Southall Committee Allegedly Shields Jathedar from being Questioned
Gurdwara Bans Gursikh Bibi from Raising Panthik Issues
By: Sikh24 Editors
LONDON, UK—Bibi Sarabjeet Kaur resigned this week from Southall Singh Sabha Gurdwara management committee after the committee made a U-turn on asking the appointed Jathedar of Akal Takht important questions concerning the Sikh Panth on his recent visit to the UK.
The Jathedars of the Panth are sewadars of the Panth and they are accountable to the Sangat and Panth that they represent. The Jathedars are not a power in themselves or like the Pope is to Catholics. The Jathedar is an ambassador and Spokesman of the Panth, who is in a pivotal position of representing Sikh issues across the Panth, and to political bodies and governments.
In recent years the Jathedars seem to have become untouchable, unquestionable and unaccountable—meaning that they can get away with complacency through being protected by corrupt Gurdwara committees who want to keep in the good books of the Jathedars for personal favours. Many times the Jathedars walk away when anyone asks them constructive challenging questions about what they have and haven’t done for the Panth.
Last week Giani Gurbachan Singh, appointed Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, came to the UK after he was invited to attend the Southall “Unity of Faiths” interfaith event by Gurmail Singh Malhi.  Bibi Sarabjeet Kaur and her husband, S. Bawa Singh, who have great love and empathy for the Panth, felt that the Jathedar’s visit to Singh Sabha Southall should be utilized to the full and that the Gurdwara management committee should present the Jathedar with a written memorandum that raises six issues for the Jathedar’s attention. The written memorandum would mean that the Jathedar would have to give a reply to each issue, stating what he has done so far and what he plans to do and secondly he would be held to account to any commitments he would make in the meeting.
In short, the six issues that were to be raised in the written memorandum were the following:
What has and is being done for the Singhs who have completed their jail sentences but are still languishing in India’s jails?
What has and is being done to get justice for Shaheed Bhai Jaspal Singh and his family, as no police action has been taken against the murderers and instead a number of his family members have been arrested in fabricated terrorism charges?
What has and is being done to get justice for the families affected by state orchestrated fake encounters and the families of the victims of the 1984 genocide?
The abrupt changing of the Nanakshahi Calendar back to what is used to be before the Sikh calendar was made has led to splits in the Sangat. The Jathedar was to be urged to bring unity by inviting both sides and making a new calendar with agreement of the whole Panth, rather than one individual or group.
The Jathedar should issue a Hukamnama to the whole Panth, all Gurdwaras and deras, that they should implement and follow at least the single Panthic Rehit Maryada authorized by Sri Akal Takth Sahib.
What is being done for Sikhi Parchaar in villages against drug abuse and intoxicants.
All these points are valid and not confrontational or controversial. One day before the Jathedar was set to meet the Singh Sabha Southall committee, the whole committee agreed to the six proposed points put forward by Bibi Sarabjeet Kaur and her husband, S. Bawa Singh.
On the day of, before the meeting S. Bawa Singh rang the Stage Secretary, Sukhdeep Singh Randhawa. Mr. Sukhdeep Singh, who was supportive of the memorandum, said he was preparing his speech for the visit and he was not able to write the letter. So S. Bawa Singh then rang the Head Granthi, Balwinder Singh, to ask whether he had written up the letter on behalf of the Gurdwara with the six points to hand to the Jathedar. Giani Balwinder Singh said he had not done it and that he should speak to Dr. Parvinder Singh Garcha.
When Dr. Parvinder Singh Garcha was phoned and asked whether he had written the letter on behalf of Singh Sabha Gurdwara, he replied that he had not and neither did he plan to. He replied that the Committee would have to have a meeting first to pass the letter and only then could the letter be forwarded to the Jathedar.
When S. Bawa Singh heard this, he and his wife felt let down by the Committee for going back on their word and turning their backs on their Panthic duty of raising Panthic concerns with those representing and leading the Panth.
Dr. Garcha and the Southall Singh Sabha Committee are not the only ones who play politics, maintain the status quo and silence issues. These Jathedars have taken no action on rapist “Pakhandi Saadhs” like Maan Pehova, they took no constructive action in the case of Shaheed Bhai Jaspal Singh, they have attended RSS events, they have been accused of corruption and taken cash and other item gifts, they did nothing for the Ludhian Goli Khaand—instead of supporting the Satkaar Committees they called them trouble-makers and sided with those who commit beadbi—they gave Dera Radha Soami the clean chit, he called the village Kahna-Dhesi godman, ‘Sant Surinder Singh’, who had people do Bhangra in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and also proclaims himself with the title “Satguru”, a Dera which promotes “Gurmat” and gave him a clean chit.
In addition to this news, independent sources have informed Sikh24 that Giani Gurbachan Singh asked and received £1,500 from the new Akaal TV channel that has been set up in the UK during this recent visit. A video of the Jathedar supporting the channel has been relayed on Akaal TV. In India, we have been informed that the Jathedar took Rs.100,000 from a person who invited the Jathedar to open his bike shop.