Gurbani Telecast From Golden Temple To Be Free: What Is the Row That's Erupted?

The SGPC has opposed the move and asked CM Bhagwant Mann not to interfere in religious matters.

The Punjab government on Tuesday, 20 June, amended the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 in order to make the transmission of Gurbani from Amritsar's Golden Temple "free for all."

The Sikh Gurudwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed into law during a special session of the state Assembly, according to news agency ANI. This comes a day after the amendment was approved by the CM Bhagwant Mann-led Cabinet.

Terming the move as "historic", Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said on Monday that as per the Sikh Gurdwara (Amendment Act) 2023, the telecast of Gurbani would be free-to-air in India and abroad.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's decision to free the rights of the telecast has triggered a row. But why? What does the original act say? How is it being changed? Who is opposed to the amendment? Here's what you need to know.

What Is the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925?

The Act is a legislation from the days of British India which legally defined the identity of Sikhs and brought the houses of worship of the community under the control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – the apex religious body of Sikhs.

Chief Minister Mann alleged that the Act was "misused" in 2012 to give exclusive rights to air the Gurbani for 11 years to a TV channel called PTC Punjabi, which is owned by the family of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Last month, Mann had slammed the Akalis for holding a monopoly to telecast Gurbani. He had further questioned why only one channel had been allowed to carry the live telecast from Sachkhand Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar.

Why Has It Stirred Controversy?

The amendment introduced by the AAP government in the state will no longer require tenders for carrying a live broadcast of Gurbani from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

It also stops broadcasters from airing advertisements half-an-hour before and after the Gurbani is telecast live, according to the chief minister.

CM Mann had also said that the state government would bear the expenses incurred as a result of ensuring that the Gurbani could be telecast on all channels for free.

He had also emphasised that spreading the ‘Sarb Sanjhi Gurbani’ across the globe was essential as it carried the universal message of ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ (welfare of all).

On the other hand, PTC Network's managing director Rabindra Narayan said, "Gurbani is already free. All PTC Network channels are designated as free-to-air channels by the government of India."

"No cable operator, DTH operator, charges any money. It is also available for free on YouTube and Facebook. So how are they claiming to make Gurbani Free To Air?" Narayan added, as per NDTV.

He also announced a reward of Rs 1 crore to anyone who could produce a customer's bill that showed that they had to pay to watch or listen to Gurbani.

SGPC vs AAP

The SGPC also reacted sharply to the move, asking the government not to interfere in religious matters.

"This (Gurdwara Act) can only be amended by the Centre as the Punjab government has got not right to do so," SGPC Chief Harjinder Singh Dhami said, as per IANS.

In response, Mann cited a Supreme Court judgment from 2014 which said that the Act is not an inter-state one, but a state Act.

The chief minister asserted that the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 does not pertain to the broadcast or live telecast of Gurbani.

"As a result, Sikhs have to subscribe to this channel which is expensive as it's clubbed with three to four other channels. It should be free of cost," he said.

He said that this could be done by the Centre in the Lok Sabha after consulting the SGPC, which is an elected body of the Sikhs.

Adding that the telecast of the Gurbani is not an ordinary one, Dhami asked the CM not to mislead the people as it is sacrosanct.

(With inputs from IANS.)