Advocating adoption of Nanakshahi calendar for determination of Sikh religious festivals, Global Sikh Council has said that the Sikh religion is the most advance religion of the world and the Sikh tenets allow the community to adopt whatever is good for the society.
The Global Sikh Council had just got its representation in India, as the Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha has joined the council recently. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh on Monday, Gulbarg Singh Basi, president of Global Sikh Council, said that with India on board, the council has found representation in 12 countries and it is expected to go up to 16 in the months to come. Batting for adoption of Nanakshahi calendar, throughout the Sikh community, Gulbarg Singh said that presently the Sikh community is facing a dilemma on the dates of its festivals. Raising apprehension on the sanctity of dates determined by Jathedars of Akal Takht, he said that in the present scenario, the community is bewildered, as to whom to follow as Jathedars, whether, those appointed by the Sarbat Khalsa or the Jathedars appointed by Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee.
Talking to the media, Kirpal Singh Nijjar, Member Executive of the council said with the adoption of Nanakshahi calendar, the holy days of Sikhs will no longer move about the calendar from year to year. All the Gurpurbs will be dedicated with a particular dates and the controversy, which are seen often in relation to the celebrations will completely come to an end.
He said that Global Sikh Council is organizing a three days meet of all its member organizations in Paris on March 18-20. The issues of training bilingual Sikh preachers, issues related with identity of Sikhs while travelling in different countries would be deliberated in the meet. Khushal Singh, general secretary, Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha said that Sabha will be the major organization to represent the council in India but a number of different Sikh organizations have already joined hands to reach Global Sikh Council through Kendri Sri Guru Singh Sabha.