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President of the Institute of Sikh Studies
for the Year 2019
S Gurpreet Singh has been unanimously elected as the President of Institute of Sikh Studies for the year 2019 by the General Body Meeting held on December 7, 2018.
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Finding Faults Where There is None
We, the Members of the Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh express our deep sense of concern and outrage at Dr Kirpal Singh's completely undeserved censure and removal from the post of Director of the project for the correct (Sikh) interpretation of Sikh classic Sri Gur Suraj Partap Granth by the SGPC at the behest of its political Bosses Shiromani Akali Dal.
Ignoring Dr Kirpal Singh's clarification regarding the omission of his edited notes on the contents of the revised portion of School text book uploaded on the official website of the Punjab School Education Board by its irresponsible officials in undue haste and willfully ignoring the fact that the Dharam Parchar Committee of SGPC has published and sold thousands of Dr Kirpal Singh's Interpreted, translated and edited twenty one volumes of the above mentioned Sikh classic and two volumes of "History of the Sikhs and Their Religion" and shamelessly forgetting that the SGPC itself had honoured Dr Kirpal Singh by conferring upon him the title of 'National Professor of Sikhism' in 2014, it has now the temerity to dishonor and maltreat such a committed Sikh scholar and historian. It is an act of gross misconduct and capitulation by the Sikh Panth's highest representative Sikh organization under vested political pressure. Maligning the reputation of an established Sikh scholar and disowning his monumental work on Sikh history is highly condemnable. It is an act of ungratefulness and devoid of grace. We call upon the SGPC to review their decision to assuage the hurt feelings of entire Sikh Panth/World and Dr Kirpal Singh at his advanced age.
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SGPC Comes to Rescue of Sikligar Sikhs in M'rashtra
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has taken cognisance of the damage done to the houses of Sikligar Sikh families and 'Nishan Sahib' in a gurdwara by the police at Balsa village in Maharashtra.
SGPC secretary Diljit Singh Bedi said the Chhattisgarh Sikh Mission incharge had been deputed to probe and report back in this regard.
The SGPC will also approach the Maharashtra Government to ensure the safety of the Sikligar Sikhs.
The committee has been taking care of Sikligar families with monetary aid and by helping their children get education. Last year, the SGPC paid school fee of 84 children in various schools at Vishakhapatnam. Besides this, 40 "frivolous" cases registered against the Sikligar youth were settled. The apex Sikh body has made arrangements to get them technically trained in various skills.
Knitting centres were opened for their women to make them self-reliant, Bedi said. (Courtesy: the Tribune, Dec 4, 2018)
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Can't Find Third Member, let SIT begin '84 Probe, SC told
Almost a year after the Supreme Court set up a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) to further probe 186 cases relating to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots closed by Delhi Police, the team is yet to get its third member.
The SIT, headed by former Delhi High Court judge SN Dhingra, was to submit its first report in August, but the government has not been able to find a suitable replacement for retired IPS officer Rajdeep Singh, who was to be part of the SIT along with Justice Dhingra and serving IPS officer Abhishek Dular but he refused to take up the assignment for personal reasons.
On Monday, the Supreme Court was told that it might not be necessary to find Rajdeep Singh's substitute and the SIT could start probe with just two members.
Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand told a Bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta that the government had no objection on the matter.
Since the January 11 order setting up a three-member SIT was passed by a three-judge Bench, it can't be modified by a two-judge Bench, said Justice Lokur, who posted it for hearing on Tuesday.
When Anand suggested the name of retired IPS officer NR Wasan to substitute Rajdeep Singh, the Bench said: "You cannot choose your own judge. Give two-three names." To this, Anand said the court could appoint anybody to substitute Singh.
Senior advocates RS Suri and HS Phoolka said appointing a third member in the SIT might delay the process and the other two members should continue with their work.
Anand agreed with the suggestion made by counsels for Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee member Gurlad Singh Kahlon, the petitioner who is seeking further probe into riot cases. (Courtesy: The Tribune, Dec 4, 2018)
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