'Khaki invasion' of Punjab? Sikhs cry foul about Rashtriya Sikh Sangat’s event on Guru Gobind Singh

The Akal Takht, which is the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa (the collective body of Sikhs) has boycotted the congregation of different faiths organised by RSS affiliate Rashtriya Sikh Sangat in Delhi on 25 October to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has directed the Sikh community to abide by the 2004 ‘hukamnama’ (edict), that had termed RSS activities as "a deep-rooted conspiracy against Sikhs".

Ever since the BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal lost to the Congress in the recent Assembly polls, the RSS has been trying to expand itself in Punjab independent of the Akalis. A key element in this process, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat has been rearing its of late. In fact, those opposed to the organisation, which came to life in 1984, say that that it only begins to make noises whenever there is a BJP-led government at the Centre.

This is the second time in months that the organisation has been in the news. In a communiqué to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in September, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat has questioned the logic of spending Rs 90 lakh on advertisements last year. It also raised the issue of political interference in functioning of the SGPC and the Akal Takht.

A long game

The common perception among the Sikhs is that the RSS treats the Khalsa as a sect of the Hindus created by Guru Gobind Singh to confront Islam, as apparent from the literature. Sikhs are described as yet another Hindu 'shakti kendra'.

While Sikhs are not opposed to anyone celebrating the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, the opposition is on using the occasion to further the RSS agenda and also to the usurping Sikh religious symbols and ideals to attain its goals.

Quoting its earlier directive issued in 2004, the Akal Takht Jathedar said, “We cannot allow assimilation of Sikh history into other religion. It cannot be tolerated. Sikhs are a separate community, with separate identity, we have our own unique history. Sikhs never interfere in the religious beliefs, traditions and history of other faiths and they cannot tolerate interference into Sikh religion.”

This is being seen as the Sikh opposition to the 'Khaki invasion' of Punjab. Security agencies in Punjab are on alert over the possible escalation of tension between hardline Sikhs and the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, particularly in the light of the recent killings of the RSS functionaries in the state and the failure of the government to arrest the culprits.

Some people feel that the hate, allegedly created due to 'misconceptions' over the 2004 directive could be a reason behind the targeting of RSS functionaries.

The Rashtriya Sikh Sangat has invited the Jathedars of all the Sikh Takhts to the event where the keynote address is to be delivered by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. It remains to be seen whether Takht Patna Sahib head Giani Iqbal Singh participates in the event as he is scheduled to preside over it.

In 2004, it was when the 400th anniversary of the Guru Granth Sahib came about that the Akal Takht had come out with an edict asking Sikhs to shun RSS activities.

However, terming the statements that the RSS and the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat do not acknowledge the independent identity of Sikhs as a misleading propaganda, the Punjab Sanghchalak Brijbhushan Singh Bedi has reportedly said that the RSS clearly recognises Sikhism as a separate religion. This had become clear in 2001 itself when a meeting was held between the then vice-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities Trilochan Singh and Madhav Govind Vaid of the RSS.

But Sikhs who are opposed to the RSS say that this is the manner in which the Sangh functions as its leaders raise different noises to play out a long game.

Sabotage?

It is the Dal Khalsa that has hit out most vociferously describing the formation of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat as a 'grand nefarious design' of the RSS to penetrate into Sikh rank and file.

Party head Harpal Singh Cheema said the RSS has no locus standi to interfere in the affairs of Sikhs. Rubbishing the very name Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, he said as per Sikh concept, there’s only one (Sikh) Sangat that is fully wedded to the 10 Gurus and their philosophy. It has nothing to do with any ‘Rashtra’ nor any boundary. He has cautioned the Sikhs to wake up timely to the evil designs of the RSS that’s hell bent to subsume Sikh religion into Hinduism.

Blaming RSS for systematically sabotaging Sikh doctrine, Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the RSS is an anti-Sikh organisation that has been hitting at the roots and foundations of Sikhism.

“Ironically, it has spread its tentacles in Punjab since tercentenary celebrations of Khalsa Panth in 1999 when Atal Behari Vajpayee was the prime minister and Parkash Singh Badal was the chief minister of Punjab. The Akal Takht edict of 2004 against the RSS is in its place, those Sikhs who would participate in the conclave would be traitors of the Panth,” he said ,while pointing that the management of the Takht Patna Sahib should stop Giani Iqbal Singh from siding with 'Panth Dokhis'.

It is being alleged that the Atal Behari Vajpayee government had released Rs 100 crore for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa Panth in 1999 of which the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat also got some funds with the help of which it tried to boost up its activities in rural Punjab through distribution of literature, calendars and organising meetings etc.

Reports that appeared in the media at that time suggest that the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat had approached the Damdami Taksal, the Sikh seminary once headed by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, to get their men trained in Sikh religion and philosophy. They were told that only Amritdhari (baptised) Sikhs were admitted there and they never returned.