Chandigarh: In a last minute change of decision, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) announced Friday that while it will begin relaying live gurbani from the Golden Temple through its own YouTube channel from 24 July, the current arrangement of a private TV channel will continue for some time.
Announcing the decision through video message, SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal said there were apprehensions about SGPC’s YouTube channel reaching every devotee following which it was decided that till the SGPC starts its own TV channel, the private channel PTC would continue beyond its contract period that ends 23 July.
ਸੈਟੇਲਾਈਟ ਟੀਵੀ 'ਤੇ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਰਣ ਸਬੰਧੀ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਅਕਾਲ ਤਖ਼ਤ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਦੇ ਆਦੇਸ਼ ਮਗਰੋਂ SGPC ਵੱਲੋਂ ਅਹਿਮ ਅਪੀਲ#SriDarbarSahib #SriHarmandirSahib #GurbaniTelecast #Amritsar #SGPC #ਸ੍ਰੀਦਰਬਾਰਸਾਹਿਬ #ਸ੍ਰੀਹਰਿਮੰਦਰਸਾਹਿਬ #ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀਪ੍ਰਸਾਰਣ #ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ #ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ #ਸ਼੍ਰੌਮਣੀਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾਪ੍ਰਬੰਧਕਕਮੇਟੀ pic.twitter.com/iBbajtaent
— Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (@SGPCAmritsar) July 21, 2023
Owned by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal, PTC has held the rights of relaying live the gurbani from the Golden Temple for the past 11 years.
Last week, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had announced that following the end of its contract with the PTC on 23 July, the SGPC would launch its own YouTube channel 24 July to relay the gurbani live from the Golden Temple and also start its own TV channel in a few months. In the interim, the SGPC had decided to hire the services of an alternative TV channel to broadcast gurbani.
The SGPC, an elected body responsible for managing historical gurdwaras in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, traditionally has close ties with the SAD. Questions about PTC’s exclusive rights to relay gurbani have been often raised by the Congress and the AAP. The broad allegation has been that the Akalis exercise control over the SGPC functioning to further its political interests.
Reacting to the SGPC decision, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann wondered whether it was an attempt to again give a private channel the rights to continue relaying gurbani.
ਹੈਰਾਨੀ ਦੀ ਗੱਲ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਐੱਸਜੀਪੀਸੀ ਇੱਕ ਨਿੱਜੀ ਚੈਨਲ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਕਰ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਰਣ ਕਰਦੇ ਰਹੋ..ਬਾਕੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਿਉਂ ਨਹੀਂ ?? ਕੀ ਉਹ ਚੈਨਲ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਇੱਕ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਫੇਰ ਅਨਿਸ਼ਚਤ ਸਮੇਂ ਲਈ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਅਧਿਕਾਰ ਦੇ ਦਿੱਤੇ ਜਾਣਗੇ ?? ਲਾਲਚ ਦੀ ਹੱਦ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਐ..
— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) July 21, 2023
The SGPC, Mann said in another tweet, should make it clear about allowing all channels to relay the gurbani from July 24 free of cost. If the Punjab government is given this service, it can make all arrangements within 24 hours, he added.
In May, the Punjab chief minister had objected to the SGPC granting the rights of relay to a single private channel. In June, the AAP government passed a Bill amending the 1925 Sikh Gurdwaras Act to add a clause that the rights to relay the holy gurbani from the Golden Temple should be given to all TV and social media channels.
However, the Bill has not been signed by Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who informed the Mann government that the session during which it was passed was not a legally valid session.
The SGPC has consistently objected to the Mann government move, saying that this was a direct interference of the government in the religious affairs of the Sikhs.
On Friday, Grewal said that ever since the decision to relay live gurbani through its YouTube channel was taken, the SGPC had received a deluge of enquiries about how the system will ensure that every devotee is able to receive it.
Given the apprehensions being faced by the devotees, Grewal said, the Akal Takth (the highest temporal body of the Sikhs) had directed the SGPC to continue with the current arrangement also and allow PTC to relay the gurbani till the Committee is able to set up its own satellite television.
The SGPC has already written to the Centre to allow its own television channel and had also sought time from the minister for a delegation to meet him in this regard, he added.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
Also Read: SGPC history to 1925 Gurdwara Act, why there’s more to Golden Temple Gurbani telecast