Ajnala, Punjab (KP) – The third faction of the Damdami Taksal criticized the installation of Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s portrait in the Central Sikh Museum, claiming that only pictures of “Shaheed Singhs and Singhnees” are placed in the museum, and that Baba Jarnail Singh was still alive and in ‘chardi-kala’ and would present himself at an appropriate time.
This announcement was made by Bhai Amrik Singh, Gurnam Singh Bandala, Balwant Singh Gopala, and others at their Ajnala headquarters. The group stated that installing portrait of Baba Jarnail Singh amongst other Shaheeds was inappropriate.
It should be noted that on various occasions several Panthic organizations assembled at Sri Akal Takht Sahib have declared that Baba Jarnail Singh was Shaheed and annually commemorated his martyrdom.
In May of 2005, Harnam Singh Dhumma, the leader of the Mehta faction of the Taksal also declared that Baba Jarnail Singh was Shaheed, see: http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/1388/2005-05-29.html. This decision by Dhumma created a deep rift with those in the Taksal who continue to claim he is still alive.
Their persistent belief in that theory is evidenced on various internet sites and paraphernalia distributed in the west with Baba Jarnail Singh’s pictures titled as the “Present Jathedar of Damdami Taksal.”
