“Failure to punish” cause of latest Sikh sacrilege culprit death- SGPC

After yet another attack on Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh scriptural Guru), Akaal Takht Jathedar (Head of the supreme Sikh seat of authority) Giani Raghbir Singh spoke on the killing of the culprit by sangat (Sikh congregation), saying “when the rule of law fails miserably in performing its duty, then people are forced to seek justice in their own way”.

See the statement from the SGPC below and in full at the bottom of the article.

Leading Sikh body the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) released the statement after the incident in Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village in Ferozepur district (Punjab) last Sunday (05.05.2024), saying it is part of an ongoing “well-planned conspiracy”. Scenes of the violent scene quickly went viral, in images we will not share.

Since approximately 2015, The Sikh Press Association sources estimate 300+ instance of attacks against Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the manner seen on Sunday in Bandala. To date, dozens of the culprits have been handed over to police, without yielding any preventative investigation, nor any strong punishment to act as a deterrent. Many were local petty criminals and/or addicts who said they were paid to carry out the attack.

Guru Granth Sahib Ji is considered the current and last living Guru of the Sikhs, existing in the form of GurBani (Guru’s word-Sikh scripture). Guru Granth Sahib Ji is treated with regal protocol by all Sikhs. Any attempt to damage or destroy Guru Granth Sahib Ji is deemed the most serious attack on Sikhs possible.

Culprit Bakshish Singh, a 19-year-old local, was seen walking into the Gurdwara at approximately 2pm. Camera footage shows him discreetly and quickly entering the empty darbar (court- main prayer hall) and walking up to the scriptural Guru and tearing angs (limbs- pages). He then entered the langal (Sikh communal kitchen) where he was spotted with the angs, resulting in him being apprehended by sangat.

Video footage then shows Bakshish being severely beaten before he was handed over to police, who later pronounced him dead. India media report sangat saying they handed him over alive and then “don’t know what happened to him”.

As well as the statement condemning lack of police action, Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh also “ordered the Sikh Sangat to socially and religiously boycott the family of the accused of sacrilege and not to allow the last rites of the accused to be held in any Gurdwara Sahib.”

The strong stance from the Akal Takht reflects wider Sikh mood regarding the ongoing attacks targeting the heart of the Sikh faith. As with previous instances, the family of the accused has claimed “mental health” challenges impacted Bakhshish’s state of mind.

However, some caught have reported they were paid to carry out the attacks by both the Ram Rahim cult (a group following pseudo-spiritual figure who mimics Sikh appearance) and other “agencies” (a reference to political/governmental factions working to cause division in Sikh communities for nationalist gain). Some cases have even revealed police have been behind criminal acts aiming to provoke Sikh ire and fuel disharmony, which has led to various Sikh communities agreeing on a need for action on the issue.

Last year one attack in April saw Gianis (meaning knowledgeable ones, referring to those leading Sikh practice in Gurdwaras) brutally assaulted before being handed over to police (with no update on his prosecution), whilst another in January also led to the death of the culprit.

The suggestion that “mental health challenges” could be behind hundreds carrying out the attacks, as opposed to a “well-planned conspiracy” as described by Giani Raghbir Singh, has been criticized by one anonymous mental health professional who spoke to Sikh PA.

“It is highly unlikely there is a mental health condition which is prompting behaviour this specific; to go to a Gurdwara and attempt to destroy Guru Granth Sahib Ji. After hundreds of cases of the beadbi (sacrilege), there is not yet any medical data which points to this being a diagnosable psychological condition. Police should not hesitate to investigate these crimes for sake of a belief they are random acts of the mentally challenged.”

Whilst police investigate for possible murder charges, the SGPC called for police to focus on the cause of the sangat retaliation, instructing authorities, “instead of troubling the Sangat or any Sikh regarding the death of the accused of sacrilege, the truth should be brought before the Sangat as soon as possible as to who sent the accused of sacrilege and under what conspiracy.”

SGPC statement

Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib Giani Raghbir Singh today expressed deep grief over the incident of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village in Ferozepur district and termed the death of the accused of sacrilege as a reaction to the ‘failure to punish the culprits and give exemplary punishments by law’. Moreover, the Jathedar has also ordered the Sikh Sangat to socially and religiously boycott the family of the accused of sacrilege and not to allow the last rites of the accused to be held in any Gurdwara Sahib. Today in a statement issued from the Secretariat, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said that for a long time, incidents of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji have been taking place under a well-planned conspiracy. He said that the government’s law is neither proving successful in stopping the incidents of sacrilege nor in punishing the culprits. He said that today’s incident of sacrilege at Gurdwara Baba Bir Singh in Bandala village of Ferozepur district is a very unfortunate incident in this series which has hurt the sentiments of Sikhs. He said that for Sikhs there is nothing above Sri Guru Granth Sahib and incidents of sacrilege badly harm the soul and mentality of Sikhs. The Jathedar said that when the rule of law fails miserably in performing its duty, then people are forced to seek justice in their own way. He also warned the government that instead of troubling the Sangat or any Sikh regarding the death of the accused of sacrilege, the truth should be brought before the Sangat as soon as possible as to who sent the accused of sacrilege and under what conspiracy.