Appeals for rescinding excommunication orders to reignite Sikhi parchar across India
CHANDIGARH: The Global Sikh Council (GSC) has extended its support to the recent appeal made by Singh Sahib Gyani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, Sri Amritsar Sahib, for all Sikh parcharaks (preachers) including Bhai Ranjit Singh Dhadhrianwala, to come together under the banner of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib to rejuvenate the mission of Sikhi parchar across India.
In a statement, GSC President Lady Singh Kanwaljit Kaur, Chairman of Religious Affairs Committee Dr. Karminder Singh, Chairman of Legal Affairs Committee Jagir Singh and Secretary Harjeet Singh described this initiative by the Jathedar as a “much-needed and timely spiritual intervention” to counter the alarming decline of Sikh religious awareness, especially in Punjab and other Indian states.
The GSC has urged the Jathedar to extend similar invitations to all effective and sincere parcharaks who may have been distanced from the Panth due to past decisions of excommunication or censure. “We believe the time has come for reconciliation and unity, not exclusion, ” said the statement. “Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, as the throne of temporal and spiritual sovereignty of the Khalsa Panth, must embody the Gurmat values of forgiveness, inclusivity, and collective chardi kala.”
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the Council noted that Sikhi parchar is in steep decline with rising conversions and growing disinterest among the youth. “The excommunication is a concept rooted in Christian ecclesiastical traditions and finds no sanction in Gurmat or Sikh Maryada. In Sikhi, sarbat da bhala, the welfare of all, must guide all actions, ” they added.
President Lady Kanwaljit Kaur emphasized that the GSC, with member organizations in over 30 countries, stands ready to support Sri Akal Takhat Sahib by offering training and deploying spiritually grounded and intellectually prepared parcharaks (Preachers) to bolster the propagation of the Guru’s message. “We believe the Khalsa Panth must work in harmony. The moment calls for collective wisdom and a renewed spirit of Gurmat parchar, not divisions, ” she said.
Reaffirming its commitment to panthic unity, Gurmatt-based dialogue and the supremacy of Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, the Global Sikh Council has urged the Sikh leadership to rise above past differences, embrace all voices striving to serve the Qaum and build a stronger, united front for the propagation of Sikhi, Gurmat and Gurbani in its true spirit.