Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Gurbani Telecast row: SAD-Sanyukt National General Secretary seeks white paper, writes open letter to SPGC President
Damanvir Singh Phillaur writes an open letter to SGPC President in this regard
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, May 27, 2023: SAD-Sanyukt national General Secretary Damanvir Singh Phillaur has sought a white paper on the alleged commercial use of Gurbani telecast from Golden Temple by one channel and on the quantum of fee received by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee(SGPC) from the channel and how has that been used for the benefit of the Panth.
Damanvir has written an open letter to the President of (SGPC) to make this demand.
Phillaur says in the open letter - It is known to all how G-Next Media Private Limited (PTC Channel) which is owned by the Badal family has been enjoying the sole right to telecast Gurbani from the Golden Temple.
There are allegations that the channel commercialized Gurbani and accumulated funds by selling it. Now is the time to bring into the public domain the facts on this issue as it is a sin to use the pious Gurbani for commercial purposes.
In the open letter to SGPC President, Damanvir Singh Phillaur has sought a white paper on whether the channel commercialized Gurbani and if so, the amount of profits made by the channel in doing so over the last so many years.
"The SGPC can direct the network to present all the facts and figures before it, which can then be made public by the committee," Phillaur has written in the open letter.
In case money has been accumulated by the channel for itself, SGPC should put its foot down and ask the channel to give back the funds collected by commercializing Gurbani. The money received can be used for development purposes that serve the Panth, Phillaur has said in the letter.
He said that SGPC also needs to shed light on the fee received by it from G - Next Media and how the same has been used for the benefit of Panth. "In case the white papers are not brought out we as representatives of the people of Punjab and Panth will have no option but to approach either a court of law or a premier investigative agency to find out the money trail," he said.
Referring to the SGPC’s decision to invite open tenders soon for telecasting Gurbani from Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib, Phillaur said in the letter: “It is a great move, indeed. For a long time, there had been a demand to end the monopoly of one channel over the broadcast of the holy Gurbani from the Golden Temple."
In the letter, Phillaur has also asked: “Will the SGPC management be able to ensure total transparency so that genuine participants in the tender get the opportunity to telecast the Gurbani? If the SGPC does not take care of this then there is no point in the tendering process.”