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Badal constitutes team to resolve Nanakshahi row

Onkar Singh in Amritsar

Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, who also heads the ruling Akali Dal, has constituted a crack team to resolve the stand-off between the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Puran Singh and the chief of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Bibi Jagir Kaur.

The team comprising former president of Akali Dal, Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi and Baba Kashmira Singh and Baba Mangal Singh of the Gurbani Gurmat Siddhant Sant Samaj has begun talking to top Sikh leaders to find a way out of the impasse.

Giani Puran Singh and Bibi Jagir Kaur are locked in bitter battle over the implementation of a new radical Nanakshahi calendar. Bibi Jagir Kaur, who wants the new calendar introduced, was recently ex-communicated from the panth for disagreeing with the Akal Takht.

An attempted patch-up on March 12 failed when Bibi Jagir Kaur, who was supposed to appear before the Akal Takht and seek forgiveness, stormed the building with her supporters, offered prayers and left without meeting the Giani.

An enraged Giani Puran Singh then extended the excommunication order to five more supporters of Bibi Jagir Kaur and directed Badal to appoint a new SGPC chief.

People in know of the rules and regulations governing the SGPC, however, say that the chief minister is not empowered to take any action against the SGPC chief.

"Bibi Jagir Kaur can be removed only by the general house of the SGPC and she, as the president of the body, has the powers to convene such a meeting," said a senior Sikh leader requesting anonymity.

Distribution of some leaflets in Akali Dal circles recently calling Giani Puran Singh a stooge of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh have further complicated matters.

The Giani has asked Talwandi, who is a candidate for the SGPC chief's post if Bibi Jagir Kaur steps down, to stop the smear campaign.

Bibi Jagir Kaur, meanwhile, is egging on panthic bodies to pass resolutions to seek Giani Puran Singh's removal.

Attempts by newsmen to meet the SGPC were once more stalled on Friday by her security personnel. "She is not well. In any case chief minister Badal has told her not to say anything to the Press. We have been given strict instructions not to let newspersons in," said a security officer.

Akali Dal sources revealed that for Badal the forthcoming Holla Mohalla celebrations followed by the Baisakhi festival next month have become a major source of worry. "Also, he is worried because the SGPC needs to undertake the closing ceremony of the tri-centenary celebrations of the Khalsa panth," revealed an advisor.

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