CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee on Jan.28, ruled that the Sikh holy Scriptures Guru Granth Sahib could not be a subject matter for research and recommended to Akal Takht to summon Dr. Piar Singh and Dr.Pashaura Singh to Punish them in accordance with Sikh traditions and tenets “for challenging the authenticity of Gura Granth Sahib.”
This puts to and the controversy generated following the publication of a book Gatha Shr Adi Granth” authored by Dr. Piar Singhand published by the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and the research thesis of Dr.Pashaura Singh of Michigan entitled “Textual Analysis and Meanings of Adi Granth.” These decisions were taken here at a four hour long meeting of the 31member committee constituted by the SGPC to go into this controversy under the chairmanship of its president, Gurcharan Singh Tohra. The meeting considered the report of an eight member committee setup earlier by the SGPC to go into the works of Dr. Piar Singh and Dr. Singh. These decisions were taken on the basis of the report of these committees.
Tohra told newsmen that acting Jathedar or Akal Takht would be appointed shortly for this purpose as the Jathedar designate, Bhai Ranjit Singh, continued to be in jail. He said Granth Sahib could only be described as Srv Guru Granth Sahib and not Adi Granth.
It was also decided to write to the institutions abroad where Chairs to study Sikh religion had been set up to appoint academicians in consultation with the local Sikh organizations.
The eight member committees had recommended that permission should not be granted to do research on Sa Guru Granth Sahib. The authenticity of this scripture could not be challenged on the basis or works written much later, The SGPC should issue instructions to the universities in this regard.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 5, 1993
