The Sant syndrome

The Sant syndrome

The role of Sants (holymen) in the development of the Sikh tradition in the post-Guru period has been remarkably significant. The status of a 'Sant' was highly praised by the fifth Guru, Arjun Dev, in his celebrated hymn 'Sukhmani Sahib'. A Sant is an individual (almost always a male) who develops a reputation for piety or pedagogical skill and thereby attracts an informal following of disciples (McLeod, 1992:102). A Sant is regarded as a holy person by the Sikhs and is believed to have been endowed with divine power by God. Most Sants claim to have been commissioned by Guru Nanak to preach his mission. Some of them have established deras (religious headquarters) which are regularly visited by the disciples for their darshan (glimpse). The Sant-oriented gurdwaras are another source of authority; the words of a Sant are perceived as sacred utterance by his disciples.

Within the Sikh community in the twentieth century a number of Sants emerged who became deeply involved in Sikh political affairs. Some of them held high office in the Akali Dal (political party of the Sikhs). For example, in the 1960's Sant Fateh Singh took over the leadership of the Akali Dal from the veteran Sikh leader Master Tara Singh and went on a hunger strike for the attainment of Punjabi Suba (Punjabi speaking state). He attempted to introduce the ritual of self-immolation into the Sikh traditions and even had an agan-kund (a brick structure for burning alive) in the vicinity of the Golden Temple complex, but the concept of suicide was alien to the teachings of the Gurus, who regarded human life as a special gift of God which took many thousands of lesser lives to attain, condemned killing and particularly suicide.

Sant Fateh Singh, ignoring the wishes and teachings of the Gurus, was advocating suicide to achieve political objectives by exercising his authority as the supreme leader of the Sikhs. The government of India saved the situation by accepting some demands of the Sikhs. Ironically, Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal who in 1980 became leader of the Akali Dal was assassinated by Sikh militants for entering into negotiations with the central government after the military action on the Golden Temple complex by the Indian army in 1984.

Another charismatic Sant, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, emerged in the 1980s as a powerful religious/political leader within the Sikh community. He took over control of the Golden Temple complex by force and fought a pitched battle with the Indian army in 1984. He attracted a large number of young Sikhs, as well as a seasoned and highly awarded Sikh General (a hero who had been cashiered out of the Indian Army in a controversial move) who all volunteered to lay down their lives for the mission of Sant Jarnail Singh who, though he denied being either for or against the ideal of Khalistan, was often said to be the leader of the Khalistan movement in the Punjab. Although Sant Bhindranwale achieved his stated goal of martyrdom during the army action along with many of his followers, (and perhaps thousands of innocent Sikhs and other visitors to the Temple also murdered in the attack) many more of his admirers and associates who survived that attack and the following attacks on the Sikh community in the years since, continued to insist that he was alive and well, living in seclusion and would appear again in public one day. Unlike the Shia sect of Islam who hold that their Imam has been in hiding for the last thousand years or so and will return one day, the next Jathedar of the Damdami Taksal (the organization that Guru Gobind Singh] had started and of which Bindranwale was, at the time the Jathedar) has, in 2008, stated that the Sant was killed during the during the Sakha of 1984. Today Sant Bhindranwale is revered as a martyr, and various photographs, some showing him battling with the Indian army, are hung in many gurdwaras and Sikh homes in Punjab, and no doubt all over India and the world.

On Nov 30, 2007 a portrait of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was installed at the Sikh museum in the Golden Temple. “Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee installed the portrait. A robe of honour, called a “sarapa” was awarded to Isher Singh, the son of Bhindranwale by Joginder Singh Vedanti, who was at the time the Akal Takhat Jathedar.

Bhindranwale’s son called his father a martyr, and brushed aside controversies regarding installation of his portrait. “Those who are creating controversy don’t understand what is right or wrong. He rightly deserves such an honour. He sacrificed himself for this community and for the Sikh religion,” said Isher Singh. It was in 2003 that the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee had declared Bhindranwale a “martyr.

Another important source of authority is the Jathedar (head) of the Akal Takhat. He is perceived to have inherited his authority from the historical figure of Bhai Mani Singh (1644-1734). According to Sikh tradition, Bhai Mani Singh was appointed as Jathedar of the Akal Takhat by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 (Madanjit Kaur, 1983:197). Theoretically, the Jathedar of the Akal Takhat is regarded as an independent person who is responsible for the exposition of religious matters. Ironically, he is appointed by the SGPC like all other Jathedars of four Takhats and in practice he is controlled by the ruling faction of the SGPC. At present there are three main contenders for this office. After the army action on the Golden Temple complex in 1984, a section of the militant Sikhs called a meeting of the so-called Sarbat Khalsa and appointed Jasbir Singh Rodey as Jathedar of the Akal Takhat, rejecting the claim of the official Jathedar who had been appointed by the SGPC. In 1982 a Sikh militant named Ranjit Singh, who is serving life imprisonment for killing the Nirankari leader Baba Gurbachan Singh, was appointed Jathedar of the Akal Takhat by the SGPC while in prison. The present Jathedar is called Acting Jathedar by the SGPC; he is the nominee of the SGPC.

There has been a lot of factionalism within the Akali leadership in the past ten years. The Akali Dal split into many factions, each accusing others of being agents of the central government. Eventually, the president of the SGPC entrusted the current Acting Jathedar of the Akal Takhat with the task of uniting all Akali factions in order to form a united Akali Dal. He gladly agreed to the suggestion, and using his authority summoned leaders of all factions to appear before him at the Akal Takhat. Many prominent Sikh leaders challenged the authority of the Jathedar to undertake this mission. They argued that the Jathedar of the Akali Dal is only the spiritual leader of all Sikhs, therefore he should not involve himself with the party politics of various factions of the Akali party. He was accused of being a puppet of the President of the SGPC who has a reputation of supporting some groups within the Akali Party.

This episode demonstrates the problem of identifying the central authority in Sikhism. Which according to the Hukam of Guru Gobind Singh is supposed to be the SGGS and the Sarbat Khalsa?

Reference

Based on an article by, Dr. Sewa Singh Kalsi Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT UK