Akal Takht Enraged, Sgpc Files Case Over Guru Granth Sahib ‘Printed In China’

[SinghsKirpans]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/amritsar/akal-takht-enraged-sgpc-files-case-over-guru-granth-sahib-printed-in-china/article1-1292202.aspx

After reports from abroad that the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh holy scripture and ‘living guru’, is being published in China and made available online, the Akal Takht has termed it an act of sacrilege and issued directions to the community not to “purchase, accept or procure its copies in any form”.

Also, on directions of the temporal seat, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) got a case registered in Amritsar against a website and its administrator purportedly based in the US, even as details remained sketchy. The SGPC also plans to raise the matter with the Chinese ambassador.

Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh issued his ‘ban’ order on Monday based on e-mails from some Sikhs in the US and Canada, though he admitted he had not seen any China-made copy of the scripture. The Takht termed the alleged printing as “an attempt to disrespect” the scripture as only the SGPC has the authority to print and publish Guru Granth Sahib, in Gurmukhi script.

The case was lodged against Thaminder Anand and sikhlink.com under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code, on charges of hurting religious sentiments, at the Kotwali police station on a complaint by SGPC secretary Manjit Singh.

“The case was got registered on whatever little information we were given by some Sikhs based in the US and Canada. The air is still to be cleared about who this person, Thaminder Anand, is and also about the website,” said SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.

A visit to the website on Monday evening showed links for ‘free books’ that redirected to another address — sikhbookclub.com — where several religious books, including a dictionary about Guru Granth Sahib, were available for downloading as soft copies. There was another link that provided an email ID for ordering hard copies, though apparently it only promised copies of Japji Sahib, a sacred hymn. There was no active link available for the Granth as such.

According to information collected from the internet, the location of sikhlink.com is Los Angeles in California, US, and the registrant is Thaminder Anand. It was created in September 1998 and the next expiration date is September 2015.

The SGPC, meanwhile, is set to raise the matter at a diplomatic level. “We will go to New Delhi and give a formal complaint to the Chinese ambassador, asking for a probe and details of the publisher,” Makkar said.

Pressed about details, Makkar replied, “As of now we do not have any details. We are all relying on information being provided by others.”

The jathedar too appealed to the Sikh sangat (community) to share any information they had about China-printed scriptures. The SGPC said it had started a probe through its “own sources”. “We will have all details is a day or two,” said a senior SGPC official.

Holy printing process and ‘sacrilege’

According to the Sikh maryada or tradition, alleged publishing of Guru Granth Sahib in China is an act of sacrilege as the Akal Takht has vested such authority only in the SGPC. The printing is done at Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib in Amritsar since the first swaroop or copy of the ‘Adi Granth Sahib’ — that later became a ‘living guru’ and perpetual successor to the 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh — was handwritten at the spot where Gurdwara Ramsar now stands.

The fifth guru, Arjan Dev, had the bani (compositions) of all gurus prior to him and many saints compiled into the Granth.

During the printing, rules dictate that the people involved must be baptised Sikhs and must wash their hands before working on each page. Even for discarding pages for wrong spellings or printing error, these are collected and ardas (prayer) performed, after which the pages are consigned to the flames. Old copies of Guru Granth Sahib are also ‘cremated’ this way. Even for transporting the scripture, certain rules have been laid down.

“The scripture is sold at a very nominal price by the SGPC which barely covers the cost. Out of respect, people generally give much more than the printed cost,” said SGPC additional secretary Daljit Singh Bedi.

In the past, certain private publishing houses have been summoned to the Akal Takht for printing the scripture. Cases of discarded pages being sold as waste have often come to the notice of the Takht and stringent religious punishment been awarded.

[jkvlondon]

Why am I not surprised ? When they the SGPC brought in outside printing houses themselves to do the job many raised objections , but it set a precedent in people's avaricious minds ...

We should as a kaum stop all padd chedd printing whther in pothian or saroops of Guru ji , teach people to only read larivaar , accept larivaar as the right thing to do and track each and every saroop printed so beadbhi can be avoided.

[savinderpalsingh]

waheguru thanks sangat who reported this beadbi to sgpc, finally some action and with maharaj's kirpa this would be stopped. akal sahai

[ssinghuk]

Easy talk coming from me but we need some sort of organisation that provides Guru Maharaajee's Saroops.

Rather than printing new saroops, existing saroops should be accounted for/registered and then "refurbished". For example, I think there is a group down in Southall UK who hold classes on Pothi Sewa - looking after saroops. These saroops could then be provided to individuals or organisations who would like to house a saroop. However, they would need to be fully vetted beforehand - checking the reason for their request, whether they have the capacity to keep a Saroop etc.

Keeping Guru Maharajee's saroop is not a small thing!

[jkvlondon]

Easy talk coming from me but we need some sort of organisation that provides Guru Maharaajee's Saroops.

Rather than printing new saroops, existing saroops should be accounted for/registered and then "refurbished". For example, I think there is a group down in Southall UK who hold classes on Pothi Sewa - looking after saroops. These saroops could then be provided to individuals or organisations who would like to house a saroop. However, they would need to be fully vetted beforehand - checking the reason for their request, whether they have the capacity to keep a Saroop etc.

Keeping Guru Maharajee's saroop is not a small thing!

I would love love love to be taught beautiful gurmukhi calligraphy and do sewa of writing copies larivaar saroops I think if we elevate the creation of saroops from just printing presses product just like any other book , to actual works of calligraphy we can register these as individual works of art( thus easier to track and control in the world )as Guru ji is truly the Creator's sublimest art. Nowadays people have got to the point that they are giving their treasure for free , so then nobody does Guru ji's kadar , just think of the Gideons Bible ... being left in every hotel room for people to do beadbhi (also it helps some but those are a minority)

Maybe if every sangat across the globe took steps in this direction with panj piarey/ vidvaan inspecting quality and accuracy at every location this would solve problems of transportation, satkar during transportation and the stranglehold of SGPC on dissemination of Saroops. These days one can also implant electronic tags into spine/binding to ensure mischeivious parties cannot misuse/kidnap for their programs.

We should revive the old ways learn gurmukhi from a Gursikh, Gurcharni lagna , gurbani vicharna, monthly shared sehaj paats , then individual monthly sehaj paats all the while learning skills to do saroop sewa and scribing/ decoration. I think it used to be part of a Gursikh's job to scribe pages of Gurbani thus passing on Guru ji with full sharda and effort to benefit future generations. If we did this and vetted the gursikhs who wanted to keep Guru ji people will show greater respect

[jkvlondon]

Please remember Sikh Rehit Maryada says Guru ji can only be Larivaar , and SGPC agreed that printing Padd chet Saroops was wrong so why did they continue ?... maybe their incompetence has came home to roost now , now Guru ji is just a book in the World's and even a lot of fledgling Sikh's eyes...thus anyone can own, or BORROW from libraries (see German Bibi ji's fight to stop this beadbhi on other thread).

SGPC are not capable of managing satkar of Gurbani ...look at the endless stories of beadbhi and saroops being sold /given to aam people on their watch . The sangat HAS TO TAKE UP THIS DUTY.

[savinderpalsingh]

indeed we should write and gift Guru sahibs saroop without asking for any maya , to gursikhs

however we cant deny any offerings given to us by sangat , as per rehatnama

i want to learn caligraphy , maybe one day maharaj will give me sewa , if he sees me worthy of it .

[DiscoverSikhism]

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਿਹ

Why am I not surprised ? When they the SGPC brought in outside printing houses themselves to do the job many raised objections , but it set a precedent in people's avaricious minds ...

We should as a kaum stop all padd chedd printing whther in pothian or saroops of Guru ji , teach people to only read larivaar , accept larivaar as the right thing to do and track each and every saroop printed so beadbhi can be avoided.

Waheguru... great point.

(Words in brackets are not part of the quotations given below and are for the purpose of translation or explanation only.)

"It is a grave sin to recite Bani (the Guru's Word) incorrectly."

Singh Sabha Patraka, Page 121, November, 1979. Giani Gurdit Singh, General Secretary, Central Sri Guru Singh Sabha

"It is improper to do prakaash of (i.e. to make available for worship) Beerh (Volume of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) with separated words."

Resolution No. 2682, dated 21st January 1945, Chief Khalsa Diwan.

"Until there is a decision about this by the Panth.... Beerh with separated words should not be printed, nor should the prakaash be done of Beerh with separated words."

(Resolution No. 7 dated 1st January 1950. Dharmik Committee of Shromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikhism/unpardonable.html

We also need to urgently fully digitize existing historical saroops and make them "freely" available so they cannot be lost/ stolen/ damaged or destroyed.

[jkvlondon]

http://www.discoversikhism.com/sikhism/unpardonable.html

We also need to urgently fully digitize existing historical saroops and make them "freely" available so they cannot be lost/ stolen/ damaged or destroyed.

I would go further , I would rescue such Birs from SGPC and restore them as they are our links to our Guru and they are the product many thousands of man-hours work and sharda , kadar kariye appa te sukh phal paiye

[Sikhistan]

Quick good step taken by Akal Takht.

Next target sarna folks, chattar singh jivan singh, satnam trust. himat dikhavo sgpc