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Enough is enough, you aren't serious: Lawyer slams SGPC
World Sikh News Bureau
2 September 2009
CHANDIGARH: In a significant development, a senior lawyer engaged repeatedly by the SGPC and also otherwise known for his advocacy of cases concerning the Sikh religion has felt so frustrated with the lackadaisical attitude of the SGPC authorities that he has written a damning letter to its president Avtar Singh Makkar asking to be excused from taking up any SGPC cases in future.
"I should be excused from such cases in which SGPC is not serious at all, and exposes the Sikhs to the ridicule of the people," Dr M S Rahi, advocate practising at the Supreme Court of India and at Punjab & Haryana High Court, said.
Rahi, who also heads Singh Legal Foundation, said the SGPC has shown utter callousness in dealing with a case regarding a book published by the namdhari sect that contained "insulting and objectionable remarks against Sri Guru Granth Sahib" and the SGPC's conduct in the case showed "unbelievable insensitivity".
Rahi said he was hurt after some SGPC officials asked him to file a case against the author of a book ‘Adam to Aaj Tak’ and also pleaded that he should stop pursuing the case regarding another book ‘Purakh Guru’ written by one Mehar Singh and published by Sarb Hind Naamdhari Darbar, Bhainisahib.
"I would like to point out once again that if the SGPC does not want to pursue the matter against such a denigrating book like ‘Purakh Guru’, then it is of no use to file a case against another book," Rahi has now written to the SGPC president.
He said Purakh Guru book of 298 pages is a "very serious, extensive, systematic and ridiculing attack on many basic principles and institutions of Sikhism" but the way the SGPC has dealt with it "is very distressing, shameful and deeply painful for the true Sikhs of the Guru."
The row erupted in 1998 after Surjit Singh Cheema, then member of the SGPC, initiated the case in 1998, and made a detailed complaint regarding the insulting content of the book. The SGPC then passed a resolution authorizing Rahi on 2.11.2004 to move against the book. "During all these years, the approach of the SGPC has remained very casual," he said.
He said the SGPC approach was similar in case of other issues. "As per my information, NCERT has deleted substantial portion of the history of the Sikhs, reducing them to the status of non entity and ignoring the contribution of the Sikhs to the history of India. This is much more serious matter and once again I would suggest that the SGPC should frame a clear cut policy on these subjects and serious efforts should be made to protect the history of the Sikhs and the turban in other countries of the world, if the glory of Sikhism is to be kept intact. The funds of the SGPC are supposed to be meant for that," Rahi said.
"My own experience since 1995 is very distressing and painful, either it was a case of objectionable remarks against Sri Guru Gobind Singh, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, remarks against the Sikhs in film like ‘Gadar’, the turban case and lastly the case of unshorn hair, the SGPC did not behave with the sense of responsibility, which the situation demanded in order to protect the interest of the Sikhs and Sikhism. The history would not forgive the SGPC people who are responsible for this," he concluded.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht.
World Sikh News Bureau
2 September 2009
CHANDIGARH: In a significant development, a senior lawyer engaged repeatedly by the SGPC and also otherwise known for his advocacy of cases concerning the Sikh religion has felt so frustrated with the lackadaisical attitude of the SGPC authorities that he has written a damning letter to its president Avtar Singh Makkar asking to be excused from taking up any SGPC cases in future.
"I should be excused from such cases in which SGPC is not serious at all, and exposes the Sikhs to the ridicule of the people," Dr M S Rahi, advocate practising at the Supreme Court of India and at Punjab & Haryana High Court, said.
Rahi, who also heads Singh Legal Foundation, said the SGPC has shown utter callousness in dealing with a case regarding a book published by the namdhari sect that contained "insulting and objectionable remarks against Sri Guru Granth Sahib" and the SGPC's conduct in the case showed "unbelievable insensitivity".
Rahi said he was hurt after some SGPC officials asked him to file a case against the author of a book ‘Adam to Aaj Tak’ and also pleaded that he should stop pursuing the case regarding another book ‘Purakh Guru’ written by one Mehar Singh and published by Sarb Hind Naamdhari Darbar, Bhainisahib.
"I would like to point out once again that if the SGPC does not want to pursue the matter against such a denigrating book like ‘Purakh Guru’, then it is of no use to file a case against another book," Rahi has now written to the SGPC president.
He said Purakh Guru book of 298 pages is a "very serious, extensive, systematic and ridiculing attack on many basic principles and institutions of Sikhism" but the way the SGPC has dealt with it "is very distressing, shameful and deeply painful for the true Sikhs of the Guru."
The row erupted in 1998 after Surjit Singh Cheema, then member of the SGPC, initiated the case in 1998, and made a detailed complaint regarding the insulting content of the book. The SGPC then passed a resolution authorizing Rahi on 2.11.2004 to move against the book. "During all these years, the approach of the SGPC has remained very casual," he said.
He said the SGPC approach was similar in case of other issues. "As per my information, NCERT has deleted substantial portion of the history of the Sikhs, reducing them to the status of non entity and ignoring the contribution of the Sikhs to the history of India. This is much more serious matter and once again I would suggest that the SGPC should frame a clear cut policy on these subjects and serious efforts should be made to protect the history of the Sikhs and the turban in other countries of the world, if the glory of Sikhism is to be kept intact. The funds of the SGPC are supposed to be meant for that," Rahi said.
"My own experience since 1995 is very distressing and painful, either it was a case of objectionable remarks against Sri Guru Gobind Singh, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, remarks against the Sikhs in film like ‘Gadar’, the turban case and lastly the case of unshorn hair, the SGPC did not behave with the sense of responsibility, which the situation demanded in order to protect the interest of the Sikhs and Sikhism. The history would not forgive the SGPC people who are responsible for this," he concluded.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht.
