SGPC objects to online sale of holy Sikh scriptures

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Friday criticized the online selling of Gutka (handy book of gurbani) and Gurbani Sainchi (scriptures) by the e-commerce website Amazon and asked that it should be stopped immediately.

The SGPC president said the online sale of gurbani scriptures by e-commerce websites could not be tolerated.

“The respect of the holy scriptures cannot be maintained at the stocking stores. When it reaches from one place to another through the parcel or courier, it is natural that the respect and due reverence accorded to these scriptures is not followed,” Dhami said.

He said that there is immense devotion and respect for Gurbani in the minds of the Sikh community and devotees and there is resentment in the Sikhs with the sale of Gutka Sahib online by Amazon and some other e-commerce websites.

He appealed to the publishers to refrain from selling gurbani scriptures online keeping in mind the respect of Gurbani.

The SGPC president said the issue will be discussed in the upcoming meeting of the dharam prachar committee (panel on Sikh religious preaching).

“A legal notice was sent to Amazon when such cases came to light in the past, after which the online sale of Gutka Sahib was stopped for some time. Now the Sikh community members have brought to notice that such practice has resumed again. In this regard, a letter is being written to Amazon asking them to immediately remove Gurbani’s Gutka Sahib from its website and send its explanation to the SGPC,” he said.