Guru Ji’s Angs Were Ripped, Lying Next To

[Simran9]

http://www.panthic.org/news/123/ARTICLE/1849/2005-10-02.html

A community in shock

Sunday 2nd October, 2005

Gurleen Kaur - Panthic Weekly Staff

A large Saroop (body) of Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Darbar Sahib, Amritsar Sahib (File Photo)

Toronto, Canada (KP) - As the community here was revving up to celebrate the Gurpurb of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, a father and son came across the remains of a saroop (body) of Guru Granth Sahib Jee in a state that no one ever hopes they see. It was at bluffers park in Scarborough that this heart wrenching occurrence took place. As they walked along the rocks, their eye came upon a piece of paper stuck between some stones, on closer inspection they realized that there was Gurbani written on it. As they turned and looked around they realized that Guru Ji’s angs (literally limbs, or pages) were strewen all over the rocks. With eyes full of tears, father and son collected as many of Guru Ji’s angs as they could, wrapped them in a white t-shirt and brought Guru ji to Dixie Gurudwara Sahib where they told the sevadars what they had seen.

A group of Singhs, who do seva of Amrit Sanchar (baptismal service), got together and with the help of the father and son went to Bluffers Park and conducted a thorough search of the area. What they saw tore at their hearts and souls. Guru Ji’s angs were ripped, lying next to beer bottles and cigarette butts, in between rocks. The sevadar were able to rescue all except approximately 300 of Guru Ji’s angs. Wrapped in a ramala sahib, the Singhs lifted Guru Ji’s injured body on to their heads and headed back to Dixie Road Gurudwara Sahib, where the other angs lay.

There was an outcry from the sangat, or congregation, as word got out to find out who had committed this terrible crime. Was it an accident or had someone done this intentionally to hurt the Sikh community? Word got out and questions were being asked, there was a plea for anyone to come forward if they had any details of the crime. The police were informed just in case this turned out to be a hate crime.

Malton Gurudwara Sahib hosted a Nagar Kirtan for the Gurpurb of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and it was on the same day that they announced a reward of CAD$51,000 if anyone had any information on this heinous crime. The following day two ladies, a woman and her daughter, came to Dixie Gurdwara Sahib and accepted responsibility for the disrespect and desecration of the saroop of Guru Granth Sahib Jee. The mother is an 86 year old widow and a native of Kenya. She lives with her son, who has unstable mental health, and her daughter, who brought her to the Gurdwara and lives on her own. Jagjit Singh Bhullar, told the Punjab Star that this woman completely admitted that her son had committed this act and he does not have normal mental capacity.

The lady informed the Singhs that it had been a month since everything had taken place. After Guru Ji’s Saroop was desecrated by her son, she brought Guru Ji’s saroop to bluffers park, did Japji Sahib, Ardas (prayers) and then put Guru Ji, wrapped in plastic with weights attached, into the Lake. She stated that traditionally, they only did 'Jal Parva' in Kenya or respect through flowing water, instead of sanskar, or cremation. How Guru ji’s body came out of the ramala sahib and the plastic remains unknown as of yet.

Some members of the media also arrived at the place where the incident took place--upset with the Gurdwara committee as they had not allowed the media to even take photographs or interview the two women. The committee responded that they considered it their responsibility to quickly and discretely remove the women from the location as the situation had become so tense that anything could have happened.

The committee has announced that on October 2, after Akhand path dhe bhog (continuous recital of Guru Granth Sahib), the lady will be brought in front of the sangat where she will then tell the sangat what happened and apologize. It will then be up to the sangat what the next steps are and how, if at all, the family should be punished. Many say that in Gurbani someone who has accepted their wrongdoing and asks for forgiveness, should be forgiven. While others say that disrespecting Guru Ji, even if it is an accident, should not have happened.

The Editors can be reached at editors@panthic.org

[rKr]

[ms514]

Sat Sri Akal:

That son needs to have a psych evaluation done...if he understands the disrespect that he has inflicted on a Saroop of Guru Sahib, he may be capable of harming human beings as well.

[N30S1NGH]

anyone knows what happened last week?

Did women and her daughter came infront of sangat told the whole story of their son mental health and apologized and what did sangat decide?

I reckon she was forgiven?

Thanks in advance.