The first thing that should be made clear is that the Akaal Takht is NOT the “highest Sikh authority”.
And it never has been. As per my understanding, authority in the Sikh Panth has always been with the Guru (hence the whole point of having a Guru).
The Akal Takht was just a residence for the Guru to conduct affairs, the same way how a court/throne would be the seat of any monarch. Guru Hargobind Sahib made a political statement by replicating the stature of emperors, and even going one step further by establishing his Takht higher than the one present in Dehli at the time.
But if the Guru was not present there, the same way if a monarch leaves their throne or palace, it does not mean they are no longer in charge and whoever stays in the palace is! That would be ridiculous!
Later Gurus after Guru Hargobind Sahib did not utilise Akal Takht much at all. Guru Tegh Bahadur was refused entry by the Minas, and Guru Gobind Singh never once stepped foot in Amritsar, let alone the Akal Takht!
Yet, if you ask most Sikhs who/where was the highest Sikh authority in both those cases, they would say “wherever the Guru was”.
So if the Guru is the authority, then ask yourself “is the Guru gone?” No! Guru Gobind Singh decentralised the Gurgaddi and vested it in both the Guru Granth Sahib AND the Guru Khalsa Panth.
Instead of a centralised authority, each Singh, provided they internalise the Shabad, is a self-autonomous sovereign in their own right. With such a status, wherever the Khalsa stands is a Takht.
ਹਮ ਪਤਿਸ਼ਾਹੀ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਦਈ ਹੰਨੈ ਹੰਨੈ ਲਾਇ।
ਜਹਿਂ ਜਹਿਂ ਬਹੈਂ ਜਮੀਨ ਮਲ ਤਹਿਂ ਤਹਿਂ ਤਖਤ ਬਨਾਇਂ
Satguru had conferred sovereignty on the Khalsa Panth, As well as on each individual Singh of that fraternity.
Wherever a Singh sets his foot and settles on earth, He establishes his own self-reliant/autonomous sovereignty (Takht).
— Shaheed Rattan Singh Bhangu,
Prachin Panth Prakash
Through this understanding, the Akal Takht post-human-Guru times just acts as a meeting place for the Khalsa to come together and coordinate activity, make strategy decisions and perhaps arbitrate any disputes.
But if that location was not available, just as it was not during the time of Massa Ranagar, then the Khalsa simply used other places.
This should be the basics of Sikhi. Attempts to centralise power and authority in a single location or group who then feel like they can issue mandates to the whole Khalsa (and even Sikhs more broadly, and yes, there is a distinction), is in my view, a complete misunderstanding of the conclusion of the GurSikhi project Guru Nanak started and cultivated for over 200 years.
The Gurus came to empower their Sikhs and raise them to the status of Kings, and even the same status as them! But now people are going backwards, trying to recreate centralised clerical hierarchies that in my view go against the Hukam of Guru Gobind Singh to establish the Khalsa as Guru.
Not only is this weird attempt at Sikh Catholicism misguided, but it is an insult to the legacy of the Gurus and so I oppose it vehemently on these grounds.
The Khalsa and Sikh Panth does not require any Sikh version of a pope or vatican, that is not the way I understood the mission of Sikhi.
No one, not even a Singh can give mandates to another Singh without their consent, they can only ever make a suggestion.
Otherwise it would be a direct violation of the autonomy and sovereignty vested in each member of the Khalsa.
It is up to each Khalsa independently to consider the suggestions of their brothers and use their Bibek Buddhi, informed and shaped by GurMat, to determine whether they accept, reject or adapt it.
So striving for true, GurMat sovreignty, in my opinion, would be to make the above true. Right now, two of the biggest counterfactuals are that Khalsapanthis internationally are forced to pay taxes (and paying them to Sikhs instead is not a solution - taxes, unlike Dasvandh, are universally a Nishaani of Ghulami), and others are speaking on behalf of the whole Khalsa Panth.
Yet, I never hear any complaints from Sikh organisations about the former (in some cases, taxes are promoted!), and as for the latter - Sikh organisations themselves contribute to this problem by talking on all of our behalf and never clarifying their statements as their own opinions, and not representative of all Sikhs, let alone all Khalsapanthis.
The posturing of the Akal Takht and groups who are clawing for supremacy there is frankly disgusting.
I personally do not care if it is the SGPC, Damdami Taksal, Khalistanis or even Budha Dal who controls the Akal Takht - if that space can not be used for independent Khalsa members or Misls to congregate and discuss matters, then that space is absolutely useless outside of a historical heritage site for tourism (and “Kar Seva” Babai are not helping).
Neither do any of these groups have a right to tell me or any other member of the Khalsa what to do.
I am my own Jathedar, and I am a Sikh of the Guru. Not anyone else. All anyone else can be is guidance, not gospel.
All of these groups, including anyone claiming to be a “Panthic” organisation, should speak on their own behalf only and offer just suggestions for others to consider.
This is why Bunga Azaadi never speaks on behalf of all Sikhs or the Khalsa, because it would be anti-thetical to do so. All we do is express our opinion, present our research, provide a platform for others share their Vichaars as well, and then open up for debate and discourse on any of our outputs. Everything is up for debate!
Therefore, after assessing this statement by Sikh Federation UK, I appreciate their suggestions, but I respectfully disagree and will not be adhering to it.
However, the call-to-action (CTA) they proposed does stand on its own grounds and I believe I have satisfied part of the call-to-action with this post by questioning their stances and the role of the Akal Takht, traditionally and today (and have done another Vichaar on it if anyone is interested).
To further satisfy the CTA, I invite them and the wider Sangat to discuss with me anything I have stated here, and have acted to provide the platform to do so via our Bunga Azaadi Discord Server!
Join today and take part in discussions, post in our multi-topic forums, as well as tune in to our Monthly Darbars where you can ask us any question or call us out on any of our Vichaars outputted during the month!
To summarise and to humbly offer an alternative call to action...
I question the validity of the Akal Takht as any form of legitimate Sikh authority today, or even in our Itihaas. I question the need to obsess over it, and implore my fellow Khalsai to stop wasting so much time and energy on it. If you want sovereignty then form Misls, coordinate with each other wherever you are in the world, set up new Takhts in your localities to serve as Khalsa political buildings, embassies, and forward operating bases, and make real progress in attaining self-autonomy and freedom for yourselves and your fellow humans.
Do not distract yourselves with pursuits to attain illusions of sovereignty. Study what Azaadi really means.
Bunga Azaadi is open for such Vichaars, and we have plenty of Seva for you to take part in to help us do our part at forging the foundations for the next generation of Sikh Statecrafters.
Wherever Singhs or Kaurs can come together and discuss is fine. If you want a meeting place, there are plenty available - use your local Gurudwarai, homes and even restaurants will do. You can just do Zoom calls as well!
We shouldn’t care so much where or how you do the meeting, or even who attends. Whoever wants to work on a particular project, form a coalition and just do it.
Your mission may even include securing the Akaal Takht as a meeting place. But don’t posture as if you are acting on behalf of all Sikhs - you are only ever acting on your own behalf, and the legitimacy of your actions will reside in your results. The same way how it did with Bhai Sukha Singh Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh.
Additionally, don’t use the lack of availability to conduct meetings at the Akaal Takht as an excuse not to do work or delay other tasks.
There is plenty to do and can be done, without the Akaal Takht. In fact, by doing those things, you may be in a far better position to achieve latter goals by achieving other ones first.
Now, I personally don’t have much time for “Panthic” orgs anymore, unless they are genuine and make the effort to reciprocate. But if you as an independent member of the Sangat or the Guru Khalsa Panth who, like myself, has primary allegiance to Guru only and recognises your status as part of that Guru, and wants to work with us to progress towards real Khalsa Raaj, then reach out. Lets work together!
contact@azadism.co.uk
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