Giani Puran Singh

Giani Puran Singh was a granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple) who served as Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib for about thirteen months, from February 1999 to March 2000. He took the post while the SGPC was split between supporters of Parkash Singh Badal and the camp of its president, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, and he lost it hours after he excommunicated four members of its executive.

He took over from Bhai Ranjit Singh, who had been placed under suspension. The Tribune of 13 February 1999 reported that his installation, set for 14 February, had been put off by a day. It said the Damdami Taksal, with which he had close ties, and the Sant Samaj, loyal to Bhai Ranjit Singh, had asked him not to accept the post, and that Tohra said efforts were still on to persuade him not to. The Tribune of 28 February reported that, as a lawyer for the pro-Badal executive members put it, he had been installed as acting Jathedar on 15 February, and that Giani Mohan Singh, the head granthi, said he stayed away because Giani Puran Singh had not been appointed Jathedar.

Key moments

• 10 February 1999: Giani Puran Singh was appointed acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, The Tribune of 29 March 2000 says, and he was made Jathedar in April 1999.
• 25 January 2000: a hukamnama issued in his name from Guna in Madhya Pradesh was challenged by five Sikh high priests, among them Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti.
• 28 March 2000: at about 2 p.m. he excommunicated four SGPC executive members. At about 5 p.m. the SGPC executive, with eight members present and Bibi Jagir Kaur in the chair, sacked him as Jathedar and suspended him as granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib. It named Joginder Singh Vedanti acting Jathedar, and the state government withdrew his security cover.
• 3 January 2005: as head granthi, The Tribune reported, he presented a siropa from the sanctum of Sri Harmandir Sahib to Baba Ram Singh, whom it described as head of the Damdami Taksal (Sangrai), while Baba Harnam Singh, acting head at Mehta Chowk, was refused one.

Three members walked out of the executive meeting, objecting that Bibi Jagir Kaur, who presided, had been excommunicated. She said the decision pained the executive and that he had violated Sikh maryada and divided the Panth. Giani Puran Singh replied that excommunicated members could not take such a decision. The Tribune's explainer of 21 April 2025 says he was sacked after he excommunicated the then SGPC president, Bibi Jagir Kaur.

Remembered for: holding the seat of the Akal Takht while the Badal and Tohra camps fought over the SGPC, and for the speed of his fall. On 29 March 2000 his successor, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, asked the SGPC to lay down rules for appointing and removing Takht Jathedars, and the explainer says the SGPC ignored the request.