HT Explainer: Gurbani telecast row puts SGPC in tight spot

The row over exclusive rights granted by the SGPC for the live telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple to PTC, a channel owned by the Badal family, is not new. In a letter to the election commission in 2017, the PTC management admitted that the channel was owned and operated by the company whose majority share-holding was with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal

Following an FIR against the management of private channel broadcasting live Gurbani from the Golden Temple over immoral activities on the pretext of holding a beauty pageant and the SGPC rejecting chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s offer of installing the state-of-the-art broadcast/communication technologies at Darbar Sahib for its telecast, the row has escalated. HT Correspondent Surjit Singh decodes what the controversy is all about.

Following an FIR against the management of private channel broadcasting live Gurbani from the Golden Temple over immoral activities on the pretext of holding a beauty pageant and the SGPC rejecting chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s offer of installing the state-of-the-art broadcast/communication technologies at Darbar Sahib for its telecast, the row has escalated.

What is the row?

The row over exclusive rights granted by the SGPC for the live telecast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple to PTC, a channel owned by the Badal family, is not new. In a letter to the election commission in 2017, the PTC management admitted that the channel was owned and operated by the company whose majority share-holding was with SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. A section of Sikhs, political parties and other TV channels have been opposing the monopoly of the channel. In 2019, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution to end this monopoly.

Who has the telecast rights?

Presently, the rights are reserved with the G-Next Media Limited that runs the PTC Channel as per the agreement between the company and the SGPC. Initially, the agreement was signed between the SGPC and ETC Network Ltd that ran the ETC Punjabi Channel, in 2000. The channel telecast the Gurbani live for seven years and it became most viewed Punjabi channel in this period. In 2007, it transferred the live telecast operations to the G Next Media, even as its pact with the SGPC was to expire in four years. The SGPC also agreed to the proposal. By telecasting the Gurbani, PTC, like ETC channel, became the most viewed Punjabi channel.

What is the politics of Gurbani telecast rights?

The Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, splinter Akali factions and other anti-Badal Sikh organisations have been raking up this issue since long. They also use this to target the SAD honchos and allege that the Badals are getting business and political benefits through the live telecast.

How the row triggered?

The row deepened recently after PTC functionaries, including its MD Rabinder Narayan, were booked in a sex scandal. Voices were raised to withdraw telecast rights from the channel. But the SGPC defended the agreement and justified the relay by the PTC. But on March 30, Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh asked the SGPC to launch its own channel citing the complaints against the channel he received from the community members.

How exclusive rights were awarded?

In 2007, ETC came out with its ‘Digi Cable’ network and stopped the Gurbani telecast through DTH platforms such as Tata Sky and DD Direct. It transferred its broadcasting rights of Gurbani telecast to G-NEXT Media Pvt Ltd, that is PTC Network under “political influence”, according to a probe report by a panel of veteran scribes and Sikh scholars. “The SGPC did not check that the G-Next did not have the government’s permission to uplink and downlink Gurbani telecast and also accepted the illegal transfer of rights after amending clause 10 of the ETC agreement to facilitate the telecast. The SGPC did not invite tenders while allowing the PTC to start telecast,” the probe report reads.

What is the Punjab govt’s proposal?

After the row escalated, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Thursday urged the SGPC to allow the state government to install advanced broadcast/communication technologies at Darbar Sahib to relay Gurbani kirtan through other digital platforms like YouTube, mobile apps, religious channels, etc. He said the government was ready to bear the expenditure for the same. He appealed to the SGPC to relay “Gurbani kirtan” on various communication platforms, including satellite TV, radio, FM, social media and mobile apps instead of limiting its reach to a single medium.

Why has SGPC rejected it?

The SGPC says only a religious Sikh body can deal with such matters. Besides, if the government takes the responsibility of Gurbani telecast, it cannot show some events that are organised in the Golden Temple complex during which secessionist sentiments are promoted and militants are glorified. Last but not the least, the AAP is a rival of the SAD that controls the SGPC. Owing to this, the SGPC will not permit the AAP government to do so.

What is the way forward?

This is for the first time that the SGPC is feeling pressure on this issue, especially after Akal Takht’s direction. It has already started looking for options. “A committee is being constituted by the SGPC to resolve this issue,” said SGPC spokesperson Kulwinder Singh Ramdas.