Extracts below are provided to be shared by Pamela Saharah Dyson from her book

Premka White Bird in a Golden Cage - My life with Yogi Bhajan.

Chapter 'Responsibility Without Authority'

pg. 150

...

he called me into his presence, declaring, "Premka, I do not want our books to be opened to the Khalsa Council."

I was honestly taken by surprise.  The Yogi had told me so often that I was to take leadership and responsibility for the International Headquarters and for the Khalsa Council, so I felt confident I was only doing my job.

...He was equally adamant saying, "Premka, these funds are not the domain of anyone.  I am not answerable to these people.  I am only answerable to my God.  I don't agree that we should show them our accounts.  I don't want these people to get in a habit to question me." 

pg. 151 - 152

...

Several things became apparent to me through that battle. I saw that, with all my titles and constant lecture about my huge responsibility, which I took very much to heart, there was a major contradiction.  I actually had no authority. What I had was responsibility, without authority....

I also saw that the Khalsa Council was in a similar position to my own. ...Yogi Bhajan made dramatic public statements about the importance and honor of serving on the Khalsa Council, but I was beginning to get a clearer understanding that this revered Council actually had no authority to enact anything...We could only make a recommendation to Yogi Bhajan...As it turned out, the Yogi could wipe out all of our hard work with the stroke of his pen.  Or he could take the credit, or the benefit, for himself.