Enough Is Enough
Stop Sacrilege Now, Sikh Panth Sends Clear Message
WSN Bureau
After days of immense patience in the face of highly provocative actions of some sections of the Ravidasia community, the Sikh panth has finally decided to show its resolve and tell the wayward elements that enough is enough.
In a show of unity and a considered approach to converge energies and send a clear message to tricky elements often finding some support from the official Indian establishment, the Sikh clergy, the SGPC, many panthic organisations and saner elements from Ravidasia community have now come together.
At a conclave at village Sarmastpur near Jalandhar, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh made it clear that efforts to take out a portion of the Gurbani from Sri Guru Granth Sahib and to only propagate that portion have gone on for far too long and will not be tolerated any further.
But within 48 hours of the resolute stand taken unitedly by the Akal Takht, the other Sikh Takhts, the SGPC and the panthic organisations, a major section of the Ravidasia fraternity seemed to be seeing the logic. Samaj Bachao Morcha's convenor Sri Gian Chand and other presidium members of the Morcha convened a press conference on Sunday saying they strongly oppose segregating the Bani of Bhagat Ravidass ji from Guru Granth Sahib and it was a nefarious exercise being indulged in by a very small section.
Gian Chand said such an approach will only end up constricting and confining the range of Bhagat Ravidass' message.
Similarly, the Sri Guru Ravidass Sadhu Sampardai Society, the main organization of Sants of the Ravidassia community, also asserted full faith and respect for Sri Guru Granth Sahib and said it was dead against any decision to remove the birs of Guru Granth Sahib from their shrines or deras.
Sources said the message is now reaching those who were leading the movement to displace Guru Granth Sahib from certain shrines. Sampardai Society president Sant Nirmal Dass Jaure Wale said the sants of the society had decided that there could be no getting away from the scripture that preaches egalitarianism and Sarbat Da Bhala and the emancipation of those oppressed by the centuries-old caste system.
Addressing the Sikh sangat on Saturday in the presence of fellow clerics from other Sikh Takhts, the SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, Sant Samaj president Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, Khalsa Action Committee's Bhai Mohkam Singh, AISSF's Karnail Singh PeerMohammad and many senior Akali leaders from different factions, the Akal Takht jathedar took serious note of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at village Moga of Bhogpur town in Jalandhar where some crackpot elements had displaced the bir of Guru Granth Sahib from the palki and instead placed a picture of a Ravidasia self-styled sant.
The sick mind identified
As All India Sikh Students President Karnail Singh PeerMohammad said a particular Congress leader, who was a minister in the erstwhile Amarinder Singh cabinet, was behind the moves of crackpot elements of Ravidasia community, there was much agreement on it. Clearly, Peer Mohammad was naming former minister Chowdhry Jagjit Singh who is known for his communal stance. There seemed to be a general agreement that such a fellow should be immediately sent behind bars to prevent any damage to communal harmony.
Now, sensing the level of rage among the panthic leaders and the Sikh sangat, certain people connected with the Moga gurdwara where sacrilege had happened and who were being named in the episode, approached Damdami Taksal's Bhai Harnam Singh the evening before the conclave on Saturday and said they were in no way connected with the sacrilege and would rather extend cooperation to bring the guilty to book.
Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Bhai Balwant Singh Nandgarh hauled the government over coals saying while those fighting against Sirsa dera's fraudster baba were being arrested and put behind bars, no action was being taken against elements committing sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.
The clarion call to take a stand against those leading a sort of movement to get removed Sri Guru Granth Sahib from Ravidasia shrines and install portraits of controversial leaders of the Sachkhand Ballan dera and recite only the bani of Bhagat Ravidas followed after it became clear that someone needed to talk sense with a measure of firmness to the so-called followers of the Ballan dera.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/26820-enough-is-enough.htmlReference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26820
Former Akal Takht jathedar Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode said it was sad that the SGPC failed to find out the whole truth in Vienna. He said the Akal Takht jathedar should stop looking towards the SGPC or the Akali Dal leadership and should take his own decisions. "The fact remains that in Vienna, the so called self styled Ballan sect followers were indulging in sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and it was this that led to the clash when local Sikhs objected to it," he said.
Now, the Samaj Bachao Morcha's Gian Chand has said he is trying to remove the bitterness among all sides. He said there is now increasing realization that segregating the 40 hymns of Bhagat Ravidass
from rest of the Gurbani was, advertently or inadvertently, negating the importance and relevance of the philosophy of Ravidass.
He said the birs will be brought back at most of the shrines very soon. Sources said the
Ravidasia community leaders in India were feeling the pressure from their NRI counterparts in other countries who were leading the movement to displace the birs. The SGPC, it was suggested, should take the help of NRI Sikhs to counter such pressure. One more suspicious element leading the anti-Sikh charge was the self-styled Ambedkar Sena.
SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur said any further step by anyone who tried to divide the gurbani or take out one portion will not be allowed and will be firmly put in his place.
23 September 2009
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