Panel set up to resolve calendar row

Amritsar,Though the Akal Takht today constituted a committee to resolve the Nanakshahi Calendar row, confusion now prevails over the calendar for the Sikh New Year starting March 14. The highest temporal seat of the Sikhs has come out with a vague direction for the SGPC in this regard.
Following a meeting of the Sikh high priests here today, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh said, “We have constituted a committee to put an end to the confusion persisting over the calendar issue and unite the community. The committee can submit its recommendations, based on Gurbani and historic sources, to Akal Takht by mid-December. These will be deliberated upon by the high priests before taking the final decision.” The committee comprises Pal Singh Purewal, architect of the original Nanakshahi Calendar, Dr GS Lamba from the US, Dr Anurag Singh from Ludhiana and Col Surjeet Singh Nishan. Besides, there will be two representatives each of the SGPC and Sant Samaj.
The committee will also have one representative each from Takht Sri Harmandar Sahib, Patna, Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded; DSGMC, Nihang organisations, Nirmal Bhekh Sect, one each from countries like the US, Canada, Australia, England and Europe.
He said these bodies and Takhts should send in the names of their nominees to Akal Takht within a week. Incidentally, while the Akal Takht took the initiative to end the chaos over the calendar row, it ended up creating yet another confusion over the calendar for the Sikh New Year, which starts March 14.
The Akal Takht Jathedar said, “The SGPC should publish the calendar for the New Year (Nanakshahi 547) as per Gurbani and historic sources.” When asked to clarify, he said it was for the SGPC to look into the matter and take a decision.
Till now the Sikh community had been following the amended Nanakshahi Calendar to observe its events. Interestingly, when contacted, SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said he was unaware of the matter and could only comment after getting a clear picture on the issue from the Akal Takht Jathedar.
The SGPC is yet to publish the New Year’s calendar due to the row surrounding it and now it only has four days left to publish it as the New Year starts on March 14. Sikh intellectuals have hit out at the Sikh clergy for adding to the confusion over the calendar issue through its ambiguous order on the New Year’s calendar.