CHANDIGARH: A majir controversy has started over RSS move to celebrate 350th birth annivesaray of Tenth Sikh master Guru Gobind Singh for which the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat a frontal organisation of RSS is holding a funtion in Delhi on October 25. The Akal Takht and all Sikh organisations have opposed the RSS designs in one voice.
The anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib falls on November 4 when another function is scheduled at Patna Sahib in Bihar. Mohan Bhagwat RSS chief will inaugurate the anniversary function tomorrow where top BJP leaders including Chief Ministers of various BJP ruled states will participate.
Sensing mood of the Sikh community, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has told Sikhs not to attend the RSS sponsored function while giving reference of an edict issued in year 2004 asking Sikh to boycott the Gurbani Yatra organised by Sikh Sangat. Jathedar has said that Akal Takht had posed certain queries to RSS and they never clarified their stand on it.
The BJP, political wing of RSS has a political alliance with Shiromani Akali Dal(SAD) of which Badal family is the custodian. RSS is accused of making inrodads into Sikh religion under the garb of its political alliance with SAD and Badal family was blamed for creating room for RSS for their vested business interests.
For now the SAD, SGPC and Delhi Sikh Gurdawara Management Committee (DSGMC) and also SAD faction led by Paramjit Singh Sarna have distanced from the RSS function. The invitation cards of the function had mentioned name of Giani Iqbal Singh Jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib but later he also stepped back. While Patna Sahib Gurdawara management is with Sarna brothers, the management of SGPC and DSGMC is controlled by Badal family. Delhi SAD (Badal) president Manjit Singh GK who is also President of DSGMC was in thick of controversy for giving DSGMC tickets to certain leaders of Sikh cell of BJP but he denied the reports after it became public. Interestingly, DSGMC general secretary is elected MLA on BJP ticket with the support of RSS and BJP.
The Sikh organisations oppose the RSS move to celebrate Sikh festivals on the ground that RSS didnt recognise Sikhs as separate community and consider them a branch of Hindu religon. The RSS has a basic policy of decimating the minority communities and establishing Hindu Rashtra in India. The Sikh, Muslims, Budhists, Christians and Jains consider RSS and BJP a major threat to their identity due to anti-minority stance of RSS and its affiliated bodies.There is also conflict over autority of Guru Granth Sahib as RSS gives credence to Dasam Granth and does not accept the supermacy of Guru Granth Sahib.
The mistruct bewtween Sikhs and RSS is not a new thing even though SAD and BJP enjoy an opportunist political alliance in Punjab and Delhi. These paties have no common ideology but they draw a 'minimum common programme' for themselves to rule in Punjab. Now when Akal Takht has endorsed the fact that RSS and BJP are not well wishers of Sikhs, would SAD the repersentative party of Sikhs break its alliance with BJP?
RSS leader Parteek Singh in a TV debate has taken the stand that Sikhs shall welcome RSS move to celebrate anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh which is in recognition of Guru Gobind Singh's contribution for Hindustan. Sikhs are not ready to buy this explanation.
Karnail Singh Peer Mohammed President of All India Sikh students federation said that RSS has sinister designs of weaking Sikh Panth and they are working on hidden agenda. He alleged that though the blame of massacre of Sikhs in Dehi in 1984 is entirely labled on Congress but RSS activists were also involved in violence against Sikhs and their role is never probed. He said that BJP governmetn at center has not given justice to Sikhs and SIT formed for the purpose has not made any progress.