FIR on missing saroops: Top clergy asks AAP govt to stop meddling in internal matters of Sikhs

Amritsar, Dec 28 (PTI) Days after Punjab Police registered an FIR regarding the 328 missing 'saroops' (sacred copies) of Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh clergy on Sunday asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to stop meddling in their internal matter or face action according to 'Panthic' traditions.

The five Singh Sahiban, or the heads of five Sikh temporal seats, asserted that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is the democratically elected Panthic organisation of Sikhs, and according to the Constitution of India, no government can directly or indirectly interfere in the internal affairs of any religion.

The Singh Sahiban held a key meeting at the Secretariat of Sri Akal Takht Sahib to deliberate on matters, including the missing sacred saroops, making of films on Sikh subjects, and conducting Anand Karaj (Sikh wedding ceremonies) at non-gurdwara venues.

Amritsar Police on December 7 registered a case against 16 people, including a former SGPC chief secretary, in connection with the disappearance of the saroops in 2020.

The SGPC had earlier said that the FIR registration was a direct challenge to the Akal Takht and an unwarranted interference in its administrative rights.

In their order after Sunday's meeting, the Singh Sahiban said the government's legal action is being justified on the basis of the Ishar Singh Investigation Commission report, whereas it is clearly mentioned on its page number 230 that this matter should be resolved through the Akal Takht authority and institutions of SGPC, instead of governmental law or police mechanisms.

It stated that the managements of SGPC and Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib had lodged several complaints with the Punjab Police against hateful propaganda being carried out against Sikhs, but no action has been taken yet.

Mischievous elements are openly spreading hatred by creating fake social media accounts of SGPC, yet the police have neither shut these down nor arrested the culprits so far, the order said.

In such circumstances, the demand to grant the government or police the right to investigate SGPC's internal matter is unjustified, it said.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj stated that more than 25 such cases sent by the SGPC and Sri Darbar Sahib management to the Punjab Police are pending, in which either the FIRs were registered but no further action was taken or no FIRs were filed at all.

The order said Page number 231 of the Ishar Singh Commission report clearly states the commission recommends that no political party should attempt to derive personal or political benefit from the issue of the missing saroops.

"If any political party makes such an attempt, it will be answerable to Akal Takht and will be deemed guilty of betraying the Panth. The current Punjab government and the ruling political party are warned that if they do not stop interfering in this internal matter of Sikhs, action will be taken in accordance with Panthic traditions," it said.

Referring to the then Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh's statement on November 17, 2020, the Singh Sahiban clarified that the matter pertained to administrative corruption and financial negligence, and the SGPC has already dismissed the guilty employees.

Extending any kind of cooperation with the government or police in the matter is not in the Panth's interest, they said.

The matter of the 328 missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib from the SGPC's publication house in Amritsar came to light in June 2020, leading to a major controversy at the time.

An inquiry was conducted by an Akal Takht-appointed panel, which found several SGPC officials guilty of misconduct.

The five Sikh high priests also directed that no feature or animated films, and Artificial Intelligence videos should be made by imitating Sikh gurus, their family members, Sikh warriors, martyrs, other revered personalities or Sikh ceremonies.

In the present era of information technology and AI, this is an extremely serious and important issue that requires a concrete policy, they said.

The Singh Sahiban directed the SGPC to write letters to major film production houses in India, enclosing a copy of this order, and to clearly state that no film related to Sikh history can be made without the approval of the SGPC.

On Anand Karaj being conducted at non-gurdwara venues, the order stated that performing the ceremony by taking the sacred saroop of Guru Granth Sahib at marriage palaces, resorts, sea-side beaches, and commercial farmhouses is completely prohibited.

"Granthis, managements and sewadars of gurdwaras, as well as all 'ragi jathas', have been strictly instructed to comply with these orders with complete dedication. In case of violation, strict action will be taken against those responsible for providing the sacred saroop and against ragi jathas, as well as the owners of marriage palaces, resorts, beaches, and commercial farmhouses where Anand Karaj is conducted," it said. PTI JMS CHS RUK RUK