SGPC House raises anti-Sikh riots issue, remains mum on sacrilege

No resolution, however, was passed on sacrilege, a burning issue of the times

Amritsar Even as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) general House that met on Wednesday passed resolutions on several issues of ‘injustice’ with the Sikh community, including the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, no resolution was passed on sacrilege, a burning issue of the times. Political parties often target the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the party that controls the SGPC, of going soft on the issue, as incidents of sacrilege happened during its tenure in 2015.

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The SGPC House had met to elect its president, other office-bearers and the executive committee. Issues of racial attacks on Sikhs in foreign countries, safety of Sikh shrines in other states, derogatory posts shared on social media against Gurus and the ban on wearing the Sikh kakars (articles of faith) in examinations were highlighted in its resolutions. No heed was paid to demands from some members to pass a resolution condemning the sacrilege.

The SGPC also resolved to form a 51-member committee comprising Sikh personalities from different countries to tackle, what it said, was the identity crisis that Sikhs were suffering from in foreign countries.

A detailed resolution was also passed against the Congress government in the state, in which the gurdwara body slammed it for allegedly ignoring Punjabi language. In another resolution, the SGPC expressed its concern over the deterioration of the state’s environment, adding that it was causing health hazards for Punjabis.