Govt grants SGPC sole right to Guru Granth Sahib

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has decided to issue an ordinance banning the publication and publishing of Guru Granth Sahib by private parties.

The step is being taken to prevent disgrace of the holy book for commercial interest. 

The publication of the Sikh scripture will thereby be the sole prerogative of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC).

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar had earlier written to the state government seeking a ban on private publishers, who not only make huge profits from the sale of the holy book, but also pay scant attention to maintaining its sanctity.

Makkar pointed out that despite an earlier SGPC ban, several private parties continued to publish and print the scripture and sought government help to curb this.

The SGPC had a few years ago banned private publishing houses and individuals from printing and publishing the Guru Granth Sahib.

The ban was imposed after it was found that a majority of the publishers were not adhering to the “religious rules” framed by the SGPC, tantamount to showing “disrespect” to the scripture.

The rules are those normally followed when a devotee goes to a gurdwara to pay obeisance. These include covering the head and washing one’s hands and not wearing shoes or slippers.

Consumption of alcohol, tobacco and smoking are also banned inside publishing houses and shops where the scripture is displayed for sale. Under the rules, pages or verses of the scripture “rejected” due to printing errors have to be “cremated” as per Sikhism tradition.

The five high priests of the Akal Takht had earlier pronounced tankhah (religious punishment) on owners of a publishing house Messrs Jeewan Singh and Chattar Singh for printing Guru Granth Sahib in gross violation of its hukmnama (edict) a few years ago. 

Jeewan and Chattar Singh were declared tankhaiya by then Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh after they failed to appear before the high priests despite repeated reminders.