Latest news with #AkalTakht
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra Sikh Association condemns murder of Punjab influencer ‘Kamal Kaur Bhabi'; rejects Akal Takht priest's justification, says violence has no place in Sikhism
Punjab influencer Kamal Kaur Bhabi MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Sikh Association (MSA) strongly condemned the recent killing of young social media influencer Kanchan Tiwari, also popularly known as Kamal Kaur Bhabi in Punjab. The association also rejected the statement made by a senior functionary of the Akal Takht, who appeared to condone the influencer's murder. "We strongly denounce this act of violence and any attempt to justify it in the name of faith. Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings are clear—reform must come through compassion, not coercion. This murder is a tragic failure of dialogue and restraint. Such actions have no place in a civilised or spiritual society," said Bal Malkit Singh, Convenor of the Maharashtra Sikh Association (MSA). Tiwari was killed for allegedly promoting "obscenity and vulgarity in society" through her social media posts. Singh stated that his organisation acknowledges the content shared by the victim may have raised genuine concerns among some sections of society regarding values and public decency, but there is absolutely no justification for murder. The justification of the murder by a senior priest of the Akal Takht has also drawn criticism. "If someone finds a social media influencer's content inappropriate or damaging to societal values, there are constitutional and moral ways to express concern—through counselling, constructive engagement, legal remedies, and community awareness. Taking the law into one's own hands or promoting violence goes completely against the spirit of Sikhism," the statement said.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Takht ex-jathedar alleges illegal selling of Tarn Taran gurdwara's land; SGPC rubbishes allegations
Akal Takht former jathedar Ranjit Singh on Wednesday accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of committing misappropriation in the sale of Tarn Taran historic Sikh shrine's land worth crores of rupees. While addressing a press conference here, he alleged that this property was donated by the devotees to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Tarn Taran, but SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, along with member Alwinderpal Singh Pakhoke, is selling it off to their favoured individuals at throwaway prices. Speaking to journalists, Ranjit Singh said the property adjoining the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Tarn Taran Sahib is worth crores. He claimed that attempts have been made to sell this property 40 times before, but the bids were always cancelled. 'This time, however, without any public bidding process, Dhami and the Badal group are selling the property to their close associates at extremely low prices,' he said. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) refuted the allegations made by the former jathedar regarding the alleged sale of certain plots belonging to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at undervalued prices. SGPC secretary Pratap Singh and assistant secretary Gurnam Singh, clarified that the land in question was not in use by the Gurdwara Sahib and had been facing frequent encroachments. Based on the recommendations of the SGPC's Property Sub-Committee, the executive committee took the decision to sell the land. They stated that the SGPC sold the land through a proper open bidding process after issuing public advertisements.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Scam in SGPC, it sold land worth Rs 50 lakh for Rs 9 lakh: Former Akal Takht jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh
1 2 Amritsar: Former Akal Takht jathedar and Panthic Akali Lehar founder Bhai Ranjit Singh has accused the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) of allegedly usurping gurdwara property worth crores of rupees in Tarn Taran, a charge the SGPC has denied. Talking to mediapersons on Wednesday, Ranjit Singh alleged that the SGPC sold the property at throwaway prices to those closely associated with its president. "The SGPC is not the property owner but only its custodian," he said. He alleged that the land with a market value of Rs 50 lakh was being sold for just Rs 9 lakh, and the Rs 60 lakh property was being sold for Rs 16 lakh. On the other hand, SGPC secretary Partap Singh and assistant secretary Gurnam Singh, in a joint statement, claimed that if Ranjit Singh believes the property was worth Rs 60 lakh, he himself should deposit Rs 55 lakh in the gurdwara account, and the SGPC will cancel the previous bid and transfer the property to him. They further said that the SGPC sold the land through an open bidding process after publicly advertising it. Although the land is close to the city, according to them, its market value was lower due to narrow lanes and limited accessibility.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Justifying murder
A senior in Akal Takht publicly approves the killing of a woman. This is what patriarchy begets The greater tragedy after the murder in Punjab's Bathinda of a young woman – killed for her reels on social media – is the support her murderers have received from sections of society, including that of an Akal Takht senior. Control of women and their online avtars is not driven by religious zeal alone. In May, a young Mexican social media influencer, who posted videos on beauty and makeup, was shot dead during a TikTok live stream. In Jan, a Pakistani father, a US citizen, moved his family from US to Quetta – and killed his teenage daughter because he found her social media posts 'objectionable'. In five months, three women Pakistani social media influencers, including a 17-year-old, have been murdered – in Islamabad, Peshawar and Pakistan Punjab's Khushab. Each was in effect a case of femicide – killed simply for being a woman, for falling foul of self-appointed agents of social control. They were killed for the agency they displayed online, in content not considered 'appropriate' – including makeup – seen as 'vulgar' or 'obscene'. Several Indian comedians and artistes have been accused of 'obscenity' and 'vulgarity'. Vandalism and threats have followed. But, when it came to a woman, criticism or moving court wasn't enough. For Kanchan Kumari, known online as 'Kamal Kaur Bhabhi', murder was the weapon chosen to silence her and, as a bonus, terrify many young women looking to use social media to earn some money. All these young women were simply entertainers catering to large audiences. Moral policing and vigilantism are on the rise globally – rightwing and/or so-called pious men find it all too easy to spot 'decay in society' world over – because women, for them, must remain the carrier of a faith's values, so abortion is denied or 'sanskar' is enforced. The Akal Takht senior said 'we should not listen to vulgar songs…' – and so it was okay to kill the singer. Such institutional justification of systemic violence against women is the biggest danger to their safety. It compromises police action and silences the laity. Some of course have spoken out against the murder, including a religious figure of a Sikh sect. But they are few and far between. Twin phenomena – normalisation of online trolling of women and violence against those women who've refused to be keepers of 'public morality' – are the outcomes of modern patriarchy. Self-appointed agents of social control are the real ones who're degrading society. Letting such justification of murder slide is normalising it. There lies the real danger to women, whether online or offline. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
She was killed for posting videos. That should never be okay
In a town called Bathinda in Punjab, a young woman who made fun videos on social media was killed. She didn't hurt anyone — she just liked to post videos of herself dancing or acting like many people do on apps like Instagram or TikTok. What's even more shocking is that some people, including a leader from a major religious group called Akal Takht, said the murder was okay. He said she was posting 'vulgar' videos, so it was fine that she was killed. Sadly, this is not just happening in one place. In Mexico, a young woman who made beauty videos was shot during a live video. In Pakistan, a father killed his own daughter because he didn't like her social media posts. And in the last few months, three other young women in Pakistan have also been murdered just for what they shared online. These women weren't doing anything wrong. They were just sharing their talents or trying to make a living. But some people believe women should behave in a certain way, dress a certain way, or never be too visible in public. And if women don't follow those 'rules,' they are punished — sometimes even with violence. One Indian woman, Kanchan Kumari, who called herself Kamal Kaur Bhabhi online, was also killed for her videos. Her murder wasn't just to stop her — it was also to scare other young women from using social media. There are people who think they get to decide what is 'moral' or 'good' for society. But instead of using laws or peaceful ways, they attack or kill. These people say women must represent 'culture' or 'tradition' — and if they don't, they're seen as shameful. When important people, like the religious leader, say such violence is okay, it makes things worse. It makes the police less likely to act. It makes regular people afraid to speak out. A few brave voices have spoken against these killings, but not enough. The biggest danger today is how normal it's becoming to see women bullied, trolled, or hurt just for being themselves online. These acts of violence are not about protecting culture — they're about controlling women. We must remember: everyone has a right to be safe, to speak, and to share. Hurting or killing someone just because you don't like what they post is never okay. The real problem isn't women on social media — it's the people who want to silence them. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
