Pakistan puts transportation of 200 old birs of Guru Granth Sahib to India on hold

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was to receive birs on January 16 at the Attari-Wagah border. The plan drew objections from the Sikh community

The Pakistan government has put on hold the transportation of around 200 old holy birs (scriptures) of Guru Granth Sahib to India, after objections raised by the Sikh community, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) said on Saturday.

The birs were collected from different towns and cities in Pakistan and were to be sent to India by Sikh organizations in Pakistan. (Representational image)

The birs were collected from different towns and cities in Pakistan and were to be sent to India by Sikh organizations in Pakistan.

Notably, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) was not involved in this programme.

DSGMC was scheduled to receive the birs on Monday (January 16) at the Attari-Wagah border.

As per a release sent by the media wing of the DSGMC, as many as 200 old birs were scheduled to come to India from Pakistan at 11 am. DSGMC president Harmeet Singh Kalka and general secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon were scheduled to be present on the occasion at the Attari-Wagah joint check post. “All arrangements were made for the transportation of birs on both sides of the border and the buses were booked. However, the programme was deferred for now,” the press DSGMC statement further said.

Confirming the development, Kalka said the Pakistan government raised objections “thanks to the role played by a few people in the Sikh community.”

“A few people in the community were not happy with it. We are trying to ascertain who torpedoed the plan. However, it has been deferred, not cancelled, as per the letter we have received from local Sikh organisations in Pakistan, who were responsible for sending these birs,” Kalka said.

Kalka said the programme was organised by local Singh Sabhas (Sikh organizations) in Pakistan, who contacted DSGMC, after getting clearance from the Pakistan government. “We had received a letter of deferment from Gurdwara Baba Fateh Singh Bakhshapur, district Shamsherpur in Sindh province, which had earlier asked the DSGMC to receive the saroop,” Kalka said.

As the news became public, Sikh activists raised objections to the scheduled move. There were apprehensions that rare handwritten birs were also among the lot of 200 being sent to India, and it was alleged that the DSGMC may cremate these birs instead of preserving them.

“Arrangements were made to cremate these saroops at Gurdwara Majnu Ka Till in Delhi. DSGMC has planned it without sharing complete information about these saroops with the community. These saroops are a rare asset of the Sikh community,” alleged Parminderpal Singh, spokesperson of the Delhi-based Sikh political party, Jag Asra Guru Ott (JAGO).

Kalka rejected the allegations and said many of these saroops were left behind during partition and would have been examined on arrival. “These saroops were scheduled to be examined upon arriving in India. People don’t have clarity, and that’s why they are expressing their apprehensions. If we find any historic old saroop, of course, we will preserve it,” Kalka said, adding, “We will request the Pakistan government to review its decision.”

Former DSGMC president and SAD leader Paramjit Singh Sarna questioned the need to move birs across the border.

“This is happening for the first time that the old saroops are coming to India from Pakistan. These are the rare repository of the Sikh community in Pakistan. The DSGMC did not even gather enough information regarding the holy birs which are being sent to India. First of all, I would like to ask the DSGMC officer bearers, why are they getting repositories from Pakistan? What is the rationale behind it? Are you going to destroy the Sikh repository? The SGPC team should check these birs first by visiting Pakistan,” Sarna said.

Sarna also thanked PSGPC president Ameer Singh for objecting to the plan of moving the birs across the border.

“I credit PSGPC president Ameer Singh for thwarting such a move,” Sarna said. HT’s calls to Ameer Singh did not elicit any response.

SGPC spokesperson Harbhajan Singh Vakta claimed that they came to know about the development today through media reports. “This is a big community issue and matter of respect for Guru Sahib and cannot be dealt without the supervision of the Akal Takht Sahib. The SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami will soon take action in this regard,” Vakta said.