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Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti dead
Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti died of a heat attack in Amritsar on Saturday night
Former Akal Takht jathedar Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti died of a heat attack in Amritsar on Saturday night. He was 80.
According to a spokesperson of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Vedanti was admitted to Guru Ram Das Hospital in Amritsar at around 8pm where he breathed his last.
Vedanti, who served as jathedar of the highest temporal seat of Sikhs from 2000 to 2008, was well-versed in Gurbani grammar. He also served for a long time as the head granthi of the Golden Temple.
During his tenure Vedanti had taken several landmark decisions. In 2003, the former jathedar had approved the Nanakshahi calendar, prepared by Canada-based Sikh scholar Pal Singh Purewal. He had also declared Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale a martyr 19 years after Operation Bluestar.
He was also the first jathedar who declared to commemorate the death anniversaries of the Sikh militants.
Soon after becoming the jathedar, Vedanti had revoked the decision of his predecessor Giani Pooran Singh to excommunicate Jagir Kaur (the then president of the SGPC).
He also remained in the thick of controversy over his reported tough stand against the Dera Sacha Sauda, offering support to militants and his opposition to political interference in the SGPC affairs.
Citing “political pressure” and “bad health”, Vedanti had quit his post in August 2008. Later, he himself made it public that he was ousted forcibly when he inadvertently praised former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
In her condolence message, SGPC chief Jagir Kaur said Vedanti was a great leader of the Panth.
