A day after the jathedar (head) of the Sikh temporal seat Akal Takht announced that doors are open for Sikhs to return to the religion’s fold from Dera Sacha Sauda, the sect’s Punjab headquarters in-charge, Jora Singh, said on Wednesday: “Now, those with double standards will get exposed.”
Earlier Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said that doors were open for all dera followers who wanted to come back to Sikhism.
Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh admitted that a section of the community, disillusioned with Sikhism, had gone astray and fallen prey to “dera operators”. In a damage-control exercise, he said a panel of Sikh intellectuals would be formed to review the situation and formulate guidelines.
Giani Gurbachan Singh said the Dharam Parchar Lehar should focus on the areas in Malwa from where the most number of Sikhs had switched loyalties to the dera. “Special ‘gurmat’ and ‘amrit sanchar’ programmes should be conducted in these areas. The SGPC should take the lead in this regard,” he said.
Hailing the CBI Special Court’s verdict, Giani Gurbachan Singh said it had proved that “justice can be delayed, but not denied”. “Such a landmark judgment would discourage people from succumbing to charlatans,” he added.
In-charge of the Salabatpur dera centre near Bathinda, a dera man stressed, “We are with the sect and will remain with the sect. Some people are mistaken that after the dera head’s conviction, devotees’ faith in the dera will be shaken. That will not happen. Whole sangat (devotees) are standing with the dera head. We need to have trust in him. We have faced tough times earlier too. The activities of dera will go on as usual.”
Akal Takht had issued an edict for Sikhs to boycott Dera followers in 2007 after dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim allegedly copied the dress of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh.
When asked specifically about the jathedar’s “homecoming” offer, dera men said: “This situation has come as a test for dera followers too who have double standards. They will get exposed.”
