What's Jathedar Vedanti Up To?

Interesting article from WSN about the Jathedar's trip to Canada... Someone needs to ask some questions? or at least a process has to be put in place to do so...

May Akal Purakh Himself Save The Great Sikh Community From Its Leadership! For what else can one say after revelations that a 12 member delegation being sent to Canada and tasked with carrying out negotiations to get back the "kalgi" of tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji, has triggered a controversy because it is stuffed with the relatives of the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti.

No doubt the delegation is being led by Kamaljit Singh Boparai who has been involved with the efforts to get back the "kalgi' (roughly translated as plume but the English word does not convey the nuances of sardari, beauty and character connected with the 'kalgi') but what has raised the hackles of the critics is the fact that it also comprises Bibi Harbhajan Kaur, wife of Jathedar Vedanti, Amarjit Kaur, personal assistant to Mrs Vedanti, Prithipal Singh Sandhu Officer On Special Duty attached with Jathedar Vedanti who is also a brother-in-law of Jathedar Vedanti and Manjinder Singh Sandhu (son of Prithipal Singh Sandhu).

Incidentally, Prithipal Singh Sandhu, a former employee for years of the Punjabi language Communist newspaper Nawan Zamana, has been at the centre of many controversies in the past including that of receiving bribe from a rape-accused dera baba to get him off lightly with a mild tankhah from the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht and Mr Sandhu were then approached by a girl and her father who had accused the Baba of raping her. After the Takht let him off lightly, they took the case to the courts at the insistence of Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat and the baba was sent to jail for ten years by the court. The Shiromani Khalsa Panchayat had persistently accused Sandhu of receiving bribes and finally forced Jathedar Vedanti to drop him as PA. Later, he continued to be the de facto PA and was then designated as OSD. Prithipal Singh Sandhu's sister is married to Jathedar Vedanti. Prithipal Singh Sandhu's interest in religious matters of any sort became noticeable only after Vedanti was made Jathedar of Akal Takht.

The letter sent to the Canadian high commission recommending the names for visa was signed by Jathedar Vedanti himself and was on the letterhead of the Akal Takht. In it, Prithipal Singh Sandhu was mentioned not as "OSD" but as "religious preacher of Akal Takht". Jathedar Vedanti's wife has never been known to play any public role and Prithipal Singh Sandhu has never been heard of making any speech aimed at spreading Sikhism, or taking part in any religious activity other than behind-the-scenes troubleshooting, speaking anonymously in the Jathedar's behalf or drafting the statements of the Jathedar.

Apart from these, the list includes Sukhwinder Singh, program organiser, Amardeep Singh, financial controller and Kulwant Kaur, religious worker and financial assistant.

Kamaljit Singh Boparai's wife Sukhjinder Kaur, their daughter Pavneet Kaur and son Jasbir Singh besides personal assistant Rushinder Kaur Bual also figure in the list.

Now, Prithipal Singh Sandhu has confirmed that all the names given above indeed figure in the list sent by the Akal Takht.

While the Sikh community is likely to be perturbed at the development, the detractors of Jathedar Vedanti, particularly the Spokesman newspaper is likely to go to town with the story in a big way to the embarrassment of the clergy.

Technorati Tags: Jathedar, Vedanti, Canada, Akal Takht, Sikh, Khalsa, Sikhism

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