Op/Ed – Future of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa’s Campaign

It has been almost one month since Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa started his hunger strike to seek the release of Sikh prisoners languishing in jails despite having completed their terms.  Bhai Gurbaksh Singh’s body has taken a toll from starvation but a new wave of energy has emerged worldwide in his support.  Along with his movement, Sikhs are now looking to meet other demands, which include –

1)      Removal of Giani Gurbachan Singh as Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib (Leader of the Sikh Nation)
2)      A movement to oust the corrupt Parkash Badal and his family from Punjab

The response to Bhai Gurbaksh Singh is similar to the one that emerged during the days of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana’s scheduled execution.  People were left baffled at how a Sikh could be executed during the reign of a “Sikh” Chief Minister. Badal was going to be the prime target for this havoc.

Support for Bhai Rajoana was so massive that it covered the state of Punjab entirely in orange.   Sikh religious emblems (Nishan Sahibs) were placed outside houses, across cities and villages—and Sikh men and women came out wearing orange turbans to halt the execution of Bhai Rajoana.  Although Bhai Rajoana was never executed, there is one person who benefited immensely from the drama that took place.

That person was Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Badal.

Parkash Badal outsmarted the entire Sikh nation by waiting for the right moment to raise the issue with the President and turning the tides in his favor.  Bhai Rajoana has been held in jail since 1995, hence the Chief Minister knew he was not a threat to the State.  Knowingly, he intervened in the case to win the Sikh vote bank.  Although people started the movement against Parkash Badal, he turned out to be a hero in the ensuing chaos.

Badal faces the same test again and he is already scripting his win –

Within a month’s time, an ambulance siren will ring and its echoes will start getting louder as it reaches Gurdwara Amb Sahib.  By then, one more true Sikh would have passed the test of Gursikhi to meet his father – Guru Gobind Singh Ji.  In the mean time, the community will start preparing for a massive demonstration from Gurdwara Amb Sahib to Akal Takht Sahib seeking a response from the Government appointed Jathedar.  The Jathedar will be at large, his replacement will be announced immediately.

Badal will once again keep his nexus with the right-wing BJP and put the Panth—the Sikh Nation—at ease by appointing Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode, nephew of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale, as the next Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib.

We have already witnessed the highlighting of Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode ever since the movement was started by Bhai Gurbaksh Singh.  During the march from Sri Akal Takht Sahib to Gurdwara Amb Sahib, appointed Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh was reprimanded by the Sikh congregation when he stated that Bhai Jasbir Singh Rode would lead the march instead of the five beloved ones. In addition, Jasbir Singh Rode has met with Bhai Gurbaksh Singh in person and he was accompanied by none other than the notorious SGPC President Avtar Makkar.

With Giani Mall Singh transferring to Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Badal has only one possible replacement for Giani Gurbachan Singh—and that is Jasbir Singh Rode.  Rode aligns well with Badal’s recently acquired Sant Samaj—the self-proclaimed Saints’ union.

Aside from a very suspicious background, there are further reasons to conclude something fishy about Jasbir Singh Rode.  His name has come up at different times as the prime conspirator of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh’s arrest from Gurdwara Amb Sahib.  In addition, along with other members of Sant Samaj, Rode recently held a meeting with Giani Gurbachan Singh to discuss amendments to the Nanakshahi calendar.  While the rest of the Panth has been busy with Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa’s movement, for Rode, this is the right time to once and for all change the calendar that has been an issue for a long time.

Rode is also greatly supported by Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma, current Jathedar of the Damdami Taksal.  Dhumma is a close ally of Parkash Badal and played a big role assisting Badal in the recently contested elections.  If Rode is made next Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, Dhumma and party can easily push forward the issues that matter to them.  In addition, Dhumma himself has been missing from the action ever since Bhai Gurbaksh Singh started his campaign.  According to our sources, he is currently busy with some projects in Mumbai.

Sant Samaj has undoubtedly contributed to the movement by visiting Bhai Gurbaksh Singh several times.  Bhai Gurbaksh Singh has entrusted them multiple times, however, they have not raised any awareness of this movement whatsoever.  Unlike Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and Baljit Singh Daduwal, no other “Sant” has brought forward this issue to their congregations.  Sikh24 has also learned that that Rode and members of the Sant Samaj have received instructions from Bikramjit Majithia (President, Akali Dal Youth Wing) to not provide any kind of support to Bhai Gurbaksh Singh.

The Panth Khalsa is amidst another martyrdom of a courageous man but our leadership is making the matter more complex than it is.  Bhai Gurbaksh Singh’s message is very straightforward and just but the Government has done a great job turning a deaf ear to his demands and keeping him busy with fake promises by Sant Samaj.  The Sikh Nation needs to remember that by ousting Giani Gurbachan Singh—or by pointing fingers at Parkash Badal—it will not help us save the life of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh or Sikh political prisoners.  This movement must remain consistent with the original demands and not be sidelined by other objective needs of the people.