SGPC President terms incidents of sacrilege as government failure
“There should be only one Gurdwara in each village and entire Sangat should collectively take part in its management”: Advocate Dhami
Amritsar, April 18:
Strongly condemning the incident of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Nurpur Jattan village near Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur district, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami stated that such incidents are happening due to the failure of the Punjab government, which has emboldened anti-social elements.
Advocate Dhami said that Sri Guru Granth Sahib guides us in life, and it is the responsibility of both the Gurdwara management committees and the sangat (congregation) to uphold the sanctity and decorum of the Guru’s house and remain alert in the service. He stated that due to the negligence of some Gurdwara committees, such painful incidents occur, hurting the sentiments of the entire Sikh community.
The SGPC President emphasized that today, multiple Gurdwaras exist in every neighbourhood of villages and towns, but little attention is given to their management and upkeep. He said there should ideally be only one Gurdwara Sahib in each village, with the whole Sangat jointly participating in its management. If this happens, the entire village can ensure better administration and proper safeguarding. He called for collective efforts in this direction.
Appealing to the community to adopt a vigilant approach towards safeguarding Gurdwaras, he urged that committees be formed with service-minded Gursikhs in every village to prevent such painful incidents. Advocate Dhami also strongly criticized the government over the deteriorating law and order situation. Questioning the performance of the Punjab government, he said desecration incidents are happening repeatedly in the state, but instead of taking strict action, the government has failed to even pay attention. This, he added, shows the government’s irresponsible approach towards Sikh sentiments, which is highly condemnable. Advocate Dhami demanded that the government abandon its indifferent attitude and expose those behind such desecration incidents, ensuring they are given strict punishment.
Holy saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib enshrined at Gurdwara Sri Mahilpur Shaheedan Ladhewal with due respect
Meanwhile, SGPC Secretary Partap Singh shared that upon receiving information about the incident, a team led by the Head Granthi of Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib was sent on the orders of SGPC President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami. The team enshrined the three holy saroops (scriptyres) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Sri Mahilpur Shaheedan Ladhewal. These saroops will not be returned until proper arrangements are ensured. He appealed to all Gurdwara managers to remain alert.