Protest Against Darshan Ragi In California

[Panthic Updates]

Sangat Barred from Gurudwaras as Protests Took Place Against Prof. Darshan Singh

FRESNO, California. Sikh Sangat from all over California converged on Fresno County to protest against excommunicated Professor Darshan Singh Ragi's blasphemous anti-Sikh sermons this past weekend. Ragi Darshan Singh was invited to speak at Gurdwara Singh Sahib (Dakota St., Fresno), Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society (Gurdwara Sahib, Selma, CA) and Pacific Coast Khalsa Diwan Society (Caruthers, CA) from March 4th to 6th, in open defiance to the Akal Takht's January 2010's Hukamnama ousting the Ragi from the Sikh faith.

In an attempt to avoid tension and conflict among the Sikh community, committee members of the above Gurdwaras were approached ahead of time and requested to cancel the programs of the excommunicated preacher. A meeting was held on February 20, 2010 with Selma Gurudwara Committee, on February 25 with Sikh Council of Central California and Caruthers Gurudwara committee and February 27 with representatives of Dakota Gurudwara Sahib. All of these meetings were attended by at least 50 members of the local Sikh Community, who requested the committees to not invite the excommunicated preacher. Presidents of all three Gurudwaras, namely Gurinder Narain, Charanjit Batth and Rajbir Pannu were made aware of the situation in advance. In addition, announcements were made on public radio stations to shed light on Ragi's activities and his no longer being a Sikh per the Akal Takht's Hukamnama. However, all these appeals were rebuffed by the committees, which marched forth hosting the Ragi and his hate-filled propaganda while openly flaunting their defiance to the Akal Takht Sahib and its Hukamnama against the Ragi.

In lieu of the impending blasphemy, a meeting was held at Gurudwara Gur Nanak Parkash Fresno, where the Sikh Sangat decided to seek Guru Granth Sahib Ji's guidance. The Sangat performed Ardas and took a Hukamnama from Guru Granth Sahib Ji. In accordance with Guru Sahib's Hukamnama, it was decided unanimously that the Sangat would resort to peaceful demonstrations to show solidarity with Akal Takht Sahib's mandate forbidding the excommunicated Ragi to speak at Gurdwaras and peacefully oppose the venomous propaganda of the Ragi, which mocks Gurbani along with Sikh values and beliefs.

The Fresno Police Department, SWAT team, The Fresno County Sheriff's Department and private armed security were deployed at all of the Gurudwaras prior to protestors even being present. Security officials were well equipped with firearms, including shotguns and tasers and were deployed strategically at the behest of the committee members. All individuals entering the Gurudwaras were screened for entry by committee members and entry was only permitted to committee supporters. When the protestors questioned the security as to whether they would be allowed to enter, the security guard responded "No". This is in blatant violation of a Gurudwara's Maryada, which requires that the Gurudwara be open to all. Those who were not familiar to the committee, especially those with turbans and free flowing beards, were made to stand at the gates by the security guards for minutes at a time for a committee member to scrutinize and make a decision as to whether to allow entry or not. Rajbir Beasla, trustee board member of Dakota Gurudwara told the members of the Sikh Sangat to not enter the premises as the Gurudwara was his personal property.

The story was same at Selma and Caruthers Gurudwara, where entry was again denied to anybody sporting the full Sikh identity and not recognized by the committee members. Even a Selma-based supporter of Ragi Darshan Singh, who was wearing a round turban and full beard, was also not allowed inside the Gurudwara initially because of his appearance. Only after much pleading and assurance that he supported the notorious Ragi was he finally allowed to attend the blasphemous propaganda. The protestors displayed signs and banners exposing the Ragi and his anti-Sikh views while chanting Gurbani as they expressed their views in a peaceful manner.

The Caruthers Committee crossed all limits when they tried to stop the peaceful protestors from singing Gurbani by using speakers to play loud, lecherous Punjabi music at the protestors from the Gurudwara premises. English music was also heard playing from the Gurudwara Sahib amplifier. Several of the youth supporting the Ragi were also heard and seen verbally assaulting the peaceful demonstrators from inside the Gurudwara. The protestors were threatened by the committee members, saying that no protester would return home alive. Sadly, physical abuse did take place as one Chamkaur Singh, a staunch supporter of the Ragi, pushed a protestor thinking the police had turned a blind eye towards the event. However, Fresno County Deputy Sheriffs took notice of this incident. Earlier, Chamkaur Singh had told the police to ask the protestors to remove their Kirpans. The Kirpan is an inseparable component of the Sikh identity and a required article of the Sikh faith.

The Ragi delivered controversial discourses from the Gurdwaras misleading the Guru's Sadh Sangat. Several Sikhs who were attending the Ragi's venomous propaganda took notice of the Ragi's lies and decided to join the protestors outside. It should be noted that protestors included children and adults, men and women, Amrtitdhari and non-Amritdhari, who expressed extreme distress over the Ragi's sermons. The Ragi went as far as labeling the protestors as "stinking and smelly", and categorized them as members of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, a right-wing Hindu organization which is in fact supported by associates of the Ragi.

At the conclusion of the protests, the Sangat offered prayers and Ardas before Guru Granth Sahib Ji for the countless blessing and support at these protests and for the overall peaceful outcome, despite the inciting and outright intimidation of the blasphemous committee members of the Gurudwaras that hosted the Ragi.

All four protests remained peaceful and with the Guru's blessings. Even though protestors carried simple megaphones, the sounds of roaring Jakaras and Chants of the Chaupai Sahib resonated through the air in open protest to the Ragi's blasphemy taking place inside the Gurudwaras. Protestors collected signatures of the Sikh Sangat and will be sending them to Akal Takht Sahib requesting the guilty committee members to be summoned for clarification and punishment, as is outlined in the Akal Takht Hukamnama against the Ragi.

Courtesy: www.khalsawatch.com

Click here to see the pictures from the protest

[11Gurus1Jot]

If you want publicise this guilty committee who are breaking and going against the Akal Takht Hukamnama here's some media you could contact. It will get you support from around the world:

Sky 840 Sikh Channel Mob 07932 828 200 Tel 0121 380 1050 info@sikhchannel.tv

Sky 847 Sangat TV Tel 0121 760 0000 email info@sangattrust.org

Sky 848 Sikh TV Mob 07574 779935 Tel 0121 761 1313 email info@thesikhtv.com

Sky 0150 Sukh Sagar Radio (tel 0208 571 7200 or 0208 813 900 info@sukhsagarradio.com

Sky 0716 Amrit Bani Radio (tel 020 8606 9292/9595) info@amritbani.com

[VanHelsingh]

What is Darshan Ragi's problem? I use to think he was a respected parcharak when I was a kid. Why is he saying the protestors are RSS when people are accusing him of being RSS?

[11Gurus1Jot]

Because he is RSS himself ! It's the oldest one in the book!

[Singh559]

What is Darshan Ragi's problem? I use to think he was a respected parcharak when I was a kid. Why is he saying the protestors are RSS when people are accusing him of being RSS?

A lot of people did, he's corrupted or he has gone crazy. I hope it is he is losing it from old age.