Akal Takht Summons Dhadrianwale; Scholars at Loggerheads

Akal Takht (Eternal Throne; AT) acting Jathedar (leader) Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj on 15 Apr summoned Sikh preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale—under a boycott since 24 Aug 2020 for ‘objectionable remarks’ on Sikh traditions—to present clarifications before AT. The 2020 edict, based on a sub-committee report, barred Sikhs from organizing Dhadrianwale’s congregations or sharing his content until he apologized. Gargajj’s outreach follows Dhadrianwale’s 19 Apr event in Nadala, Kapurthala, attended by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) ex-president Jagir Kaur, prompting Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sarchand Singh Khiala to demand her accountability for violating AT’s directive. Giani Gargajj urged unity among the SGPC, Damdami Taksal, and Sikh institutions to counter religious conversions in Panjab. In the recent past, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal delayed summons to the AT before being declared tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct). Before him Dera (sect) Sacha Sauda chief Gurmit Ram Rahim was summoned but he never appeared at AT. Gargajj also announced a 2 May gathering under AT’s patronage to address concerns about films depicting Sikh Gurus, martyrs, and history, citing widespread Panthic (Sikh collective) discontent. In Bangkok, Kolkata-based Satnam Singh Ahluwalia alleged religious discrimination on 12 Apr when a hotel denied him entry over his kirpan (traditional sword) despite explaining its significance. Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on 30 Sep ruled a gold kada (traditional bracelet) seized from a Sikh tourist at Delhi Airport was a religious ‘personal effect,’ ordering its release under Baggage Rules 2016. Separately, Sikh scholar Gurtej Singh filed a criminal defamation case in Chandigarh against historian Dr. Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon and a broadcaster owner for falsely linking him to the 1984 Sikh genocide through a 2021 video alleging proximity to ex-Prime Minister Chandrashekhar and saying Singh had ‘falsely claimed’ to have resigned after Operation Blue Star in 1984 when he actually resigned in 1982. The Chandigarh court summoned the accused, with hearings set for 2 Jul (earlier coverage).