CHANDIGARH, APRIL 7: Taking a clue from the statement of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Bibi Jagir Kaur, several Sikh scholars have signed an appeal to the Akal Takht Jathedar to enable the Sikhs who have gone astray, to return to the Panthic fold.Bibi Jagir Kaur had recently observed that the role of the Akal Takht was to unite the Sikhs and in this context, she favoured that all those sections of the Sikh society who were misled, should be brought back to the Panthic fold.Though she did not say so directly, it was interpreted as a positive signal to allow the Nirankaris to return to Sikhism. The Akal Takht had issued a humanmama (edict) in June, 1978, excommunicating the Nirankaris from the Panth after the Sikh-Nirankaris clash at Amritsar in which 13 Sikhs were gunned down. Ensued targeted killing of the Nirankaris which was followed by more than a decade of bloodshed.``It would be proper to bring back the misguided sections of the Sikh society who have gone astray during the Khalsa tercentenary,'' they have said.The signatories include Darshan Singh of Guru Nanak Studies, Panjab University and member SGPC advisory committee on religious affairs, Jaswant Singh Mann and Giani Bachittar Singh, secretary general and executive committee member respectively, of the World Sikh Council, Balkar Singh, member, SGPC advisory committee on religious affairs, Sukhdev Singh Nagra, president, Sikh Intellectual Council, Gurnam Kaur, Punjabi University, Patiala and Balwant Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.They have favoured the policy of forgive and forget and shedding personal egos to pray for the welfare of all. And it is the Akal Takht acting Jatheadar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti who has to pave the way for this initiative.They have referred to the historic role of the supreme temporal institution of the Sikhs to maintain the Panthic traditions. However, they regretted that during the recent times, personal egos and vested interests resulted in anti-Panthic tendencies. The Panthic traditions have been questioned giving strength to the anti-Panthic forces.Under this situation, the Akal Takht Jathedar has a constructive role to play, especially in the 21st century in which the Sikh religion has to play an important role as a universal religion. All this would be possible in case the entire Panth unites under the aegis of Akal Takht for the welfare of all, they have argued.
