Why can’t women conduct kirtan at Golden Temple? SGPC, jathedar cite maryada
› The ‘kirtan maryada’ at the Golden Temple is centuries old and it cannot be altered easily. Still the matter can be considered.
GIANI GURBACHAN SINGH, Akal Takht jathedar
MANSA : Terming the demand for allowing women to sing hymns at the Golden Temple an issue of ‘maryada’, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Kirpal Singh Badungar on Thursday passed the buck to the Akal Takht jathedar.
“The demand of Sikh Americans to allow women to sing hymns at the Golden temple is a old issue, which came up during my previous tenure as SGPC chief in 2002. It is an issue of maryada, which can only be dealt by the honourable Akal Takht Sahib and its jathedar,” said Badungar, on sidelines of a religious programme at a girls’ college.
He categorically stated that the SGPC has no role in allowing or denying such rights to women.
Responding to a media query over the Centre’s claim that the army does not have any manuscripts that went missing from the Sikh reference library during the Operation Bluestar, Badungar said that every political party that ruled at the Centre has repeatedly refused to acknowledge this issue.
He said the SGPC will now approach the newly elected President Ram Nath Kovind on this issue.
“We had met the previous president and now we will approach the new president to resolve this issue. The government has been changing its statements over the issue for the past 33 years. We have the copies of all the statements of the government and will submit these with the president.”
Though Badungar criticised the Centre over the missing Sikh manuscripts, he expressed hope that the NDA government will exempt the goods and services tax (GST) on the items used in langar served at the Golden Temple.
The SGPC chief also urged the Punjab government to rein in the elements involved in sacrilege incidents and ensure that the communal harmony in the state is not disturbed.
Meanwhile, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has asserted that the ‘kirtan maryada’ at the Golden Temple is centuries old and it cannot be altered easily.
Replying to mediapersons’ queries after a meeting of five Sikh high priests in Amritsar, he, however, said, “Still the matter can be considered in a meeting of Panj Singh Sahiban.”