Badal, Ranjit Singh should mend fences

Talking to mediapersons here today, Bains also shot down the contention of Narinder Singh Hundal calling himself president of the North America SAD (B), and the two "general secretaries". He dubbed them "self-styled" office bearers of the party. He said that Hundal was merely one of the 13 members of the committee constituted by him as a convenor of the party in North America. "Elections are still to be held," he claimed.

Bains, who has been in the midst of a controversy following his statement that the Akal Takht edict of December 31 could not be reviewed, said that he considered the Akal Takht supreme. However, Bains said that the other edict by the Akal Takht jathedar on langar maryada issue should not be forced upon the Sikh community in North American countries. He said the proper method was to motivate and inspire people to agree to partake langar on floor instead of the current practice of partaking it on tables and chairs.

However, he hastened to add that Akal Takht edict was supreme for him and that they were trying to convince people in American gurdwaras to partake langar on floor.

He described as "political" the ongoing feud between SGPC president, G.S. Tohra and Punjab CM P.S. Badal. He added that politics should not be allowed to cloud the grand celebrations of the birth of Khalsa. He said he would appeal to Bhai Ranjit Singh and Badal to make a joint programme for the celebrations.

Asked if he still believed in the agenda of the World Sikh Organisation, of which he was a founder chairman and whose first objective was creation of a separate Sikh state, Bains said the majority of Punjabi population within Punjab as well as in North American countries did not favour a separate Sikh homeland. He said he was still a member of the WSO but evaded pointed reply to the query whether the Khalistan agenda should be dropped from the WSO Constitution. "If people in Punjab want it, let them attain it. But I feel the majority is no longer for a separate Sikh state," he opined.

"We do not believe in violence. Punjab is peaceful now," he said and made an appeal to the Sikh community to collect with enthusiasm in large numbers for the tercentenary celebrations at Anandpur Sahib. He said he was mobilising the Punjabis living in the USA and Canada to come to Anandpur Sahib. He said the Punjabi NRIs in North America had already made a contribution of $ 2.50 lakh towards the Anandpur Sahib foundaiton.