Chandigarh: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) Tuesday banned the portrayal of Sikh Gurus and their family members through all sorts of media, including films.
The decision was taken at SGPC’s Dharam Prachar Committee meeting, which was presided over by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami in Amritsar.
The SGPC, which is the managing and regulating authority of all historical Sikh Gurdwaras in North India, traditionally also dons the mantle of a censor board for films and multimedia productions which portray Sikh Gurus and their families.
For a film that portrays Sikh Gurus and their family members, filmmakers generally sought a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the SGPC.
In a press statement, Dhami said that due to the ongoing trend of making films on the Sikh Gurus and their family members, there has been a resentment among the Sikh Sangat, in view of which, the SGPC has decided to ban their portrayal through all kinds of films.
Objections from various religious sabha societies and Sangat had been reaching the SGPC repeatedly, due to which, such films will be banned until a further decision, he added.
On 30 November, the SGPC asked the Punjab government to ban the release of Punjabi film ‘Dastaan-E-Sirhind’. The film is a hybrid — cinematic and animated — depiction of the life of the four sahibzadas, who were the sons of tenth and last Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh.
Hardliner Sikh bodies too had objected to the film on the grounds that neither Sikh Gurus nor their families may be depicted in any film or song, whether by actors or in animated form.
In 2003, the SGPC had passed a resolution against actors playing such roles and this was later extended to animated depictions three years on by a subcommittee of the committee.
The SGPC also monitors the portrayal of Sikhism, its articles of faith and Sikhs in general as well as in films and songs. In 2019, it had objected to the portrait of Kirpan, an article of faith for the Sikhs, as a regular dagger in Shahrukh Khan’s film ‘Zero’.
On Tuesday, Dhami also announced Tuesday that the SGPC would intensify the Dharam Prachar (Sikh religious preaching) for which a special van was prepared to take the pracharaks (preachers) from village to village.
Border areas would be specially focused under this campaign, he said.
Along with religious congregations in villages, Dhami said, the preacher groups will discuss Sikh history, principles and Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of conduct), so that people can easily understand the basics and origin of Sikh faith.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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