DIARY
TADA Repeal won’t help detainees
According to legal experts, repealing or replacing the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) with another Act will not provide any relief to existing detainees as the cases already under trial will not be affected.
Statements made in a Tada court will continue to hold, but a fresh statement will be dealt in accordance with the new Act.
However, according to the senior New Delhi advocate, Mr P.P. Rao, there is a possibility of existing cases being converted into new channels if new provisions are incorporated in the proposed Act.
For example, since the provision relating to retention of illegal weapons is incorporated in the existing Arms Act, a person charged under that provision of TADA shall have to be booked under the relevant provision of the Arms Act.
“The overlapping provisions will thus enable an accused to escape the ‘draconian’ provisions of Tada as his case will now fall under Acts dealing with other offences,” Mr Rao opines. Both Mr Rao and Mr Shanti Bhushan, the former law minister and a leading lawyer in the Supreme Court, agree that a statement of an accused against a person during trial “need not necessarily” hold unless there is a “prima facie” case.
But the noted criminal law expert, Mr Ram Jethmalani, thinks differently. According to him, if Tada expires, Section 4 also goes. “It means even the existing cases have to be reverted to ordinary courts or dealt with in accordance with the new Act, as it is the only section which has provision for continuous trial under TAda even if it expires.”
The legal experts unanimously agree that much depends on the new legislation and its provisions. Until the bill is moved and enacted there no concrete conclusion can be reached. If Section 4 is retained, existing detainees will have to undergo trial in accordance with the old Act.
Whether TADA goes or stays, the moot point will be the conversion of the present detainees’ cases to ordinary courts, in accordance with the amended provisions, those sought to be incorporated in the ordinary criminal laws, and those of the Arms Act.
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National Seminar on Sikhism at Madurai Kamaraj University
The Guru Nanak Devji Chair of Madurai Kamaraj University organised a Seminar on ‘Sikhism and Modern Life’ last March. The Seminar was sponsored by Sikh sangats of Madurai, Madras, Coimbatore, Trichy, Bangalore and by the Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle, Tamilnadu Unit, in collaboration with the university.
The Seminar was inaugurated by Prof. C. Srinivasan, Special Officer, Madurai Kamaraj University. Prof. C. Srinivasan, in his inaugural address, enunciated the humanistic message of Guru Nanak and paid rich tribute to the Sikh Gurus. He called the Sikh organisations to support the Chair and make it into a strong centres of Sikh studies in South India.
Dr. Nirbhai Singh, Professor of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala, presented the keynote address. He explained that Sikh philosophy includes the moments of historic time and social reality in its metaphysics and this paves the way for interpretation and reinterpretation of the scripture. He recalled how the Sikh Gurus fought every type of dogmatism and medievalism. Reinterpretation of the scripture would only show the vitality of the text to modern problems. However, he objected to the motivated attempts of McLeod and others questioning the authenticity of Guru Granth Sahib, the final version of which was given to us by the Tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh.
Sardar Jaswant Singh Anand, Secretary, Gurudwara Singh Sabha, Coimbatore released the book of Sardar Kapur Singh titled “Guru Nanak: Life and philosophy”, translated into Tamil by Dr. N. Muthu Mohan. The first copy was received by Dr. Madhu Dhawan, Madras.
During the two sessions of the day, six research papers were presented by the scholars on various topics related to the theme “Sikhism and Modern Life”. The papers highlighted Sikh attitude to woman, to religious pluralism, to caste system and to liberation theology. A paper compared the Akali and Dravidian movements.
Celebrated Tamil novelist and Sahitya Academy award winner, Penneelan gave the valedictory address of the Seminar. He called the scholars to bring out the message of humanism, vitality and social justice enshrined in Sikhism to the Tamil people.
Sardar A.S. Bamrah of Madurai, Sardar Avtar Singh and Sardar Harbans Singh Anand of Madras felicitated the Seminar. Sardar A.S. Bamrah expressed the decision of the Sikh Sangats to establish five scholarships to the students of “Sikhism and Comparative Religion”, a P.G. Diploma Course launched by Guru Nanak Devji Chair from the academic year 1995-96. He also announced that Sardar S. Raminder Singh of Madras had come forward to establish a prize-money of Rs. 5,000 to the best student of the course. Sardar A.S. Bamrah promised every help from the Sikh Sangats of South India to develop Guru Nanak Devji Chair, its infrastructure, research and publications and called it the ‘Vision 2000’.
The university also organised an exhibition of recent books on Sikhism in the Seminar Hall. Sikh representations from Bangalore, Madras, Trichy, Madurai and Coimbatore and a large number of scholars participated in the Seminar. Dr.N. Muthu Mohan, Head, Guru Nanak Devji Chair, Madurai Kamaraj University proposed the vote of thanks.
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Success through Jaap Sahib
Baba Virsa Singh Ji of Gobind Sadan, New Delhi has long been encouraging devotees to recite and meditate on Sri Jaap Sahib. Many have benefited spiritually as well as in the worldly sense. Among those whose success is founded on this spiritual programme are Sardar Buta Singh, Minister of Civil Supplies, and Amrik Singh Puni, the new Chief Secretary of Punjab, who spent hours each day waving Chaur Sahib over Granth Sahib and reading Jaap Sahib. He explained, “I was a restless soul. I was lacking in confidence. When I was coming to see Babaji, I read Jaap Sahib for the first time and understood what Jaap Sahib stood for. It has given me a confidence. When A.S. Puni came to Gobind Sadan, to express his gratitude, Babaji said to him, “Guru Granth Sahib is not only the property of the Sikhs. Many Names of God are included in it. It is the primeval voice of God. Muslims, orthodox Hindus, and people of other faiths are now regularly reading Guru Granth Sahib and Jaap Sahib in their homes. When they do so, the feel something extraordinary, and they come here to tell of their experience. When people take office they are afraid to speak about their religion lest they be considered sectarian fanatics. But Religion is our strength. If Guru Gobind Singh is not universal, then who is? Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh brought religious freedom to all people of India. Guru Tegh Bahadur wore neither the sacred thread nor the forehead mark of Hindus, but he sacrificed his life for the sake of those who did. This is humanitarianism, not sectarianism.
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S. Dilbir Singh writes from Amritsar confirming that Singh Sahib Hrabhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji will visiting India from September 20 to October 10, 1995. He is visiting India to participate in World Sikh Conference, where in he will also be accompanied by a group of 30 American Sikh.
Earlier, this year Yogiji visited Punjab in February, was received with enthusiasm and heard with rapt attention wherever he went. People came in large number to listen to him. The kirtan sung by American Sikhs created an electrifying spiritual atmosphere among local Sikh Sangats. He agreed to visit other cities and I have suggested that he visit Bombay, Bangalore, Madras and Hyderabad. From Hyderabad, he may go to Calcutta and Patna Sahib. I hope to finalise his itinerary. As per present indication, he will be in Bombay on September 28th, Bangalore on September 30th, Madras on October 2nd, Hyderabad on 3rd, Calcutta on 4th and Takht Sri Patna Sahib on 6th October. He will be travelling mostly by air with his group.