Fringe elements spreading hate: MEA on gurdwara ban

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A majority of Sikh community in Canada and other parts of the world share a very warm emotional bond with India. RAVEESH KUMAR, MEA spokesperson

NEWDELHI: Reacting to a reported move to ban the entry of Indian officials in some gurdwaras in Canada and the United States, the government on Thursday said that it takes no cognisance of fringe elements spreading hate and communal disharmony.

“We have seen several reports regarding such notifications,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said while replying to a question on the issue.

He said the vast majority of the Sikh community in Canada and other parts of the world shared a very warm emotional bond with India and had worked for improving ties between India and the country where they lived.

“We take no cognisance of fringe elements which spread hate and communal disharmony,” Kumar said.

A group of office-bearers claiming to represent more than a dozen gurdwaras in the Canadian province of Ontario had decided to “bar” officials representing India, its diplomats and others from entering the premises of these places of worship.

This decision was made at a meeting held at the Jot Parkash Gurdwara in Brampton, a suburb of Toronto, on December 30 last year.

GURDWARA ENTRY BAN ‘ANTI-SIKHI’, SAYS CAPT

On the ban announced by certain elements on entry of Indian officials in gurdwaras in Canada and the US, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said anyone, be it Sikh or non-Sikh, can enter the “guru ghar” (abode of the Guru) to pay his respects or partake the langar .

“It is against the Sikhi (tenets of Sikhism) to stop anyone from entering the gurdwaras, he said, condemning the ban as totally wrong. It was for the management committees of gurdwaras, as well as the Sikh community in these countries to put a stop on such acts, he said, pointing out that never in history had any person been barred from entering a gurdwara.

To a question on the issue of political conferences at Shaheedi Jor Melas, Amarinder said precedent laid in the case of the Fatehgarh Sahib Jor Mela should be followed for all other fairs, such as Maghi and Chamkaur Sahib. “All political parties acceded to Akal Takht jathedar’s call not to hold any political conference in Fatehgarh Sahib and should now follow the same tradition for other similar melas,” he added. He said if the Akali Dal planned to hold political conferences there, it was up to them to explain and justify their act. The CM, however, made it clear that he was not against holding of political conferences at other Jor Melas.