SGPC takes up matter with PM about Afghan Sikhs

Fatehgarh Sahib, Sep 21 (UNI) Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has taken up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the problems faced by Sikhs community living in Afghanistan.

SGPC President Avtar Singh Makkar, while talking to mediapersons here, expressed grave concern over the news reports that Sikhs were being denied the right to cremate the dead in Afghanistan. He said he had written a letter to Dr Singh, asking him to take up the issue with authorities concerned to ensure the religious freedom of Sikhs.

Mr Makkar also said that the SGPC has set up a board of scholars to rewrite the Sikh history to remove distortions. He said resource material available with Sikh institutions would be made the basis of the re-written history.

He said from now on the SGPC would examine the books regarding Sikh history and religion.

Talking about the publication of Guru Granth Sahib, he said the Punjab Government had been urged to pass a law to make the permission from the SGPC mandatory for publishing Guru Granth Sahib.

He said the sale of Guru Granth Sahib will not be allowed at commercial level.

UNI