Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced plans to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act on Monday, triggering outrage from several quarters. The AAP government in the state said the move would ‘ensure free telecast rights’ of Gurbani from the Golden Temple. The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandhak Committee and Opposition leader have however lashed out at the Mann administration and accused it of trying to politicise the issue.
“According to the demand of all the devotees, we are adding a new clause in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 that the transmission of Gurbani from Harimandar Sahib will be free for all…no tender required ..tomorrow in the cabinet ..on June 20 the resolution will come in the Vidhan Sabha,” the Chief Minister had tweeted on Sunday.
The decision was confirmed by the CM’s office on Monday. An official statement added that it was “aimed at ensuring the free-to-air telecast of sacred Gurbani from Sri Harmandar Sahib”.
What is Gurbani?
The term refers to various compositions by Sikh Gurus and other writers of the Guru Granth Sahib, usually enshrined as hymns within the holy scripture.
What is the current system?
Earlier this year, Mann had accused the apex gurdwara body of extending exclusive rights to telecast the sacred hymn to a TV channel owned by the political Badal family. The CM has been vocal in his criticism of the SGPC chief for extending exclusive rights to a single channel and offered to pay the relevant expenses for it to be broadcast across all channels free of cost.
Former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur claimed last year that Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had asked the SGPC to start its own YouTube channel for the live telecast of gurbani. Following this, she had reportedly urged Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal to donate the PTC channel.
As Mann batted for the amendment last month, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami had said that open tenders would soon be called for the broadcast of ‘gurbani’ at the Golden Temple.
The SGPC chief also insisted on Sunday that changes in the Act can only be made by Parliament and a resolution pertaining to a proposed change is passed by SGPC.
What has been the reaction?
The AAP government’s decision has sparked widespread backlash with both political and religious leaders for ‘interfering in religious matters of Sikhism’. The BJP, SAD and SGPC have insisted that the state government has no right to make such changes.
“Punjab Government can’t interfere in any manner. They don’t have the right…They are trying to politicise this and I strongly condemn this. I urge Bhagwant Mann to not do anything like this,” SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami told ANI.
“They are giving a political colour to a religious matter to please their political bosses sitting in Delhi. Don’t make this SGPC versus government. We request the government to not interfere otherwise they would be responsible for the consequences…If anyone has ever interfered even a little, they had to regret it,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Updated: 19 Jun 2023, 04:00 PM IST
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