Calendar row: Sikh bodies warn SGPC against move to oust Nandgarh

Amritsar, Various Sikh organisations have warned against the removal of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Balwant Singh Nandgarh over the Nanakshahi calendar issue.
Talking to The Tribune, SAD (Delhi) president Paramjit Singh Sarna said if the SGPC executive passed a resolution for removing Jathedar Nandgarh on January 17, he would knock at the doors of the judiciary. He reminded the ruling SAD that the new SGPC House was not functioning owing to the legal tangle over the Sehajdhari voting issue and the Supreme Court had authorised the SGPC executive to look the day-to-day functioning only. “Therefore, the SGPC executive doesn’t have the powers to remove Jathedar Nandgarh,” Sarns said.
SAD (Amritsar) president Simranjit Singh Mann has sent a three-page letter to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, cautioning him against any step to remove Jathedar Nandgarh. He said it would be a major blunder to sack the Jathedar in an “unprincipled manner”. He said Jathedar Nandgarh had taken a firm stand in favour of the original Nanakshahi calendar, which was a symbol of distinct Sikh identity. Thus, the SAD had decide to remove him from the “prestigious post in an unceremonious manner”.
He said on the one hand the SAD was advocating the need for amending Article 25 (b) of the Constitution which clubs Sikh with Hindus and on the other hand it was working towards “finishing” the Nanakshahi calendar which provided a separate identity to the Sikhs.
Panthak Coordination Committee chief Giani Kewal Singh said they had called a meeting on January 15 to chalk out their future strategy. He said the calendar issue should be sorted out through dialogue. He said a committee should be constituted to bring in any change in the calendar and the original Nanakshahi calendar should be implemented till the issue was resolved to the satisfaction of all.
The coordination committee would deliberate on issues such as Article 25 (b) and the release of Sikh detainees during its January 15 meeting.
Radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa has already started a signature campaign among the SGPC to drum up support for Jathedar Nandgarh.