On Amritpal Singh’s ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ Call, Top Sikh Body’s Rejoinder

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) stated on Friday that the convening of a “sarbat khalsa” congregation is the only prerogative of the Akal Takht leader after fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh sought this kind of assembly to speak about problems regarding the Sikh community.

In his  video messages that surfaced on social media on Wednesday and Thursday, Amritpal Singh requested the jathedar (leader) of the Akal Takht, the excellent temporal frame of Sikhs, to name “sarbat khalsa” — a congregation of the faithful.

He additionally appealed to the jathedar to take out a “khalsa vaheer” (spiritual procession) from the Akal Takht in Amritsar to the Damdama Sahib in Bathinda and maintain the congregation there on Baisakhi day.

Responding to the demands, SGPC widespread secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal instructed PTI, “It is the private want of Amritpal Singh…. To name or now no longer to name `sarbat khalsa’ is the only prerogative of Akal Takht jathedar and nobody else.” Since the jathedar is main the Sikh community, he’s taking every selection with deep concept observed through the reviews of Sikh pupils and intellectuals, Mr Grewal stated.

“The jathedar might see what desires to be executed withinside the mild of winning circumstances…. There isn’t anyt any doubt that many Sikhs who’re near Amritpal Singh have been arrested beneathneath the National Security Act which is likewise a depend of grave concern,” he stated.

Jathedar Harpreet Singh had in advance issued an ultimatum to the Punjab authorities to launch the Sikh youths picked up at some point of the crackdown in opposition to Amritpal Singh and his Waris Punjab De outfit that started out on March 18.

The Punjab authorities had knowledgeable the Akal Takht that the majority the human beings taken into preventive custody at some point of the crackdown — 348 out of 360 — have now been released.

Mr Grewal stated, “Recently there has been a meeting of one hundred Sikh companies at Akal Takht on the decision of the jathedar on March 27. The sole time table of the collection become to speak about the scenario which evolved after the police crackdown. After the marathon assembly, the jathedar reached a logical end and gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Punjab authorities to launch Sikh youths who have been arrested at some point of the police crackdown, and the effect become significant.” Radical preacher and Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh stays untraceable for the reason that March 18, while he gave police the slip in Jalandhar, switching vehicles and converting appearances.

The cause for the police crackdown become the assault at the Ajnala police station remaining month through him and his supporters, a number of them brandishing firearms, to stable the discharge of an arrested man. Six police employees have been injured.

Meanwhile, on Amritpal Singh soliciting for the jathedar to name a “sarbat khalsa”, Sikh student Baljinder Singh stated, “It can not be known as at the want of an individual.” He, however, stated if the jathedar has to name a “sarbat khalsa”, he has to achieve this after a chain of conferences with Sikh pupils and intellectuals and notice whether or not it’s miles wanted or now no longer.

“The gift function of jathedar is performing jathedar as he become appointed through the SGPC…,” Baljinder Singh quipped.

It can be cited right here that the remaining “sarbat khalsa” become hung on February 16, 1986 while Gyani Kirpal Singh become the jathedar of the Akal Takht. Before that, the SGPC government committee in its assembly on January 28, 1986 had raised the call for for it.

“Sarbat khalsa” become additionally known as  different instances through radical Sikhs via their self-styled jathedars in 1986 and 2015.