By Karminder Singh Dhillon | The Sikh Bulletin |
The paramount institution of the Sikhs – the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) – recently put up an advertisement for applications to fill up 2 positions of Granthis at Darbar Singh – the paramount religious shrine of the Sikhs.
The advertisement – issued under the name of the Secretary of SGPC – lists out the qualifications that are sought of prospective granthis as follows (See attached photograph).
1) Able to recite the paath from hand-written Recessions of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS).
2) Able to recite the “Hukumnama” in a loud and sweet voice.
3) Possess expertise in conducting discourse based on the bani of the SGGS, Dasam Granth, Suraj Parkash, Sri Nanak Parkash, Panth Parkash, and the Vaars and Kabits of Bhai Gurdas.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE QUALIFICATIONS SOUGHT BY SGPC OF THEIR GRANTHIS.
One could ask the following five questions regarding the qualifications being sought of Darbar Sahib granthis and the role of SGPC in promoting Sikhi in the 21st Century.
1) Given that a vast majority of Recessions of the SGGS are printed – what exactly is the need to prioritize the granthi’s ability to read from the handwritten text? Is the suggestion here that the hand written Recessions are more accurate than the printed ones – ALL of which are printed by the SGPC anyway? There is a hand-written beerr on the first floor of the Darbar Sahib that has more than 300 errors that are corrected by pasting small strips of paper over the errors. This beerr is nicknamed “the beerr with stickers”!
SEE ALSO: Grappling with Guru Granth printing errors. Thaminder takes the hit
2) Given that the Darbar Sahib is equipped with a sound system, and given that the granthi’s position is not to entertain the sangat – what is the need again to prioritize the need for a “loud and sweet” voice? Leading Sikh luminaries such as Gurbani expert Prof Sahib Singh and Sikh Encyclopedia writer Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha would fail to qualify because they did not have loud voices. So would a large number of other Gurbani experts who would refuse to even send in an application on the basis that the job of a granthi is not to entertain with his “sweet voice” but to educate and enlighten the sangats.
3) Texts composed by anti-Sikhs, Nirmlas etc that aim to corrupt the tenets of Sikhi, distort the history of our Gurus, and subjugate the purity or uniqueness of Sikhi into the Brahmanical fold such as Suraj Parkash, Bachitar Natak (Dasam Granth), Nanak Parkash, Panth Parkash etc need to be expunged from the Sikh psyche; or at the very least cleaned out of their distortions. This is the proper function of the SGPC – not to ensure that the distortion is continuously propagated by their granthis.
4) Is this advertisement pointing to the fact that the SGPC has been compromised and taken over completely by the sampardayee, derawadi and taksali outfits, so much so that the real intent of the above mentioned qualifications (particularly qualification 3 above) is to ensure their granthis actually come from these outfits? After all these are the outfits that (a) install hand-written beerrs, (b) insist that “reading paath” is the only function of spirituality, and (c) a host of other granths are on par to the SGGS and (d) that Sikhi is a branch of Snatan and Vedic belief systems.
5) What exactly is the use of SGPC running the missionary colleges then? Should not the advertisement say that preference will be given to those granthis who have been trained at any of the SGPC Missionary Colleges throughout Punjab?
WHAT THE GRANTHI WANTED ADVERTISEMENT SHOULD READ
Here is a list of qualifications that granthis serving at Darbar Sahib, the five takhats, and all major gurdwaras across the world ought to possess – at the very minimum. Readers are invited to comment and help build on this list.
NOTICE (AS IT SHOULD BE)
The Darbar Sahib Amritsar is desirable of filling 2 vacancies for the position of Granthi Sahib. Please send in your applications if you meet the following requirements:
1) Possess a deep and thorough understanding of Gurbani as contained within the Aad Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji.
2) Demonstrate an ability to discourse, explain and disseminate the messages contained within the messages of the Aad Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji to the sangat.
3) Demonstrate an ability to communicate and connect effectively with the youth within our community.
4) Display knowledge of at least TWO international languages – one of which must be English – to a level sufficient to
a. explain the Sikh Doctrine to the many international visitors of Darbar Sahib. b. represent the Sikh faith at national and international forums.
c. participate in inter-faith discourses at the national and international level.
5) Exhibit a clear understanding of the SGPC’s plan and desire to make Sikhi relevant to Sikhs living across the world in the 21st Century; and demonstrate your own role to help achieve such a goal.
6) Have a working understanding of computers, the Internet and the social media so as to be able to gauge the pulse of the educated and professional Sikh community’s spiritual needs and concerns.
7) Possess a character, vision, and resolve requisite of occupying the esteemed position of granthi at the most venerated Sikh institution – the Darbar Sahib.
Sikh thinker, writer and parcharak Karminder Singh Dhillon, PhD (Boston), is a retired Malaysian civil servant. He is the editor-in-chief of The Sikh Bulletin and author of The Hijacking of Sikhi. This article appeared in the The Sikh Bulletin – 2024 Issue 1 (January-March 2024). Click here to retrieve archived copies of the bulletin. The author can be contacted at dhillon99@gmail.com.
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Atamvir Singh, read the article again or have someone explain it to you. SGPC is NOT making any amends. So there is no issue of anything being “too little, too late.” SGPC is ensuring no amends will be made, and their outdated granthi qualifications list is proof of that. Dr Karminder Singh is critiquing SGPC, he is not trying to make amends on SGPC’s behalf, or on his own. Those responsible for “devolving Gurudwaras into business run centres” are not of any particular age group but crooks, hypocrites and golak grabbers who call themselves leaders. Common sense tells us that golak thiefs come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
Finding fault with the messenger who exposes the rot within the Sikh panth (SGPC in this case) is pathetic indeed. What exactly is your point in calling such expose a “hit piece” Gurpal Bhullar? It seems your only intention is to “hit out” at the messenger who is exposing the stink in the community. Why is “Dhillon’s age group the problem amongst Sikhs” any more than your age group is responsible for the pathetic ones amongst Sikhs?” And how is Dhillon responsible for the people in his age group? Are you then responsible for all the people amongst Sikhs who are pathetic, in a sorry state, have no clue what they are talking about and spew rubbish at the messengers? What exactly are “all the resources that are available to parcharaks like Dhillon? Tell us what resources our Parcharaks have – other than putting themselves at the mercy of pathetic nonsense spewers like you. Care to tell us what “cart is Dhillon putting before which horse?” Its clear you are allergic to Dhillon and did not read past the title and his name in the article. For if you did, you would be making some constructive comments about the subject of Granthi qualifications instead of vomiting out some ludicrous nonsense about “age groups who are close to death etc.” The best cure for allergies is to stay away from whatever causes you an allergic reaction. Allergies can bring one close to death indeed.
If Sikhi isn’t attractive to Sikh youth anymore then what are pathetic, pitiable and sorry state people you suggesting that we do?
The age group that literally devolved Gurudwaras into business run centres and allowed the corruption of the SGPC making it seem like they are making amends. Too little, too late.
What exactly is the purpose of such “hit pieces?” Surely, with all the resources at their disposal pracharaks like Karminder Singh Dhillon should stop putting the cart before the horse and take initiative by providing these alternatives they seek. Because let’s all be honest, Dhillon’s age group is the problem among Sikhs. The old generation has ensnared Sikh youth in such dilemmas with their ludicrous arguments and selective interpretations and agendas that now close to death they have woken up and realized that Sikhi isn’t attractive to Sikh youth anymore but they are still unable to identify they problem or are willing to: boomers!
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