Preparations For Sarbat Khalsa Underway In Pakistan

[singhbj singh]

Preparations for Sarbat Khalsa underway in Pakistan

AMRITSAR SAHIB (June 23, 2014)The Pakistan Gurdwara Committee has reportedly started to prepare for the proposed Sarbat Khalsa (largest Sikh enclave) at Sri Nanakana Sahib on the occasion of birth anniversary of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the month of November to resolve the row of the Nanakshahi Calendar. For this purpose, the plan has been made to constitute an elected body of Pakistans Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) after a gap of nearly three years.

It has been reported that the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) , parent body of PSGPC , has decided to hold elections of PSGPC within three weeks time under a planned strategy. An elected body of Sikhs would have more authority to call Sarbat Khalsa in Pakistan.

The PSGPC was dissolved about three years ago, and its acting body was working under the headship of Sardar Sham Singh. ETPB secretary, Azhar Sulehari, has confirmed the elections of PSGPC would be held in the near future. He mentioned that the elections should help Sikhs manage their local affairs in a better way.

In Amritsar, appointed Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Gurbachan Singh, has announced that only the SGPC has rights to call Sarbat Khalsa.

Source - http://www.sikh24.com/2014/06/platform-begins-to-prepare-in-pakistan-to-pave-the-way-for-sarbat-khalsa/#.U6hzwMsayK0

[kharkusingh1996]

Even thought I respect Gian Gurbachan Singh he is being kept silent on big Sikh issues so a sarbat khalsa has to happen not in just Pakistan but over the whole world.

[chatanga]

a sarbat khalsa has to happen not in just Pakistan but over the whole world.

I like the idea of that.

I am not sure on who can "call" the Sarbat Khalsa, but Im glad the Pakistani Sikhs are doing it. First it has irked the SGPC who dont give a fig about the Pakistani Sikhs anyway, and also because I'm glad the Pakistani Sikhs are getting more vocal and aware of their huge responsibility towards saving Sikhi or whatever little of it remains in Pakistan.

Even in todays times, Im meeting Sikhs who dont know about the pakistan connection, but hopefully this will change.

The Pakistan Sikhs need your support.

[proactive]

A Sarbat Khalsa technically means the 'entire' Khalsa so calling one for just one particular country and one particular issue may seem at odds with traditional understanding of a Sarbat Khalsa but in this day and age there is nothing stopping a Sarbat Khalsa using the technology available such as skype so that representatives of say the American Gurdwara council or UK Sikh Council as well as scholars from India who are not under the thumb of the SGPC from taking part and giving this Sarbat Khalsa a wider representation.

Any action which limits the power of the SGPC is good in my view because if the SGPC members and Jathedars are happy to act as Badal's chamchas and keep silent on or even sabotage Panthic issues then they deserve to be sidelined. When people holding positions of power in the Panth find that they are not being respected and are being sidelined that is when they start to act. Only the power of the common Sikhs as shown in the Rajoana protests which forced the Badals to fight to save Rajoana's live can make the SGPC and Jathedars act in favour of the Panth.

The recent elections in Punjab showed that millions of Panthic votes when to the AAP and these voters refused to be swayed by the appeal to vote for the Panth (Badals) and this is why the Akalis have suddenly started to make pro-Panth statements. Similarly for the SGPC along with the Sarbat Khalsa the possible creation of a Haryana Gurdwara committee will hurt the SGPC and the Jathedars. This can only be a good thing.

The Sikhs outside India need to stop running to the SGPC or Akal Takht and create local institutions which are responsive to and understand their needs.

[chatanga]

Similarly for the SGPC along with the Sarbat Khalsa the possible creation of a Haryana Gurdwara committee will hurt the SGPC and the Jathedars. This can only be a good thing.

It can be a bad thing, if the Sikhs there are congress sikhs. they are not a better alternative to the current lot. The congress party has been the main suppport for the haryana sgpc. The congress were the main instigators in Talhan Gurdwara.

In Pakistan or the western world, yes, but you have to be careful in india, on splitting up the SGPC. The DSGPC is a prime example of the road we don't want to go down again

[chatanga]

look at this. it horrifies me.

http://sikhsangat.org/2014/will-restore-gurdwara-in-lahore-sarna/

[Jonny101]

It can be a bad thing, if the Sikhs there are congress sikhs. they are not a better alternative to the current lot. The congress party has been the main suppport for the haryana sgpc. The congress were the main instigators in Talhan Gurdwara.

In Pakistan or the western world, yes, but you have to be careful in india, on splitting up the SGPC. The DSGPC is a prime example of the road we don't want to go down again

After breaking of the Punjab into Haryana and HImachal. The central government gave it's assurance that the same will not happen to the SGPC. Firstly, we need to understand the SGPC was created with great sacrifices. Literally hundreds of Sikhs were beaten to death during the morchas to liberate the Gurdwaras and Lakhs were put jail. Since it was created, the SGPC has been the only strong Sikh institution of the Sikhs to the annoyance of the central government. When Punjab was divided, the central government has always tried to break the SGPC into regional outfits. Look at who is the backing the separation of Haryana from SGPC? it is the central government. Breaking a house is very easy, but putting the pieces back is very difficult.

We are only thinking short term. Breaking Haryana from SGPC will be a step backward for us. That's almost like saying when ever Khalistan is made and let's say if (by misfortune) we have a corrupt Badal type politician in control, is the solution to this problem the further break up of Khalistan in order to hurt that corrupt politician? no way! solution would be to take back control! Similarly Solution is not to break SGPC but to liberate SGPC from the Badals and bring it in the hands of Panthic minded Gursikhs. Once that is achieved, the next step is to bring reforms in the structure to insure that unscrupulous corrupt politicians do not come back in control of the command structure of this institution.

[dashmesh1984]

noone is going to take this sarbat khalsa serisouly....also sarbat khalsa should happen at amritsar and they should dismantle sgpc.....

[Jonny101]

and they should dismantle sgpc.....

Why dismantle? Why not take control of it and reform it so it serves the panth instead of self serving polititions? Its the democratic election system that needs to be dismantled which elects these corrupt polititions in the sgpc

[chatanga]

and they should dismantle sgpc.....

who is "they"?

look at this situation realistically, the Sarbat Khalsa of 1986 dissolved the SGPC, and still the SGPC survived that. You think the Panthic vote is stroniger now than in 1986?

Think positive, of actions that can bear fruit, not just wild thinking which is of no consequence.