E-Paper
Haryana gurdwara body starts livestreaming Gurbani from Nada Sahib
The Nada Sahib Gurdwara is situated on the banks of Ghaggar river and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh had halted while travelling from Ponta Sahib to Anandpur Sahib after the Battle of Bhangani in 1688.
Over a month after the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) started livestreaming Gurbani from the Golden Temple on its YouTube channel, its Haryana counterpart also followed suit and started worldwide broadcast of Gurbani from Nada Sahib Gurdwara, Panchkula, on Monday.
“Gurbani will now be streamed to 63 countries from 3.14 am to 8am, Indian Standard Time (IST), through World Punjabi TV. Besides, the livestream will also be available on our social media page and YouTube channel,” said Ramnik Singh Mann, general secretary of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) while addressing the media on Monday.
He added, “Though any channel can telecast Gurbani, the channel will have to give an undertaking to follow the maryada (code of conduct). No advertisement or commercial break will be allowed between the telecast. All rights will remain with the HSGMC,” said Mann.
He said, “This is a big milestone, and one of the first decisions we have taken after assuming charge of the gurdwara body.”
The Nada Sahib Gurdwara is situated on the banks of Ghaggar river and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh had halted while travelling from Ponta Sahib to Anandpur Sahib after the Battle of Bhangani in 1688.
Punjab’s Gurbani telecast row
The SGPC had rolled out its YouTube channel, ‘Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Sahib Sri Amritsar’ on July 24 for livecast of Gurbani, amid controversy around its telecast by PTC, a private channel.
The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab had got the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, passed in the assembly to end the “monopoly” of PTC and ensure “free telecast” for all. The SGPC had, however, termed the move as an “intolerable interference of the government in Sikh affairs”.
The G-Next Media Private Limited (PTC channel) has held the Gurbani telecast rights since 1998 when the SGPC signed an agreement with it.
The SGPC had last signed an agreement to this effect on July 24, 2012, for 11 years under which G-Next Media was to deposit ₹1 crore annually (with a 10% annual increase) to the education fund of the SGPC. However, this year, the gurdwara body decided to not renew the agreement and start the streaming Gurbani from its own YouTube channel.
On HSGMC elections
Talking about preparation for HSGMC elections, Mann said the process of enrolling voters is underway and by September 30, the registration of voters will be done after which the voter list will be prepared.
The HSGMC general secretary added, “As many as 40 wards have been made after the delimitation process for HSGMC elections.”
“We had held a meeting with Haryana CM, in which we had raised a few concerns, like the form being in Hindi and the need to make it available in Gurmukhi etc. The CM has already issued directions to this effect,” added Mann.
He also said that since there aren’t many Haryana officials who are fluent in Punjabi, teachers, lecturers and other language experts have been attached with the deputy commissioners for preparing the voter list and carrying out the election process.”
In December 2022, the Haryana government had constituted the 38-member ad hoc committee to manage, supervise and take over all assets of 52 gurdwaras in the state, including movable and immovable properties. In September last year, the Supreme Court had upheld the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara (Management) Act, 2014, bringing all gurdwaras under the control of the HSGMC.
