SGPC dismisses four Panj Piaras

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee today dismissed four of the Panj Piaras (Sikh preachers) and declared fifth as retired.
The dismissal is seen as retaliatory, as on last Monday the Panj Piaras had asked the SGPC to remove the Jathedars of the five Takhts by January 1.
On December 28, taking strong exception to the non-implementation of their earlier Gurmata (religious edict) issued on October 23, the Panj Piaras said they would announce the future course of action for the Sikh community on January 2 next unless SGPC removed the Jathedars by January 1.
In a written statement issued to the media today, SGPC President AvtarSingh Makkar described all the Panj Piaras as "paid employees"and said the four employees were dismissed for "grossly violating" the service rules as well as Sikh religiousnorms and tenets.

Bhai Satnam Singh, Bhai Satnam Singh, Bhai Tarlok Singh and Bhai MangalSingh were dismissed, Makkarsaid while the fifth employee Bhai Major Singh was retired yesterday.
However, the SGPC has not mentioned any disciplinary action against retired Panj Piara.

Makkar said that Panj Piaras were highly respected in the SGPC as well as inSikh religion but at the same time they were also the "paid employees" of SGPCwhereupon they couldn't be supposed to "violate" religious service rules.
He said that these Panj Piaras while "misusing their religious authorities have thrown challenge before Highest Sikh Temporal Seat 'AkalTakhat' as well as sitting Jathedar of Akal Takhat Gyani Gurbachan Singh."

Makkar said that they had hatched "deep rooted conspiracy" toextend damage to the Supreme Authority of the Akal Takht.
He said that if Panj Piaras were announcing religious decision as per theirown choice especially against the sitting Jathedar Akal Takht it wouldcreate mess and severe restlessness among the Sikh community, hence suchactivities would never be tolerated and to besnubbed forthwith.
When all the five Jathedars failed to appear before the
Panj Piaras, the latter asked SGPC to forthwith remove all of them.
The Gurmata for summoning Gyani Gurbachan Singh, Giani Iqbal Singh (Jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib), Giani Mal Singh (Jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib), Giani Gurmukh Singh (Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib) and Giani Ram Singh Dhoopia (Jathedar of Takht Hazoor Sahib, Nanded) was passed by Panj Piaras.

On October 21, one of the Panj Piaras, Bhai Satnam Singh, had said that the decision to pardon the Dera chief was taken by the Jathedars without consulting any of the Sikh groups and intellectuals or taking them into confidence.
They had further charged that the Jathedars' move had put the 'Sikh Qaum' (Sikh community) into turmoil and also placed the Panth in an embarrassing position.
They had said that, according to Sikh tenets, even the Jathedars of the Takhts were answerable to the Panth and so they must explain their decisions and the rationale behind the same.
However, on the same day, that is October 21, SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar had suspended all the Panj Pairas for summoning the five Sikh head priests at Akal Takht.

However, later on, after a few days and bowing before the pressure from the Sikh community, SGPC had without any condition revoked the suspension of the Panj Piaras.