The move, which has the blessings of the Akal Takht, Sikhism’s highest religious and temporal seat, but is vehemently opposed by radical Sikh factions, was apparently necessitated because the original Nanakshahi calendar issued in 2003 was in conflict with the Vikrami system still followed by most Sikh communities outside Punjab.
This not only caused confusion with important religious events being observed on different dates but also gave rival Sikh leaders outside Punjab occasion to question the authority of the SGPC.
But the modifications to the Nanakshahi calendar have not come without their share of controversy. Even though SGPC officials claim these have been introduced after extensive consultations with religious leaders and community representatives, many Sikh groups — particularly the radical factions — have been consistently opposing any changes.
“The amended calendar has been issued after getting everyone’s approval,” SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh claimed, pointing out that the 10-member subcommittee constituted to resolve discrepancies last year had spent several months consulting with the Sikh Sant Samaj and other religious experts.
The radicals, however, view the amendments as “abject surrender in the face of the expansionist designs of Hindu leaders aiming to subsume the Sikh religion.”
Dal Khalsa spokesman Kanwar Pal Singh said: “The SGPC has killed the letter and spirit of the Nanakshahi calendar by mixing it with Vikrami calendar, which had its roots in Hinduism. We believe the amended version has an imprint of RSS ideology.”
Marking their dissent, the group distributed copies of the Nanakshahi calendar in its original form at a historic gurdwara in Hoshiarpur on Sunday afternoon.
Asit Jolly