Head priest’s sacking divides Sikh groups

The apex body of Sikhs on Thursday warned followers of the religion against violating any edict of the Akal Takht [Throne of God].

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) was upset over the unstinted support that various Sikh organisations extended to former Akal Takht jathedar (head priest) Darshan Singh Ragi after he was excommunicated last week.

Simultaneously, Akal Takht jathedar Gurbachan Singh also hinted at summoning the Sikh leaders who had honoured the former head priest in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Expressing serious concern over the matter, the present head priest termed the defiance of his edict a “sacrilegious” act.
Ragi was the first Akal Takht head priest in Sikh history to face punishment. Five Sikh high priests had, by a hukamnaama (edict), excommunicated Ragi for citing the Dasam Granth during a public discourse in the United States in November.

Only restricted use of the Dasam Granth are allowed.

The Akal Takht edict charged Ragi with blasphemy. The clergy had ordered Sikhs around the world to snap all ties with Ragi, who did not submit himself before the high priests to present his side of the story.

“Any Sikh found ‘guilty’ of cooperating with him would also be dealt with strongly,” the high priests had said.

“Ragi failed to capitalise on the special opportunity provided to him for atonement and instead, retorted with unparliamentary language, which can’t be tolerated at any cost,” the clergy had said in its order.

Defying the edict, at least 150 Sikh representatives of various gurdwaras and political organisations honoured Ragi at a public function and later joined a langar (community meal) with him, challenging the authority of the Sikh clergy.