A curious mix of politics and religion is stirring a churn in Punjab, and at the centre of it is the gurbani, or sacred hymns that are recited in the Golden Temple every day and beamed via television into millions of homes. The row began on June 20, when the Punjab assembly passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, allowing free-of-cost broadcast of the gurbani across all platforms. Behind this seemingly laudatory move appeared to be shrewd political logic. The move aimed to break the monopoly of PTC – a private TV channel in which Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal owns a stake – that held exclusive rights to broadcast the gurbani. The SAD called the move an infringement into the Sikh religion’s internal matters and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – which manages 100 gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, and is also controlled by the Akalis – opposed the decision. The body has now threatened to launch a stir if the bill is not withdrawn. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has dismissed the criticism, saying the bill intended to break the monopoly of one channel.
In a state where Sikhs form the majority of the population, the sacred gurbani holds enormous symbolic significance. So, at some level, political squabbling over it is expected – an electorally diminished SAD trying to firewall its last stronghold, SGPC, and a resurgent AAP trying to break new ground and establish a foothold in the panthic domain. At the same time, parties must be careful to not let their tussle over a sensitive matter become unseemly and restrict their competition to the political arena.