Chandigarh May 21, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal said here today that gold and other sacred valuables belonging to the Sikh shrines “are a collective treasure of
the proud and devout Sikh community and there is no queston of any individual or organisation even contemplating in the direction of donating even the smallest part of this sacred treasure for any cause, no matter how noble that cause might be.”
“ Strong Sikh religious sentiments are attached to treasures like these , some of which have immense historical and heritage value. Therefore, one must exercise extreme caution and a profound sense of responsibility while responding to any suggestion affecting even the tiniest part of that treasure, even if the motives behind such suggestions might be the noble or humanitarian,” said Mr Badal, adding that .
“we must forever be extremely careful and cautious” against ‘the conspiracies and designs of the enemies of the Panth who are always ready to exploit any inadvertent slip by any Sikh leader on such subjects.”
Referring to the controversy surrounding the “inadvertent suggestion” of the DSGMC chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa with regard to a proposal for donations of gold by shrines of various religious communities as a help in the humanity’s war on Coronavirus, Mr Badal said that the statement was ‘ unacceptable and extremely avoidable.’
But it is good to see that Jathedar Sirsa has himself regretted and apologised to the Sikh masses for his ‘inadvertent mistake’. “By offering an unconditional apology to the Sikh masses, Jathedar Sirsa has effectively laid to rest any scope for confusion over the issue.
“But mischievous, anti-Sikh elements are still busy trying to create misunderstandings and
mistrust among the Sikh masses . Desperate attempts are being made to weaken the community by dividing it against itself and to render the Sikh community leaderless and directionless” said the SAD president, adding that this further underscored the need for the Sikh leaders to be always ‘extremely careful and cautious’ while responding to suggestions affecting “the fruits of our glorious religious traditions.’.
“Gold and other belongings lying in the custody of the Sikh shrines symbolises the sacred trust which the community has in its religious representatives. That trust places a huge moral and spiritual responsibility on the management of the concerned Sikh shrines. Therefore, it is necessary for all concerned to keep the extreme religious sensitivities of the community always in mind while responding to any suggestion for humanitarian donations of this nature,” said Mr Sukhbir SIngh Badal in a statement here. .”
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Mr Badal said that the Sikh community has led by example, earning unprecedented respect across the wide spectrum of humanity for its acts of magnanimity and the spirit of service and self sacrifice.
“The whole world is witnessing and standing up to applaud the sublime spectacle of even the ordinary members of the Sikh community setting extraordinary examples in magnanimity, service and selfless sacrifice in helping the poor, the needy and the hungry across the globe. It is hearts of gold that the Sikhs have showered on humanity in its hour of need,” said Mr Badal.
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