Harjot Singh Bains, education minister of Punjab, was declared ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment or penance) by the temporal Sikh institution, the Akal Takht, in Amritsar on August 6, over the violation of ‘maryada’ (religious code) at a function to commemorate the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur last month.
Five Sikh high priests on pronounced “tankhah” to Bains in a case pertaining to a dance performance at an event to mark Guru Teg Bahadur’s 350th martyrdom in Srinagar last month.
Assembled at Akal Takht, the five Sikh high priests — Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, officiating Jathedar of Akal Takht; Giani Sultan Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib; Giani Kewal Singh, Granthi of the Golden Temple; Giani Tek Singh, Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib; and Giani Mangal Singh, Panj Piara of Akal Takht — delivered the punishment. They directed the minister to undertake a series of religious tasks for spiritual atonement for violating Sikh maryada during the event.
Notably, Bains had been summoned by the Akal Takht last week over a video of an event organised in Srinagar by the Punjab government’s department of languages, which falls under Bains to commemorate 350 years since the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. In a video of the event, the audience is seen dancing to folk songs.
The punishment includes a barefoot pilgrimage from the Golden Temple to Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal (about 500 m away), a visit to Baba Bakala (a holy town 40 km from Amritsar) and Delhi’s Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib. He has also been told to perform two days of sewa (voluntary service), including cleaning footwear and sweeping the premises of a gurdwara in Anandpur Sahib. Besides, he must offer a deg (karah parshad) of Rs 1,100 and participate in ardas seeking forgiveness.
The priests have asked Bains to visit historical sites and oversee necessary development and sanitation work as per the given directive.
Following the controversy, Bains had publicly apologised on social media, acknowledging the mistake “committed knowingly or unknowingly” by the event organisers.
The Takht further said that while governments should organise seminars, symposiums and lectures on the life and teachings of the gurus, it should make sure that Sikh religious norms are respected.
It specifically said the government should take help of the Dharam Parchar Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in such events.
Notably, on the morning of August 7, Harjot Singh Bains was also seen cleaning the road leading to the Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal in Amritsar.
Meanwhile, Language Department Director Jaswant Singh, who was also present at the Srinagar event, will face tankhah proceedings upon his return to India.
In August last year, the Akal Takht declared Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Badal a tankhaiya for taking decisions that it said led to “severe depletion of the image of the Sikh community, deterioration of the condition of the Shiromani Akali Dal and damaging Sikh interests”. Badal resigned as SAD president, but was re-elected to the post in April.
