Visit of Giyani Harpreet Singh,
De Facto Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat
De jure jathedar of sri akal takhat bhai Jagtar Singh hawara elected by the 2015 Sarbat Khalsa
The National Sikh Youth Federation stands with the Gurmateh of the Sarbat Khalsa of 2015 and 1986 which dissolved the ineffective and corrupt SGPC. Shamsher Singh was blessed to be a part of the Sangat in 2015 when Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara was chosen as the Akal Takhat Jathedar and felt the roar of tens of thousands of Sikhs whose passion for Azaadi was given fuel by this announcement.
The indian states domination of Punjab through violent interference in Sikh institutions and the governance of Punjab has long been a source of tension that has lead to war for Sikhs to regain their independence and sovereignty. The sovereignty that the Guru has bestowed upon the Panth means that control of Sikh institutions is vital to retaining political legitimacy in Punjab’s ostensibly ‘secular’ governance.
On one hand the indian state has launched a full scale military invasion of Sri Darbar Sahib, imprisoned, tortured, and killed Sikh religious, student, and political leaders, including previous Jathedar of Akal Takhat; on the other it has given the freedom of travel and movement to select individuals. This reality is not something that can be erased or sidelined, it is imperative to the conversation and understanding the lack of legitimate authority in Sikh governance.
Through creating the opportunity to allow select individuals to travel and actively detaining and arresting others the indian state sustains violent fractures in the Panth. It can be strongly argued that this recent visit of Giyani Harpreet Singh is a fact-finding mission and a ‘temperature check’ of the Sikh diaspora. Such visits by Sikhs in positions of power in Sikh institutions, that enjoy the patronage of State machinery aim to legitimise those positions. The State uses power to declare what is legitimate and what is illegal and uses this mechanism of enforcing legitimacy to control and influence Sikh reality and censor Sikh expression.
Whilst the National Sikh Youth Federation recognises Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara as Jathedar it is also important to us to make our stance clear to Giyani Harpreet Singh so that when they return to survive under the shadow of State terrorism and the conditions of political subservience that exists overtly in Punjab, they can inform those that will inevitably inquire that there remains Sikh Naujawan that are fully committed to Khalistan.
We have noticed that whatsapp messages and social media pages are expressing anger and their discontent at a photograph, shared on the KTV facebook page, with some pages claiming that the image shows Shamsher Singh giving a gift to Giyani Harpreet Singh. It is important to hold Panthic organisations to account, and as the NSYF is funded by our membership we are answerable to them and the collective Panth. Our stance is clear and we stand with the brutalised and silenced martyrs of the Panth, in the erased spaces, between comfort and belonging, and we will always work hard to vocally create and hold space for the aspirations of our people and their desire to assert their sovereignty.
The above photograph is of a painting being shown to Giyani Harpreet Singh that the NSYF had commissioned. It features a famous poem, ‘Kavi Di Dua’, by the renowned poet and philosopher Bhai Harinder Singh Mehboob, the poem honours and celebrates the Shaheedi of Bhai Beant Singh. The painting has been sponsored by Singh Sabha Gurdwara and will go on display there. We did not pose for the picture, and the purpose of showing this painting was solely to demonstrate the sincere love and respect we have for our Panth’s Shaheeds. That the aspirations of the Khalsa shall never be sidelined or forgotten, the spirit of our Shaheeds will only ever be renewed and reinvigorated as long as the Sovereign Niyara Panth exists.
In furtherance of our political position it was our intention to attend the meeting at Havelock Road on Sunday 12th January, arranged by the committee for the purpose of open discussion, and present our representations directly to Giyani Harpreet Singh. We firmly believe it is possible to have dialogue and maintain a clear position on Panthic issues that does not compromise on the essential aspects of the Sikh liberation struggle. We did not wish to engage in the flat, polarising debate taking place online. When it comes to Panthic issues our benti to naujwan is to not rely on anonymous pages for accurate information and to engage with the community and it’s struggles directly, participate in Sikh spaces and hold yourselves and those in positions of power and privilege accountable. We stand by our position and politics privately and publicly, and we will consistently work to make space for the Panthic stance on Khalistan.
Below we have reproduced in english the representations made in Punjabi to the meeting at Havelock Road which was attended by over 60 people and included representatives of Gurdwareh and Sikh organisations:
“Vahiguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vahiguru Ji Ki Fateh, Shamsher Singh of National Sikh Youth Federation, a naujawan jathebandie, when Sikhs engage in discourse that is rooted in our itihas we give reverence and importance to the struggles we have made throughout our history for our sovereignty, to remain sovereign and rightly so. As we all know this emotion is strong amongst Sikhs, we proclaim ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’ in our Ardaas, [and] we have given this feeling, this aspiration [this struggle] a name, Khalistan. However I feel that in the diaspora the attitude of our Guru bestowed sovereignty is on a decline as Sikhs have become addicted/accustomed to living subserviently under the State and its laws. When we look at the issues that we have in the Panth today, the question around Jathedari with the Sangat’s expression connected to an imprisoned Singh, Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara, and look at the disfunction of our institutions we cannot erase the relevance/connection to 1984 and Khalistan. Sikh existence and natural functioning was violently disrupted by the indian state and that continues to impact the functioning of our Panth today. The respected position that you occupy today, as you are well aware is a position that has been held by our Panths Shaheeds and holds great significance. As you have made statements on Kashmir and india’s discriminatory ‘CAA’ bill, which have been well received, if you made a clear statement and took a clear position on Khalistan it would greatly increase confidence in the general Sikh population and give encouragement to the direction we must surely follow for our prosperity and future.”
Giyani Harpreet Singh’s response reflected their limitations, they spoke about how certain issues should not be discussed publicly and should be secret in Panthic spaces to further the desires the Panth holds, this is a sentiment we agree with when it comes to strategising and planning, however the position of the Akal Takhat on Khalsa Raj and Sikh sovereignty is very clear, and in the past this has included Khalistan, with the office for Khalistan being located in the Sri Darbar Sahib Complex after the creation of the Panthic Committee in 1986. Khalistan has been removed from the conversation of Sikh sovereignty through indian state violence that has seen its security forces engage in genocide to collectively punish Punjab’s Sikh population to as part of its counter-insurgency strategy to counter the popularity of the Khalistan liberation struggle.
Giyani Harpreet Singh also spoke about how the Sikh diaspora should take up responsibility for outlining the way forward, that Sikhs have tried ‘one way’ (reducing the Khalistan Sangharsh to militancy which was waged when all democratic means had been exhausted) and the approach we must make today needs to reflect the idea that “today is the era of democracy” (a statement we disagree with, the State remains a violent entity that enforces its world view, its exploitation of people and the planet, through its monopoly on violence).
It is worth mentioning that Giyani Harpreet Singh Ji is the de facto Jathedar of Sri Akaal Takaht Sahib, ie it is a factual reality that they occupy the position. The de jure Jathedar remains Nazarband (imprisoned) Singh Sahib Bhai Jagtar Singh Ji Hawara, being elected by the 2015 Sarbat Khalsa they have a rightful claim to the position which cannot be practically exercised because they have been imprisoned for the majority of their life. The 2015 Sarbat Khalsa occurred after the collapse of confidence in Sikh leadership following the Ram-Rahim scandal. Ram Rahim, a convicted rapist and cult leader was “forgiven” for his crimes due the vote bank politics resulting from the political influence of his mass of followers. The Central Government of New Delhi has for decades sought to influence and impact Sikh institutional effectiveness in order to co-opt the capacity and legitimacy of the Sikh people in organising and agitating for their sovereignty. The Akaal Takaht remains the seat of Sikh power and organising. By electing Bhai Jagtar Singh Ji Hawara the Panth has outright rejected the imposition of the indian state in Sikh polity.
This post from Santbir Singh provides a good basic summary of the role and position of Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib Jathedar.