April 28

Tejbir Singh Phool

After fourteen years of selfless service and devotion to GNFA, Bhai Jugmohan Singh, Bhai Harmohan Singh, and Bhai Harvinder Singh were suspended from GNFA payroll, and removed from the premises under police escort at about 4:00p.m. on Friday, April 26.

Apparently, the door to their room was broken down personally by Chairman Kashmir Singh Dhariwal, who several months ago, had used heavy equipment to bulldoze the Bhai Sahib's car into the woods.

The Bhai Sahibs have now been served notice that if they set foot on GNFA property any time in the next year, they are subject to arrest. They may not even worship there.

The shocking news spread to the Washington area's Sikh community like wildfire. The GNFA sangat rallied strongly around the Bhai Sahibs and against GNFA management. At about 6.30 a group of about 40 youth, all of whom had a great deal of respect and gratitude for the Bhai Sahibs, gathered solemnly in the langar hall. They held a peaceful meeting to discuss the situation. Their questions included "WHY"? And "WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP"? The management's explanations that the GNFA did not have money to pay the Bhai Sahibs did not satisfy the youth since the management continues to hire an unnecessary sevadar costing about $800 a month, pays airfare and fees to visiting ragis, pays lawyers money to overturn the sangat's decisions, pays security guards, and has a bank balance of over $100,000.

They [the youth] invited Secretary Bakhshish Singh to talk to them, but he declined. After expressing full support for the Bhai Sahibs, the youth resolved to peacefully protest their removal. As the youth were finishing their meeting at about 7:15 p.m., a group of ladies with a similar agenda arrived carrying placards that read "Save Our Ragis," "Who Will Teach Us Kirtan" other banners, and yellow ribbons. Somebody spread out sheets in the lobby and about 60 people sat down and started naam simran.

Meanwhile, in the main hall, the management asked the visiting ragis to start Rehras Sahib and Kirtan. Trustee Dilbag Singh tried to disrupt the sangat by turning the speakers to full volume to drown them out, but they went on.

More and more GNFA members arrived, and after doing "Matha Tek" joined the sangat in the lobby. At one time there were about 100 sangat in the lobby and two in the main hall. Yet the sangat kept growing till the number swelled to over 200 and the parking lot overflowed. The main hall sangat, mainly relatives of trustees, never exceeded 30.

Bakhshish Singh approached the sangat trying to ask them not to protest but his voice was completely drowned out. Frustrated, he called in the security guard that is paid from GNFA funds. The Security guard then called the police and about 10 policemen and policewomen arrived quickly.

Bakhshish Singh and Kashmir Singh tried to persuade them to stop the sangat from protesting. But the sangat in turn convinced the police that there was no slogan shouting and all they were doing was singing hymns (Shabads) and meditation (Naam Simran) in the house of God. How could the management or police deny them the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of speech and worship? Since the main hall is separated from the lobby by two doors, two sets of worshippers could easily worship without interfering with each other.

After long discussions with the police, Kashmir Singh and Bakhshish Singh announced that the Gurudwara would be shut down and everybody must go home.

The lobby was cleared out in minutes. Kirtan was terminated and Rehraas Sahib started in the main hall. The sangat continued to congregate just outside the main door. After parshad distribution, an officer asked the sangat to make way for the management to leave because they were scared to walk through the cordon. Some trustees appear to have left via side doors. As the management team left, they were booed off the property. They even forgot to lock the main door. The job of finding out who had a key to lock the Gurudwara, was left to members of the sangat. There was no langar.

When I left at about 9.30, only the Guru Granth Sahib was left in the main building. There were 4 or 5 policemen guarding the front door of a darkened GNFA. The visiting ragis and sevadar had retreated to the relative safety of the trailer. A handful of cars was left in the parking lot as owners prepared to leave. Two police cars were parked in front of GNFA on Old Columbia Pike red and blue lights sorrowfully flashing the neighbors.

Let us pray to the Wahe Guru that peace and harmony return to GNFA soon!