The Sikh Dilemma : Action Vs. Words

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070608/punjab1.htm#2

Amrit Sanchar Samagam at Jammu
Vedanti, SGPC chief endorse move
Prabhjit Singh
Tribune News Service​

Jammu, June 7
Rejecting the plea of a Sikh delegation from Jammu for boycott of Dera Nangali Sahib, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Avtar Singh have endorsed the move of the Dera chief Mahant Manjit Singh to organise “Amrit Sanchar Samagam” here on June 10.

The Akal Takht Jathedar would be presiding over the samagam along with the high priests of the four other Takhts. Around 11,000 Sikhs would be baptised by the Sikh clergy at the samagam.

On the heels of the Dera Sacha Sauda controversy, a Sikh delegation, under the aegis of the Jammu District (ad hoc) Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (JDGPC), had called on the SGPC chief and also the institution of the Akal Takht at Amritsar, opposing the event, raising their objections to the practices followed at the dera here.

“The Singh Sahibans (high priests) and the SGPC president are coming to Jammu for the Amrit Sanchar Samagam,” a spokesman for the SGPC told The Tribune here on the phone from Amritsar.

According to sources, SAD president and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had advised the SGPC chief to stay away from the dera chief’s event, after the Sikh delegation from Jammu had called on the latter with the proposal that the “Amrit Sanchar” be organised by the SGPC along with the J&K State Gurdwara Board or the local Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, and not by any dera chief.
Meanwhile, at an emergency meeting here today, JDGPC general secretary Gurdev Singh, Jammu-Kashmir State Gurdwara Board president Tirlochan Singh Wazir, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) Jammu unit chief Harjinder Singh Raina and other Sikh leaders expressed their concern over the rebuttal of their appeal to the Akal Takht Jathedar and the SGPC chief