Deadlock persists as fresh round of govt-sgpc talks on joint venue fails
Both parties stick to their stance over organising main function at their own sites; minister Channi says will try to hold next meet in presence of the CM and Akal Takht acting jathedar
AMRITSAR: The Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday failed to reach a consensus on the joint celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in yet another round of coordination committee meeting, with both parties sticking to their guns over organising the main function at their own venues.
The function will be held in the historic town of Sultanpur Lodhi on November 12.
While tourism and cultural affairs minister Charanjit Singh Channi represented the state government in the meeting, cooperation and jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa skipped it as he was annoyed with the apex gurdwara body for ‘ignoring’ the committee when extending invitations to dignitaries like the Prime Minister and the President.
While Akali Dal leaders Jagir Kaur and Tota Singh attended the meeting as SGPC nominees, Baba Naurang Singh was present as representative of fifth and neutral panel member Baba Nihal Singh Harian Welan. The apex gudwara body chief Gobind Singh Longowal was also present in the meeting that lasted for nearly one hour.
As of now, both sides are setting up separate tents for holding the main function.
“Nothing has been finalised for the main function yet. The dialogue on this is on,” said Channi after the meeting. He, however, did not comment on the absence of Randhawa who recently announced that he will not attend the meeting again.
Channi said, “The meeting was held in a cordial manner. We hope the efforts to celebrate the Gurpurb jointly will yield result. Some modalities have been finalised and the rest will be worked out soon. We will try to hold the next meeting in the presence of Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh in order to take a final decision.”
“We want to celebrate the Gurpurb by rising above politics. The ground is being prepared for the same. The CM also wants the joint celebrations,” he added. On the deadlock over setting up a single stage, he said, “I asked them (SGPC) that we should not squabble over as who will speak on the stage or who will not and work as per the philosophy of Guru Nanak. This is what the CM wants and I conveyed his feelings to them in the meeting.”
“I suggested them not to waste the meeting on the issue of stage. Why are we locking horn on stage issue? We should talk about other programmes. I said that the Sikh community will not forgive us if we fight during the celebrations,” the minister said.
On a letter written by Randhawa to the Akal Takht against the SGPC, Longowal said Randhawa sees everything through the prism of politics.
“The Gurpurb is a religious matter. If anybody goes to the President to extend invitation for the celebrations, one should not mind it,” he added.
I told the SGPC that we should not squabble over who will speak on the stage. We want to celebrate the Gurpurb by rising above politics. Ground is being prepared for that. CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI, state tourism and cultural affairs minister