Carrying Guru Granth Sahib to protests: Panel submits report to Akal Takht
The panel formed by Akal Takht to decide on trend of carrying Guru Granth Sahib to the protest sites and disputed properties submitted its report to the highest Sikh temporal seat on Sunday.
The panel formed by Akal Takht to decide on trend of carrying Guru Granth Sahib to the protest sites and disputed properties submitted its report to the highest Sikh temporal seat on Sunday.
Karnail Singh Peermohammad, coordinator of the panel and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader, handed over the report to the Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh at the Takht secretariat. “The report has been prepared unanimously by the panel members who assembled at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib during Holla Mohalla festival on March 6. They assigned me to submit the report to the Jathedar Sahib”, said Peermohammad.
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Jaspal Singh, personal assistant to the jathedar, said, ,”Panj Singh Sahiban (Akal Takht jathedar led Sikh clergymen) will go through the report during the forthcoming meeting and issue decree over this issue”.
As per sources, the panel in its report has recommended to restrict carrying of the saroops to the protest sites and disputed places.
The issue came to light after Amritpal who is pro-Khalistan leader, along with his hundreds of supporters and the holy saroop laid siege to the police station and clashed with the policemen to seek release of one of his aide, Lovepreet Singh alias Tufan, in a kidnapping and assault case. Six cops including Punjab Police SP and former Hockey player Jugraj Singh were injured in the clash, after which Police gave in to the radical leader’s action and discharged his aide from the case that is being probed by the special investigation team (SIT).
However, carrying the holy saroop to the police station sparked a row and a debate triggered over the trend started in recent years. While some scholars and leaders termed it as “kind of sacrilege”, others dubbed it as “using Guru Granth Sahib as shield”. Over this, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said, “The cops did not retaliate against the protesters because they respected the Guru”.
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Some Sikh segments urged Akal Takht to intervene into the matter. In view of the practice of carrying the holy saroop to the protest sites, the jathedar was also appealed to issue guidelines over this issue, following which the highest Sikh temporal seat formed the advisory panel comprising the president of SGPC, heads of other organisations and Sikh scholars.
It remains to be seen how the Akal Takht consider the act of Amritpal and whether he is summoned or not.
After the setting up of the committee, Amritpal Singh had said he will appear at Akal Takht as humble Sikh if summoned by the highest Sikh temporal seat over the issue. He asserted that they had historical evidences and references to prove that what they did at Ajnala was not the violation of maryada.
Though the step taken by the jathedar in wake of Ajnala incident, he did not point out his act directly. While setting up the committee, the jathedar said,“The committee was set up to discuss about carrying the holy saroop of Guru Granth Sahib to the places like sites of protest, demonstration and other disputed places, where apprehension remains of hurting respect and dignity of Guru Sahib”.
A member of the panel, on condition of anonymity, said, “The Akal Takht has considered it as a common concern and Ajnala incident is just another episode of this trend”. In recent years, Parkash (installation) of Guru Granth Sahib was done at Bargari Insaaf Morcha, Zira agitation against liquor factory and ongoing sit in for release of Sikh prisoners in Mohali.
