Jaito, November 8: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has clearly said that organizing religious events and Kirtan Darbar on the occasion of the 350th centenary of the martyrdom of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji is the work of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, the representative religious organization of the Sikhs, and the Punjab government should avoid interfering in it.
Reacting to the ongoing news about the Punjab government not allowing the Kirtan Samagam at Sri Anandpur Sahib, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Secretary Sardar Partap Singh said that the government had already been made clear that it should pay attention to the development works at Sri Anandpur Sahib and cooperate for the convenience of the congregation.
But despite this, the government is insisting on organizing religious events and Kirtan Darbar in competition with other organizations of the Sikh Panth, which is against the Panthic sentiments. The SGPC Secretary said that religious gatherings and Kirtan Darbar are matters related to etiquette, in which disputes arise after any violation.
Earlier, after the government had grossly violated etiquette in a gathering in Sri Nagar, this matter was discussed at Sri Akal Takht Sahib and the Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib had also asked the government to focus on the development of Sri Anandpur Sahib instead of religious gatherings and let Sikh institutions take responsibility for the gatherings. He said that now the government is deliberately interfering in religious gatherings with the intention of defaming the SGPC, which it should avoid.
Secretary Sardar Partap Singh said that the SGPC keeps the Panthic sentiments in mind while giving permission for gatherings in Gurdwaras and it does not give such permission to anyone other than religious and Panthic institutions and organizations. He said that the Shiromani Committee has organized centenary celebrations on a large scale in which everyone is invited and the government should also participate in these celebrations but should not do politics.
He said that even now the two-day Gurmat celebrations are continuing at Gurdwara Baba Bakala Sahib, the holy place of the ninth Guru Ji, where devotees are paying obeisance in large numbers. The government has not been stopped from participating in any centenary celebrations, rather it is the responsibility of the government to come and sit in the celebrations of the Panth institutions.
On this occasion, Shiromani Committee Secretary Sardar Partap Singh was accompanied by Secretary of Dharam Prachar Committee Sardar Balwinder Singh Kahlwan, Additional Secretary Sardar Gurinder Singh Mathrewal, Personal Secretary Sardar Shahbaz Singh, Deputy Secretary Sardar Kuldeep Singh Rode, Sardar Jaswinder Singh Jassi, Sardar Gurdial Singh, Sardar Gurnam Singh, Sardar Balwinder Singh Khairabad, Sardar Harbhajan Singh Wakta, Sardar Sukhbir Singh etc.