From: Zafarnamah -- The Epistle of Victory <zafarnamah@hotmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 3:31 AM
Subject: [sikhyouth] CAMPAIGN CONTINUES: STOP SELLING OF AKHAND PATHS
Vaah Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaah Guru Ji Ki Fateh.
In the past the Panth has risen to power and has kissed the pinnacle of
glory only because Sikhs were willing to embrace martyrdom and give their
lives to fight against practices that weakened Sikhism. Unfortunately,
today, Sikhs have become passive spectators; this apathy is frightening.
What will it take to get more signatories on this petition?
Please sign today, if you have not already, and join the rest of us in our
fight against heresy by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which
controls hundreds of historical Gurdwaras and is subverting the Sikh
movement through its promotion of unsanctioned ritualism. Your support is
needed to end this hypocrisy by the S.G.P.C.
Gur Fateh
Harpreet Singh
_______________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION BY SIKHS WORLDWIDE TO STOP S.G.P.C.'S VIOLATION OF THE SIKH REHAT
MARYADA, THE SIKH CODE OF CONDUCT
Instructions: Please sign the letter below by writing your name and email address. Then forward it to other Sikhs and Sikh mailing lists. Please carbon copy (Cc:) sgpc@vsnl.com and zafarnamah@hotmail.com with each new signature. Your initiative will help us move towards reviving Sikhism as envisaged by the Sikh Gurus. Please take a minute and respond.
_________________________________________________________________
Jathedar Jagdev Singh Talwandi
President
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
Teja Singh Samundri Hall
Amritsar, Punjab 143006
India
Re: Akhand Paths for sale on SGPC site at
http://www.sgpc.net/akhandpath/index.html
Jathedar Jagdev Singh,
The Panth worldwide, in particular the Sikh diaspora, is deeply disturbed by
SGPC's open violation of the Sikh Rehat Maryada, the Sikh Code of Conduct
ratified by the Panth under the auspices of the Akal Takht. Your
organization, which is the primary publisher the Sikh Code of Conduct, has
indulged in manmatt, an anti-Sikh practice of reading of the Sikh Scripture
in exchange for money, where the payee is not present to hear the
recitation.
The Sikh religion declares that devotion is possible only if the devotee
himself or herself takes active part in a religious service, including the
recitation of the Sikh scripture. This is the reason Sikhism has no ordained
priestly class; the practice of distant Akhand Paths is unsanctioned in
Sikhism. Unless a person reads or hears and endeavors to understand the
message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, recitation by a paid person becomes an
empty ritual and a heretical practice.
Chapter 7, Article 9, Section (b) of the Sikh Rehat Maryada, as translated
and published by your organization, declares:
"Whichever family or congregation undertakes the non-stop reading should
carry it out itself through its members, relatives, friends, etc., all
together. The number of reciters is not prescribed. If a person himself,
cannot read, he should listen in to the reading by some competent reader.
However, it should never be allowed to happen that the reader carries on the
reading all by himself/herself and no member of the congregation or the
family is listening in to the reading."
The above leaves no doubt that SGPC's practice of selling of Akhand Paths is
antithetical to Sikhism; SGPC's hypocrisy is also evident because it does
not practice what it preaches. If this is allowed to continue it shall
result in the erosion of the fundamental Sikh value of reciting and
contemplating on the Guru's Word by the devotee without the use of any
intermediaries.
The SGPC is requested to take corrective action by removing the pages from
its web site, through which it sells Akhand Paths. Furthermore, it should pass
a formal resolution that it will stop this practice at all Gurdwaras
that come under its jurisdiction. The Sikhs of the diaspora do not want to
see the SGPC meeting the same fate as the Masands, who were empowered by the
Fourth Nanak, Guru Ram Dass, but abolished by the Tenth, Guru Gobind Singh,
because of their theft of money from the Sikh masses. SGPC should reform its
practices so it may once again become a credible institution of the Panth.
Long Live the Panth!
1. Harpreet Singh, Sikh Heresy Regulation Board, New York, <zafarnamah@hotmail.com
>
2. Prabhjot Singh, <prabhjot@itsovereigns.com >
3. Harjot Singh, <sharjot@hotmail.com >
4. Harmandeep Singh,<harmanbhatia@yahoo.com >
5. Harleen Chadha, New York, <hchadha@lehman.com >
6. Namarata Kaur, New York, <iLLgiani@aol.com >
7. Bhagwant Singh,< bsingh@unforgettable.com >
8. Inderpreet Singh,< isingh@mediaone.net >
9. Kaviraj Singh,< kavi@beld.net >
10. Manjit Singh,< manjitsingh@mailcity.com >
11. Harpreet Singh, <hpreetsingh@usa.net >
12. Arpinderk Kaur, <arpinderkaur79@hotmail.com >
13. Jagsir Singh, <jagsirs@yahoo.com >
14. Tuvrayn Kaur, <singhnee@hotmail.com >
15. Santokh Singh Indore (M.P.) India,<msb99@vsnl.com >
16. <Gifty321@aol.com >
17. Amardeep Kaur, <amardeep@klse.com.my >
18. Harkirat Singh, Vancouver,<harkirat@telus.net >
19. Kawaldeep Singh, <grewal@uclink4.berkeley.edu >
20. Jagroop Singh, <jupesingh@hotmail.com >
21. Kavneet Alag, <kavneet@hotmail.com >
22. Mandeep Atwal,< mandeep.atwal@tntpost.com >
23. Raghbir Atwal, Raghbir.Atwal@BUCKINGHAMVINTNERS.btinternet.com >
24. Jasbir Singh, jasbir@maboli.com >
25. Mrs Avtar Singh, Anhad1@home.com >
26. M. Singh Khalsa, Turbo@khalsa.com >
27. Meeta Kaur, mmalhi@tides.org >
28. Kulmeet Singh, singh20@hotmail.com >
29. Rameet Kaur, rameetsingh@yahoo.com >
30. Amolak Singh amolak@yahoo.com >
31. Charandeep Singh, CD@MDMTECH.COM >
32. Mandeep Singh New York, singh_mandeep@jpmorgan.com >
33. Shaneen M Singh New Jersey, shaneensingh@yahoo.com >
34. Haramandeep singh, aman23@hotmail.com >
35. Sandeep Singh Bajwa, sikh-history@home.com >
36. Banjot Singh, BChanana@VeriSign.com >
37. Navtej Singh, NSinghB@aol.com >
38. Sardar Harpreet Singh Bagga, Damack2284@aol.com >
39. Harpreet Singh, hgill@nortelnetworks.com >
40. Jaspreet Kaur, templetulips@hotmail.com >
41. Ravinder Singh, ravinder@kevii.org >
42. M. Singh, ms514@clam.rutgers.edu >
43. Haumaijeet Singh, haumaijeet@yahoo.com >
44. Sardar Hardeep Singh Ahluwalia, MD, BHANGOO@doctor.com >
45. Gurpal Singh Bhuller, GurpalB@aol.com >
46. Jaideep Singh, Singhplant@aol.com >
47. Kulvinder Singh, kssawhney@ub.delhi.nic.in >
48. Ravneet Kaur, rkbhander@khalsapride.com >
49. Inderpaul Singh, ibhander@hotmail.com >
50. Jatinder Rangi, JRANGI@yahoo.com >
51. Brindarjit Singh, brindi@nortelnetworks.com >
52. Jarnail Singh Arshi Gyani, Malaysia, Jarnail@tm.net.my >
53. Tejinder Singh, Switzerland, singh@alari.ch >
54. Jagjeet Singh, bk221455@stmail.staffs.ac.uk >
55. Kirpal Singh Nijher, ksnijher@yahoo.com >
56. Anuvinder Singh, anuvinder.singh@ey.com >
57. Manmeet Singh, manmeet_singh@hotmail.com >
58. Sutinder Singh, sutinderd@aol.com >
59. Rumnit Kaur , rumnit_kaur@yahoo.com >
60. Gurvinder Singh, tony_gurvinder@hotmail.com >
61. Randeep Lall, rslall1@hotmail.com >
62. Amardeep Singh, amarbhalla@yahoo.com >
63. V.S. Golhar, vijay_golhar@hotmail.com >
64. Harjeet S Lall, hl21314@glaxowellcome.co.uk >
65. Harjinder Heer, Harjinder.S.Heer@btinternet.com >
66. Gurpreet Singh, preeto@khalsa.com >
67. Anupreet Singh, khalsa81@hotmail.com >