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Gurbani telecast row: SGPC should start its own channel, says Jagir Kaur
Jagir Kaur said parties should refrain from politicising the issue as the matter is related to religious sentiments of Sikhs across the globe
With row over telecast rights of live streaming of Gurbani intensifying, former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Jagir Kaur on Wednesday said the gurdwara body should have its own channel for relaying hymns from the Golden Temple.
“Last year, Akali Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, had asked the SGPC to start its own YouTube channel for the live telecast of Gurbani. “I had supported the idea at that time. I feel the SGPC should have its own channel,” she added.
Jagir Kaur said parties should refrain from politicising the issue as the matter is related to religious sentiments of Sikhs across the globe.
“Since the contract of one particular channel is going to end in the coming months, the SGPC should not involve itself in inviting tenders from TV channels,” she said.
SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami had on Tuesday said open tenders will soon be called for the broadcast of the sacred hymn. Dhami further said a five-member committee, which will decide the terms and conditions of the telecast, has been formed.
Dhami’s statement came days after Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann had lashed out at the SGPC chief for extending exclusive rights to telecast Gurbani only to only one TV channel and had offered to pay all expenses for its broadcast across channels free of cost.
Dhami, on his part, said an unnecessary controversy was being deliberately created by some people regarding the Gurbani broadcast and “it is sad that CM Mann is also a participant in it.”
He said ‘maryada’ (conduct) is mandatory for broadcasting Gurbani, due to which everyone cannot be given the freedom to broadcast it. “Whoever gets the right to broadcast Gurbani will have to respect the religious sentiments of the ‘sangat’, besides following the norms and rules laid by the SGPC,” Dhami said.
