Amritsar, A day after the SGPC virtually abolished Nanakshahi calendar and apparently reverted to Bikrami calendar, architect of original Nanakshahi calendar Pal Singh Purewal has strongly condemned the move calling it a “retrograde step”.
Talking to The Tribune on the phone from Canada, Purewal said, “I came to know about it through media reports on the Internet. It is unfortunate. They’ve made a mockery of the Sikh calendar. The calendar they released yesterday is the third one in the past 12 years. They are set to come out with a new calendar next year.”
He said with the SGPC almost reverting to Bikrami calendar for the New Year, the committee constituted by the Sikh clergy to resolve the calendar row has lost its relevance. “It is tantamount to giving an indication to the committee as to on what lines it is supposed to work,” he said.
Purewal also hinted that he might not be part of the committee constituted recently by the Sikh clergy to resolve the calendar row. He said, “I have not received any official communication from the Akal Takht. I have only read media reports about my inclusion in the committee.”