AMRITSAR, FEB 28: Violating Sikh traditions and tenets, excommunicated SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur offered parsad at the Akal Takht of the Golden Temple today, 23 days after she went into a self-imposed ekantwaas (retreat).Backed by thousands of her supporters including SGPC members who converged at the Golden Temple complex to welcome her back into public life, Kaur first paid obeisance at the Harmandir Sahib - the sanctum sanctorum - and then climbed upto the Akal Takht to offer kara parsad.According to Sikh tenets, an excommunicated member of the panth (community) can pay obeisance only at the Harmandir Sahib and cannot enter the Akal Takht until he or she was exonerated.Akal Takht head Granthi Giani Bhagwan Singh offered ardas on behalf on Kaur and asked the Almighty to give strength to her at the end of her ekantwaas. The head granthi, who is well-versed with Sikh religious traditions, even offered a floral garland to Kaur just after the ardas.Justifying his action, Giani Bhagwan Singh later told newspersons that Kaur was still a member of the community and her ex-communication by Akal Takht jathedar Giani Puran Singh was not valid.``I reject Giani Puran Singh's hukamnama (edict). She did nothing which was violative of the maryada (tradition, as noted by the jathedar),'' Giani Bhagwan Singh said, referring to the jathedar's January 25 directive ex-communicating Kaur from the Sikh panth for violating an earlier directive staying the implementation of the nanakshahi calendar.Giani Puran Singh was not present at the Akal Takht when Kaur paid obeisance. According to SGPC officials, the jathedar was at his residence.The reception accorded to Kaur by her supporters, particularly the SGPC members, was again a clear violation of the hukamnama in which the jathedar had called for a social boycott of the SGPC president until she appeared before the Akal Takht and sought forgiveness. The gathering at the shrine was impressive, evidently depicting the strength of Kaur, who had refused to accept the excommunication verdict, and had turned her guns on Giani Puran Singh.Giani Puran Singh, when contacted, maintained that Kaur could not be absolved by virtue of her going to the Akal Takht and offering prayers.``The hukamnama stands as it is. She will have to appear before the Akal Takht,'' he noted.The jathedar was reluctant to comment on Giani Bhagwan Singh's action of offering ardas. When asked whether the SGPC chief's action could be construed as a show of strength, he said she must appear before the Akal takht as a ``humble Sikh''.Meanwhile, Giani Bhagwan Singh indicated he would resign from his post if at any stage Kaur accepted the hukamnama, and decided to appear before the Akal Takht.Later, in a written message to the Sikh community which was distributed among newspersons, Kaur said she had always accepted the supremacy of the Akal Takht.``The jathedars of all the five Sikh takhts would meet at the Akal Takht very soon to resolve all issues as per the maryada,'' it said, but remained silent on the hukamnama issued by Giani Puran Singh.The message said that going into ekantwaas was a ``painful decision'' as this had taken her away from the common masses. ``But it gave me a time for introspection,'' it added.The message made no reference to Giani Puran Singh or the manner in which he had issued the excommunication order.
