Four domes of the historical ‘darshani deori’ or the gateway to a significant historical gurdwara in Tarn Taran in the north Indian state of Punjab were knocked down by activists of ‘Kar Sewa’ outfit on Saturday night.
The action has evoked an enormous backlash from the Sikh community across the globe, prompting formal complaints and demands of a high-level probe into the matter.
Historical significance of ‘darshani deori’ for the Sikhs:
The ‘darshani deori’ is an entrance gateway to Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Tarn Taran, near Amritsar city. The Sikh shrine was founded by the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Arjan Dev. But the giant entrance gate was built three centuries later, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Timeline of events:
In July 2018, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the apex body which is entrusted with the administration and maintenance of gurdwaras, passed a resolution to restore and renovate the gateway which had reportedly developed cracks over a period of time.
Passing the resolution, the SGPC entrusted Kar Sewa leader, Jagtar Singh with the task.
But later in October, after facing opposition from various Sikh groups, the resolution was withdrawn and the decision was put on hold.
However, on the intervening night of March 30, the entrance gateway was partially demolished by Kar Sewa activists allegedly without seeking the SGPC’s permission.
But the demolition was halted midway after some local members of the Sikh community raised alarm and subsequently informed the police.
Sikhs demand probe into the matter concerning the demolition of 'darshani deori' Source: Twitter/Ravinder Singh Robin
This wasn’t the first time that an attempt was made to demolish the historical gateway. In September 2018, a similar attempt was made by Kar Sewa outfit but the process was stopped after the immediate intervention of some senior SGPC officials.
SGPC’s response:
In a bid to control the damage, the SGPC has formed a three-member panel to investigate the matter.
“It is yet to be ascertained as to what prompted the Kar Sewa group to start demolition, which has upset the entire community. We have formed a committee to probe the matter,” said Mr Longowal.
“We will hire technical experts to preserve the historical structure,” he added.
The apex Sikh body has also suspended the gurdwara Manager, Partap Singh for failing to prevent the dismantling.
It has further withdrawn all gurdwara repair-related responsibilities from the Jagtar Singh-led Kar Sewa group.
Meanwhile, the Kar Sewa outfit has tendered a written to SGPC and the Sikh community, acknowledging that the action was taken without the SGPC’s knowledge.
Sikh outrage over demolition:
But the SGPC and Kar Sewa’s troubleshooting measures have not succeeded in appeasing the outraged Sikh community, with many taking to social media to express their wrath.
sangat, yeah it's frustrating to literally see our heritage being demolished before our eyes. But, perhaps this is (yet another) wake up call for sangats the world over to invest in our community--raise funds for students to study historic preservation & restoration 1/
— detroitsikh (@detroitsikh)
Meanwhile, an alliance of 30 Sikh organisations has demanded an independent probe into the role of SGPC and criminal action against the Kar Sewa group for destroying the historical structure.
The alliance has further demanded a committee to compile the details of all Sikh heritage structures which have met a similar fate in the past or might be in the line of danger.
