Withdraw Sikh Gurdwaras Bill or face stir: SGPC chief tells Punjab govt

Withdraw Sikh Gurdwaras Bill or face stir: SGPC chief tells Punjab govt

Gurbani row: SGPC meeting lashes out at Bhagwant Mann, does not spare the Badals

Amritsar: The repercussions of the Aam Aadmi Party government legislation governing Gurbani telecast from the Golden Temple played out at a special gathering of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Monday, with the functioning of the body that runs Sikh shrines in the country coming under attack.

While Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann found himself in the cross-hairs, so did the Akali Dal, which has controlled the SGPC for long, with attacks on the Badal family and the PTC channel, in which Sukhbir Singh Badal has a controlling stake. The Badal family loyalists in the SGPC offered no defence.

It was after a long time that the SGPC saw such a free-wheeling session – telecast live – with members other than Akali Dal loyalists having a say.

The Gurbani from the Golden Temple is currently aired only on PTC, which is seen as a major source of revenue for the channel. The Mann government recently passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which says the Gurbani should be free-to-air, and not restricted to any one channel.

On Monday, while some SGPC members criticised the reservation of rights with PTC, due to its ties to the Badal family, there is unease within the Sikh body over the law as it fears it may open the door for the government taking decisions for the community. This dilemma was reflected at Monday’s meeting.

First, former SGPC president Jagir Kaur, a Badal loyalist-turned-critic, and SGPC member Kiranjot Kaur reacted sharply when SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami referred to the CM as Bhagwant ‘Singh’ Mann, in the resolution proposed against the law.

They said the Punjab CM himself does not use the word ‘Singh’. Others joined in, claiming Mann “was not a Sikh”. SGPC member Manjit Singh said, “Bhagwant Mann, who does not maintain unshorn hair, is interfering in Sikh affairs. He should be sent a copy of the Sikh Code of Conduct.”

SGPC member Jaswant Singh Purrian then set the tone of the meeting by criticising the functioning of the SGPC, questioning how PTC had come to own solo rights to the Golden Temple Gurbani, and held them for 16 years, and also the recent removal of Acting Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpeet Singh. The Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar, Giani Harpreet was not present at the SGPC meeting Monday, which didn’t go down well.

Purrian said he opposed the AAP government’s changes in the gurdwara law, as it might “open the gates for making amendments to appoint non-Sikhs as the SGPC president”. However, Purrian said, “there is also a need to bring transparency in the SGPC’s working”.

1. He asked why even Executive members “were not informed” when Giani Harpreet was removed, and added: “We have no answer to the question of why the SGPC didn’t start its own channel, as requested by the Akal Takht Jathedar. It is true that people don’t want to see PTC. A solid decision needs to be made on this issue.”