AMRITSAR: While denying any pressure from SAD(B), Bibi Jagir Kaur, the newly elected president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) openly dubs SAD(B) as SGPC’s sword arm which being a political panthic party provides political strength to SGPC.
After taking over the reins of SGPC, Kaur has focused her attention on creating awareness among Sikhs, especially the youths, about their religious history, Sikh Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of religious living) besides propagation of Sikh guru’s teachings and fighting against illiteracy. Talking to TOI Kaur explained her agenda as SGPC president.
Q. What are your priorities as the new president of SGPC?
A. SGPC came into existence after a long struggle and making supreme sacrifices, I have observed that these days many Sikh’s, especially the youth, are not much aware of the struggle made by the community elders, their religious history, or why the sacrifices were made, besides, there is a dire need to make them aware of the Sikh Rehat Maryada which summaries the teachings of Sikh guru’s and outline the Sikh way of living. I was surprised to find that 80 per cent of the congregation didn’t even know about the history of Fategharh Sahib is when I asked them during a religious function. I am focusing on making the present day Sikh youth aware of the Sikh history and Sikh Rehat Maryada. During the farmers' struggle on the borders of Delhi, I have sent as many as 200 volunteers of SGPC carrying Sikh religious books to propagate about Sikh Rehat Maryada, Sikh history and Sikh guru’s teaching in a group of five to ten persons.
Q. Has the SGPC failed in delivering its duties to the extent that a need is being felt to even tell the Sikh community a way of life?
A. I wouldn’t call it a failure but of course, there are forces that are hell bent upon misleading the people by telling lies and creating confusion among them, and for a temporary period of time they have been successful. It is just that under their influence, a few Sikhs have forgotten about the Sikh Rehat Maryada though they have full faith in Sikh gurus and are regular at Gurudwara’s, wear Sikh symbols. Like several dera’s have their own maryada and when Sikhs start going to those dera’s they get confused. But now SGPC has taken up the task to make the youth aware of the Sikh Rehat Maryada and its significance in the life of a Sikh.
Q. There is rampant abuse of drugs these days in Punjab; can SGPC be of any help to check the malpractice among youth?
A. We have to first understand the genesis of drug abuse; I hold illiteracy and unemployment responsible for drug addiction to a larger extent. We are trying to impart education to even at those remote places where government fails to reach, we will be further flourishing our educational institutes which will not only expand their reach but also create job opportunities. Similarly, job opportunities would be created in SGPC run medical institutions. Besides, during the 400th birth anniversary of Sikh’s ninth Guru Teg Bahadur I have decided to involve all the schools and colleges to impart the teachings and values of Sikhism so the Sikh youth could find their path and automatically abstain from drugs. We will also discuss with economists on creating more employment opportunities for the youth.
Q. It is generally believed that SGPC is run by SAD(B) by proxy and the party also choose and pick SGPC’s president, how correct is this?
A. This is an entirely a wrong perception. No doubt, being a political panthic party, SAD(B) is our strength. SGPC came into existence during Gurdwara Reform Movement, the SAD was itself formed at Akal Takht to provide strength to SGPC. And this is the party on whose tickets, Sikhs contest SGPC elections and become its members, it’s our political panthic power. When Congress was in power they did army action on Golden Temple, it’s only SAD that talks about Sikhs, if we will have political panthic power only then SGPC will be strong. During my last tenure as president of SGPC, not even a single time, the SAD(B) president ever interfered in the SGPC’s functioning and even now during almost one month time of my presidentship, the SAD(B) president never gave any guidelines or instructions.
Q. Then why many people, especially the opposition party blames SAD(B) for running the SGPC’s affairs?
A. This ambiguous and deceitful propaganda is made by the people who have been rejected by the masses. For example, if majority of 170 members of SGPC have won on the ticket of SAD(B), it means people have accepted SAD(B)’s policies and have faith in the party. So there is no reason of making hue and cry except showing their own frustration.
Q. How will you justify a politician being the president of a religious body, you have also been a Punjab cabinet minister?
A. I am not just a politician, first of all, I am a devout Sikh, it’s not evil or crime being a minister, even when I was a minister we were strengthening the education system, road network, provide employment, make development etc. of Punjab. If I am a minister then I have more constitutional power to help the common masses. Similarly, the SGPC president works as per the religious aspirations of the sangat, people expect a lot from us and hope that SGPC will stand by them in their thick and thin. I don’t find any harm in a politician running the religious institution. However, it should be ensured that political power should remain under the spiritual authority.