Indian media “spreads misinfo” regarding alleged Sikh “harmonium ban”

Major Indian news outlet India Today were accused of spreading “misinfo” regarding a declaration on kirtan (Sikh devotional music) by leading Sikh authority Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Giani (meaning knowledgeable one, referring to a Sikh faith leader) Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar (Head) of leading Sikh authoritative body the Akal Takht, issued a statement on 3rd May saying there would be a phasing out of use of the harmonium over three years from kirtan in Sri Harmandir Sahib, the holy Sikh site in Amritsar, Punjab.

The move is designed to encourage kirtanis (kirtan musicians) to revert back to use of traditional stringed instruments such as the taus, rubab and sarangi, as used for kirtan in the time of the Gurus. This is a move that has largely been long supported by Sikh groups across the world, based on a revival of understanding about Sikh traditions.

However, when news of the motion reached Indian media, the reaction was negative. An article released on 24th May written by Harmeet Singh, Senior Editor of India Today, called the move “instrumental nationalism” and claimed it embroiled Sikhs into “native-versus-foreign debates”. The narrative that the move was designed to rid Sikh spaces of an “impure…foreign invention” (as the harmonium is a 19th century French invention) was run by several mainstream Indian news outlets, which forced the SGPC, the committee behind the Akal Takht, to comment on the misinformation.

In a Tweet tagging India Today, the SGPC said “5 high priests (of the Sikh punj pyareh leadership system) passed Gurmata (Guru minded decision) after due discussions with Sikh music scholars & it is to revive Gurbani Kirtan singing at Sikh shrines, as per old traditional style with string instruments.“

The harmonium came into use in India during the British Raj colonial period and has been used regularly in many – if not most – kirtan performances ever since. This long use of the harmonium in Sikh spaces has helped create an appreciation for its use in kirtan, which has led to some saying the harmonium should not be banned altogether. The SGPC have been quick to highlight there is no outright ban of the harmonium.

Jasvir Kaur Rabban, a respected kirtani and Chief Executive Officer of the Raj Academy Conservatoire said of the motion, “Many will ask why remove the harmonium? The answer is simple, because we abandoned our own heritage to adopt a practice that was never ours. Evolution is not advancement when it comes at the cost of your roots and heritage. The unfortunate truth is that most Sikhs across the world were not aware that the harmonium is a European instrument created in the 1840s. It was intentionally installed at Sri Darbar Sahib to change how we practice Shabd (Guru’s verse) kirtan.

“The joy in this moment is that we are taking a huge step towards reclaiming and decolonising our practice of kirtan and reconnecting with authentic Sikh Musical Heritage. This is a huge win for our kaum (nation).“

According to Sikh PA sources, it was also during the colonial period that women were stopped from performing kirtan in Sri Harmandir Sahib, although exact details on how this unfolded are unclear. Attempts to revert back to traditions which would include women once again being allowed to perform kirtan in Sri Harmandir Sahib, as they are in all other Gurdwaras, have been pushed for by various Sikh groups across the world. The move towards traditional stringed instruments for kirtan seems to be a push in this direction, and as such has been welcomed by many.

Indian media’s misinformation and negative spin put on this move issued by Giani Harpreet Singh seem to be part of ongoing attempts to demonise the Jathedar, who recently advocated for Sikhs to be armed with guns, another celebrated tradition which is an intrinsic part of the Sikh faith’s reverence of weapons. Under Narendra Modi’s right-wing nationalist government, Indian media are ranked 142nd in current press freedom rankings of 180 countries.

Summarising the importance of the move into stringed instruments for kirtan, Professor Surinder Singh of the Raj Academy Conservatoire explains, “The kaum was blessed with beautiful musical instruments from our Guru Sahibaan such as the Rabab, Saranda, Sarangi, Taus, Dilruba and Jori. Five of these instruments were created by the Sikh Guru’s, meaning they did not exist in that specific form previously. They were used for kirtan at the time of our Gurus and played by our Gurus. Kirtan was not used for entertainment. Kirtan was used as medicine for the soul and mind to transform and develop the innerbeing of the Sikhs of that time. This was and is the power of Gurbani (Guru’s words) being recited and sung in its prescribed Raag. It has the power to carve the human psyche with such precision to develop personalities of the greatest calibre. The tools our Gurus used and blessed us with were these majestic string instruments and Gurbani in Raag roop (form), and the combination of this being evident in our history. 

“It is evidenced that Gursikhs would carry their saaj (Sikh instruments) on their backs, even in the battlefield because they were an integral part of the lifestyle of each and every Sikh on and off the battlefield.

“The inner battle of conquering the mind is a daily fight, this is why our Gurus gave us the best spiritual weapons to fight our battle and come through victorious. It is these sacred Sikh instruments that will enable us to fight, but to win the inner and outer battle we must adhere to the hukam (command) of the Shabd and apply the Raag”.