Giani Gurbachan Singh


Giani Gurbachan Singh (born on 6 April 1948 at Chakk Baja in Muktsar, Punjab, was the 30th Jathedar of Akal Takht.

Elevation as Jathedar of Akal Takht

Singh joined Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as a Sewadar at Muktsar. He served 36 years at SGPC beginning in 1972 and became head priest at Amritsar before becoming Jathedar on 6 August 2008.

Issues

On 5 December 2011, Jathedars of all five Takhts including Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh awarded Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum to Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal. He was awarded this title at Akal Takht for his service towards the Sikh Nation by creating many memorials pertaining to Sikhi such as Virasat-e-Khalsa, besides being imprisoned for long time and having faced atrocities during various Akali movements. A Sarbat Khalsa held by Sikh organisations on 10 November 2015 stated that it was withdrawing the award due to allegations of Civil Rights Violations and failure to recognize the oppression faced by the Sikhs of Punjab.
In October 2015, the Panj Pyare of Akal Takht issued a summon to the Jathedars of the five Takhats to clarify their position on the pardoning of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for imitation of the 10th Sikh Guru. After the Jathedars refused to recognize the summon, the Panj Pyare of Akal Takht directed the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee to relieve the Jathedars from their duties. The SGPC ignored the Gurmata and suspended the Panj Pyare from Akal Takht.
A Sarbat Khalsa convened by radical Sikh organisations appointed Jagtar Singh Hawara as the jathedar of Akal Takht. SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar however stated that its convening was against the principles of Sikhism and its decisions were null and void. He added that the removal of jathedars came under Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 and no one could challenge the SGPC's authority.
On 18 October 2018, Gurbachan Singh resigned from his post and the search for the next Jathedar was underway.