Appointment of non-Sikh Administrator for Takht Hazur Sahib a conspiracy to dilute separate Sikh identity: Sukhbir Badal

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal today came down heavily against the appointment of a non-Sikh as administrator of the sacred Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib and called it “ a part of a dangerous ideological assault on the separate Sikh identity. This is a continuation of the persistent attacks on and interference in the internal religious affairs of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee ( SGPC).”

In separate letters to the Prime MInister Sh Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Sh Amit Shah , Mr Badal called for immediate reversal of the decision and for appointment of “a Pooran Gur Sikh” ( a fully practicing Sikh) from among the bureaucrats as as administrator of the Takhat associated with the founder of the Khalsa Panth, Sahib Shri guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj” He also urged the Govts of India and Maharashtra to show greater sensitivity to Sikh sentiments.

Mr Badal also launched a frontal broadside against what he called “ paid pipers of the anti Sikh forces who are working as stooges of whoever is in power, except the Panthic political forces .They will make only muffled ritual noises against non-Sikh and anti-Sikh forces. But they reserve all their venom and lung power against the SGPC and the SAD. The role assigned to them by their masters is to create confusion among Sikh masses and target and weaken Panthic organisations and institutions, particularly the SGPC.

They are obeying their non-Sikh masters in the designs to weaken the hard earned religious autonomy of the Sikh institutions, and supreme and elected religious parliament of the Sikhs, the SGPC, is their main target. For all, this have been promised “a share of spoils because that is how they look at our Gurdhams while for the Sikh masses, the SGPC and the SAD, it is matter of humble service with devout devotion.”

He said that the Sikh Sangat “spearheaded by the SGPC and the SAD won’t allow these conspiracies to succeed “

He said that the decision “ rubs salt into the already deep and festering wounds of the Khalsa Panth. Could they not find a single Sikh in the country to replace S Parvinder Singh Pasricha even if at all he had to be replaced? Does the govt want to show that the Sikhs themselves cannot manage their own religious affairs and that the governments will always interfere in our sacred religious matters with sheer arrogance and insensitivity?” said Mr Badal.

The Akali chief also said that with this step “the dangerous cat behind the attack on SGPC image and autonomy is finally out. ”A full scale assault on Sikh philosophy and practices is visible in the attack on Sikh institutions especially against the SGPC.”

“This is not a one-off stray appointment casually made. This is being seen by the Sikh masses as a part of the attempts being made to dilute and destroy Sikh principles, Sikh view and way of life, Sikh religious practices and, most seriously, the Gur Maryada bequeathed to us by the great Guru Sahiban”

The SAD chief said that already there was “a growing resentment in the Sikh masses against what is seen as the on-going conspiracy to snatch and destroy the unique and separate religious ideology and identity of the Sikh quom by forcibly usurping control of Sikh religious institutions. This decision as well as attacks on SGPC were parts of that conspiracy.”

The Akali Chief said that “ this brazen outrage has very dangerous symbolism’ as it by passes the whole Sikh community in the community’s own religious affairs. “Appointing a non-Sikh as administrator of the Takhat Shri Huzoor Sahib is bound to be seen as a daylight and forcible capture of our sacred Gurdhams,” said the Akali chief in a statement here this evening.”

Mr Badal said that the govt is tryng to achieve through deceit what they could not achieve through a full scale army operation, rolling guns and tanks into Sachkahnd Sri Harmandar Sahib”.