The highest temporal authority of the Sikhs, the Akal Takhat, has rejected the recent “re-conversion” of 128 persons back
into the faith, ordaining that the accepted procedure for such action was not followed. “ Ghar wapsi ” would not be acceptable unless the Sikh tenets were followed, it has said handing out a warning against any such attempts in the future.
The Takhat Jathdedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh said on Wednesday evening that according to accepted practice, before being accepting to be reconverted to Sikhism, the persons should have approached the Akal Takhat for repentance. The five Singh Sahibs would have pronounced “tankah” (religious service) and laid down the procedure to be followed.
Akal Takhat edict
The Jathedar said that Dharam Jagran Manch which is seen as frontal organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh was not authorised to undertake any kind of conversion of anybody into Sikhism. He reminded that in 2004, the Akal Takhat had issued an edict to the Sikh community to stay away from the activities of another RSS off shoot, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat.
Taking a strong objection to the Akal Takhat not being involved or informed about the ceremony at Baba Jeevan Singh Gurdwara of Guru ki Wadali village near Chheharta in Amritsar, the Jathedar ordered a probe into the incident, after which appropriate action would be taken.
While various Sikh religious leaders have expressed concern over the incident, the Jathedar said that Sikhism was against
use of any allurement or coercion to effect any conversion. He reminded that Guru Tegh Bahadur had sacrificed his life to oppose the forcible conversions of Hindus into Islam during the Mughal rule.
While the Dharam Jagran Manch had claimed that the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Avtar Singh Makkar had appreciated the development, the apex body managing the affairs of the community clarified that it was not associated with the December 30 re-conversions.
'Meaningless'
SGPC Secretary Dalmegh Singh clarified that the event had no significance as no baptism was undertaken.
Unless a person is baptised after following the procedure laid down in the “ rehat maryada ” (religious conduct), such conversions were meaningless. He said that a person accepting to enter the Sikh faith must undergo baptism through religious organizations working directly under the sovereignty of the Akal Takhat or recognised by the SGPC.
Hence, non-bapstised individuals could not convert anyone into a Sikh, he clarified.
