In yet another flip-flop, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Sunday evening revoked the suspension of Panj Pyaras (five beloved ones), who had on Friday directed the SGPC to terminate services of the top five jathedars (priests) for having “failed to lead the community”. “They will now work with Dharam Parchar Committee of SGPC”, Makkar said over the phone to The Indian Express.
Advertisement
Bhai Satnam Singh, Bhai Mangal Singh, Bhai Major Singh, Bhai Satnam Singh and Bhai Tarlok Singh had summoned five Jathedars at Akal Takht for their role in granting pardon to the Dera chief over a blasphemy episode.
The Panj Pyaras were earlier, on 21 October, suspended by the SGPC after they issued summons against the high priests.
The SGPC also suspended its secretaries, Roop Singh and Manjit Singh, on grounds of “administrative lapses”.
The crisis triggered in early October this year when the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), through religious body SGPC, prevailed on the five high priests in getting pardon for the Dera chief on blasphemy in which he apparently wore an attire similar to that of Guru Gobind Singh way back in 2007.
Notably, it had happened first time in the history of Sikh community when sitting Jathedars of Takhts Authority and working was challenged and questioned.
Makkar said the Panj Pyaras have now been transferred to other duties in the organisation. Three of the Panj Payaras have been sent to the Sikh Mission in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, while two have been sent to the mission at Kurukshetra in Haryana.
Later in the day, the SGPC ordered the suspension of the Panj Pyaras charging them with “creating dissensions in the panth by summoning the jathedars and violating Sikh tenets as well as rules governing the SGPC employees”.
They also demanded immediate elections for the SGPC and the Akal Takht, claiming both institutions can not be trusted. He said that the post of “Panj Pyares” is supreme in Sikhism and even Guru Gobind Singh Ji had followed their orders.
Advertisement
As the stalemate continued on Saturday, hectic parleys were made throughout the day and several SGPC members met Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to build a consensus on the contentious issue. After the “Panj Pyaras” announcement, Giani Gurbachan Singh refused to come out of his residence in the Darbar Sahib complex to give his reaction to the media.
