With the passage on Tuesday of the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says will free the undue control of a “particular family” over the rights to telecast the sacred Gurbani, the politics of Sikh (‘panthic’) issues have returned to centerstage in Punjab.
Gurbani broadcast rights are granted by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the body responsible for the management of gurdwaras in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. The rights are currently with G-Next Media (PTC Channel), owned by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Opposition parties allege the SAD has destroyed the autonomy of the SGPC and the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat.
SAD, a century old party that claims to be the sole representative of the Sikh (‘panthic’) community, suffered a drubbing in the last two Assembly elections, indicating the ‘panthic’ support base of the party has eroded substantially. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) move could test the SAD at at time when the party and its leadership have hit a rough patch.
