Amritsar Sahib – Five days after the Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) suspended the Panj Pyaras (the five beloved ones), the Sikhs’ mini parliament on Sunday revoked their suspension.

SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar, only a day before, had maintained that he stood by his decision of suspending the Panj Pyaras. SGPC executive had, in its meeting on October 23, authorised Makkar to take the final call on the issue, while majority of the members had opposed the suspension.

Panj Pyaras’ suspension had sparked a debate on the power equations in the Sikh community as it was believed that the Panj Pyaras have been bestowed with the supreme power to summon even the “guru” by Sikhs’ tenth master Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of Khalsa, and by suspending them, the SGPC has violated the religious norms.

On October 21, Panj Pyaras – Bhai Satnam Singh, Bhai Mangal Singh, Bhai Major Singh, Bhai Satnam Singh and Bhai Tarlok Singh had summoned five Jathedars at Akal Takht for their role in granting pardon to the Dera chief over a blasphemy episode.

Later in the day, the SGPC ordered the suspension of the Panj Pyaras charging them with “creating dissensions in the panth by summoning the jathedars and violating Sikh tenets as well as rules governing the SGPC employees“.

SGPC designates Panj Pyaras officially to perform the ‘amrit sanchar’ (baptism) ceremony and leading ‘nagar kirtans’ (religious processions) on important occasions.

In a rare move, the Panj Pyaras have summoned jathedars claiming that they were under pressure from the Sikh community that had not liked the pardoning of the Sirsa dera head.

Panj Pyaras on Friday had even asked the five head priests to resign as they had failed to respond to their summons over their decision to pardon Dera sect head in 2007 blasphemy case without taking the Sikh community into confidence.

They had also asked the SGPC executive to immediately withdraw all facilities given to the jathedars.

Makkar, on the same day, had outrightly rejected Panj Pyaras’ decision stating that it was the domain of jathedars only to issue such religious edict and “no one else has any legal right or authority in this regard. Even SGPC rules also didn’t support such things”.

Timeline

October 21

Panj Pyaras summon jathedars of all Takhts and seek explanation on pardon to Sirsa dera head

SGPC chief suspends Panj Pyaras and transfers them

October 23

Panj Pyaras direct jathedars of five Takhts to quit

Makkar terms Panj Pyaras’ directive illegal

October 25

SGPC chief revokes suspension of Panj Pyaras