Members of Amritsar-based Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee took away Bir (recension) from the residence of a retired college principal at Bassi Jalal village in Hoshiarpur district on Sunday 9th August as meat and eggs are cooked there.
The act has left
Jaswant Singh Sandhu, a 78-year-old amritdhari (baptised) Sikh, dejected. “
Mein unhaan nun bentian ketian ke na lai ke jao, mein aapne guru bagair nahi
reh sakda. Per uh nhin manne (I pleaded with them to not take it away as I
cannot live without my Guru. But they did not heed). I recite Gurbani from the Bir daily and complete three to four readings in a year. Since last evening,
I’ve been feeling so empty inside,” he said.
Jaswant Singh Sandhu taught at
the Khalsa College, Garhdiwala, and was principal at Babbar Akali Memorial
Khalsa College, Garhshankar, for 10 years before retiring in 2002. Both the
colleges are run by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.
“I’ve had Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib in my
house since 1976. When the Satkar Committee members asked me if I consumed meat
and eggs, I said I eat them only occasionally, mostly when my son comes from
abroad. I also said that there was no bar on a Sikh from having meat or egg.
But they rebuked me, saying they would take away the bir and did not relent
even as I pleaded with folded hands,” he added.
“I partook amrit
around the same time when I did Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib at my home. I’ve
been trying to understand the Guru’s message all my life and implementing it. I
have also written a few articles on my understanding of gurbani philosophy of Guru
Granth Sahib. And, at the fag end of my life, I have to face this shock,” he
said in a choked voice
Satkar Committee
head Balbir Singh Muchhal justified his act, saying nobody consuming meat or
eggs can have bir at house. When told that there was no such bar in the Akal
Takht prescribed rehat maryada (code of conduct), he said that was just a draft
and he did not consider it Panth-approved maryada. When asked about Nihangs
slaughtering goats and cook meat at their gurdwaras or places where they have
Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib, he replied that it was for the Akal Takht to look
into the matter.
Former SGPC
general secretary Kiranjot Kaur condemned the act, saying, “Rehat maryada bars
consumption of halal meat only. Such people are pushing people away from Guru
Granth Sahib.
