Hamilton, New Zealand (March 25, 2014): According to media reports [t]he New Zealand Sikh Society has questioned the decision of the Five Sikh Jathedars to declare two of its members ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct). The NZ Sikh Society has reportedly refused to accept the move.
According to Hindustan Times (HT), [i]n a statement mailed from New Zealand, Ravinder Singh, the general secretary of the society and Iqbal Singh, its finance secretary, have claimed that the order issued by the [Jathedars] at its meeting on March 20 was not in accordance with the ‘maryada’ (tradition and tenets) of the Akal Takht.
Giani Iqbal Singh took part in March 20 meeting at Akal Takht Sahib
In this context, the NZ body which reportedly manages the affairs of Hamilton Sikh Gurdwara has cited the presence of Giani Iqbal Singh in the meeting of the Sikh Jathedars which was chaired by Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Gurbachan Singh. They pointed out that Giani Iqbal Singh had no right to attend the meeting as he had been removed as the jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib by its management committee. Hence, the order passed against them was against Sikh principles.
Both Ravinder Singh and Iqbal Singh had been declared ‘tankhiya’ after they failed to appear before the Akal Takht as directed by Giani Gurbachan Singh in February. They were summoned after certain Sikhs of New Zealand claimed before the jathedar that they were debarred by the two members from entering the premises of a gurdwara in Hamilton.
According to HT [i]n the statement, the two members threatened that if the Jathedar did not withdraw his decision, then the society will boycott him whenever he comes to the country. They further claimed that those Sikhs on whose complaint the Jathedar had acted against them were debarred from entering the Hamilton gurdwara as they had created a ruckus during Baisakhi last year.