PTC’s MD, Rabinder Narayan, was arrested on 6th April on the complaint of a contestant in a sexual harassment case. This case is not only related to the sexual harassment but also, indirectly, the relaying of the live telecast of Gurbani from Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. If the people of the channel are of a questionable character, then the rights to relay Gurbani should be given to someone else. When this case was known to the public, the Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann urged the SGPC on 7th May to allow the state government to install the advanced broadcast and communication technologies in the Darbar Sahib complex to relay Gurbani. He also said the whole money would be spent by the government, if allowed by the SGPC.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami rejected the offer, calling it an attempt at drawing political mileage. He also said not to indulge in the religious matters and look at the grant-in-aid for aided schools run by the SGPC and widening of the passages leading to Darbar Sahib. Akal Takhat directed the SGPC to launch their own channel. Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh appreciated the attempt of the government but rejected the offer. However, asked them to get the licence from the Ministry of I&B if they really wanted to help. He also said he discussed the matter with the SGPC and the Sikhs in the USA and UK, so money is not the concern.
I think when the intentions of Arvind Kejriwal and his colleagues are well known based on the usage of the Punjab Police to register FIRs against his opponents (Bagga and Vishwas) in the last couple of days, this was the best decision of the SGPC and Akal Takhat one month back. We don’t know what sort of equipment they would have installed and if that would’ve become a trojan horse in future. Giani Harpreet Singh also suggested that once the channel is live, they would show the atrocities inflicted upon the Sikhs – it was an indirect way of saying the period of 1980s and 1990s – and the live telecast of the program on 6th June, remembering the martyrs of the 1984.
If the Punjab government had installed their equipment in Darbar Sahib, it is doubtful if they would have shown the live telecast of 6th June or any other program which talks about the atrocities of the last decades of 20th century. It is widely known that Arvind Kejriwal is treading the path of hyper-nationalism to counter Narendra Modi. Without hyper nationalism and xenophobia, it’s hard to win the elections these days in India. If somehow the government hadn’t allowed to relay the live telecast of these programs, the Sikhs wouldn’t have accepted that. There is not much of news after the initial days of last month about the opening of SGPC’s channel. Maybe the licence is yet to be given by the Central Government. If Bhagwant Mann was being realistic, he should ask the Central Government for the licence to run the live telecast.
Gurbani Apps
There are a number of apps available on the Play Store and App Store which have the wrongly written Gurbani. A total of 21 apps were highlighted which had the mistakes in them. Either the publisher has to rectify the mistakes, or ready for the legal action, SGPC was directed by the Akal Takhat.
This was a much-needed step as there are numerous users who while leaving a review for the apps on the Store highlighted the same and asked the publisher to fix it. I think like there are only few printing presses who’re allowed to publish the Gurbani in the form of pothis, similarly the steps should be taken when it comes to online Gurbani. Although there’re Singhs that I’ve talked to who didn’t like the idea of having the Gurbani verses in mobile as we touch the phone a number of times without washing hands, and according to them this is not less than sacrilege, unless you have a dedicated phone only for reading Gurbani and touch after washing hands. SGPC or other jathebandis should have their own apps to promote Gurbani. They can have the Sikh History app as well where an article will be published every day on the Sikh history in multiple languages.
There are many things that can be done to promote Sikhism on the digital platforms.
Chief Khalsa Diwan and SGPC
Chief Khalsa Diwan has its own history that can’t be ignored by any Sikh. Recently, after the death of Nirmal Singh, AAP MLA Inderbir Singh Nijjar won the election and chosen as the President of Chief Khalsa Diwan. He got 243 votes out of 329. It should also be noted that his vote share got doubled in 2022 Punjab Elections than 2017 Punjab Elections.
Parkash Singh Badal warned in March about the other parties looking to take over the gurudwaras. His vision seems to come true as AAP MLA and Speaker of Punjab Vidhar Sabha, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, said to hold the SGPC elections as soon as possible. He also said as a change happened (or third front appeared) in Punjab during 2022 elections, similarly a change is needed in SGPC too. He talked about the missing saroops of Guru Granth Sahib ji, misuse of funds, changing the Sikh History in books, etc., during a gathering.
Before the Punjab Elections, numerous attempts were made by the AAP and their supporters to highlight the anti-panthic activities of Badals to outcast them from the power. Same attempts have started for the SGPC elections. Many a times the power of Badals over SGPC or Akal Takhat was discussed, even before AAP came into power or launched itself into a party. Those allegations along with others must be cleared by the Badals. The best decision would be to step down from the leadership of the Akali Dal, with or without the acceptance of the resignation.
If somehow AAP or other political party won the SGPC elections, then it would be Badals’ fault. Instead of letting the Sikh Institutes to work on their own, they have been alleged to involve in the affairs directly or indirectly. Their lust for power would be the downfall of the Sikh Institutions. They should know that their chapter is over. There should be another torchbearer. In India, the dynasty politics have taken tolls on the establishment of the political parties. Congress is destroyed because of this. Akali Dal too. One day BJP will meet the same fate as the Hindutva politics will wear off of the minds of the people.
For the sake of the panth, the Badal Family should take a step back and rest.
Bandi Singhs
The Sikh prisoners whose sentences are completed should be released by the government. For this, a gathering was called on 11th May in the Teja Singh Samundri Hall at Darbar Sahib by the SGPC on the order of Akal Takhat. This was historic because the rivals like the Badal Family, Simranjit Singh Mann, Paramjit Singh Sarna, and Manjeet Singh GK sit together to discuss the issue.
Some social media accounts said they didn’t have any animosity as they were sitting together, without giving the context why they were together. Few years back I saw a picture of Parkash Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh together, which was said to be the togetherness of the two that some of the people still believe. But the reason was somebody died or something, not able to recall, so it’s more of like giving your condolences.
This call by the Akal Takhat was heard by many, but the similar call was made by the Jathedar for all the fractions of Akali Dal after Shromani Akali Dal got only three seats in the Punjab Elections 2022. Some Sikhs take it as the Jathedar taking the side of the Badals, who’re accused of riding on the Sikh emotions to get into power and leaving the panthic agenda. Nonetheless, if such gathering had happened at Akal Takhat, we might’ve seen a better political map for the Sikh Power. We might’ve heard the voices calling for the removal of the Badals from the political stage of Sikhs. We might’ve seen the decisions made to make a political committee who would be looking at the affairs of the Sikhs, and that committee would have the Sikhs from all the Sikh political fractions. An opportunity was lost by the Sikhs who couldn’t see beyond the association of the Akal Takhat’s Jathedar with the Badals.
On the other hand, the Hawara Committee accused the Badals to use the Bandi Singh’s incarceration to set their political scores by using the Sikh Institutions.
I hope when the Bandi Singhs got released, no one person would take the whole responsibility for their release but the combined efforts of all the Sikhs.
Thaminder Singh and sikhbookclub.com
I wasn’t aware that Thaminder Singh was running the sikhbookclub.com until I saw a video where it’s discussed. I have recommended many about this site as it has some great books on the Sikh Religion and History. Whatever Thamider Singh did, will come to that, it doesn’t change the fact that the website is still good and should remain the same.
Thaminder Singh of USA has changed the Gurbani by adding/removing the laga-matras/words. On Sikh Book Club, you can see SGGS Download button on the top right side where the uploaded version can be downloaded. At the time of writing this article, it’s the third version that they have uploaded to download where a massive change can be seen in terms of words and matras. Dr Gurtej Singh’s long video should be watched to understand it better.
In one of the news articles, it was mentioned that earlier too that on the behest of Thaminder Anand the saroops of Guru Granth Sahib ji were printed in China. Malik (Ripudiman Singh Malik) and his associates are said to ship the saroops in containers back in 2014. With whatever associates a Sikh has to the political or religious institutes, one should never even think of having the saroops in a box or something due to the disrespect of the Guru.
Malik was also accused of the Air India Bombing but later acquitted. If one believes him to be a kharku Singh – I don’t approve the bombing of the aircraft and call it a terrorist act regardless of who did it – he would never have done something this sinister, meaning publishing the saroops and have them brought in in the boxes. Because the kharku Singhs who’re fighting against the oppression and killing of the innocents in the Punjab have huge respect and faith in Guru Granth Sahib ji. He, however, admitted that he made a mistake and if the Akal Takhat asked him for penitence, he would go there.
There are series of press releases on the Sikh Book Club website for the current issue. Few of them are outright demeaning the power of the Sikh Institutes.
One of them said they haven’t published any printed version of Guru Granth Sahib ji (all the links of SBC will download the file of their press release, unless you open it in Incognito mode with no download add-ons as active). This might be for the recent blunders that Thaminder Anand made, but on the affiliated link of their other project that they mentioned at the bottom of the website, they mentioned that they have given 3000 saroops of Guru Granth Sahib ji without any cost in Canada, USA, Mexico and Europe, this might be for the earlier printed versions in China or abroad.
In one of the releases, Thaminder Anand mentioned why the monopoly of publishing Guru Granth Sahib ji comes under SGPC as its boundary is within Punjab. He said who’d solve the issues of the Sikhs outside of India. I see the beginning of a new trend here. We might hear them say in near future how Akal Takhat would solve the issues of Sikhs living out of India. That is a very dangerous road where the powers of the Sikh Institutions are challenged. I truly believe that only a group of organizations who’re close to the Sikh Thought should publish the pothis and saroops of Guru Granth Sahib ji. Not people like Thaminder Anand who instead of helping the Panth creating confusion at a large scale.
One of the same, not similar, points that I have seen in all the anti-Panthic people is that they say they will unpublish their work or won’t go publishing, if their demands are met. They forget that they’re the culprit, and there aren’t any options given to them to choose from. Thaminder Anand said the same that he’d remove the file that he uploaded on Sikh Book Club, if a committee is there to make the corrections based on the advice of the Sikh scholars. Go read Kala Afgana or Nirala or any other anti-Panthic guy, you will see them repeating the same.
What’re the sources of change? : We have heard throughout this controversy started by Thaminder Anand that the changes are made in Guru Granth Sahib by him or his associates. But on what basis they made the changes? Did they find any old authentic manuscript and chose the words from there? Or they made the changes just for the sake of it?
To understand this, we have to look at the book Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji dian paath bheda di suchi, which is available on Sikh Book Club as well as they uploaded and given the link in the press release page too. This was published in 1977 by SGPC, edited by Randhir Singh, Giani Kundan Singh, and Bhai Gyan Singh Nihung. Giani Kirpal Singh, Head Granthi of Darbar Sahib, wrote the preface of the book, and he mentioned out of 500 birs, some 60-70 birs were chosen for the writing of the book. And this book contains the differences which were there in the then published santhea pothis and the handwritten saroops. Giani Kirpal Singh wrote that he didn’t agree to what has been mentioned as the correct or incorrect paaths because with more research we may say otherwise. This is a very important line that should be highlighted.
There is one example that I would like to write here. In Jap Ji Sahib, we read ਮੁਹੌ ਕਿ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਬੋਲੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਸੁਣਿ ਧਰੇ ਪਿਆਰੁ. In the handwritten birs, the researchers saw it written as with multiple ways: ਮੁਹੋ, ਮੁਂਹੋ, ਮੁਹੋਂ, ਮੁਹੋੰ. Now my question is very simple. On what basis Thaminder Anand chose ਮੁਹੋਂ word and ignored the rest? What parameter he found that made him believe that this is the correct word? Moreover, the SGPC book mentioned only eight birs where they saw these differences. But in the preface, it’s mentioned they had gone through some 60-70 birs. What was there in the other birs then?
Giani Kirpal Singh wrote that the differences between the shabads were because of the human error, and during the Sikh Raaj the demand of birs increased, so the writers tried to finish the saroop as soon as possible in hope of getting money. The patience, trust, faith, and giving it free to the Sikhs got lost at that period of time.
One important point that Dr Gurtej Singh highlighted was that how the word ਮੁਹੌ was changed into ਮੁਹੋਂ by Joginder Singh Talwara is that the original word was latter one, but when the writer put horha and was going to put bindi the ink spread so it became kanaura. This is the worst kind of explanation I ever heard to prove something. If this is their way of proving their edited version of Guru Granth Sahib, then it’s rather stupid than intriguing.
There are very authentic birs of Guru Granth Sahib, especially the Damdami Bir, and the birs scribed by Baba Deep Singh ji Shaheed. Were those birs consulted to bring these changes in the new version? There are three birs in the Sikh History. Which bir was consulted by them and why? Human errors couldn’t have been avoided while scribing Guru Granth Sahib ji’s bir with hand at the later period. So basing the changes on that is unacceptable. What these people, or the ones that they quoted, should have done is write the grammar of Gurbani to prove something is wrong – or the parsang of the shabad that doesn’t align with the word – or could have been written differently, just because there is a book out there that highlights the differences doesn’t mean those should be taken at the face value. The above example is sufficient for that.
Damdami Taksaal’s name also appeared in the whole controversy, as it’s said that at the end of Gurbani Paath Darpan Giani Gurbachan Singh ji Khalsa Bhindranwale wrote that there’re 1500 paaths that don’t align with the Kartarpuri Bir. The last pages are uploaded by Thaminder Anand to weigh his opinion. It’s mentioned at the top of the right side of the page ‘ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰ ਵਾਲੀ ਬੀੜ ਦੇ ਲਿਖਤੀ ਪਾਠ’. Does it talk about the original Kartarpuri Bir, or the copies of Kartarpuri Bir? If it’s the latter, then, of course, it’s possible because while scribing in a hurry, the changes would appear.
I remember some 15 years ago there’s a statement made by the Sikh scholars that Dasam Guru Granth Sahib ji is just a means to attack Guru Granth Sahib ji. They started from Charitropakhyan and ended at Jaap Sahib. In Guru Granth Sahib too, they started from Ragmala, which Thaminder Anand also uploaded the docs to prove it’s not the bani, and now they’ve changed everything in Guru Granth Sahib. But like the Sikhs rejected the anti-Panthic people who wrote a number of articles against Dasam Guru Granth Sahib, similarly they will reject Thaminder Anand and corporation.
Thaminder Singh has been declared as tankhahia.