Rashtriya Sikh Sangat
The Rashtriya Sikh Sangat ("National Sikh Association") is an India-based Sikh affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
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| Formation | 1986 |
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| Headquarters | Sangat Marg, Ram Nagar, Paharganj, New Delhi, Delhi 110055 |
Region |  India |
| Leader | Gurcharan Singh Gill |
Parent organisation | Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh |
| Affiliations | Bharatiya Janata Party Sangh Parivar |
Volunteers |  50,000-100,000+ |
About
With about 450+ ekais (shakas, units) predominantly in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and as also presence in other states.[1] Rashtriya Sikh Sangat was inspired by the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to unite Hindus and Sikh.[2]
List of Leaders
| No. | Leader | Photo | Term at office | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shamsher Singh | - | 1986 to 1990 (Founder) | |||
| 2 | Chiranjeev Singh [3] | 1990 to - | ||||
| 3 | Rulda Singh[4] | - to 2009 [5] | ||||
| 4 | Gurcharan Singh Gill | [6] | 2009 to Present[1] | |||
Attacks on its Leaders
In 2009, Khalistan Liberation Force and Babbar Khalsa, Khalistani militant organization assassinated Rulda Singh, the then president of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, in Patiala.[1][7][8]
Controversies
The Akal Takht issued a Hukamnama (an edict) to the Sikh community in 2004 to not lend support to this organization as it does not represent Sikh interests. The edict stands, even now.[9]
In 2004, the leader of the Akal Takht declared that the organization to be "anti-Sikh" and "anti-panthic".[10] It forbade all Sikhs from having any association with it.[1] The Akal Takht, (the supreme temporal body of the Sikh community worldwide) reiterated the ban again in 2019 and is seen as an attempt by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to promote Hindutva, to Sikhs and an attempt to assimilate (absorb) Sikhs into Hinduism.[11]
See also
References
- Dogra, Chander Suta (17 December 2014). "Ex-militants to riot package: RSS reaches out to Punjab via Sikh arm". The Indian Express. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- Sanjeev Kelkar (2011). Lost Years of the RSS. SAGE Publications. pp. 181–182. ISBN 978-81-321-0762-0.
- "Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat felicitates former Rashtriya Sikh Sangat chief Chiranjeev Singh".
- "Punjab Sikh sangat leader Rulda Singh". Unp.me. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- Booth, Robert (13 July 2010). "In July, Singh was shot by two or three armed assailants outside his residence, and died weeks later to his wounds". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- "Gurucharan Singh Gill leader of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat".
- "Rulda Singh's killers to stand trial in UK, British police team arrives to collect evidence". tribuneindia.com.
- "Three British Sikhs arrested in UK over Rulda Singh murder case face extradition to India". The Times of India. 25 December 2020. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- "Akal Takht asks Sikh community to keep distance from RSS event".
- "Anti-Panthic Outfit Rashtriya Sikh Sangat Resumes its Activities, SGPC, Jathedars Go Silent". 14 October 2017.
- "Akal Takht Chief Calls For RSS to Be Banned". The Wire. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
