CHANDIGARH: The Takht Patna Sahib (one of the five supreme temporal seats of Sikhs) has withdrawn all previous edicts that had declared Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and the jathedars (high priests) of Akal Takht and Takht Damdama Sahib guilty of religious misconduct.
A letter sent by Takht Patna Sahib withdrawing all previous edicts was accepted, and subsequently, the Akal Takht also withdrew edicts declaring three members of the Takht Patna Sahib 'tankhaiya'.
Sources said that a meeting of Sikh clergy (five Sikh high priests) was held on Monday at the Secretariat of Akal Takht in the golden temple complex at Amritsar which was headed by Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargaj to resolve the ongoing standoff between Akal Takht and Takht Patna Sahib, thus all the issues were discussed and resolved with mutual understanding and cooperation.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jathedar Kuldeep Singh Gargajj said that on July 12, a letter was sent by the president Jagjot Singh and general secretary Inderjit Singh of Takht Patna Sahib Management Committee requesting Akal Takht to review the decisions taken in context with the Takht.
In the letter the management of Takht Patna Sahib had expressed full submission to the supreme authority of Akal Takht and pledged continued allegiance in the future.
They stated that for the ‘panthic’ unity and larger interests of the Khalsa, they had requested Gargaj to review the decisions and demanded more time to present their side.
To deliberate on the contents of the letter, a meeting of the Sikh clergy was convened on Monday. In this, earlier resolutions passed during meetings of five high priests on May 21 and July 5 were reconsidered in light of panthic unity, the broader interests of the community and necessary amendments were made accordingly.
Gargaj further said that simultaneously, the Takht Patna Sahib also convened a meeting and accepted the supreme authority of Akal Takht.
"They decided to withdraw the resolutions passed on May 21 and July 5 by Takht Patna Sahib," he said.
Gargaj announced that the five high priests at Akal Takht, on May 21, had passed a decree stopping ‘panthic’ services of Head Granthi of Takht Patna Sahib Bhai Baldev Singh and additional head Granthi Gurdial Singh, stood cancelled today.
Former Takht Patna Sahib Jathedar Giani Ranjit Singh Gauhar was directed to withdraw the case filed against the management committee of Takht Patna Sahib.
He ordered the president and general secretary of the management committee of Takht Patna Sahib to pay all pending dues of Gauhar.
Gargaj added that it is heartening that the recent discord between the two Takhts has now been completely resolved through mutual cooperation. He further said that he will soon visit Takht Patna Sahib and pay obeisance.
The controversy dates back to May 21 when the ‘panj pyare’ at Takht Patna Sahib summoned Sukhbir for allegedly interfering in its functioning and failing to appear before them despite being given three opportunities including a 20-day extension on the request of SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami.
In the same meeting, they also declared Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar and Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Baba Tek Singh as ‘tankhaiya’ for reinstating Gauhar and summoning granthis without Takht Patna Sahib’s consent.
However, Akal Takht rejected the pronouncement and instead declared three of the five Takht Patna Sahib high priests ‘tankhaiya’, directing them to clarify their position within fifteen days.
The SGPC had then dismissed the edict, asserting that Takht Patna Sahib lacked jurisdiction in such matters.