The tenor of speeches by political leaders, including Punjab Minister for Higher Education Manjit Singh, too reflected the shift in stand.

Significantly, former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, who was at the seminar, was described as the ``true and sincere'' friend of the Sikhs, indicating a distancing of the party from the Congress too.

Without naming the BJP, the resolution emphasised saving Indian democracy from becoming the monopoly of a particular religion, or subject to hegemonistic tendencies of an ideology or philosophy. At the same time, it stressed the need for an environment to preserve individual cultural identities. ``Democratic institutions should be madefully liberal for the development of independent cultural entities,'' it said.

Tohra justifies boycott by Akal Takht jathedar

Akali patriarch and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gurcharan Singh Tohra has justified the non-participation of Akal Takht Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Khalsa heritage complex being organised by the Punjab Government at Anandpur Sahib.

The function would mark the beginning of the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa with the main functions to be held in April next. The SGPC chief told mediapersons here his efforts to persuade Bhai Ranjit Singh did not succeed. The jathedar of the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs has been feeling ignored, and conveyed to the SGPC chief he would not associate himself with what the government was doing as he might land into controversy in case the concept of the heritage complex was violative of the Sikh maryada (religious conduct). He has not been consultedby the state government while finalising these projects.

He said the SGPC, though the appointing authority, could only issue an appeal to the Akal Takht jathedar to participate in such a function. Significantly, Tohra dissociated himself with the design of the Nishan-e-Khalsa, one of the three components of the heritage complex, despite the fact that he is member of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation which has given its approval to these projects. He maintained it was not the SGPC's job to clear projects which would reflect the state government's thinking.

He said the projects had been cleared by the executive of the Anandpur Sahib Foundation which is headed by Barjinder Singh Hamdard. He expressed the hope that Prof Manjit Singh, Jathedar Takht Keshgarh Sahib, who is also a member of the executive, might have taken care of the maryada.

He refused to enter into any controversy about the likely impact of non-participation of Akal Takht jathedar, saying this question should be directed at Bhai RanjitSingh. At the same time, he made it clear that the Akal Takht jathedar had not given any call to the people to boycott the foundation stone laying function.

Referring to his statement about Rs 100 crore announced by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the tercentenary celebrations, he proposed Rs 50 crore should be earmarked for constructing a hospital at Anandpur Sahib.