| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 23 April 2016 | Asia Samachar |
The Akaal Ustat Semagam at a local gurdwara in Kuala Lumpur was well attended despite a call from the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) to stop the three-day programme for potentially violating the Sikh code of conduct.
The programme, bringing the controversial Dasam Granth to the centerstage, was attended primarily by students and supporters of the Kuala Lumpur-based Sri Guru Granth Sahib Academy (SGGS Academy).
“The academy people are seen as committed practicing Sikhs, heavyweights in their own right. They received tremendous support among their students and parents. The MGC letter has been simply waived away,” one Sikh activist not affiliated with the academy told Asia Samachar.
SEE ALSO: MGC fears Akaal Ustat Semagam can split Sanggat, cause disunity
SEE ALSO: Q&A with Dr Karminder Singh on Dasam Granth issue
He was referring to a letter, dated 7 April 2016, in which MGC had requested the programme host Gurdwara Sahib Titiwangsa to reconsider its permission for the planned kirtan and katha of Dasam Granth as it was deemed to have violated the Sikh Reht Maryada (SRM) and has the ‘potential of splitting the Sanggat and causing disunity’.
In the letter, a copy of which is available at the Asia Samachar website [see here], MGC noted that in many gurdwaras abroad where such ‘Dasam Granth’ semagams were oganised it resulted in conflicts and disruptive activities leading to incidents of violence.
“The MGC is therefore gravely concerned that a similar situation may arise in Malaysia leading to disunity in the Sikh Sanggat, which should be avoided at all costs,” said MGC president Jagir Singh.
The gurdwara had ignored the letter, snubbing the umbrella body representing some 108 gurdwaras in Malaysia.
Commenting further on the matter, the same Sikh activist quoted earlier said: “Though MGC emphasises on maryada [code of conduct], gurdwara committees by and large do not seem concerned.”
Dasam Granth, which is presented as a collection of compositions of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, has been a controversial topic in the Sikh world. Some quarters claim it to be the writings of the Guru, while others suggest that some of the compositions do not match the Sikh philosophy and the writing style of Guru Gobind Singh. Akaal Ustat is one of the compositions contained in what is today known as the Dasam Granth.
Among others, the three-day programme includes a seminar entitled ‘Sri Dasam Granth: Facts Beyond Doubt’ and katha (discourse) on the Dasam Granth.
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