Guru Gobind Singh’s portraits to adorn temples

[SAadmin]

Guru Gobind Singh’s portraits to adorn temples

Amritsar, June 29

Firebrand Ashok Singhal, and Dr Praveen Togadia have been re-elected president and general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for the next three years at a Central management meeting of the body, held here today.

In an attempt to woo Sikhs, the VHP has given due representation to them in the 46-member national body. Mr Prem Singh ‘Sher’, a former member of Parliament from New Delhi who converted to Sikhism a few years ago has been made one of the national Secretaries.

The VHP announced to put up a portrait of Guru Gobind Singh, 10th Sikh master in all temples including Ram temple at Ayodhya. The VHP leaders said that being a ‘saint soldier’, Guru Gobind Singh was one of the most revered for all Indians. Earlier, the VHP had created ripples by announcing that holy Guru Granth Sahib would be placed in temples.

Without naming BJP chief Lal Krishan Advani, Mr Togadia alleged that ‘the persons who had been riding ‘Ram Rath’ never wanted to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya. He announced that from now onwards, only religious and apolitical persons would spearhead the campaign for constructing the Ram temple.

Meanwhile, quoting from history, the national annual meet of the VHP unanimously passed a resolution describing Kashmir as ‘old Hindi state’ which was converted into the Muslim-dominated area by the Mughal invaders. Another resolution strongly criticised the reservation for the Muslims at the cost of crores of poor Hindus and other unemployed persons. The resolution alleged that the ‘appeasement policies’ of the central government amounted to the creation of ‘many Pakistan’ within India. Coming down heavily on the political parties, especially the Congress, the VHP said that such policies would lead the nation to disintegration. The VHP while mentioning the 50 per cent resolution for Muslims in Aligarh Muslim University for the community said the decision to this effect was taken in the presence of Ms Sonia Gandhi, President, Indian National Congress. The Human Resource Development Minister announced the huge reservation. The VHP also expressed shock and disbelief over the opposition parties for remaining ‘mute spectators’ to the appeasement policies to the Muslims which would allegedly pose a threat to the sovereignty of the country. The VHP also expressed grave concern over the rising population of the Muslims in India.

Substantiating the claims that Kashmir was once a Hindu state, the VHP resolution stated that the excavations of the area had given ample proof regarding this. The VHP strongly opposed the re-naming of Shankaracharya hill (temple) as ‘Suleman Tang’ and described the move as second invasion on the ‘symbol of India’. Another hill, Hariparvat’s name which has now being called as ‘Sikandar But Shikan’ by a Minister of the troubled state had also come under the scanner of the VHP. The resolution criticised the Congress, which is political partner of the PDP Government for maintaining studied silence. The VHP alleged that the PDP had been endeavouring to fulfil all ‘unjust demands’ of the Muslim community in Jammu and Kashmir.Afterwards he said sikhs have to come back to Hinduism.

SSF (Mehta) protests against VHP leaders’ remarks

Amritsar, June 29

The Sikh Students Federation (Mehta) today protested against the alleged controversial regarding Sikhs byleaders of the VHP. They burnt an effigy of Acharya Giriraj Kishore, vice-president and Dr Praveen Togadia, national general secretary of the parishad, and raised slogans against them.

The protest march started from Gurdwara Rani Ka Bagh and reached Dr Kichlu Chowk near the site of the convention of the VHP, after pushing aside policemen led by Mr Ashish Kapur, DSP.

Mr Gurcharan Singh Grewal, president of the federation, said the VHP had come with some ulterior motive and conspiracy to create an unsavory atmosphere that would disturb the peace in the state. They termed the VHP leaders as ‘communal terrorists’ and demanded immediate ban on the convention being held in here.

Later, federation members, along with Mr Rajinder Singh Mehta, SGPC member, presented a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the arrests of parishad leaders. They also urged the state government to ban the entry of these leaders in the state.

The VHP leaders had in a statement described the Sikhs as the armed wing of the Hindus community. Mr Grewal said the Sikhs had a separate and distinct identity and the parishad leaders should desist from issuing such statements, that hurt the feelings of the Sikhs. The activists said the Sikhs could consider launching a nationwide campaign, in association with representatives of other religions if the VHP did not refrain from issuing controversial statements. They said the Sikhs did not require any certificate from Hindu leaders.

Meanwhile, the Khalra Mission Committee while demanding a ban on the organisation, in a press statement issued has alleged that parishad leaders were baselessly accusing others for conversions in the country while ignoring the fact that untouchability and discrimination for Dalits at places of worships still existed. Due to this practice, many Dalits adopted other religions it added.

Mr Harbir Singh Sandhu, office secretary SAD (A) has also condemned the statements of the VHP.

VHP vitiating atmosphere, says Bhaur

Phagwara, June 29

SGPC general secretary Sukhdev Singh Bhaur today flayed VHP leaders for their irresponsible utterances aimed at vitiating the atmosphere in Punjab by whipping up communal disaffection. He called upon the government to take due notice of these divisive statements being dished out daily for the past three days from Amritsar where VHP leaders had converged to attend their national convention. Talking to The Tribune here, Jathedar Bhaur reminded VHP leaders that “Sikhs were a separate quam, they are and would continue to be so for ever.”

He was commenting on the statements of VHP top brass that everybody born in Hindustan was a Hindu and that the Khalsa was an armed wing of the Hindus.

A person born in Hindustan could be a Hindustani but not Hindu, asserted Jathedar Bhaur. Besides, the Khalsa maintained its distinct identity by making supreme sacrifices, he said. The Sikh faith founded by Guru Nanak Dev against “pakhandwaad”was turned into Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh, he remarked.

[Amrit1972]

Guru Gobind Singh's pictures are seen in RSS offices. They publish such pictures in their literature too.

Today, I joked to an RSS activist, "suneya hai tusi saadi photo Raam Mandir Vich Lagaa rahe ho? Acharya Giri Raj [highlight=red:b835fe9921]Singh[/highlight:b835fe9921] Kishor has said this".

He smiled and replied, "Yes, we will do that. Parveen [highlight=red:b835fe9921]Singh[/highlight:b835fe9921] Togadia says even Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji can be installed in Hindu temples".

[mloco]

why cant they just leave the Sikhs in peace...we dont sit around telling everyone that Allah and Waheguru are the saem thing so everyone should be called Sikhs.

How can we 'come back to huinduism when we never in it to begin with'

...their claims to history are pretty stupid too, yes, the land was once under Hindus, but then it was under the Mughals, so what. 6000 years ago it was under idol worshippers, maybe we should give it back to them....before that it was under the apes, maybe they should be in power...theyd probably be smarter than the VHP

[unbreakable]

..

[CaNaDiAn_jAtTi]

Yo, let them do what they want, in the end Guru Gobind Singh Ji said (as well it's been mentioned by our other Gurus) Not to worship the pictures but to meditate on the name and the soul of our God... and wasn't it also said that whosoever worships Guru Gobind Singh jis pictures and glorifies him rather than focussin on the SGGS will be cursed... (i've heard that) so if they want to screw themselves over, I say let them... What are we going to get by protesting against ignorant and narrowminded political individuals....we are losing focus on ourselves--- we should strengthen our own identity and then nothing else will matter

[unbreakable]

...