Burning of chairs in Gurdwara:Dharam Prachar Committee of SGPC seeks Akal Takht Jathedar’s guidance
Bahadurjeet Singh/Rupnagar
Dharam Prachar Committee (DPC)of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has sought the guidance of Akal Takht Sahib following unfortunate incident of burning of chairs at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Model Town Jalandhar.
A meeting of Dharam Prachar Committee (DPC) was held on Friday at Gurdwara Sri Bhatta Sahib, Kotla Nihang in Rupnagar .The meeting was presided over by SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, and attended by SGPC & DPC members Rampal Singh Bahniwal, Ajaib Singh Abhyasi, Pritpal Singh, Manjit Singh Bapiana, Amarjit Singh Chawla, Ajmer Singh Khera, Karnail Singh Panjoli and DPC secretary Balwinder Singh Kahlwan.
In this meeting, the recent incident of burning of chairs at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Model Town, Jalandhar was strongly condemned. It was felt that such controversy within the Sikh community is very worrying and issues related to Maryada (Sikh code of conduct) should be resolved together by dialogue. Akal Takht Sahib is the highest temporal authority of Sikhs, which guides the community in all matters and it has given guidance from time to time to resolve the matters of Maryada of Sangat (congregation) within the Gurdwara Sahibs. However, the incident in Jalandhar’s Gurdwara Sahib has seriously hurt the sentiments of the Sikh community, and has also forced them to brainstorm further ideas.
It is worth mentioning that regarding these matters, in the year 1999, Sri Akal Takht Sahib had completely prohibited sitting on chairs as Sangat and in langars (while having community kitchen food) inside Gurdwaras. After which a hukamnama (edict) was issued by Akal Takht Sahib on October 24, 2000 and it was said that for any Gursikh devotee who is physically handicapped or have problem in sitting due to any other reason, the local Gurudwara managements should take into consideration their physical compulsion for sitting in Sangat and Pangat (sitting together to take langar on ground) to make proper arrangements while the rest should sit in Sangat and Pangat.
On July 8, 2009, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib issued another edict following complaints from the Sangat that the first edict of 2000 is being misused. The 2009 edict ordered that only the physically handicapped or those with bodily compulsion should use this facility while the healthy devotees should sit respectfully in the congregation and Pangat.
On this issue, Akal Takht Sahib issued another edict on November 22, 2013 and instructed Sangat that the Sangat are misusing the first edicts, therefore the entire Sangat and Gurdwara management committees are ordered by Panj Singh Sahibs (high priests) that benches should be installed in the verandah outside Darbar hall (sanctum sanctorum) in Gurdwara and display screens should also be arranged by the Gurdwara managements.
Even after these rulings, it has been observed that by many Singh Sabhas and in Gurdwaras, arrangements of chairs have been made by lowering the floor, so that the Sangat sitting in the Darbar hall and those sitting on the chairs appear to be sitting at the equal level. In such a situation, it is the duty of the Gurdwara managements to ensure compliance to the edicts of Akal Takht Sahib.
Today’s meeting of the SGPC’s Dharam Prachar Committee has appealed to the Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib to take the lead in view of the current situation and circumstances and the incident that took place at the Gurdwara Sahib in Jalandhar, so that mutual love, brotherhood among the Sikh community stays intact and there is no rift within the community.
Burning of chairs in Gurdwara:Dharam Prachar Committee of SGPC seeks Akal Takht Jathedar’s guidance. An appeal has also been made to the Jathedar that the management of all Gurdwaras should be instructed that wherever there is a case of violation of Maryada, they should bring it to the attention of the SGPC or Akal Takht Sahib and no one should create a conflict situation.
December 16,2022
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