PRESS RELEASE
August 12, 2020
Global Sikh Council (GSC), Voice of the Sikhs worldwide, takes serious note of the intolerable and condemnable actions of Amritsar-based so-called Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar Committee.
GSC strongly condemns the Amritsar-based Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee for forcibly removing of ‘Bir’ (copy of Sikh scripture) from the residence of Principal Jaswant Singh ji Sandhu, former principal of Khalsa College. The reason given was that the Principal Jaswant Singh ji Sandhu ate meat and eggs. Please note that the Principal Jaswant Singh ji is an Amritdhari Sikh, as best as one can, follows Sikh Rehat Maryada, which allows meat and eggs except for halal meat.
There is nothing irreligious in eating eggs and meat as the Sikh Panth accepted ‘Sikh Rehat Maryada’ (Sikh code of conduct). Sikh Rehat Maryada forbids eating of ‘halal’ meat only and nothing else. Gurbani (Sikh scripture) does not subscribe to Brahmanwaadi / Hindu priestly approach, which futilely confers ‘sacred’ status on vegetarians while dubbing the non-vegetarians as polluted ones.
It is not the first time this committee has removed Sri Guru Granth Sahib Bir from a Sikh home under some pretense of made-up standards for the “satkaar” of Sikh Scripture, Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. Of course, under their self made standards, no Bhai Laloo, with only one room for his family residence, can possibly host SGGS in their home, which is totally against the practices of Guru Sahibs themselves.
In effect, this committee, under the pretense of “satkaar”, is becoming the captor of Guru Granth Sahib and controls where Sri Guru Sahib ji can and can not be read.
Anyone who keep’s Guru Granth Sahib ji obviously does so with love and respect and wants to read and imbibe the teachings enshrined in it. Who can keep or not keep must not be allowed to be controlled by any person or committee.
The so-called satkaar committee’s actions appear to be intended to separate Guru Sahib from the Sikhs, precisely the intention of anti-Sikhi forces.
Sikh community have enough other important issues to address, it does not need its own bodies, possibly under the authority of SGPC, to start new issues splitting the community.
GSC appreciates the statement coming from Giani Harpreet Singh ji in this regard and appeals to the Akal Takht to put an immediate stop to any and all such activities of this so-called Guru Granth Sahib Satkaar Committee.
Decisive action will demonstrate that the Jathedaar Sahib is standing with Sangat.
