Sant Jarnail Singh –a multi-faceted personality

Date: 08 Jun 2008

Comment:


Sant Jarnail Singh –a multi-faceted personality
WSN Bureau 

CHANDIGARH: Various facets of the personality of Sant Jarnail Singh were debated at a seminar organized by the Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar (Panch Pardhani) led by Bhai Daljit Singh at the local Law Auditorium in the city.  

Speaking at the well-attended meet which saw the participation of many stalwarts, emerging writer and author of two books on contemporary Sikh history, Ajmer Singh said that the present democratic set-up in the country was a sham and a threat to the minorities. Leading savant poet Harinder Singh Mehboob said Sant Bhindranwale was a towering spiritual person and like Baba Deep Singh had inspired many through his martyrdom within the precincts of Darbar Sahib.  

UNI correspondent Jaspal Singh Sidhu said that the Indian media had engaged in character assassination of Sant Jarnail Singh.  What the media did to him as an individual, it continued to do to minorities as it is dominated by the majority community.  The media either suppresses the aspirations of the minorities portrays them in bad light, said the media-man from Delhi. He said that whenever the Indian media had an opportunity to taint Bhindranwale, it was unsparing.  

Former IAS officer and National Professor of Sikhism, Gurtej Singh said that Sikhism extols the need to work for the poor and the underprivileged and to fight tyranny and oppression and this is precisely what Sant Jarnail Singh did.  When he realized that since 1947, the state had sidelined the Sikh nation and its aspirations had been rubbished, he chose to fight the system.  Gurtej Singh implored the pseudo-Saints of present times to follow the example of Sant Jarnail Singh, who he said, was a true Saint.  

Ajmer Singh further said that any system, thought or policy that cannot withstand the scrutiny and test of the Sikh doctrine has to be rejected in the same manner as was done by Sant Bhindranwale. Brahmanism has challenged the distinct identity of the Sikh nation, and therefore there was a need to uphold the unique character of the Sikh people.  The thrust of the political ideology of Sant Jarnail Singh was that Sikhs are enslaved and that they have to bury their differences and unite under the banner of the Kesri Nishan.  He further said that history is testimony to the fact that the ruling elite resorts to propaganda and lies to defame nations which challenge them. This has been done to Banda Singh Bahadur and Sant Jarnail Singh. It is the duty of the Sikh intellectual to undo this by highlighting the life and contribution of the Sant.  

The chairman of the party, Bhai Daljit Singh thanked all participants and said that the purpose of the Seminar to bring to the fore the qualities of Sant Jarnail Singh had been achieved. The concepts of self-rule of the Sikhs, Sarbat da Bhala were discussed threadbare. He hoped that the Seminar would be the first step towards a better understanding of the Sikh ethos. 

Among others, the former sub-editor of Punjabi Tribune –Karamjit Singh, party leaders Harpal Singh Cheema, Harinder Singh Khalsa, Bhai Kamikkar Singh, Daya Singh Kakad, Bibi Surinder Kaur, Paramjit Singh Gazi, Baba Harnam Singh Khalsa, Ravinder Singh Khalsa, Amrik Singh Issru, Surinderpal Singh Tharua, Surinder Singh Kishanpura, Satnam Singh Behru, Bhai Ishar Singh, Bhai Kulbir Singh Bara pind, Mandhir Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, Jaspal Singh Manjhpur, Balwant Singh Gopala, Karnail Singh Peermohammed, Malkit Singh Bhalwan, Swami B. Chaitanya, Harwinder Singh Phagwara, Bibi Kulbir Kaur Dhami, Bhai Kanwar Singh Dhami, D. S. Gill, Advocate Navkiran Sngh, Puran Singh Hundal, Gurnam Singh Sidhu, former Member Parliament Harbhajan Lakha and Jagdish Singh attended the meet.

4 June, 2008 

__._,_.___ 
000000000