Panj Piaras ask SGPC to remove all five Jathedars by Jan 1

Those dismissed – Satnam Singh Khanda, Satnam Singh, Mangal Singh and Tarlok Singh – remained defiant and said they would hold a meeting at Akal Takht on Saturday against the five Takht heads.

He also clarified that Bhai Major Singh of the five has already been made to retire from his services, which is why the SGPC’s executives have only announced a suspension of only four of the Pyare. However, later on, after a few days and bowing before the pressure from the Sikh community, SGPC had without any condition revoked the suspension of the Panj Piaras.

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) today dismissed the services of four out of five Panj Pyaras (the five beloved ones) for allegedly challenging Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat, and defying the service rules by indulging in anti-Panthic activities. “We would hold our meeting wherever we are stopped”, he said. He said that the Panj Pyare are “recruited for baptism” and to preach Sikhism but by issuing a decree to the SGPC, they have crossed their jurisdiction. “We have sought the intervention of Sikh institutions and Sikh intellectuals to help resolve the issue”, SGPC president Makkar said. The high priests were asked to submit their clarification on their controversial decision to pardon the dera chief.

Earlier on October 21, the Panj Piaras had in an unprecedented move challenged the working of the Sikh clergy and summoned the five Sikh high priests, including the Jathedar Akal Takht Gyani Gurbachan Singh, on October 23 to explain the pardon extended to the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and later withdrawing the same.

The SGPC said the four could not henceforth take any decision related to the Sikh high priests.

He added that Panj Payre are concerned with the Dharam Prachar Committee and they have nothing to do with SGPC.

SGPC, for its part, maintains that the power to appoint or dismiss the Jathedars lies only with its executive.

But later in a dramatic turn of events, under vast criticism, the SGPC had to reinstate Panj Pyaras who were transferred out of Punjab but they had refused to comply with the orders. After Giani Gurchan Singh and other jatehdars had failed to appear before the Panj Pyare, the Panj Pyare had directed the SGPC to release Giani Gurbachan Singh and other persons from their services as “Jathedars”.