Jathedar Of Akal Takht Joginder Singh Vedanti Resigns !

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

Resignation of Vedanti first step to exonerate Gurmit Ram Rahim?

PATIALA: The resignation of Jatehdar Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat of Sikhs) Gyani Joginder Singh Vedanti on Tuesday seems to be the first step to exonerate the chief of Sacha Sauda Gurmit Ram Rahim.

SAD sources reveled here on Tuesday that he has resigned from his post under pressure from SAD Supremo Parkash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The need of resignation of Vedanti arises as he has refused to exonerate Baba Ram rahim. SAD wanted to absolve him immediately to get the votes of his followers in Malwa area as parliament election could be held during November -December.

The intelligence sources said that both Badals have met social activist Swami Agnivesh, Jain Munni leaders and president of All India organization of Imams Mulana Jamil Ahmed Illyasi, The in charge of Ajmer Sharif Hazi Sayeed, Sheikh Asif Ai of Ajmer and asked them to mediate with Dera Sacha sauda. Both have reportedly told the religious leaders to come forward and help them. They also conveyed that SAD will create the atmosphere in Punjab to exonerate Baba.

After getting nod from Punjab chief minister and SAD Three muslim leaders Mulana Jamil Ahmed Illyasi, The in charge of Ajmer Sharif Hazi Sayeed, Sheikh Asif Ai of Ajmer met Baba in Sirsa on Saturday. Baba has reportedly given green signal to the leaders, said IB sources.

The sources said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had himself told Vedanti telephonically to step down otherwise he would be sacked in the executive meeting of SGPC to be held today at Kurukeshtra.

Sources further added that Sukhbir Singh Badal himself or his wife Harsimrat Kaur may contest the elections from Bathinda parliament constituency and without Baba's Support it will be difficult to win this seat. Presently Sukhbir is representing Faridkot seat as it has declared reserve seat as per new delimitation of parliament seats.

On July 27 Baba has asked media to mediate with Sikhs or SAD the request was later turned down by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and asked him through media to appear before the Akal Takhat Sahib.

Regarding Dera Sacha Sauda chief's proposal to Sikh community for negotiation to solve the matter, Sukhbir Singh Badal had said that it could be decided only through the Akal Takhat as all Sikhs were bound to follow the decision of the Takhat Sahib.

Strategically Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has touched all Sikh issues in his speech for vote against UPA government in Lok Sabha had not touched the word Sacha Sauda and Dera.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/11533/38/

[khalistan_zindabaad]

This is just pathetic, the panth decides who the jathedar is NOT BADAL CLAN, just pathetic, the real issue is Vadanti stopped listening to badal clan that much, his speech in canada and other things got them worried. as its 300 yrs, every attempt is being made to mess it up. Just remembereing previous jathedars, this is pathetic, jathedar akaali phoola singh jee, jathedar baba gurbaksh singh jee fought without his head, and now what, badal clan decides. PATHETIC

If this was time of the karkoos, never mind.

[Mike Singh]

Giani Gurbachan Singh Head Granthi at Sri Dasam Granth conference ( Zafarnama Fateh Divas).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4644958876879130712

Giani ji is well versed in Gurbani hence his role as head Granthi at Harimandir Sahib.

[Matheen]

Excellent video, Mike Singh! thanks for sharing it with us.

Lets see what the future holds....

[ghorandhar]

Alot of people in the past have written against Singh Sahib Joginder Singh jee Vedanti and they have continued to here. You cant agree with everything a person does however I feel a balance reflection of Joginder Singh Vendanti is never given. Just as people have started making assumptions about Singh Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh jee, alot of assuptions are made about Joginder Singh Vendanti.

I feel sorry for people who become jathedhar of the Akal Takhat. The panth never takes them seriously and just as Badal Clan put pressure on Singh Sahib jee So do all other Jathebandis. The jathebandis are no better than badal. All this calling for Singh Sahib do to a particular thing or resign is a disgrace. (for example the recent statements made by the sant samaj regarding the Sacha Sauda affair) On the one hand we call for panthic ekta and on the other we give the jathedhars ultimatums. The jathedhar can never win because what ever decision he makes there will always be a jathebandi who supports it (because their ideology supports that view) and others who do not (because their ideology does not support it). There have been times where I feel Singh Sahib jee could have done something, however rather than complianing I went straight to him and rather than coming online and attacking Singh Sahib jee, certain issues can be resolved by veechar. This assasination of JAthedhars which have continued over the past few years is making the panth look stupid. our issues need to be resolved behind doors. For some reason we seem to enjoy washing our dirty laundary in public. Sucha Sauda will never need to worry about the Sikh panth because they know we will continue to knock each others dastar off.

I do not think Singh Sahib Vedanti jee always used to do as Badal wished. Some Good examples is the whole Sacha Sauda affair, Badal was clearly upset Singh Sahib jee did not put the issue to bed. Singh Sahib jee also had pressure on excommunicating Maan for his actions at Akal Takhat 2 years ago by Badal Group, however once again he refused. Singh Sahib jees refusal to bow down to Badal on his speech on Khalistan is another example of him not following Badal, I assume this ultimately cost him his position as Jathehdar.

The Jathdhar will never please people because in certain peoples eyes he represented Taksal (where he studied), in others he represented Badal. I personally feel that Singh Sahib jee tried to resolve matters without the Sikh panth's bistee happening and having Sikhs knocking each others dastar off. He had to fight a rogue Jathedhar who is issuing his own hukamnamas and presented his needs for more than one wife, He had Makkar, Badal (junior), Iqbal Singh and Sant samaj holding meetings deciding that changes need to be made regarding the maryada and nanakshai calendar (behind is back while he was in the US), he had to deal with people like kala Afghana, ghagga, etc and he had Prof Darshan Singh who he did not want to call to the Akal Takhat because he was a former jathedhar and it would be bistee on the panth, however the warnings of Singh Sahib jee have been totally ignored. In the 60s,70s,80s and 90s Singh Sahib jee was well known for his research papers and his work with Joginder Singh Talwara on Gurbani, the past 8 years however have made people forget all his work. Petty poltics and tu tu maih maih is all the Singh Sahib has to deal with these days.

I felt Singh Sahib Vendati jee could have done things in different ways, however I will not present my views, they can be sent to Singh Sahib jee directly, Im sure I will do the same with Singh Sahib giani gurbachan Singh jee, however when a decision is made by Singh Sahib jee, I feel we should set aside our personal beliefs. I hope Singh Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh jee unites the panth, but I also know that he has an impossible job. He is trying to unite those who dont want to be united. He is trying to lead those who believe they are the leaders, its seems that everyone one feels that Singh Sahib jee has to follow my way or the highway.

Waheguru mehar kari.

[manvir s]

wot exactly has Vedanti done because im just a little ignorant on this issue.

[pulaan haar]

veer ji is right it is a impossible job.

Like most of the posters on this web site, i didnt have a very high opinion of Vedanti. However as he held one of the highet position in the sikh panth at the same level as the pope I think he deserved our respect.

i had the oportunity to meet Vedanti last year and share some dialogue with him. even though I didnt agree with alot of things he said he did make some valid points.

The main point being, what power to change things does he really have. Before some of you jump on me, think about it. If he issues a hukamnama who acually police's it. The biggest example I can give, when bhai Ranjit singh issued the hukamnama about not sitting on chairs to eat langar, who actually complies to it. We all know of various gurdwara where they still sit on tables and chairs, but we all know the hukumnama. So how many of us actually try to enforce it. And the veers and sisters that try to enforce it are accused of being trouble causers.

He has no power of how money is spent and on what, that responsibility replies with the SGPC.

The various jathabandis try and push there own agendas and when he goes against one he is then accused of being a govenment or badal agent.

Untill badal is dead and the sgpc comes under the fold of the panth not the akali daal the panth and sikhi will continue to take a downward turn in the punjaab.

[Into the Light]

Untill badal is dead and the sgpc comes under the fold of the panth not the akali daal the panth and sikhi will continue to take a downward turn in the punjaab.

thats just it...Badal's death will not result in the panth taking control over SGPC...the fact is that SGPC & Badal are controlled by BJP...Badal's death will make no difference what so ever...our institutions are controlled by the Malech

[Moorak]

Does anyone remember seeing Giani Gurbachan Singh Ji at the Birmingham Sanjha Smagam??

is this the same Giani Ji who has now become the Jathedar??

Vedanti quits, Gurbachan Singh to be Takht Jathedar

Kurukshetra, August 5

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) that assembled here today accepted the resignation submitted by Akal Takht Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti and appointed Giani Gurbachan Singh, head granthi of Harmandar Sahib, as president of the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs.

The meeting of the SGPC was held at Gurdwara Sri Hargobind Sahib and was presided over by Avtar Singh Makkar and attended by 13 of the 15 members. Vedanti had yesterday submitted his resignation to SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur and executive member Rajinder Singh Mehta, in which he cited health reasons for resigning from the post.

The resignation was today read out by Makkar before the SGPC members and was accepted by 11 of the 13 members present during the meeting. Karnail Singh Panjoli and Gurwinder Singh raised objections against the resignation, alleging that Vedanti was being forced to resign as SAD chief Prakash Singh Badal wished so. Bhajan Kaur and Santok Singh did not attend the meeting.

Panjoli alleged that Vedanti had fallen off the good books of Badal for his having raised the demand for a separate state for the Sikhs during his recent visit to the US and for having asked Sikh MPs to support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the N-deal issue in Parliament.

Panjoli said the manner in which Vedanti had been “forced to resign” without having been allowed time to put up his point of view was unacceptable.

Makkar told The Tribune that Vedanti had stated in his resignation that due to ill-health he was unable to continue as Akal Takht Jathedar and had requested the SGPC to appoint the next Jathedar of the Takht.

He said it had been decided to appoint Giani Gurbachan Singh as Akal Takht Jathedar and he would be sworn in on August 7 in the presence of various Sikh organisations.

He, however, refused to divulge the reasons behind Vedanti’s resignation.

Vedanti had been appointed Jathedar of Akal Takht in 2000. Recently, he came under attack from a number of Sikh organisations for his having failed to handle the Sikh-dera row with a “strong hand”.

[Mike Singh]

From sewadar to Akal Takht chief

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 5

Head granthi of the Golden Temple, Giani Gurbachan Singh, who has been appointed officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht, joined the SGPC as “sewadar” on February 29, 1972, at Darbar Sahib, Muktsar. In 36 years, his rise to head the temporal Sikh religious seat is indeed a remarkable achievement.

Born on April 6, 1948, in Chakk Baja village (Muktsar), the home district of the Chief Minister, Giani Gurbachan Singh is a confidant of the Badal family. Like outgoing Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti and former high priest Giani Puran Singh, he is under-matriculate. Though Giani Gurbachan Singh, also a relative of Jathedar Vedanti, will be installed Jathedar on August 7, a number of Sikh organisations have criticised the SGPC and the SAD for ignoring the age-old Sikh Maryada connected with the installation.In 1996 Giani Gurbachan Singh was promoted from sewadar to granthi and katha vachak and then in 2004 head granthi of the Golden Temple.

He had been transferred from Muktsar to Dhamdhan gurdwara (Jind), Haryana, following a complaint of presenting siropa (robe of honour) to then home minister Buta Singh, during the period of his excommunication from the Sikh Panth. However, he was transferred back to Darbar Sahib after he clarified the siropa was actually presented to Joginder Singh Mann, a former Congress minister, who then handed it over to his uncle (Buta Singh).

Jathedar for consensus on major issues

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 5

"I will attempt a consensual approach in dealing with different issues facing the Sikh panth,” said the newly appointed Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh, while talking to mediapersons here today.

In his first-ever interview after being appointed the Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh spoke on an optimistic note on decisions emerging out of the discussions between all takhts on different subjects.

In reply to a question on Dera Sacha Sauda, the Jathedar said he had no information so far about the reported offer of the dera for talks. He said whatever the issue may be, the matter would be discussed on a common platform of the panth before a final decision was taken.

Giani Gurbachan Singh, head Granthi of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, before he was elevated to the coveted post of the Head Priest of Akal Takht, said, "Although I have got no formal intimation regarding my elevation to the post of the Jathedar, I have received several congratulatory messages from various quarters of the Sikh

clergy".