The recent developments in the Sikh political matrix have once again raised the basic and the contentious issue of the role of the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the supreme institution of the Sikhs for prayer and politics. The recent developments are unfortunate and disturbing. Its fallout could be worse. It was very painful to watch the person who was supposed to be the custodian of Sikh traditions, values and conventions has become its biggest enemy. Joginder Singh Vedanti has stooped too low. He is responsible for damaging the decorum of the highest seat. He has eroded the supremacy of the Akal Takht on the dictates of Parkash Singh Badal and his coterie. His recent sermon for social boycott of DSGPC chief Harvinder Singh Sarna, SAD (Dehli) Parmjit Singh Sarna and others has put question mark on his sanity. His so-called verdict is, undoubtedly, against Sikh principles and conventions. For all his misdeeds, we disown him as a ‘jathedar’ of the Takht.

In spite of the ban put by Vedanti, the Dal Khalsa has resolved to continue to extend its co-operation with Sarna brothers as and when required on issues pertaining to Sikh nation. A resolution to this effect was adopted in the meeting of the party delegates gathered at party headquarter, Amritsar on 2 Feb 2006. An appeal has been made to Sikh Panth for rejecting the so-called dictate of Vedanti since it was aimed to give political benefit to Parkash Singh Badal and his company in the coming elections for management of Delhi gurdwaras.

We endorse the remarks of Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi, who described Jathedar Vedanti as a ‘living corpse’. The time has come when Sikhs would have to confront such persons sitting at high posts, who had been blatantly misusing their powers.

We urge devout Sikh to rise to the occasion to save the honour and dignity of supreme temporal seat Akal Takht Sahib from the clutches of recent modern Mahants. We must start the movement on the pattern of Singh Sabha Lehar so as to save the religious institutions from the dirty hands of present politicians, who have no agenda other than remaining in power.

There is a long list of Akalis including P S Badal and his wife violating Sikh principles and Maryada but they had always gone scot-free because of incompetence and weaknesses of Mr Vedanti, who never dared to punish them.

The genesis of present crisis is that the community has failed to lay down proper procedure to appoint jathedars’ and define their duties and powers. There is a need to evolve proper checks and balances for the functioning of the Jathedar. Unlike present trend, the Jathedar should be made answerable only to the community itself and none else.