN AGENTS PROVOCATEURS

TOURING NORTH AMERICA

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Last October historic Baradari & Ramgarhia Bunga built by

Maharajah Ranjit Singh in Hazoor Sahib complex, was bulldozed at night

after police resorted to firing on protesting Sikhs, under the direct

supervision of the then Director General Police and concurrent

Chairman of the Hazoor Sahib Gurudwara Board, one

P. S. Pasricha, a ‘K.P.S. Gill’ clone

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In October 2007 Tehleka magazine carried a catalogue raisonne`

of Pasricha’s massive corruption and greed which

expose` remains unchallenged to date

Washington D.C. Saturday June 14, 2008. Maharashtras’s Shiv Sena-dominated ruling elite is once again hoping to do the impossible, in Nanded, by implementing Hindutva agenda which claims that egalitarian monotheistic Sikhism is a branch of polytheistic Hindutva.

With the above nasty aim in mind the crafty rulers have, over the years, made the pliable ‘Sikh priests’, in the Takht Hazur Sahib, reject the Sikh Rehat Maryada and Nanakshai calendar. Now they have even challenged the supremacy of Akal Takht Sahib. These ‘government friendly Sikh priests’ make sure that a number of Brahmanical practices like ‘Havan’ (fire worship) and Aarti, etc., continue. Under cover of celebrating 300th anniversary of Guru Granth sahib Gurgaddi Divas the administrators of Takht Hazoor sahib are destroying irreplaceable historical Sikh heritage structures, in and around Takht Hazur sahib complex, in the name of modernization and beautification. Who, better to supervise these morally repugnant plans, for Hazur Sahib, than a corrupt, but loyal, ‘Sikh’ Director General of Maharashtra police, one Parvinder Singh Pasricha, (a ‘K.P.S. Gill’ clone) who was concurrently made the Chairman of the Hazoor Sahib Gurudwara Board as well? Pasricha had gained notoriety in October 2007, when the TEHELKA magazine, on October 20, 2007, carried a catalogue raisonne` of Pasricha’s massive corruption and greed. (> http://www.tehelka.com/story_main29.asp?fi...7Top_cop_CS.asp <) This comprehensive Tehelka expose` of Pasricha corruption remains unchallenged to date.

On May 5, 2008, India’s prestigious OUTLOOK magazine reported that, “In the dead of the night, sometime in October last year, (2007) police surrounded the historic baradari at Hazoor Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, built during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign. Under the watchful eye of the police, the once-magnificent structure was bulldozed to the ground… What happened at Nanded in October and before that in January 2007, when another historic structure in the complex, the Ramgarhia Bunga, was similarly demolished, leading to rioting by local Sikhs and police firing.” How many Sikhs were murdered in the Police firing?

DIASPORA SIKHS PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR THE K.P.S. GILL CLONE - P. S. Pasricha - and his money collecting campaign in North America.

Contact: Dr. Amarjit Singh

Khalistan Affairs Center

956-National Press Building,

Washington D.C. 20045 USA

Tel: 202-637-9210

E-Mail: kacwashdc@yahoo.com

Date: June 14, 2008

Administrators destroying heritage structures: NRI

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 15

Dr Amarjit Singh, a Washington-based Sikh leader, alleged that administrators of Takht Hazoor Sahib were destroying irreplaceable heritage structures in and around the holy shrine in the name of beautification.

In an e-mail to The Tribune today, Dr Amarjit Singh alleged that the historical structures were being demolished by the administrators under the garb of celebrating Gurgaddi Divas, 300th anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib.

He also alleged that P.S. Pasricha, recently appointed chairman of the managing committee of Takht Hazoor Sahib, was responsible for the demolition of the historic Baradari and Ramgarhia Bunga built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Many innocent Sikhs protesting against the demolition were killed in the police firing last year, he added.

The leader said the administrators were implementing the agenda of the Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena-dominated ruling elite, who claimed that the egalitarian monotheistic Sikhism is a branch of polytheistic Hindutva.

He said crafty rulers over the years had made the “pliable Sikh priests” to reject the Sikh Rehat Maryada and Nanakshahi calendar.

He said these agents had now even challenged the supremacy of Akal Takht, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs. These “government-friendly Sikh priests” made sure that a number of Brahmanical practices like havans and aarti were continued, he added.

He urged the Sikhs to be wary of the cultural genocide being carried out at Takht Hazoor Sahib in Maharashtra by agents of the government like Pasricha, who were also touring North America for making provocative speeches there.

[SaRpAnCh]

All this 300 saaal thing is an excuse so many historical and important buildings have been torn down and more are being torn down as we speak OUR HERITAGE, old trees from the Gurus times have been chopped down and sold as wood and for what ? A stupid modern hotel which has no history and will be used for a week at most by visitors - SHAME ON THE HAZOOR SAAB JATHEDHAR FOR ALLOWING THIS,I APPEAL TO ALL SIKHS WORLD WIDE DO NOT GIVE NO CASH DONATIONS FOR THE 300 YEAR CAUSE

[SunSingh]

All this 300 saaal thing is an excuse so many historical and important buildings have been torn down and more are being torn down as we speak OUR HERITAGE, old trees from the Gurus times have been chopped down and sold as wood and for what ? A stupid modern hotel which has no history and will be used for a week at most by visitors - SHAME ON THE HAZOOR SAAB JATHEDHAR FOR ALLOWING THIS,I APPEAL TO ALL SIKHS WORLD WIDE DO NOT GIVE NO CASH DONATIONS FOR THE 300 YEAR CAUSE

Sarpanch, that's pretty immature and shortsighted of you.

A lot of the controversy is caused by politicians who are attempting to make the panth's greatest opportunity for Ekta and prachaar in the 21st century so far fail.

300 saal celebrations should definitely be supported (including financially) as they will be even bigger than the 1999 celebrations at Anandpur Sahib, just beware of conmen trying to take your money.

[TejiKaur]

FOR INDIAN AGENTS PROVOCATEURS

TOURING NORTH AMERICA

what do they mean indian agents touring north america

[SaRpAnCh]

All this 300 saaal thing is an excuse so many historical and important buildings have been torn down and more are being torn down as we speak OUR HERITAGE, old trees from the Gurus times have been chopped down and sold as wood and for what ? A stupid modern hotel which has no history and will be used for a week at most by visitors - SHAME ON THE HAZOOR SAAB JATHEDHAR FOR ALLOWING THIS,I APPEAL TO ALL SIKHS WORLD WIDE DO NOT GIVE NO CASH DONATIONS FOR THE 300 YEAR CAUSE

Sarpanch, that's pretty immature and shortsighted of you.

A lot of the controversy is caused by politicians who are attempting to make the panth's greatest opportunity for Ekta and prachaar in the 21st century so far fail.

300 saal celebrations should definitely be supported (including financially) as they will be even bigger than the 1999 celebrations at Anandpur Sahib, just beware of conmen trying to take your money.

Im not saying don;t support it just saying don't give cash donations for this so called renovation as Hazoor Sahib as through that money they are tearing our heritage down and building cheap modern buildings,ancient trees,buildings from the Gurus and Ranjit Singh's time have all been demolished by these fools .

[akjbabbar]

The stables were horses use to be tied in gurus time have beem moved from its original location

these guys dont care its all about the money. All gurdwaras are run for money not for the sangat

[CharhdiKalaa]

Heritage Mauled : The Hazur Sahib Demolition Scandal

Written by Chander Suta Dogra, Outlook India

Sunday, 27 April 2008

In the dead of the night, sometime in October last year, police surrounded the historic baradari at Gurudwara Hazoor Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, built during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign.

Under their watchful eye, the once-magnificent structure was razed to the ground, even as conservationists who had drawn up detailed plans to restore it were pleading with the gurudwara management to preserve the 150-year-old building. It was 300 years ago, in October 1708, that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, bestowed the guardianship of the faith on the Guru Granth Sahib at this very spot. Since then, Hazoor Sahib has been revered as one of the four takhts of Sikhism.

What happened at Nanded in October and before that in January 2007, when another historic structure in the complex, the Ramgarhia Bunga, was similarly demolished, leading to rioting by local Sikhs and police firing, has become a recurrent story with Sikh historic monuments across the country. In the face of sharp criticism by conservationists and Sikh intellectuals in Punjab and elsewhere, as well as vigorous online campaigns spearheaded by expatriate Sikhs to preserve their heritage, the keepers of these monuments have brazenly continued their wanton depredation. Gurmeet Rai, director of intach's Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (CRCI), who has restored several ancient Sikh historical buildings in Punjab, says, "I would say 90 per cent of Sikh heritage monuments have been destroyed in Punjab in the name of renovation and kar seva." Kar seva is a unique institution in Sikhism, wherein the community collects funds or volunteers its labour to repair or build religious structures, generally gurudwaras. Why and how did things come to this pass?

old One

purposed one

"Though kar seva babas had been renovating gurudwaras ever since anyone can remember, it was after Operation Bluestar, when the Sikh community donated generously for the massive rebuilding of the Golden Temple premises, that 'babas' began to appreciate the money-making opportunities such rebuilding threw up. The trend then spread across Punjab and in the last two decades, old heritage structures began to be demolished and replaced by garish, opulent marble gurudwaras", says H.S. Dilgeer Singh, a Sikh historian. Adds Rai, "These pseudo-babas are armed with so much money but they spend it foolishly on rebuilding instead of restoration, because they are absolutely ignorant about the historical value of these old monuments. Somewhere along the line, the original, unpretentious Sikh architecture has begun to be perceived as something to be ashamed of. Our Gurus were simple, down-to-earth men of the soil, and their buildings reflect the simplicity and harmony which Sikhism is all about."

It was this very simplicity of the Ramgarhia Bunga and the Baradari at Nanded which brought about their destruction. Dr P.S. Pasricha, present chairman of the Hazoor Sahib Gurudwara Board and former director-general of police, Maharashtra, told Outlook, "The Baradari was a dilapidated structure which was coming in the way of the huge development plans currently being executed for the celebrations of the 300th anniversary of the guruship of the Guru Granth Sahib at Nanded this year.

As far as I am aware, it had no historical value. As for the Ramgarhia Bunga, it was an old room with two tin trunks in it. We have now given 3,000 sq ft of land at another place to the Ramgarhias to construct a new 31-room sarai with a museum. We are making the place an international pilgrimage destination. Besides the Rs 125 crore which the board is spending on the gurudwara project, the town of Nanded too is getting a facelift, for which the Planning Commission has earmarked Rs 1,500 crore."

The Ramgarhia Bunga, pulled down in Jan 2007

But what Pasricha and his cohorts do not talk about is the painstakingly elaborate restoration plans made by Sharad Chalikwar, a consultant engineer with the board and Kiran Kalamdani, a restoration architect from Pune once associated with the project. "I spent two years drawing up the plan for the Baradari, but was forced to dissociate myself from the project when it was demolished despite our pleas. They are bulldozing their own heritage," says Chalikwar. Adds Kalamdani, who was originally appointed to conserve the Baradari, "We were thrown out along with the demolition of these monuments. All that matters to them is the desire to make grand structures." Both the Baradari and the Bunga were built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The destruction at Nanded is particularly unfortunate because it was done under the supervision of a top police officer and not some ignorant kar seva baba.

Back home in Punjab, the list of Sikh heritage structures which have fallen at the hands of overzealous babas is growing too. Dr Gurtej Singh, a Sikh scholar, lays the blame at the door of the Sikh leadership of recent times. "Whether it is the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee or the Akal Takht or even the political Akali Dal which draws its strength from the former two, there is no appreciation for our heritage. Scholars like us do not matter in the scheme of things, because we obstruct their commercial aspirations. The sgpc patronises these babas and they do not realise that they are converting history into mythology by destroying historical evidence." Take the case of the 500-year-old house of Bebe Nanki (elder sister of Guru Nanak) in Sultanpur Lodi. A few years ago, it was bought up by one Baba Jagtar Singh and was demolished in 2003. A sparkling white marble building now stands in its place. The old homes of two Sikh gurus, Amar Das and Ram Dass, which stood in Amritsar till a few years ago, were pulled down and shining new gurudwaras erected in their place. The same fate has befallen Gurudwara Jyoti Swarup at Sirhind where the two sons of Guru Gobind Singh were cremated, and Shahid Ganj near Mani Sahib Hall near Amritsar, the site of the mass cremation of Sikh martyrs who fought against Ahmed Shah Abdali. The peeling, faded frescoes at Baba Atal Gurudwara in Amritsar and at Baba Bakala in Gurdaspur were removed and replaced by common ceramic tiles, much to the anguish of educated Sikhs. Why, even the Golden Temple at Amritsar was not spared—frescoes in its Darshani Deori were whitewashed some years ago and the 'renovation' was stopped only when the matter was raised in the local media.

But who shall bell the cat? Or is it too late already to launch a strong protest? If community leaders are apathetic to the obliteration of their spiritual heritage being done with the active collusion of religious leaders, is there hope for Sikhism's architectural heritage, much of which has already fallen prey to insensitivity and greed?

http://www.punjabheritage.org/architectura...andal-2704.html

[apne]

Controversies are being created with only one object in mind, and that is to defame takht sri Hazoor Sahib. Every individual is money minded....so please let the celebrations pass amicably. This is a grand oppotunity to let the world know...that Sikhs are one 'quam' and Guruji gave gurgaddi to only sri Guru Granth Sahib.

The celebrations would put Guru Granth Sahib on world map as the only Guru of Sikhs and sole successor of Guru Nanak Guru Gobind Singh.

Sangat should donate as much money as they can.......if it is misused by some corrupt 'babas' dunno worry, satguru will make them pay for their sins.

Also don't be arrogant in thinking that Hazoor Sahib needs money from Sikhs...it is satguru who gives money to Sikhs and not vice versa. Montek Singh Alhuwalia (finance secretary to govt of india) under Manmohan Singh (pm of india) has already approved a grant of 1100 crores for mega projects in nanded for tri-cenetary celebrations. Central govt has also approved Guru Gobind Singh marg starting from Damdama Sahib to Nanded, spanning the route by which Guruji went from Bathinda to Nanded.

[tufaan_sikh]

its Iqbal Singh who started controversy at first

it all started in january 2008, when panth should have united to celebrate 300th year of Gurta Gaddi diwas of Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, but how can anti-sikh elements digest it, so they had one puppet named iqbal singh to do their way and he shot off controversy of challenging Panth Parwanit Sikh Rehit Maryada and Nanakshahi Calendar. Why now? why not after october 2008? one can understand why..

why he deposited 90 lakhs in his own account? tht he got from a businessman from USA.

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earlier i was quite excited about jagriti yatra but what happened at Manji Sahib diwan hall, it clear now what they after..

when yatra came to amritsar, at Sri Harmandir Sahib complex it was to be parked near nishan sahib of Manji Sahib diwan hall (empty area opposit Sri harmandir Sahib), and pasricha asked SGPC to put cloth on Manji Sahib Golak and said they will place their own golak there. SGPC didnt make an issue out of it because otherwise sangat would ahve blamed sgpc for defaming yarta and creating controversies.

other big issue was that the van of yatra which displays shastars and Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.

they had parkash of Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji without anyone sitting in Tabya and without rumala sahibs, Singh Sahib from Sri Harmandir Sahib objected to that its against maryada to do parkash without anyone sitting in tabya and without Rumala sahib on.

yatra has not even spent a penny on distributing any literature or anything else which presses on Supremacy of Sahib Sri guru Granth Sahib ji, they shd hv printed literaure in all languages regarding sikh principles and shd hv distributed it in areas which have respective language and mother tounge.

all they did was collect crores and in evening get it to bank account.

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2-3 months ago when i visisted Sri Hazur Sahib, and got chance to talk to local singhs, they r so unhappy about this ranovation things. they told me that its like making galiara around sri harmandir sahib so that nothing like 84 cud happen (resistence from gurdwara premises due to bulidings close to gurdwara). they told me that some of local singhs or singhs from punjab who r on police hit list used to get shelter around the small-tight and caves type buldings/homes around. to flufh out them they demoslished those houses around the gurdwara so furiously.

[SunSingh]

Controversies are being created with only one object in mind, and that is to defame takht sri Hazoor Sahib. Every individual is money minded....so please let the celebrations pass amicably. This is a grand oppotunity to let the world know...that Sikhs are one 'quam' and Guruji gave gurgaddi to only sri Guru Granth Sahib.

The celebrations would put Guru Granth Sahib on world map as the only Guru of Sikhs and sole successor of Guru Nanak Guru Gobind Singh.

Sangat should donate as much money as they can.......if it is misused by some corrupt 'babas' dunno worry, satguru will make them pay for their sins.

Also don't be arrogant in thinking that Hazoor Sahib needs money from Sikhs...it is satguru who gives money to Sikhs and not vice versa. Montek Singh Alhuwalia (finance secretary to govt of india) under Manmohan Singh (pm of india) has already approved a grant of 1100 crores for mega projects in nanded for tri-cenetary celebrations. Central govt has also approved Guru Gobind Singh marg starting from Damdama Sahib to Nanded, spanning the route by which Guruji went from Bathinda to Nanded.

Excellent post. There will not be another opportunity as big as this one for prachaar for some time. It should be supported.