Gurbachan Singh

In 1978, the Sant Nirankari Mission^[4] from Delhi and other parts of the Indian sub-continent gathered a congregation at Amritsar. A clash would soon erupt between orthodox Sikh groups and the Sant Nirankaris, although the cause and instigator of the clash is disputed and unclear. The orthodox Sikhs had a negative perception of the Sant Nirankaris due to perceived "offences" committed against their religion, remarks made, and the Sant Nirankari practice of a dehdhari guru (living/physical human guru), which mainstream Sikhs ceased to follow since the death of Guru Gobind Singh.^[5][6] Furthermore, mainline Sikhs were vexed by the Sant Nirankari practice of devotees touching the feet of the Nirankari guru, Avtar Singh, in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib.^[7] A SGPC white-paper authored by Kapur Singh charges Avtar Singh with installing the Guru Granth Sahib on a lower platform than him, emulating Sikh practices, insulting the Sikh scripture, and a myriad of other issues which mainstream Sikhs interpreted very negatively.^[8] The SGPC claimed that the Sant Nirankari mission's aim was to absorb Sikhism into Hinduism and "mislead and beguile Sikhs", as part of a greater conspiracy orchestrated by the Congress party. The central issue was that Sikhs believed Gurbachan Singh had elevated himself to a position of authority higher than the Sikh scripture.^[9]

A few orthodox Sikhs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Damdami Taksal marched from the Darbar Sahib to protest the Nirankari congregation, whom they considered heterodox. In the resulting violence, 15 individuals including thirteen Khalsa Sikhs and two Sant Nirankaris were killed.^[5] The Jatha leader Bhai Fauja Singh was also among the Sikhs killed.

On 25 September 1978, Gurbachan Singh arrived in Kanpur. A group of protesters arrived at the Nirankari Bhawan to protest against his presence.^[10] On 28 September 1978, anticipating fresh trouble, the Punjab Government barred Nirankari Chief Gurbachan Singh from entering Punjab for six months. The Supreme Court later rescinded the ban.^[10]

On 6 October 1978, a Hukumnama by the Jathedar of the Akal Takht was issued, calling upon Sikhs to socially boycott the Nirankaris.^[10] The Nirankaris claimed to have been attacked by "fanatics" and that ensuing criminal cases against Nirankaris were "false cases".^[11][12]

In 1980, Ranjit Singh, a member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, managed to obtain employment at the Nirankari headquarters in Delhi as a carpenter. On the evening of 24 April 1980, he waited with an automatic rifle in a room of the guest house. Ranjit Singh and his accomplice Kabal Singh shot Gurbachan Singh through a window when he returned from a public function at about 11pm for justice against the 28 Sikhs he killed.^[13][14] Ranjit Singh managed to escape. The First Information Report named twenty people for the murder, including several known associates of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder.^[15] Ranjit Singh surrendered in 1983, and was in jail for 13 years. In 1990, while still in Tihar Jail, he was named the Akal Takht Jathedar,^[16] and took over the post when he was released in 1996. According to a Hindustan Times report, Ranjit Singh said about the murder: "I have no regrets. I did it for the Panth (religion)."^[17] In 1997, the Delhi High Court upheld his conviction and cancelled the bail. Ranjit Singh refused to surrender. The government quickly ordered a remission of his remaining sentence to avoid a confrontation.^[18][19]

Gurbachan Singh was succeeded by his son Hardev Singh.