New Budha Dal Jathedar Baba Balbir Singh (right) next to the aging Santa Singh in 2007
(Photo : Courtesy of AmritWorld)
Related Article : Baba Balbir Singh becomes 14th Jathedar of Budha Dal
Patiala, Punjab (KP) - The controversial head of the Buddha Dal, Baba Santa Singh, who at one time was excommunicated from the Panth, never regained consiousness after being in a coma for several months.
The 85 year old Nihang chief had been seriously ill. He passed away at Patiala’s Rajendra Hospital, leaving behind a fractured organization with factions clamoring for power and the right to succession of the Budha Dal establishment.
Santa Singh took charge of this once revered institution in 1968 after the demise of Jathedar Baba Chet Singh, but due to personal and political interests, eventually brought this organization uncomfortably close to dubious Congress politicians, such as Zail Sinh, and ex-home minister Buta Sinh.
After the Indian Army’s 1984 genocidal assault on the Sri Darbar Sahib Complex in which Sri Akal Takht Sahib was virtually demolished, Santa Singh sided with the central government, and took charge to repair the damaged holy Takht on the behest of then home minister Buta Sinh.
Insulted by this act, the Sikh Nation dubbed the Government sponsored rebuilding of the Takht as “Sarkar Seva” (Government services), and excommunicated Santa Singh from the Sikh faith. The haphazardly repaired Sri Akal Takht Sahib was later razed by the Sikh Sangat and a new spectacular building, the current structure of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, was built in its place.
Marginalized and disgraced from the Panth for over a decade, Santa Singh finally submitted to Panthic norms and presented himself in front of the Sikh Panth and pleaded to be re-admitted into the fold in 2001. The Takht Jathedars accepted his request--in return a tankhah (religious chastisement) was ordered to Santa Singh for his grave mistakes.
Since his return, Santa Singh has stayed out of the public eye, possibly due to embarrassment and deteriorating health. Santa Singh never recovered politically from his 1984 blunders and Budha Dal also lost much credibility as a Panthic institution due to it’s chief.
According to one section of the Budha Dal Nihangs, Baba Balbir Singh was given charge of the organizations by Santa Singh back in 2007 when his health started to seriously decline, but many have violently opposed Balbir Singh’s succession. As a result several Nihangs and family members of Balbir Singh were killed by the opposition last year.
