Sukhbir Singh Badal Undertakes ‘Tankhah’ at Golden Temple in Act of Atonement

Sikh Clergy’s Verdict: Akali Leaders Undertake ‘Tankhah’ at Golden Temple

In a significant moment of penitence, senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal served as a ‘sewadar’ outside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Tuesday. Clad in traditional blue ‘sewadar’ attire, and seated in a wheelchair due to a fractured leg, Badal held a spear as part of the religious punishment pronounced by the Sikh clergy a day earlier.

Accompanied by fellow Akali leaders, including Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, who also served in a wheelchair owing to his advanced age, the act was part of the directives issued by the Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority of Sikhs. Dhindsa performed the same duties, while former Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia was seen washing utensils in the Golden Temple’s community kitchen.

Both Badal and Dhindsa wore small boards around their necks, acknowledging the “misdeeds” for which they had been found guilty. The leaders served as ‘sewadars’ for an hour, carrying out tasks of humility and service. The directive stemmed from the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh’s edict issued on Monday, which outlined the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment) for various Akali leaders. This action followed the 2007 pardoning of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a blasphemy case during the SAD government’s tenure, a move Sukhbir Badal publicly admitted as a mistake.

In addition to the penance of Badal and Dhindsa, other senior leaders such as Sucha Singh Langah, Hira Singh Gabria, Balwinder Singh Bhundar, Daljit Singh Cheema, and Gulzar Singh Ranike have been instructed to clean washrooms at the Golden Temple from noon to 1 pm on December 3. Post this, they are to bathe and proceed to clean utensils in the community kitchen as part of their repentance.

The clergy’s decision, announced three months after declaring Sukhbir Badal as ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct), aims to address the mistakes attributed to the SAD government between 2007 and 2017. By undertaking these acts of service, the Akali leaders demonstrate accountability and adherence to the Sikh faith’s principles of humility and atonement.

This is a web-generated news report.
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