As Taksal’s Maha min honour sparks row, Panthic bodies call June 13 meet

Amritsar: Resentment is brewing among sections of Panthic circles and former students of Damdami Taksal after Maharashtra water resources Minister Girish Mahajan was honoured at the Sikh seminary's headquarters in Chowk Mehta to mark the 42nd anniversary of Operation Bluestar on June 6, with plans underway to launch an agitation against Taksal chief Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma.Bhai Ranjit Singh, president, Sikh Federation (Bhindranwala) and a former student of Damdami Taksal, said a meeting of Panthic organisations will be convened on June 13 to discuss the "growing influence of the RSS and the BJP" within the historic Sikh seminary. "We will either organise a Panthic gathering at Chowk Mehta or at Akal Takht to launch an agitation for the restoration of Taksal's Panthic character," he said. The decision follows a meeting of like-minded Panthic organisations on Tuesday. Others have also suggested that the Taksal is straying from its core principles. "The ideology of the Taksal, once led by Panthic stalwarts such as Baba Kartar Singh, Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Baba Thakur Singh, has been diluted," said Panthic leader Balwant Singh Gopala. Another Panthic leader Bhupinder Singh said critics of Dhumma feel his outreach to political leaders associated with the BJP and RSS contradicts the legacy of former Taksal leaders, particularly Bhindranwale. He argued that repeated interactions with leaders perceived as ideological opponents of Bhindranwale have widened the gulf between the Taksal leadership and sections of the Sikh community. Supporters of Dhumma, however, maintain that engagement with political leaders across party lines should not be viewed as a departure from Sikh principles and have dismissed the criticism as politically motivated.