The Punjab meeting on Tuesday handed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to make sure free-of-cost broadcast of Gurbani from Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) throughout platforms, amid opposition from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislators, who termed it an interference with Sikhs affairs.

The House handed the modification within the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 by inserting Section 125A for ‘Live telecast of Gurbani free-of-cost’.

Part-1 of Section 125A reads: “It shall be the duty of the board to propagate the teachings of the Gurus by making uninterrupted (without any on screen running advertisements or commercials or distortion) live feed (audio or audio as well as video) of holy Gurbani from Harmandar Sahib available free-of-cost to all media houses, outlets, platforms, channels etc, whosoever wishes to broadcast anywhere (including all over the world).”

Part-2 mandates that anybody broadcasting the holy Gurbani from Harmandar Sahib shall not run any commercial no less than half-hour previous to the beginning of Gurbani broadcast or half-hour after it.

Till now, PTC, a non-public channel during which SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal has stakes, had the unique telecast rights of Gurbani. Due to this, Badal had been accused of monopolizing the telecast, a cost he has refuted.

Idea to permit free broadcast rights for all: AAP

Opening discussions on the matter, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Budh Ram stated, as per the modification, it was the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee’s (SGPC) responsibility to propagate Gurbani.

Highlighting the significance of Guru’s Bani, the AAP MLA stated “mukh waak” has a particular significance in Sikh faith as Sikhs begin their day by reciting or listening to “mukh waak” from Sri Guru Granth Sahib and with the modification, the identical ought to be broadcast throughout the globe. Giving a singular channel the rights for telecast, he stated, makes widespread distribution unattainable.

He added the state authorities didn’t intend to usurp anybody’s rights to telecast Gurbani and the crux of the modification, beneath the brand new Section 125A, was to permit all channels free broadcast rights.

SGPC ought to run its personal channel: SAD’s Ayali

SAD legislator Manpreet Singh Ayali stated that one single channel shouldn’t have the telecast rights so the SGPC ought to run its personal channel for the telecast of Gurbani. He opposed the modification within the act of 1925, terming it an interference with the SGPC affairs.

Notably, former Akal Takht appearing jathedar Harpreet Singh had issued an edict suggesting that the SGPC run its personal channel.

Ayali additionally referred to as upon the House to withdraw the invoice and urged that discussions be held with the SGPC and SAD on the difficulty.

The SGPC, that controls the administration of over 100 gurdwaras, together with the Golden Temple, in Punjab, is an elected physique which has representatives elected by the Sikh citizens. It has additionally been vehemently opposing the modification, which it sees because the state’s interference within the affairs of an elected physique.

According to MLA Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi, additionally belonging to SAD, there might not be any dangerous intention within the authorities’s transfer, however it isn’t required.

“The SGPC and the Akal Takht Jathedar have issued an appeal for not making an amendment in the Act so it should be withdrawn,” he additionally urged.

Nachhatar Pal, the legislator belonging to Bahujan Samaj Party, an ally of the SAD, additionally opposed the transfer for modification within the act of 1925.

Broadcast cannot be monopolized by one household: AAP’s Kohli

However, AAP MLA Ajit Pal Kohli welcomed the modification as in response to him the published of Gurbani cannot be monopolized by one household.

Channel benefiting from unique rights: CM

While concluding the dialogue, chief minister Bhagwant Mann stated Gurbani was “sarab sanjhi”, but it surely had been restricted to a single channel for eleven years. “I am not saying that Gurbani telecast rights should be given to anyone close to me or my relative,” he introduced within the House, including that the Gurbani telecast by PTC was not free-to-air and the channel held mental rights over it. .

He added that due to the unique telecast rights of Gurbani, the channel is getting increased tv ranking level (TRP), which ends up in increased commercial charges for the channel.

After precisely a month, on July 21, the SGPC’s contract with the stated channel will expire which might be adopted by free telecast of Gurbani on all TV and radio channels, and media platforms, introduced the CM.