Sehajdhari: Ultimatum To Sgpc

[Azaad]

Amritsar, December 24

An emergency meeting of the Gurmat Sidhant Parchark Sant Samaj, Nihang and Sikh organisations, held at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, Mehta Chowk, 40 km from here, today, served a seven-day ultimatum on the SGPC to withdraw the affidavit on the definition of a Sikh filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The meeting, presided over by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, chief, Damdami Taksal, condemned the SGPC for “distorting” the definition of the Sikh, circumventing the spirit of “Panthic decisions” taken on May 12, 1938 and 1973, which already concluded that only a “Kesadhari” having faith in Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh tenets could be a Sikh.

The meeting cautioned that if the SGPC failed to withdraw the affidavit from the court, they would become party in the court.

What could be an embarrassment to the SGPC is that GS Lamba, Editor of a Sikh monthly, who was one of the six-member panel constituted by the SGPC to draft the definition of a Sikh and Sehajdhari Sikh, also attended the meeting.

The general meeting of Chief Khalsa Diwan, held under the presidentship of Charnjit Singh Chadha and American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC), had already rejected the definition given by the SGPC in the High Court.

Among those who attended the meeting included Baba Daya Singh, Baba Makhan Singh of Taruna Dal, Sukhchain Singh Dharmpura, Baba Sewa Singh Rampur Khera, Baba Parmjit Singh Mahalpur, Baba Avtar Singh Badhni Kalan, Baba Balbir Singh and Bhag Singh Ankhi, Secretary Chief Khalsa Diwan.

[Sarbat da Pala]

Any solutions of these meetings? I mean what was the solution?

[S1ngh]

There will never be any solution to this/such problems as majority of our people are not following the simple basic foundation of sikhi, which is keeping unshorn hair.

This issue will go back and forth and after few days this issue will get buried without any strong outcome.

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

Also see:

http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showto...mp;#entry385297

[Azaad]

Sehajdhari Issue

SGPC to file fresh affidavit in court

Challenges HC locus standi in Sikh matters

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

Amritsar , December 28

In a volte-face, the emergency meeting of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee executive committee today decided to stick to the definition of Sikh mentioned in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 according to which only a Kesadhari could be a ‘Sehajdhari’.

The meeting, chaired by by SGPC chief Avtar Singh also decided to constitute a three- member committee comprising of Raghujit Singh Virk, Kewal Singh Badal and Rajinder Singh Mehta , senior vice-president, junior vice- president and executive committee member respectively to fix responsibility of those responsible for submitting ‘distorted’ definition of ‘Sehajdharii in Punjab and Haryana High Court. The three-member Inquiry committee would submit the report to the SGPC president within two days for taking strict action against the erring officials.

The affidavit was filed by Harbeant Singh, secretary, SGPC who had been in the news for getting job on the basis of ‘fake certificate’ of matriculation. Though he (Harbeant Singh) was sacked during the tenure of the presidentship of Gurcharn Singh Tohra but he was re-instated after his (Tohra’s) death.

After the meeting, SGPC president said the Shiromani Committee would also challenge the locus standi of the Court to ‘interfere’ in the internal matters of the Sikhs. The SGPC president said as per Sikh Gurdwara Act the Sehajdhari is a person who performs ceremonies according to Sikh rites; who does not use tobacco or kutha (halal meat) in any form. The Act further reads Sehajdhari is a person who is not a ‘Patit’ (apostate) and who can recite ‘Mul Manter’. The Sikh Gurdwara Act further says ‘Patit’ means a person who being a Kesadhari Sikh trims or shaves his beard or Keshas or who after taking Amrit commits any ‘Kurhits’.

President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) Paramjit Singh Sarna sought resignation of the SGPC chief for submitting wrong definition of the Sehajdhari in the HC. However, the SGPC chief alleged Sarna had been openly supporting the Congress party which was responsible for Delhi riots and Operation Bluestar. On the other hand, the DSGMC president said the Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Sukhbir Singh Badal had alliance with the BJP which instigated Indira Gandhi, the then PM to launch Bluestar as mentioned in the political biography of L.K.Advani, PM candidate of the BJP.

‘Religion not subject to adjudication’

Chandigarh: Religion or belief is something personal and individual, says Tarlochan Singh, MP, urging the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, to withdraw its affidavit from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

“Normally, the courts should not intervene in such matters as religion is something individual and personal and a direction or order of a court cannot distinguish between a Sikh and a non-Sikh,” argues Tarlochan Singh, a former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities.

Bhai Nand Lal and Bhai Ghanaya were people who held their belief in Sikhism though technically they never embraced Sikhism. “If someone has belief in Sikhism, no one has any right to challenge him or her belief. As such it is no matter for legal adjudication,” adds Tarlochan Singh.

Except for Sikhism, no other faith is linked to organisation. “To be members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or voters in gurdwaras election is something different than being a Sikh or to having firm belief in Sikhism. But determining someone’s religion based on a legal adjudication is unwarranted and totally uncalled for.” — TNS

[Punjabi_Link]

Can someone here define "Sehajhari" to me?

[moorakh mugadh]

there is nothing like sehajdhari veerji,either we are sikhs or some other religion"either be a muslim or hindu or chritan " they dont keep kes ,there is nothing like in between..if we keep kes and keep our rehat we are sikhs because we go according to what guru Nanak has said us...

[Singh, Mahan]

Sehajdhari Imbroglio: Sikh History Board Director Anurag Singh Resigns

http://www.worldsikhnews.com/24%20December...20Imbroglio.htm

AMRITSAR: The World Sikh News exposé of the sinister move by some vested interests entrenched inside the SGPC has claimed one more wicket. Sikh History Research Board Director Anurag Singh, who was one of the seven experts and who had refused to sign the correct and Panthic version of the Sehajdhari Sikh’s definition, has resigned from his post.

Sources in the SGPC said Anurag Singh was hand picked by SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and was very close to him but sensing the gravity of the deliberate blunder and Anurag’s role in it, Makkar had little option but to ask him to go.

However, sources who have access to the entire inside drama, said Anurag Singh was a minor fry and most of the campaign to get Sehajdharis the right to keep cutting their hair all their lives was being led from behind the curtains by Punjab Advocate General Hardev Singh Mattewal and his son Pavit Mattewal, himself a patit Sikh who is clean shaven and officially a Legal Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal.

The World Sikh News, which led the coverage of the Sehajdhari imbroglio from the front, had brought out earlier how Anurag Singh had distributed an unsigned two paragraph note during the November 26 meeting of the Seven-member expert panel in which he had suggested that “there is no statutory requirement as per the aforementioned definition in 2(10-A) for a Sehajdhari Sikh to keep unshorn hair.”

Among those present at this meeting at Kalgidhar Niwas on November 26 were SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur, Secretary Dalmegh Singh, SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur, Principal of Shaheed Sikh Missionary College Suba Singh, Sikh legislative affairs expert Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba, scholar Jasbir Singh Sabar and Anurag Singh.

These all were members of the expert panel set up by Makkar after the general house empowered the president for it, in order to respond to the High Court directive asking for a definition of the Sehajdhari Sikh.

Throughout the row, Anurag Singh blatantly, and Punjab Advocate General H S Mattewal behind the scenes, were pushing for the line that a Sehajdhari Sikh does not necessarily have to be Keshadhari Sikh. Anurag Singh’s stance was that a Sehajdhari Sikh can take an indefinite time before becoming a Keshadhari Sikh, and only when he once becomes a Keshadhari Sikh, he should not cut his hair.

The controversial definition of Sehajdhari Sikh cleared by the Executive Committee of the SGPC in its December 3 meeting was also drafted by Anurag Singh. It was this formulation that alerted the experts and community affairs specialists since it implied that a Sehajdhari may decide not to become a Keshadhari all his life and thus can keep on cutting his hair and be counted as a Sehajdhari Sikh.

When the media reported this on December 4 morning, many members of the seven member panel were furious and Makkar buckled under this pressure and convened an emergency meeting of the panel on December 4 itself at Amritsar in Guru Nanak Niwas at 2 pm. It was here that the real face of the entire conspiracy was unveiled.

Kiranjot Kaur, Suba Singh, Bhaur and Lamba were vociferous and after many verbal duels, a new formulation was drafted in keeping with the November 26 unanimous decision. This was signed by all the members of the expert panel except Anurag Singh who refused to sign it because it made sure that a Sehajdhari Sikh can in no case be permitted to cut his hair on the grounds that he has so far not become a Keshadhari Sikh.

The WSN is in possession of a copy of this December 4 resolution signed by all expert committee members except Anurag Singh.

nspite of this, when the SGPC affidavit was submitted on December 10 by the SGPC secretary Harbeant Singh in response to the HC’s directive in C.W.P. No. 13282 of 2008-12-10, it said that a Sahajdhari is prohibited from cutting his hair only after he becomes a Keshadhari Sikh. This was again in contradiction to what was decided on December 4.

Asked by the media, Anurag Singh questioned the expertise of the experts, saying, “What do these experts know? They know nothing…As for December 4 meeting, it was only called so that the experts can understand things, but obviously they have not understood anything.”

Now, one is still not very sure whether Anurag Singh himself has understood any or whether he has resigned merely to sulk. On his part, Makkar said the three member committee set up to probe and fix responsibility for filing the wrong affidavit was still to submit its report and a decision on the resignation will only be taken after that.

[khalistan_zindabaad]

bunch of jokers

[Azaad]

Sehajdhari Issue

Sants withdraw ultimatum

Sikh History Research Board director’s resignation accepted

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 2

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today accepted the resignation of Dr Anurag Singh, director, Sikh History Research Board, even as the Sikh Conclave, held in the SGPC complex, here endorsed the decision of the committee to file a fresh affidavit in the Punjab and Haryana High Court with regard to the definition of Sehajdhari.

Talking to The Tribune after the meeting, SGPC president Avtar Singh reiterated that only a Kesadhari could be a Sehajdhari. Meanwhile, the three-member SGPC inquiry committee has decided to meet within a couple of days to fix the responsibility of SGPC officials/office-bearers, responsible for the “wrong” affidavit filed in the High Court.

Meanwhile, the Sant Samaj, headed by Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, decided to withdraw the ultimatum served on the SGPC for withdrawing the affidavit.

However, eyebrows were raised over many Sikh organisations, including Sikh Missionary College, Gurmat Missionary College and Akal Purkh Ki Fauj, not being invited to the conclave.

Among those who attended today’s meeting were Sikh high priests, representatives of the Damdami Taksal and Chief Khalsa Dewan, headed by Charnjit Singh Chadda, both factions of Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Sikh Babas.

Earlier, Dr Anurag Singh had challenged the formation of the inquiry committee that included the SGPC member who had enforced amendment in the affidavit filed in the High Court. However, Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh said the SGPC must take stern action against the “big fish” responsible for the “Sehajdhari muddle” since accepting of the resignation of Dr Anurag Singh was just an eyewash.

Earlier on December 28, in a volte-face, an emergency meeting of the SGPC executive committee had decided to stick to the definition of Sikh mentioned in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 according to which only a Kesadhari could be a Sehajdhari.

The representatives of the organisations, who attended the conclave, appreciated the decision of the SGPC to challenge the locus standi of the court to ‘interfere’ in the internal matters of the Sikhs. They also endorsed that as per Sikh Gurdwara Act, the Sehajdhari is a person who performs ceremonies according to Sikh rites; who does not use tobacco or kutha (halal meat) in any form. The act further reads Sehajdhari is a person who is not a patit (apostate) and who can recite ‘mul mantar’. The Sikh Gurdwara Act further says patit means a person who being a Kesadhari Sikh trims or shaves his beard or hair or who after taking Amrit commits any kurhits.