PSGPC committed to upholding ‘maryada’

[Deep Singh]

PSGPC committed to upholding ‘maryada’, says Mastan Singh

Varinder Walia

Tribune News Service

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20041210/punjab1.htm

Amritsar, December 9

The Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president, Mr Mastan Singh, has said he was committed to implement the ‘maryada’, approved by Akal Takht and SGPC in toto in all Sikh shrines in Pakistan .

Talking to TNS on telephone today, Mr Mastan Singh, president of the PSGPC said the allegations, levelled by Bibi Jagir Kaur, SGPC chief, that “maryada” was not being observed in Pakistan’s gurdwaras, were baseless.

He said Bibi Jagir Kaur should herself visit Pakistan to know the facts, before criticising PSGPC.

He said there was a lot of improvement in the condition of gurdwaras after the formation of PSGPC in 1999.

Mr Mastan Singh said the SGPC should take care of gurdwaras in India which were not being properly managed. He alleged that media had been highlighting the ‘mismanagement of SGPC’ almost everyday, which had brought a bad name to the Sikh Panth. He said the SGPC members from Haryana had already demanded the formation of separate gurdwara committee by amending the Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925 hence SGPC had no moral right to demand scraping of PSGPC in a sovereign country like Pakistan which had been looking after religious places of minorities in a proper way.

The PSGPC chief said if SGPC had failed in getting the All-India Gurdwara Act enacted then Bibi Jagir Kaur had no right to challenge the authority of PSGPC .

Mr Mastan Singh said if Bibi Jagir Kaur would

visit Pakistan then she would fail to find even a single ‘patit’ Sikh (apostate) all over Pakistan. However, in India, especially in Punjab, the number of “patit” Sikhs could be well in the knowledge of SGPC. He said such a situation was due to the lack of propagation of Sikhism by the SGPC .

The PSGPC chief claimed that whenever any jatha of SGPC visits Pakistan its leaders not only accept ‘siropas’ (robe of honour) but also appreciated the beautification of gurdwaras there. However, after returning to India, they (the SGPC Jatha leaders) start criticising the PSGPC. Mr Mastan Singh said SGPC must shun such double standards.