Background
Flyer advertising the event says:
Little Ilford School is celebrating Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s birthday in the presence of the Sikh Holy Book, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, on Monday 28th January 2008 in the school.
Time: 4:00pm – 6.00pm Programme: Shabad Keertan Darbar by Raagis from roseberry road Gurdwara, damesh Darbar, East London Students from Little Ilford School Students from Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Chigwell Followed by prashad and Guru Ka Langar We look forward to your attendance to celebrate this wonderful event. (All our welcome) Headteacher: Y. Powell)
Time: 4:00pm – 6.00pm Programme: Shabad Keertan Darbar by Raagis from roseberry road Gurdwara, damesh Darbar, East London Students from Little Ilford School Students from Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College, Chigwell Followed by prashad and Guru Ka Langar We look forward to your attendance to celebrate this wonderful event. (All our welcome) Headteacher: Y. Powell)
Concerns from some of the Local and national Sangat:
Where ever maharaj goes, the complex becomes a Gurdwara , therefore the whole complex should be of a Gurdwara standard. Will this be maintained with meat School dinners being present in the complex?
It would be better to engage the Non-Sikh audience with a projector displaying Gurbani with English Translations (Sikhi to the max).
5 singhs went to do benti to the pardan and told him "please don't take maharaj, because tomorrow if a family wants to do a wedding in that hall, how can you say No" Even Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji never refused the benti of Punj Singhs.
A Hukamnama from Akal Thakt says that Maharaj should not be taken to a complex with meat, intoxications etc.
Maharaj is being used to show-boat "The Sikh Holy book" to local councilors as a formality. Because if they really wanted to see maharaj they would have wanted to see the true king in his kingdom (the Gurdwara). This is more respectful!
How can the committee still be called panthic, after they have refused benti from 5 singhs and violated a Hukamnama from Akal Thakt.
All the arguments that the committee have come out with are out of childish ego.
As a so called "panthic pardan" you have a responsibility for peace and unity amongst the local sangat. Even if you don't see something as a beadbi to be panthic you make a choice using your initiative. But the pardan is showing Ego and stubbornness.
Wouldn't it be better to cater for the whole community and have a successful programme were everyone gets involved, instead of the committee showing ego and doing our besti if a protest that may lead to a fight happens?
A lot of Panthic jatha Bandis have condemned maharaj being taken there.
The School is a two minute walk from the Gurdwara, why couldn’t the programme be done in the Gurdwara in conjunction with the school.
Points the comitte have made:
The hall in which maharaj is going doesn't have meat etc (so would that mean the Gurdwara would allow a family to take maharaj from his Thorne in the Gurdwara and perform a wedding in the same hall?)
The melas in the park are more dirty and more beadbi happens. (This is true, that is something for the whole panth to think about)
Solutions:
1: To keep the unity of the panth at all costs, the power however lies in the pardons decision.
2: You can have a stage with kirtanis and projector in the school. Parchaar is still done and everyone is happy
3: Change location to the Gurdwara and work in conjunction with school, in this way we will show maharaj in his darbar to the people. This is more respectful.
The answers are simple, but Ego is coming in the way from letting People making the Panthic decision. When you are in a position of power you should realize the situation and diffuse it. When there are two different views a compromise is the best thing, something that the two parties agree with. I have suggested compromises above. Will the pardan of this Gurdwara maintain the high reputation he has got within the Sikh community or will he doom his name forever?
The team At Frontline Punjabi youth ask the Pardan Harjinder Singh Ji (the respected man in the yellow dastar in pic) to make a comprimise for panthic unity.If not we think the The pardan wants to see scenes like this, the key to unity is in your hands Pardan Ji:
