Will PSGPC bow to the demand of SGPC and DSGMC ?
AMRITSAR: Will Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) observe the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, fifth Sikh Master, according to the amended version of Nanakshahi Calendar (NC) or it will continue to observe the day as par original Pal Singh Purewal authored NC which was adopted by SGPC in 2003?
Ahead of martyrdom day, hectic activities have begun both in SGPC and in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to pursue PSGPC to observe the martyrdom day on June 12th and not on June 16th.
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar has already written a letter to PSGPC's governing body Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) asking it to observe the day on June 12th and had sought to make pilgrims arrangements from June 4th to June 13th.
But instead of accepting the SGPC's demand straightaway ETPB tactically informed to have made arrangement from June 4th to June 18th leaving option for Sikhs to observe the day either on June 12th or on June 16th.
On the other hand a delegation of DSGMC met officials of Pakistan High Commission in Delhi on Tuesday pleading them to observe the day on June 12th.
Additional Secretary, SGPC, DS Bedi told TOI that it was due to SGPC's pressure that ETPB had agreed to change the dates. "We will be observing the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev as par the directions of Akal Takht" said he.
Nanakshahi Calendar was adopted in 2003 with an aim to fix dates of Gurpurab's and other Sikh religious festivals which otherwise used to waive according to traditional Bikrami Calendar. But the controversies over the calendar never settled. In January, 2010 Akal Takht had approved the amendments to the NC giving its stamp to observe certain religious occasions in traditional Bikrami calendar as they used to be observed before 2003 which also included observing martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev.
However the DSGMC, then ruled by Paramjit Singh Sarna group had had refused to accept the amendments and decided to continue to observe religious days as par NC adopted in 2003.
SAD (B) backed DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK informed TOI that a three member delegation including Chairman, Dharam Parchar Committee, Paramjit Singh Rana, Chief Advisor, Kulmohan Singh and Chairman, Yatra Vibhag, Paramjit Singh Chandok met the officials of Pak High Commission to lodge their protest on observing the martyrdom day on June 16th. "The delegation has urged Pak High Commission officials to observe the on June 12th" said GK.
Meanwhile Sarna said their Jatha would be observing the martyrdom day as par the programme of PSGPC which was June 16th. He said SGPC and Akal Takht should dissolve the controversy over two NC's to bring unity in Panth.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...nd-of-SGPC-and-DSGMC/articleshow/20316162.cms
AMRITSAR: Will Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) observe the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev, fifth Sikh Master, according to the amended version of Nanakshahi Calendar (NC) or it will continue to observe the day as par original Pal Singh Purewal authored NC which was adopted by SGPC in 2003?
Ahead of martyrdom day, hectic activities have begun both in SGPC and in Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to pursue PSGPC to observe the martyrdom day on June 12th and not on June 16th.
SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar has already written a letter to PSGPC's governing body Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) asking it to observe the day on June 12th and had sought to make pilgrims arrangements from June 4th to June 13th.
But instead of accepting the SGPC's demand straightaway ETPB tactically informed to have made arrangement from June 4th to June 18th leaving option for Sikhs to observe the day either on June 12th or on June 16th.
On the other hand a delegation of DSGMC met officials of Pakistan High Commission in Delhi on Tuesday pleading them to observe the day on June 12th.
Additional Secretary, SGPC, DS Bedi told TOI that it was due to SGPC's pressure that ETPB had agreed to change the dates. "We will be observing the martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev as par the directions of Akal Takht" said he.
Nanakshahi Calendar was adopted in 2003 with an aim to fix dates of Gurpurab's and other Sikh religious festivals which otherwise used to waive according to traditional Bikrami Calendar. But the controversies over the calendar never settled. In January, 2010 Akal Takht had approved the amendments to the NC giving its stamp to observe certain religious occasions in traditional Bikrami calendar as they used to be observed before 2003 which also included observing martyrdom day of Guru Arjan Dev.
However the DSGMC, then ruled by Paramjit Singh Sarna group had had refused to accept the amendments and decided to continue to observe religious days as par NC adopted in 2003.
SAD (B) backed DSGMC president Manjit Singh GK informed TOI that a three member delegation including Chairman, Dharam Parchar Committee, Paramjit Singh Rana, Chief Advisor, Kulmohan Singh and Chairman, Yatra Vibhag, Paramjit Singh Chandok met the officials of Pak High Commission to lodge their protest on observing the martyrdom day on June 16th. "The delegation has urged Pak High Commission officials to observe the on June 12th" said GK.
Meanwhile Sarna said their Jatha would be observing the martyrdom day as par the programme of PSGPC which was June 16th. He said SGPC and Akal Takht should dissolve the controversy over two NC's to bring unity in Panth.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...nd-of-SGPC-and-DSGMC/articleshow/20316162.cms
