Once upon a time, there was no Sikh face in the BJP, except a handful who could be counted on fingers outside Punjab. In fact, there was no Sikh face in the Jana Sangh -the precursor of the present-day BJP.  Even the RSS -Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh had to invent Rashtriya Sikh Sangat to prefer some Sikhs who could be seen as pro-Sikh, even though they continued to enforce RSS agenda. Today, we have toadies like Manjinder Singh Sirsa who are going the whole hog to undermine Sikhs, Sikhism, Sikh institutions at the altar of the BJP’s majoritarianism. WSN editor Jagmohan Singh, while discussing the details of today’s meeting of Sikh social, religious and political leaders with PM Narendra Modi warns of the notoriety of the meeting and its likely sinister fallout.

Former DSGMC President and now BJP Sikh face -Manjinder Singh Sirsa, much to the annoyance of the Sikhs is working overtime to hog the limelight by belittling Sikh bodies, Sikh religious, social and political leadership. The damage that he has done earlier is still haunting the Sikhs.

In the initial stage of his becoming a full-time leader of the BJP, after having failed to willy-nilly take over the reins of the DSGMC, Manjinder Singh Sirsa was working behind the scenes to induct as many Sikh faces as possible into the BJP. Voicing concern and then leaving them in the lurch, Sirsa wants to be seen as the messiah of the Sikhs living outside Punjab. WSN is aware of how is pushing Sikhs in various states to toe the BJP line. 

His first major target was the Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht -Giani Harpreet Singh, who hosted the Home Minister of India -Amit Shah at Amritsar at his instance. During the meeting, the Jathedar was seen without his traditional Kirpan in his hand. The Acting Jathedar of the Sikhs held a closed-door meeting with the Indian Home Minister, presented him with a Siropa. The details of the meeting were relayed to the media by the Personal Assistant of the Jathedar Jaspal Singh, who said that “the meeting was in a cordial atmosphere and various Punjab-related and Sikh-related demands were made.”  Subsequently, through a tweet, the SGPC justified the holding of the meeting saying, “anybody who comes visiting can hold a meeting.” 

Now we have a flock of social, religious and political leaders, who ostensibly claim to be apolitical, but have gone with Sirsa to meet the Prime Minister of India at his residence “to congratulate the PM for various works done for the Sikh community.”

It is disgusting and debilitating to note that amongst the leadership who gladly photographed themselves with the Indian PM was Giani Ranjit Singh, Jathedar Takht Sri Patna Sahib. He did not have any qualms about going to the house of a political leader where his status and stature was severely compromised. He travelled from Patna to Delhi and back with Takht Patna Sahib Sangat funds only to garland the PM with a Siropa! Do we not need to ask him as to why Takht Patna Sahib Jathedars toe the government line? The role of the Takht Patna Sahib Committee President Avtar Singh Hit in this entire game also warrants looking into it. 

Unquestionably, the present house of the DSGMC could not have been constituted without the behind-the-scenes interference of Manjinder Singh Sirsa during the day of the election of the Executive Committee. An obliging Harmeet Singh Kalka now uses the DSGMC to sing praises of Narendra Modi.

His memorandum wants a Sikh University in Delhi while he and his henchmen are unable to manage and control the 14 Guru Harkrishan Sahib Public Schools in Delhi and the DSGMC has filed a case in the Delhi High Court wanting to wash off their hands of their liability to pay salaries to teachers as per the Seventh Pay Commission, as required under the law.  The petition says that “DSGMC has nothing to do with the Sikh schools,” notwithstanding that the DSGMC has spent millions of Sangat funds on the schools over the past decades. 

Of course, no one amongst “the galaxy of leaders” present at the lawns of the official residence of PM Modi did not tell him that Punjabi is not taught in Delhi and Punjabi has been removed from the optional list of languages by the CBSE.

The DSGMC letter to the Prime Minister says that “The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP¬2020) offers one such opportunity to us” to build a Minority University.” We are convinced that none of them has studied how the NEP is depriving minority institutions of their rights, with Karnataka being the first example. It does not tell us as to how Army schools have stopped teaching Punjabi and hence stopped hiring Punjabi teachers. 

The memorandum to the PM says “National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has not given adequate space and place to the history of Sikhs in the syllabus.” They have not shared with the government what efforts did DSGMC do when this very government invited views about the inclusion of Sikh history in various syllabi.

Harmeet Singh Kalka adds that “justice for the perpetrators for November 1984 carnage was possible because of BJP.” He failed to add that the judiciary is managed by the BJP and hence they were able to deliver justice. 

DSGMC or shall we say that Sirsa has sought “a medical and nursing college at Gurdwara Bala Sahib”, after having done nothing for the Hospital over the years when they were governing and managing DSGMC affairs. They have miserably failed to tell the Sikhs, especially Delhi Sikhs why they have failed to build a Partition Memorial and a Baba Baghel Singh memorial in Delhi and why they need the support and assistance of the government of India or its Prime Minister.

Harmeet Singh Kalka adds that “justice for the perpetrators for November 1984 carnage was possible because of BJP.” He failed to add that the judiciary is managed by the BJP and hence they were able to deliver justice. 

Another emerging star on the horizon of Sikh leadership is the DSGMC general secretary Jagdip Singh Kahlon who says that the “opening of Kartarpur corridor, the release of Sikh prisoners and even celebration of birth anniversaries of Gurus on a grand scale is a gift of the BJP to the Sikhs.” He did not tell us how many prisoners are still languishing in jail, including Prof. Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and where and how were the monies for Gurus’ birth anniversary celebrations spent.

The hero of the meeting Manjinder Singh Sirsa, former President, DSGMC claimed that “Modi is a well-wisher of the Sikhs and that is why he repealed the farm laws.” He did not tell us whether he demanded exemplary compensation for the 750 plus farmers who lost their lives in the year-long agitation on the borders of Delhi and nor did he tell us as to why during that period, the BJP leadership -from the bottom to the top, indulged in mudslinging and shaming Sikh activists and even Sikh protestors in general. He has also not apprised us as to what has happened in the cases that he had filed against BJP-supporter Sikh-baiter Bollywood star Kangna Ranaut. Is he now with her or still against her?

Tarlochan Singh, who has always been on the right side of any government demanded “a two-minute silence –Moun Vrat in the Indian Parliament for the November 1984 Sikh genocide.” He did not tell us as to why he continues to maintain a “Maun vart -complete silence” among other things, on his role pre-June 1984 as the senior-most confidante of then Indian President Giani Zail Singh and his sinister involvement in the rebuilding of the Sarkari -government-sponsored Akal Takht by pseudo-saint Santa Singh and Skipper Builders of Delhi.

Tarlochan Singh did not tell us as to why he continues to maintain a “Maun vart -complete silence” among other things, on his role pre-June 1984 as the senior-most confidante of then Indian President Giani Zail Singh and his sinister involvement in the rebuilding of the Sarkari -government-sponsored Akal Takht by pseudo-saint Santa Singh and Skipper Builders of Delhi.

As per reports, PM Modi assured consideration of demands and talked about his love for the Sikh community. He failed to tell the community leaders at the bonhomie as to why RSS meddles in Sikh affairs, why does RSS call Sikhs as Hindus, and why has no one taken up the case of amendment of Article 25 as desired by the Sikhs. Of course, there is much more. 

As per the list provided by the DSGMC, “38 Sikh personalities” met the Prime Minister. WSN will shortly provide a peep into the status and role of each of these personalities for the benefit of Sikh readers, enabling them to make their own decision.

The “stalwarts of the community” are Singh Sahib Giani Ranjit Singh, Jathedar, Takhat Sri Patna Sahib, S.Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Former President, DSGMC, S. Tarlochan Singh Former Chairman, NCM, S. Harmeet Singh Kalka, Pesident, DSGMC, S. Jagdip Singh Kahlon, General Secretary, DSGMC Padma Shri Baba Balbir Singh Ji Sichewal (Sultanpur Lodhi), Mahant Karamjit Singh, President Sewapanthi, Yamuna Nagar, Baba Joga Singh, Dera Baba Jang Singh (Nanaksar) Karnal, S. SP Singh Oberoi, President, Sarbat Da Bhalla Trust, Chandigarh, Sant Baba Avtar Singh Ji Dhurkot, Mohali, Chandigarh, Sant Baba Preetam Singh Rajpura, Punjab, Sant Baba Mejor Singh Waa, Mukhi, Dera  Baba Tara Singh Waa, Amritsar, Jathedar Baba Sahib Singh Ji, Kar Sewa Anandpur Sahib, Giani Ranjit Singh, Head Granthi, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi, Giani Harnam Singh, Head Granthi, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib, Delhi, S. Surinder Singh, Namdhari Darbar (Bheni Sahib), Baba Jassa Singh, Shiromani Akali Budha Dal, Panjwa Takhat, Dr. Harbhajan Singh, Damdami Taksal, Chowk Mehta, Sant Baba Resham Singh, Gurdwara Nanak Nirankar Chakpakhi, Sant Baba Sunder Singh, Sewa Panthi, Tikana Bhai Ram Kishan Patiala,  Baba Major Singh Dashmesh Tarna Dal, S.Baldev Singh, President, Kashmir Gurdwaras Committee, Srinagar, Baba Beant Singh Ji, Gurdwara Langar Damdama Sahib, Rudra Prayag, S. R.S. Ahuja, President, Sikh Forum, New Delhi, S. Inderjit Singh, Gen. Secretary, Takhat Sri Patna Sahib, S. Prabhleen Singh, President, Young Progressive Forum, Patiala, S. Amarjit Singh, Vice President, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar, Sant Baba Sukhdev Singh, Nirmal Dera, Ber Kalan, Ludhiana, S. Manjeet Singh Bhatia, President, Singh Sabha Gurdwara Sahib, Indore, MP, S. Amandip Singh, Kalgidhar Trust (Baru Sahib), S. Kashmir Singh, Sikh International, Patiala, Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala Spokesperson Damdami Taksal, Chowk Mehta, S. Harpal Singh, President, Central Committee, West Bengal, S. Shailender Singh, President Jharkhand Pradesh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, Ranchi, S. Harpal Singh Bhatia, President, Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh Gurdwara Board, Bhopal S. Harjit Singh Dua, President Gurdwara Gyan Godri, Haridwar,

Expressing gratitude to the Indian Prime Minister, the DSGMC letter says, “We further appreciate your gesture of recognizing the unparalleled sacrifice of Chaar Sahibzaade (revered four sons of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji) and in commemoration declaring 26. December every year as ‘Veer Bal Divas.” The letter does not tell the Prime Minister that a large section of the Sikh community does not welcome this move and that it will be resisted at all costs. 

Let it be said loudly and clearly. None of the leaders who are part of Sirsa’s or shall we say BJP’s gamesmanship are apolitical. They have now plunged into muddy waters. Each one of them is answerable to the Sikh community and the role of each of these leaders will always be taken with a pinch of salt.