Restrict carrying of Sikh holy book to protest sites: Panel submits report to Akal Takht

The carrying of the Guru Granth Sahib to the police station triggered a debate over a trend seen in recent years. While some scholars and leaders termed it as a kind of sacrilege, others dubbed it as using the holy book as a shield.

The trend of carrying the Guru Granth Sahib to protest sites should be restricted, a panel formed by the Akal Takht said in its report submitted on Sunday, according to people familiar with the matter.

The issue came to light after Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan leader, along with hundreds of supporters, laid siege to Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23to seek release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Singh alias Tufan, who was held in a kidnapping and assault case being probed by a special investigation team. (PTI)

Karnail Singh Peermohammad, coordinator of the panel and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader, submitted the report to Giani Harpreet Singh, acting jathedar of the Akal Takht. “The report has been prepared unanimously by the panel members who assembled at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Sri Anandpur Sahib, during the Holla Mohalla festival on March 6. They assigned me to submit the report to Jathedar Sahib,” Peermohammad said.

“Panj Singh Sahiban (the Akal Takht jathedar-led Sikh clergymen) will go through the report during the coming meeting and issue a decree,” said Jaspal Singh, personal assistant to the jathedar.

The issue came to light after Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan leader, along with hundreds of supporters, laid siege to Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23to seek release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Singh alias Tufan, who was held in a kidnapping and assault case being probed by a special investigation team.

Six cops, including superintendent of police and former India hockey player Jugraj Singh, were injured during the protest, after which police gave in to the radical leader’s demand and discharged his aide. “The cops did not retaliate against the protesters because they respected the Guru,” Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said on February 24, referring to the protesters carrying the Sikh holy book.

The carrying of the Guru Granth Sahib to the police station triggered a debate over a trend seen in recent years. While some scholars and leaders termed it as a kind of sacrilege, others dubbed it as using the holy book as a shield.

Some sections of the Sikh community urged the Akal Takht to intervene in the matter. The jathedar was urged to issue guidelines over the practice of carrying the holy book to protest sites, following which the highest Sikh temporal seat formed an advisory panel comprising the president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, heads of other organisations and Sikh scholars.

After the committee was constituted, Amritpal Singh said he will appear before the Akal Takht if he was summoned. He asserted that there are historical evidence and references to prove that what he and his followers did at Ajnala was not wrong.

“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 the respect and dignity of Guru Sahib,” Giani Harpreet Singh said on February 25.

“The Akal Takht has considered it as a common concern and the Ajnala incident is just another episode of this trend,” a member of the panel said, requesting anonymity.

In recent years, the holy book has been carried at the Bargari Insaaf Morcha protests, the agitation at Zira against a liquor factory and the ongoing demonstration for the release of Sikh political prisoners in Mohali.