Act immediately to retrieve Guru Granth Sahib 'saroops' from Iran: NAPA urges SGPC

Chandigarh: The North American Punjabi Association on Friday appealed to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the broader Panthic leadership to safeguard the sacred 'saroops' of the Guru Granth Sahib kept at a gurdwara in war-hit Iran's Tehran.

Satnam Singh Chahal, the executive director of the association, urged the SGPC to immediately arrange a chartered aircraft and deploy a group of five dedicated Sikhs to accompany the 'saroops' (physical copy of Guru Granth Sahib) back home with full respect.

Reacting to SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami appealing to the Union government to arrange for the transportation of the 'saroops' to India, Chahal said the gurdwara management body has the resources and moral responsibility to act independently in the matter.

"This is not the time to rely solely on appeals to the Union government. Time is of the essence, and any delay could lead to irreparable consequences.

"We cannot afford to wait for bureaucratic processes. The safety and sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib Ji's saroops must be our top priority," Chahal said.

Highlighting the urgency of the matter, especially amid the escalating conflict in the region, Chahal warned that relying on the central government's decision-making could result in dangerous delays.

"The SGPC has the resources and moral responsibility to act independently in this religious matter," he said.