Post by Gurtej Singh on Mar 19, 2004 1:10:47 GMT
On February 5, 2004, the so called ‘five Singh Sahiban’ met somewhere near the
Akal Takhat at Sri Amritsar and decided to withdraw the title ‘Professor of Sikhism’<br>
Conferred upon me by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) on
October 30/November 1, 1982. It was purely an honour without any financial benefit in
any shape or form.
According to my understanding of Sikh affairs, the self-styled ‘Singh Sahiban’ are
busy forging a strong chain to bind the Sikhs head and foot for the benefit of the masters
of their political masters. The aim of the whole exercise is to spread unholy fear of the
holy Akal Takhat with view to enslaving the Sikh people, not withstanding the fact that
the Takhat was created to make the Sikhs fearless and free under God. Adding another
link to the chain, they have usurped the right to withdraw any honour conferred upon any
Sikh by any other body or institution. On March 10, 2004, they met again and arbitrated
upon compensation to be given to Mr. Avtar Singh Hit of Delhi. They gave him (1.30
crores) one fourth of the sum demanded by him from an institution in Delhi. Those who
have eyes to see must sit up and be alarmed. The Polit-Bureau of ‘Five Singhs’ is
threatening to control all aspects of Sikh life, spiritual and mundane, without any
theological or temporal authorisation of any kind.
As regards the withdrawing of my title, I wish to bring the following to the notice of
the Guru Khalsa Panth:
1. In May 2003, the then president of the SGPC Mr. Kirpal Singh Badungar floated
the theory that the title had never been conferred upon me. The relevant papers of
the SGPC were supplied to the Press to prove that Mr. Badungar was telling a
white lie.
2. Then on about half a dozen occasions Mr. Manjit Singh Calcutta told the print and
visual Media that my title was being withdrawn. First it was said that it would be
withdrawn by the ‘Five Singhs’. Then it was said the executive committee of the
SGPC would do the job and then that the general house of the SGPC would carry
out the command of Mr. Calcutta. The meetings of all these bodies took place and
the scheduled did not happen.
3. So eventually Mr. Calcutta was able to persuade his willing slaves to do the
hatchet-man’s job. Hence this decision of February 5, 2004.
4. This title was conferred upon me when I had merely written a few dozen articles
to propound the Sikh faith. During the two decades of my bearing the title I wrote
nearly a dozen books (eight published) and several scores of articles to discharge
my duties efficiently. During the last 21 years there was not even a shadow of a
suggestion that any of my books or articles ran counter to the Guru’s Word or was
in any way harmful to the Guru Khalsa Panth. Then came this commando action
of February 5, 2004. Before it happened there was no suggestion that it was even
on the agenda.
5. To my mind this has been done to prevent me from exposing the shameful and
cowardly nexus between the politician and the ‘priest’ to enslave and control the
Sikh mind by spreading irrational religious fear and promoting Brahmanical
superstition through the popularisation of spurious texts such as Gurbilas
Patshahi 6, edited by Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti. The end aim of the exercise
is to obtain an open licence to exploit the people, religiously, politically and, of
course, economically.
6. I thank the people for the honour that was conferred upon me on their behalf. I
thank them for the co-operation extended and the kindness showered upon me by
all concerned. I deny that the ‘Five Singhs’ or any other coterie of the illintentioned,
have any authority to withdraw the title given by another institution.
I, however, have had enough and hereby relinquish the title. It was only for regard
and esteem in which I hold the Guru Khalsa Panth that I did not relinquish it
earlier although a sordid controversy of sorts was raised about it and I was
severely tempted to do so several times.
7. Lastly, I assure those who understand my role that I will ever and ever continue to
resist the attempts at enslaving the eternally free Khalsa. Absolute freedom of
spirit is the essence of the message of Guru Granth, a valuable gift of the Gurus to
humanity. It is the ideal defended by the Akal Takhat since its creation and an
integral part of the dream of ‘a brave new world’ conceived of by the best minds
produced by humankind.
(Gurtej Singh)
[Post Script (not for publication): I was attending to my mother who was very ill for
about the last forty days. I could not have issued my reaction earlier than this. It was also
because the act of withdrawal of my title was so grossly absurd that I could not make up
my mind to react to it until today. Nevertheless, I apologise to my brothers and sisters of
the Media for reacting so late. -G. S.]
Akal Takhat at Sri Amritsar and decided to withdraw the title ‘Professor of Sikhism’<br>
Conferred upon me by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) on
October 30/November 1, 1982. It was purely an honour without any financial benefit in
any shape or form.
According to my understanding of Sikh affairs, the self-styled ‘Singh Sahiban’ are
busy forging a strong chain to bind the Sikhs head and foot for the benefit of the masters
of their political masters. The aim of the whole exercise is to spread unholy fear of the
holy Akal Takhat with view to enslaving the Sikh people, not withstanding the fact that
the Takhat was created to make the Sikhs fearless and free under God. Adding another
link to the chain, they have usurped the right to withdraw any honour conferred upon any
Sikh by any other body or institution. On March 10, 2004, they met again and arbitrated
upon compensation to be given to Mr. Avtar Singh Hit of Delhi. They gave him (1.30
crores) one fourth of the sum demanded by him from an institution in Delhi. Those who
have eyes to see must sit up and be alarmed. The Polit-Bureau of ‘Five Singhs’ is
threatening to control all aspects of Sikh life, spiritual and mundane, without any
theological or temporal authorisation of any kind.
As regards the withdrawing of my title, I wish to bring the following to the notice of
the Guru Khalsa Panth:
1. In May 2003, the then president of the SGPC Mr. Kirpal Singh Badungar floated
the theory that the title had never been conferred upon me. The relevant papers of
the SGPC were supplied to the Press to prove that Mr. Badungar was telling a
white lie.
2. Then on about half a dozen occasions Mr. Manjit Singh Calcutta told the print and
visual Media that my title was being withdrawn. First it was said that it would be
withdrawn by the ‘Five Singhs’. Then it was said the executive committee of the
SGPC would do the job and then that the general house of the SGPC would carry
out the command of Mr. Calcutta. The meetings of all these bodies took place and
the scheduled did not happen.
3. So eventually Mr. Calcutta was able to persuade his willing slaves to do the
hatchet-man’s job. Hence this decision of February 5, 2004.
4. This title was conferred upon me when I had merely written a few dozen articles
to propound the Sikh faith. During the two decades of my bearing the title I wrote
nearly a dozen books (eight published) and several scores of articles to discharge
my duties efficiently. During the last 21 years there was not even a shadow of a
suggestion that any of my books or articles ran counter to the Guru’s Word or was
in any way harmful to the Guru Khalsa Panth. Then came this commando action
of February 5, 2004. Before it happened there was no suggestion that it was even
on the agenda.
5. To my mind this has been done to prevent me from exposing the shameful and
cowardly nexus between the politician and the ‘priest’ to enslave and control the
Sikh mind by spreading irrational religious fear and promoting Brahmanical
superstition through the popularisation of spurious texts such as Gurbilas
Patshahi 6, edited by Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti. The end aim of the exercise
is to obtain an open licence to exploit the people, religiously, politically and, of
course, economically.
6. I thank the people for the honour that was conferred upon me on their behalf. I
thank them for the co-operation extended and the kindness showered upon me by
all concerned. I deny that the ‘Five Singhs’ or any other coterie of the illintentioned,
have any authority to withdraw the title given by another institution.
I, however, have had enough and hereby relinquish the title. It was only for regard
and esteem in which I hold the Guru Khalsa Panth that I did not relinquish it
earlier although a sordid controversy of sorts was raised about it and I was
severely tempted to do so several times.
7. Lastly, I assure those who understand my role that I will ever and ever continue to
resist the attempts at enslaving the eternally free Khalsa. Absolute freedom of
spirit is the essence of the message of Guru Granth, a valuable gift of the Gurus to
humanity. It is the ideal defended by the Akal Takhat since its creation and an
integral part of the dream of ‘a brave new world’ conceived of by the best minds
produced by humankind.
(Gurtej Singh)
[Post Script (not for publication): I was attending to my mother who was very ill for
about the last forty days. I could not have issued my reaction earlier than this. It was also
because the act of withdrawal of my title was so grossly absurd that I could not make up
my mind to react to it until today. Nevertheless, I apologise to my brothers and sisters of
the Media for reacting so late. -G. S.]