GURU NANAK SARB-SAMPRADAI CONFERENCE

GURU NANAK SARBSAMPRADAI CONFERENCE, 1934, convened at Bhaini Sahib, centre of the Namdhari Sikhs, on 13 and 14 October 1934 at the instance of Baba Partap Singh, the Namdhari chief, with the primary object of forging unity among various Sikh sects following the teachings of Guru Nanak. Almost all the Sikh sects were represented at the Conference which was presided over by BhaT Arjan Singh of Bagariari. Svami Raj Tirath and Sant Hari Das attended the conference on behalf of the Udasis and Pandit Man Singh Shastri, Mahant Kishan Singh and Mahant Hakam Singh on behalf of the Nirmalas.The Scvapan this were represented by Pandit Nischal Singh and Mahant Gurbakhsh Singh and the Namdharis by Atma Singh of Rawalpindi, Nidhan Singh Alam and Sant Indar Singh ChakravartI, besides Baba Partap Singh himself.

Baba Savan Singh of Beas represented the Radha Soami sect and Sardar Sundar Singh Majlthia, SirJogendra Singh and BhaiJodh Singh attended the Conference on behalf of the Chief Khalsa Diwan. The Shiromani Akali Dal and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee were represented by Master Tara Singh and Giani Shcr Singh.Also present were Bhai Kahn Singh of Nabha, Professor Teja Singh, Baba Gurdit Singh Komagata Maru, Bibi Nirarijan Kaur, wife of Babu Teja Singh of Bhasaur, Giani HTra Singh Dard and Professor Crariga Singh. The proceedings began with ardds or Sikh supplicatory prayer recited by Bhai Jodh Singh.

The thrust of the deliberations was on evolving a code of conduct based on mutual respect and on laying down guidelines for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, statutory body assigned to managing Sikh gurudwaras, in dealing with shrines belonging to various Sikh sects.A concrete decision taken was about the withdrawal by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee or local Sikhs of petitions preferred in courts, under Clause 7 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, for assuming control of more shrines. With a view to implementing the resolutions of the Conference, an executive committee was constituted, under the chairmanship of Bhai Arjan Singh of Bagariari, which was also authorized to mediate between the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the controllers of gurudwaras involved in any legal suit. The Conference met again the following year at Gujrariwala on 2022 April simultaneously with the annual session of the Sikh Educational Conference after which it ceased to exist.