The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Saturday, May 5, 2001, Chandigarh, India

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Illegal publishers of birs to be punished
Varinder Walia

Amritsar, May 4
The Executive Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has decided to take legal action against publishers who print the holy Guru Granth Sahib without prior permission of Akal Takht and the SGPC.

The executive endorsed the directive of Akal Takht that the SGPC has the sole right to publish the holy book as per gurmaryada. The five Sikh high priests have directed private publisher, Bhai Jeewan Singh-Chattar Singh, to appear before Akal Takht on May 14 for printing Guru Granth Sahib in violation of the ‘hukamnama’, issued by Akal Takht.

The SGPC decided to constitute a Sikh Itihas Board in the wake of distortions in the Sikh history made by various historians. A book, “Gurbilas Patsahi Six,” edited by Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar, Akal Takht, and printed by the SGPC was banned by the shiromani committee following complaints of distortions. Jathedar Vedanti himself had directed the SGPC to constitute such a board so that authentic Sikh history was provided to the Sikh sangat.

The SGPC has also decided to distribute the holy Granth Sahib free of cost to the devotees.

Since there is a trend among the Sikh sangat to send every religious matter directly to Akal Takht, the SGPC decided to set a procedure to streamline the process. The issues to be taken by Akal Takht should be first processed by various religious committees and sub-committees so that high priests are not bothered unnecessarily.

Mr Harbans Singh Manjpur, an Executive member belonging to the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akal Dal, said that the meeting had decided that the religious matters should first be addressed to the Advisory Committee, Dharam Parchar Committee, Executive Committee and then referred to Akal Takht after scrutiny.

Bibi Kiranjot Kaur, general secretary, raised objections over the decision of the Dharam Parchar Committee to withdraw the ban on the publication of ‘Sachi Sakhi’, authored by Sirdar Kapur Singh. She alleged that the latest edition of the book carried derogatory remarks against Master Tara Singh, her maternal grandfather. Mr Jagdev Singh Talwandi, SGPC chief who presided over the meeting, said that copies of all editions published by the SGPC and the Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee would be provided to the members so that it could be published after a discussion. The controversial book was first published in 1972. The government imposed a ban on its circulation during the Emergency. The DGMC again published the same book in 1979 with certain amendments which was reproduced by the SGPC, Mr Manjpur said certain amendments were objectionable.

The SGPC Executive also endorsed the decisions of joint meeting of Sikh high priests and SGPC Executive held at Anandpur Sahib on March 22, including the amendment in the ‘Sikh voter’.

The ETC Channel, which has been relaying Gurbani form its channel was directed to deposit the entire pending amount of Rs 1.40 crore as per the agreement with shiromani committee.

The meeting took a serious note of the installation of statues of Sikh Gurus, describing the trend as “anti-Panthic”.

The members pointed out that emphasis should be given on the propagation of Sikhism in the SGPC-run educational institutes.

Mr Talwandi said that the report, submitted by Dr Gurbachan Singh Bachan, secretary , SGPC, on the alleged shabby treatment meted to its jatha leaders during their visit to Pakistan by the leaders of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee could not come up for discussion. He said this issue would be taken up at the next meeting.