The Sabha is Out of the ICU – For Now

Karminder Singh Dhillon, Phd (Boston)

SOME ONE HUNDRED members of Sikh Naujwan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM) turned up at its AGM on 29^th June 2019 to bear witness to events that the youth organization has never seen before.

They bore witness to an attempt to drag the Sabha into two ugly controversies. They also bore witness to an attempted power grab disguised as an exercise in panthik unity.

The orchestrated attempt to grab control of the Sabha by forces bent on using the organization for their specific agendas reared its ugly head some months ago when a WhatsApp post by a group of 13 people (DG-13) calling for an EGM to “remove the Jathedar” came to light For an analysis of this EGM call see article titled “Sabha is in ICU: You are Invited to the Funeral” at https://sikhivicharforum.org/2019/03/09/sabha-is-in-icu-you-are-invited-to-the-funeral/

Saturday’s AGM saw the tabling of FIVE resolutions by the DG-13 Group. The resolutions were signed by Suret Singh and seconded by Master Daljit Singh. These same individuals tabled these resolutions at the AGM.

These resolutions lay bare the real agenda of the DG-13. They also expose the real beneficiary and the real hand behind it all. All in all, these resolutions uncover the dangerous and devious plot to drag the Sabha into two separate and ugly controversies.

It was an attempt to burn the house down. How so? Read on.

 

 

THE RESOLUTIONS OF DG-13 EXAMINED

RESOLUTION ONE: THE SABHA PUBLIC STATEMENT CAPTIONED “SIKH NAUJWAN SABHA REAFFIRMS SRI AKAL TAKHAT’S STAND ON DASAM GRANTH” (DATED 16 JULY 2018) SHALL BE TABLED AND ADOPTED AS SABHA POLICY.

THREE things come out as clear as daylight regarding the true goals of DG-13 from this resolution.

FIRST, this resolution tells us clearly that the CORE AGENDA of DG-13 is indeed Dasam Granth. Else why table this resolution in the Sabha AGM of all places? They want to entangle the Sabha in the Dasam Granth controversy. They want to drag the Youth Organization into their dubious Dasam Granth hullabaloo.

SECOND, this resolution makes clear who the PUPPET MASTERS of the DG-13 really are. We know that in the whole of Malaysia, there is just one organization that is the champion of Dasam Granth a.k.a Bachitar Natak Granth (BNG). It is their agenda to do parkash of BNG/DG side by side the SGGS in as many Malaysian Gurdwaras in Malaysia. They have gone on record to do the parkash of BNG/DG in Titiwangsa Gurdwara in December 2016.

By including the DG/BNG issue in Resolution 1, the DG-13 Group is showing that they are dancing to the tune of its puppet masters.

THIRD, this is DIRECT ADMISSION that the SNSM letter of 16 July was indeed drafted by the DG-13 after they had managed to do a back door takeover of the Sabha at the 2016 AGM. All of the DG-13 Group had forced themselves into the Sabha Exco unelected; and they had forced Jathedar Jasbir to sign and circulate that ludicrous letter to all Malaysian Gurdwaras.

For more info about this letter, see article titled: False Arguments, Fake Translations and Dubious Agendas – The SNSM Letter Saga at https://sikhivicharforum.org/2018/08/08/false-arguments-fake-translations-and-dubious-agendas-the-snsm-letter-saga/

Since Jathedar Jasbir outsmarted them by throwing them out of the Exco, they worry that the July 16 letter will be reversed. Hence their burning desire for that nonsensical letter to be made “Sabha policy” through this equally nonsensical Resolution.

Well, Jathedar Jasbir has outsmarted them yet again. Since this resolution was NOT adopted, the July 16 letter is NOT Sabha policy. The July 16 letter is now INVALID since it has been REJECTED in the NON-ADOPTION of this resolution.

RESOLUTION TWO; IN THE EVENT OF ANY PROPOSED BANS OF ANY PARCHARAKS OR PARCHAR ORGANIZATIONS IN FUTURE, SUCH MATTERS SHOULD NOT BE DECIDED BY THE SABHA EXCO BUT TABLED FOR DISCUSSION BY SABHA MEMBERS AT AN AGM OR EGM. IF AFTER DELIBERATIONS SABHA AGM MAKES A RESOLUTION FOR ACTION, SUCH A DECISION SHALL BE FORWARDED BY SABHA FOR ATTENTION AND DELIBERATION OF SRI AKAL TAKHAT SAHIB JI.

TWO things need comment here.

FIRST, in the entire history of Malaysia, there has been ONLY ONE organization that has been banned from the Gurdwara stages in the country – the Academy. The group got banned as a result of sanctions imposed by a collection of Malaysian Sikh organizations led by the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) on it due to the Academy’s blatant disregard of the SRM in doing a parkash of the DG in Titiwangsa Gurdwara in December 2016.

The sanction states that the Academy should not be allowed stage time in Gurdwaras and events of Sabha. The Sabha was party to the MGC sanction. To get the sanction lifted, the Academy was required to give a written undertaking to never attempt such blasphemous and sacrilegious act of challenging the supremacy of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. No such apology has been forthcoming.

So it is clear that this resolution is ALL about an attempt to get the ban on the Academy lifted by using the Sabha.

It is an ugly attempt to drag the Sabha into the Academy’s mess. It is a ploy to use the Sabha to get Gurdwaras to lift the ban.

SECOND, this resolution further establishes the point regarding who the PUPPET MASTERS of the DG-13 really are.

The refusal of Jathedar Jasbir to go along with the DG-13’s demand in December 2017 (when the DG-13 was part of the Exco) for him to issue a letter stating Sabha was NOT party to the ban was the catalyst that turned the DG-13 against the Jathedar.

He outsmarted them then. He outsmarted them yet again. Since this resolution was NOT adopted at the AGM, the Sabha remains party to the ban.

RESOLUTION THREE. PARCHARAKS BANNED BY SRI AKAL TAKHAT SAHIB JI SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED IN SABHA PARCHAR ACTIVITIES AND SHOULD NOT BE SUPPORTED IN THEIR PARCHAR ACTIVITIES BY SABHA MEMBERS.

TWO things need comment regarding this resolution.

FIRST of all, NO parcharak who has been banned by the Akal Takhat has EVER set foot in Malaysia. It goes without saying therefore that the Sabha has never been involved directly or indirectly in any way whatsoever in such parcharaks.

What has however happened is that FALSE and FAKE accusations against missionary Parcharaks – that they have been banned by the Akal Takhat, and therefore should not be allowed to do parchar in Malaysia have been viraled.

The reason for such treachery lies in the belief amongst the champions of DG/BNG in the Malaysia that these missionary parcharaks are NOT in support of the DG/BNG agenda.

Case in point is missionary parcharak and professor of Sikh Missionary College Ludhiana – Prof Inder Singh Ghagga. This outstanding parcharak has made tremendous contributions towards opening the eyes of the Sikh world regarding the suspicious and decadent contents of the DG/BNG. He has written more than 50 books and produced some 400 CDs as Sikhi parchar – many of which expose the fact that the DG/BNG is copied from Hindu Puranas and written by anti-Sikh elements.

Prof Ghagga did come to Malaysia to take part in a Gurmat Seminar organized by Singh Sabha Canada International in 2016. He was invited by a number of Malaysian Gurdwaras to speak on their stage as well.

To prevent Prof Ghagga ji, the local champions of DG/BNG issued a FAKE Akal Takhat “hukumnama” that he was banned by the AT. This FAKE document was sent to the Gurdwaras that wanted to host Prof Ghagga ji’s katha.

When this tactic did not work, a bunch of BN/DG goons travelled 250 km to the small Ashby Road Gurdwara in Ipoh to assault the 72-year-old Professor, pull his beard out, and remove his dastaar in the presence of the Guru.

One may as well ask a question of the proposer and seconder of this dubious Resolution.

Where were you both when a 72 old man was assaulted by a bunch of miscreants? Did you even whisper your displeasure? Did you propose a resolution anywhere that such depraved, decadent and debauched behavior should not be tolerated? After all, Prof Ghagga is of your age. That alone should have moved you in the right direction to speak out with the “courage” that you have now suddenly discovered.

Or is your “courage” reserved for proposing and seconding resolutions that are master minded by miscreants; in the interest of them, and tabled to serve their agendas?

RESOLUTION FOUR: SABHA IS AN INCLUSIVE SIKH YOUTH ORGANIZATION REACHING OUT TO ALL YOUTHS REGARDLESS OF THEIR PERSONAL PROACTIVE OF SRI AKAL TAKHAT AND OR ALL PANTHIC APPROVED MARYADAAS IN LINE WITH GURMAT.

This resolution is as DUBIOUS and DEVIOUS as it gets.

Let’s get one thing straight. There is ONLY ONE Maryada that is approved by the panth. That is the Sikh Rehat Maryada (SRM) that was prepared by the Sikh panth under the auspices of the SGPC beginning 1925 and then sanctioned by the Akal Takhat.

The sangat of Malaysia was represented at the SRM deliberations then. All Malaysian Gurdwaras under the auspices of the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) adhere to the SRM.

The deras have their own maryadas which are meant to be practiced in the precincts of their deras only. The twenty leading deras in India have their 20 different maryadas. Deras are institutions that belong to individuals who call themselves Babas and Sants. Their maryada changes each time a Baba dies, is overthrown and another takes over or when the dera splits into two. Deras and are NOT part of the panth. Dera maryada therefore is never panth accepted. It is dera accepted.

So why is this resolution being tabled in the Sabha AGM? Here is the reason.

The SRM clearly states that “no book will be allowed for parkash beside the SGGS”. That means the SRM does not sanction the parkash of the DG/BNG.

The maryada of the Baba Dhumma Dera allows the parkash of the DG/BNG. The Academy follows the Baba Dhumma Dera maryada. This dera maryada is the basis for their support of the DG/BNG.

So it is in their interest to get the Sabha to endorse this dubious resolution, to get the Sabha to endorse dera maryadas, so that a letter to this effect can be sent out to all Gurdwaras in Malaysia again.

Can we see who is the MASTER MIND in EACH and EVERY resolution? Whose interests are being served? Who is calling the shots?

RESOLUTION FIVE. SABHA MEMBERS SHALL NOT DENIGRATE THE BANIS OF SIKH GURUS, BHAI GURDAS OR BHAI NANDLAL ACCORDING TO THEIR PERSONAL INTERPRETATIONS WHICH ARE IN CONFLICT OF HUKUMNAMAS AND GURMATTAS ISSUED BY SRI AKAL TAKHAT

There is not a single instance of any Sabha member “denigrating” any Gurbani or the compositions of Bhai Gurdas or Bhai Nandlal ji.

The SRM is clear that Kirtan is defined as the singing of Gurbani in Ragas, and that the explanatory compositions of Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal ji can be sung.

The Guru Granth Sahib contains the Bani of SIX Gurus – Gurus Nanak, Angad, Amardas, Ramdas, Arjun and Teg Bahadur ji. No Sikh will ever “denigrate” any of the above.

By wording the sentence as “shall not denigrate the Banis of Sikh Gurus” the master minds of this resolution are trying to use VAGUENESS to smuggle in the compositions of the DG/BNG as “bani of the tenth Sikh Guru.”

The compositions of the DG/BNG are in severe dispute within the Sikh panth. There are serious questions regarding the origins, authorship, plagiarism and inclusion of sexual content in the BNG/DG.

Questioning, debating or even rejecting compositions of the DG/BNG can NEVER amount to ‘denigrating the bani of the Gurus” for the simple reason that the DG/BNG is NOT accepted as “Gurbani” by the SRM. The words “Dasam Granth” do not appear EVEN ONCE in the entire SRM.

CONCLUSIONS

The following FOUR points are CRITICAL for Sabha members to note.

FIRST, it is as clear that the Dasam Granth / Bachittar Natak Granth is the CORE element of EACH and EVERY one of the five resolutions that were tabled by Surat Singh and Master Daljit Singh on behalf of the DG-13.

SECOND, it is clear that the MAIN beneficiary of EACH and EVERY of the five resolutions is a particular institution.

THIRD, the five resolutions are intended to drag the Sabha into two ugly and divisive disputes, namely the DG controversy and the dera maryada controversy.

The Sabha has no business wading into EITHER of these conflict-ridden, contentious and acrimonious issues.

Dragging the Sabha into these issues may serve the purpose of DG-13 and their puppet masters. But getting the Sabha involved is akin to burning the house down.

FOURTH, by throwing out these five resolutions the ordinary members of the Sabha have shown that they will NOT allow the Sabha to be dragged into the mud of controversial issues.

All indications are that they have saved the Sabha – for now.

The DG-13 and their backers have retreated only to fight the same battle at the next AGM where they will attempt to install their own Jathedar and Exco.

There is therefore a need to be vigilant.

For more analysis on the Sabha AGM, read the article “The Sabha AGM – The Winners and Losers” at www.sikhivicharforum.org.