Updates:
(July 29, 2013) Sikh24 has received a letter from Dr. Hardyal Singh in regards to his meeting with Professor Darshan Ragi at Hayward Gurdwara on July 21st, here in California. Dr. Bains was taken to the Gurdwara for a regular Sunday program when the meeting took place. In light of this new information we accept Dr. Hardyal Singh Bains’ version of events and ask that our readers do the same. It has become clear to our editors that the neo-missionary group responsible for the program used selective editing in the video to show support from Akhand Kirtani Jatha elders, despite the contrary. Given this new information, we have removed the original video and apologize to Dr. Hardyal Singh Bains.
Dr. Hardyal Singh Bains’ letter can be found here: http://www.sikh24.com/2013/07/bhai-hardyal-singh-bains-writes-what-really-happened-with-darshan-ragi
(July 25, 2013) Sikh24 is currently communicating with Dr. Hardyal Singh Bains who will provide a clarification shortly.
SAN FRANCISCO, California—This past weekend, Darshan Ragi, ex-jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib who has recently turned to slamming gurbani, and his missionary supporters had a program at Hayward Gurdwara Sahib, a hotbed of missionary activity. Like previous years, the Ragi was not given permission to speak at any other Gurdwara in the Bay Area, including Fremont and San Jose.
Ragi’s program in Hayward attracted a handful of people while the panthik minded sangat had decided to boycott this program.
Sikh24 has received reports that the notorious Ragi attempted to misguide Sikh Sangat on various subjects, including the nitnem and ardas. It should be noted that the ardas and daily nitnem includes banis from Sri Dasam Granth, a scripture penned by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. For quite some time, Darshan has purposefully tried to stir controversies over the writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and in the process he has not even spared the amrit banis—Jaap Sahib, Tav Prasad Savaiye and Chaupai Sahib.
This is one of Darshan’s latest statements:
“ਸਾਡੀ ਤਾਂ ਅਰਦਾਸ, ਰਹਿਰਾਸ, ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ, ਨਿਤਨੇਮ ਦੂਸਰੇ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੁੰਦਾ, ਫਿਰ ਅਸੀਂ ਕਿਸ ਮੂੰਹ ਨਾਲ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਨੂੰ ਪੂਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਹਿੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ?”
Our prayers—Ardas, Rehras, Nitnem—and our Amrit Sanchars can’t be done without that other granth. So with which mouth can we say that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is our perfect and complete Guru?
At the Hayward program, the heretic Ragi made the following statement:
“ਸਿਖੋ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਗੁਰੂ, ਤੁਹਾਨੂ ਅਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਵੀ ਨਹੀ ਦੇ ਸਕਦਾ ? ਸਿਖੋ ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੁਹਾਨੂ ਨਿਤਨੇਮ ਵੀ ਨਹੀ ਦੇ ਸਕਦਾ ?”
Sikhs, your Guru can’t even give you Amrit? Sikhs, your Guru can’t even give you your daily prayers?
Reports indicate that some members of the non-missionary Jathebandis also found their way to this program, and seemingly even supported this Darshan “Singh” in his anti-gurbani parchar. A video of one Dr. Hardyal Bains who is seen at some local programs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha has surfaced on social media websites where the elderly person has praised the mis-parchar of the Ragi. AKJ California, for their part have previously released statements staunchly supporting Sri Dasam Granth in it’s entirety.
Prof. Darshan was excommunicated by the Akal Takht Sahib in 2010, the hukamnama, or order, against him states:
“After deliberating on all the above cases and issues Darshan Singh Ragi is declared excommunicated from the Sikh Panth for being a ‘Guru Nindak’ and an enemy of ‘Guru Panth’. Having lost the pride of being a part of the Sikh panth he no more holds any right which a Sikh deserves. All the ‘Guru Nanak Naam Leva Gursikhs’ who consider Sri Guru Granth Sahib as their Guru and Guru Gobind Singh Sahib as their father are ordered to snap all relations pertaining to ‘Roti’ and ‘Beti’ with Darshan Singh Ragi.
All the Sikh sangats of India and abroad are ordered not to allow Darshan Singh Ragi and his supporters to speak from a Sikh stage and to give any support. The one who fails to implement this would be the Tankhaiya of Guru Panth.”
Video of Dr. Hardyal Bains is available here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXX-Muz8qkI
The full hukamnama against Prof. Darshan is available here.
Seeing as there has been a recent submission from Bhai Sahib Ji, I think it would be pretty important that the whole article be completely rewritten and edited as we are still doing badnaam to Bhai Sahib’s name through the tone of the article. Please re-edit/rewrite or whatever you may find necessary and a formal letter/article be posted here apologising to him. In my opinion a simple “we apologise” is not quite enough, considering the huge JUDGEMENT we placed upon him without even know a tiny part of the truth!
What has our Sikhi come to when we can so easily judge someone in such a manner, and one needs to send us a letter explaining the situation.
Although your articles are normally great, i’m extremely disappointed in what has happened on behalf of the Sikh Panth, who im sure would feel the same guilt and sadness of what we had done.
It’s obvious that the prof. has missed the boat and is creating mis-information in the panth. God save us from such foolish “professor’s”.
well said!
You have said “handful of people” at Hayward Gurdwara Sahib. Actually the facts are: Gurdwara was full. Rehat Maryada committee has already stated, which are the authenticated baanis of “Dasam Guru”. All other writings are not to be recited at all. Actually other writings are like reading KaamSutra (Some of them are full of sexual content). Limit yourself to only Sikh Rehat Maryada unless you are from Damdami Taksal, who have a diff. Rehat. Many a times Taksal people don’t call themselves as Sikhs but consider themselves as Brahmin Sikhs, which all the Gurus have criticized. Please read “Asa Di War”.
If you can judge a person’s character based on a 50 second video without having a conversation with them personally, then I don’t believe that is the way Guru Ji taught us. I’ll let you continue to amateurly judge if that’s in your character.
ABC, in what possible context could his words of good job, keep your head up etc ever be innocent in this situation? Was ragi running a marathon or something?
It’s sad how you “forgot” to add “singh” to Bhai Hardyal Singh’s name. So, if someone has different views than yours, you automatically officially strip him of “singh status”? Wow…How do you guys address the taksalis, nihangs, nanaksarees etc? Hypocrite much?
I think the conversation is more troubling than some “conspiracy” to “strip him of ‘singh status'”
Only if our community could address the real issue which is that associating with this raagi is troubling.
I think you’ve misconstrued or taken this out of context. Your journalism which included “reports indicate…” Is a prime example. I would be interested to hear the full conversation.